Louis Braille: Dotyk geniuszu.

by C. Michael Mellor

Drawing on primary sources, this is the first ever full-color biography
to include 31 of his extant letters, some written by his own hand, and
translated into English for the first time.
Louis Braille was born sighted and accidentally blinded himself at the
age of three. He was fortunate to be sent to Paris to board at one of
the world's first schools for blind children. There, at the age of 12,
he began to work tirelessly on a revolutionary system of reading and
writing by touch.
Unearthed from a curator's private archives in France, this
extraordinary collection of documents, photographs and artistic works
enhances the bibliographic narrative of the phases of Braille's life as
a student, young inventor, musician, and teacher in post-Revolutionary
France.

"We the blind are as indebted to Louis Braille as mankind is to
Gutenberg." -Helen Keller

Genres: Biography

Unknown Binding

First published March 6, 2006

Reviews

[Paul Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed reading Louis Braille: A Touch of Genius by C. Michael Mellor. The subject of blindness is close to me as I have had members of my family lose their eyesight completely in adulthood. Their efforts to overcome the barriers and to live with blindness made an indelible mark upon me. The story of Louis Braille is probably well - known to many people around the world. He lost sight in his right eye in an accident occurred while he using tools in his father's workshop. Sympathetic ophthalmia and total blindness followed. He is the inventor of the tactile system of reading and writing for the blind and visually impaired in 1824. Mr. Mellor discusses how Braille became an educator and invented the language. There is extensive use of letters written by Braille to his family and other teachers. He was a thoughtful, loyal individual. The design of the book is impressive. The book is almost a compromise between biography and coffee table book. There are some wonderful photographs of relics used by Braille, including first samples of his attempts to create a new reading system. Mr. Mellor has an obvious respect and affection for Mr. Braille, and rightly so. This book is well-written, well-researched and designed with some interesting photographs. Highly recommended. This book is available in accessible formats from the Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA) in Canada and the National Braille Press in the United States.

[Andy Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Certainly comprehensive. A lot of images, I think mostly to "beef up" the book, which honestly is kind of annoying, even though they were extremely thoroughly described. I can't believe the conditions that the students had to put up with at the school! I love how the students learned Braille in secret, lmao. Overall, a fun read.

[Tacey Raye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good to read if you are blind or have a family member who is. It's more a history of Braille code than of Lewis himself. However I found it very informative and educational. Definitely recommend it.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

10/10 would recommend. So much good information and really gives a look into the challenges for blind people when reading and writing. I have alot more understandint and respect for what Braille did after reading this book.

[nay]

In 1809, Abraham Lincoln, Charles Darwin, and Louis Braille were born. Who was Louis Braille? What’s in a name?

[Katrina Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to confess that the book is a dry read, and it gets thick into facts, but that is what I wanted and needed for my profession.

[Philippe V d’Espagne · Rating 5 out of 5]

hear me out