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Give Back the Light: A Doctor's Relentless Struggle to End Blindness
AMAZON BESTSELLER IN DOCTOR-PATIENT RELATIONS AND #1 RELEASE IN OPTOMETRY
A Look at a Legacy
Faced with potential blindness because of a recurring detached retina, James Moore makes a last attempt to save the sight in his right eye. Hoping for a miracle, he travels from Austin to Memphis to meet with eye specialist, Steve Charles, a physician whose inventions of machines, tools, and techniques have been transformative in the field of retinal surgery, and who has performed more vitreoretinal procedures than anyone in history. As he struggles to see, Moore comes to realize that while no doctor has perhaps had a broader impact on vision and ophthalmological surgery, no one outside the field really knows who Charles is or what he's accomplished. Moore decides to change that.
New York Times best-selling author of Bush's Brain and Emmy award-winning television news correspondent James Moore documents his own journey in the struggle to save his eyesight, while also weaving in a detailed account of the doctor's profound accomplishments and their global impact on people. Part biography, part autobiography, Give Back the Light is a dual-track narrative that highlights the challenges and achievements of modern health care.
This is a book about a physician who has been intimately involved in saving the vision of millions of people through the spread of his technology and surgical techniques. Dr. Charles is an historical and yet mostly unknown figure who has lived a remarkable life of great importance. In the telling, Moore helps readers view the wider world and their contributions to it in different light, and offers a prosaic understanding of the sheer joy of just seeing.
A Look at a Legacy
Faced with potential blindness because of a recurring detached retina, James Moore makes a last attempt to save the sight in his right eye. Hoping for a miracle, he travels from Austin to Memphis to meet with eye specialist, Steve Charles, a physician whose inventions of machines, tools, and techniques have been transformative in the field of retinal surgery, and who has performed more vitreoretinal procedures than anyone in history. As he struggles to see, Moore comes to realize that while no doctor has perhaps had a broader impact on vision and ophthalmological surgery, no one outside the field really knows who Charles is or what he's accomplished. Moore decides to change that.
New York Times best-selling author of Bush's Brain and Emmy award-winning television news correspondent James Moore documents his own journey in the struggle to save his eyesight, while also weaving in a detailed account of the doctor's profound accomplishments and their global impact on people. Part biography, part autobiography, Give Back the Light is a dual-track narrative that highlights the challenges and achievements of modern health care.
This is a book about a physician who has been intimately involved in saving the vision of millions of people through the spread of his technology and surgical techniques. Dr. Charles is an historical and yet mostly unknown figure who has lived a remarkable life of great importance. In the telling, Moore helps readers view the wider world and their contributions to it in different light, and offers a prosaic understanding of the sheer joy of just seeing.
256 pages, Hardcover
Published January 8, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
January 15, 2019
James C. Moore is a seasoned journalist who covered presidential politics for years. A former TV news correspondent, he is also a New York Times best-selling author of six books prior to this one. A few years ago, while watching the TV one afternoon, Moore noted dark insect-like flecks floating across the field of vision in his right eye. He phoned his optometrist, who, after examining Moore, subsequently made an emergency referral to a skilled, Ivy-League-trained ophthalmologist. This eye specialist diagnosed a retinal detachment.
As people age, the clear, gel-like substance that fills the inside of the eyes, known as the vitreous, tends to shrink slightly and become more watery. The vitreous can put enough pressure on the retina to make it tear. The older, now thinner gel can flow in through the tear and actually lift the retina off the back of the eye. (Myopic—short-sighted—eyes, which have a greater front to back length, are also more vulnerable to retinal tears and detachments.) Left untreated, a detached retina can lead to blindness. The retina contains cells sensitive to incoming light. In response to light, these cells trigger nerve impulses, which are sent along the optic nerve to the brain. Without a functioning retina, light can’t be transformed into electro-neural impulses, and our brains can’t form visual images.
Over a period of five years, Moore was submitted to a number of surgical procedures by a supposedly “skilled-enough” ophthalmologist, but Moore’s retina would not stay attached. He was apparently an outlier, for whom the procedures would not take. In a last-ditch attempt to save the vision in his right eye, he ended up travelling from Texas to Tennessee to consult the legendary, indefatigable retinal surgeon, Dr. Steve Charles. At 75, Dr. Charles, who had developed a remarkable number of retinal surgery techniques and instruments, was still skilfully performing ten microsurgical retinal operations a day. (He’d performed approximately 38,000 in his career to that point.) When he wasn’t working, he was travelling to provide charity care and teach others around the world the procedures that could save patients’ vision. Sadly, by the time Dr. Charles examined Moore, his condition was inoperable. However, the journalist was intrigued by this extraordinarily high-energy, single-minded medical specialist and felt his accomplishments should be known by more than a relatively small number of retinal surgeons—hence, this book.
Moore proceeds to provide a history of the development of surgical techniques for the repair of torn and detached retinas. He details the achievements of big innovators of 1960s and 1970s ophthalmological surgery who trained Dr. Charles at the University of Miami’s Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. A quick scan of the text reveals that after this Steve Charles’s own biography and contributions to the field of ophthalmology (surgical and technical) take centre stage. (Dr. Charles also has a mechanical and electrical engineering background, which proved valuable in designing revolutionary instruments, equipment, and even techniques for eye surgery.)
I regret to say that I found the book’s many technical details and its considerable medical jargon extremely dry reading. Not far into the third chapter, I decided not to complete the book. While Moore’s text does contain photographs of scientists, equipment, and instruments involved in retinal surgery, there is, quite stunningly, not a single diagram of the eye! Moore assumes that his reader has the same knowledge that he, a sufferer of retinal detachment, gained over a five-year period as a patient and during the additional years it took to write his book.
Though I found Moore’s writing far from engaging, I’ll allow that it is grammatical and competent. I’m sure if I’d been more interested in the material or more motivated, I could have finished the book. The fact is: from the start, I was probably not prepared to read a text that contained this degree of detail about eye surgery techniques, instruments, and equipment, and Moore did little to inspire interest. I was expecting a book geared more towards a reasonably intelligent lay person. Unfortunately, I didn’t get that book. Moore does not methodically guide a reader, such as myself, who has only basic knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the eye and almost no familiarity with eye surgery. Instead, from the get-go, he bombards the reader with medical terminology. When approaching new medical subjects, I prefer a more supportive approach that provides me with diagrams and some basic explanations. Because I felt I wasn’t getting what I needed, I spent an inordinate amount of time googling medical terms, surgical descriptions, and eye diagrams. I didn’t have much confidence that I could read the book without this kind of educative “front loading”. Even that proved to be inadequate to the task: too much work for far too little pleasure.
I don’t think it is unreasonable to expect an author to do some of this set-up work for a lay reader—which raises another issue: who, exactly, is Moore’s intended audience? In the foreword, retired Iowa ophthalmologist/retinal surgeon Christopher Blodi suggests there are three types of readers for the book: (1) those with medical problems who are trying to negotiate their own way through the healthcare system or adjust to disability; (2) those interested in “driven” individuals; and (3) ophthalmology specialists interested in learning more about someone who has dominated the field. I don’t really fit into any of these categories, and maybe that’s why I found the book so unsatisfying. My sense is that only the third type of reader could cope well with this text.
As people age, the clear, gel-like substance that fills the inside of the eyes, known as the vitreous, tends to shrink slightly and become more watery. The vitreous can put enough pressure on the retina to make it tear. The older, now thinner gel can flow in through the tear and actually lift the retina off the back of the eye. (Myopic—short-sighted—eyes, which have a greater front to back length, are also more vulnerable to retinal tears and detachments.) Left untreated, a detached retina can lead to blindness. The retina contains cells sensitive to incoming light. In response to light, these cells trigger nerve impulses, which are sent along the optic nerve to the brain. Without a functioning retina, light can’t be transformed into electro-neural impulses, and our brains can’t form visual images.
Over a period of five years, Moore was submitted to a number of surgical procedures by a supposedly “skilled-enough” ophthalmologist, but Moore’s retina would not stay attached. He was apparently an outlier, for whom the procedures would not take. In a last-ditch attempt to save the vision in his right eye, he ended up travelling from Texas to Tennessee to consult the legendary, indefatigable retinal surgeon, Dr. Steve Charles. At 75, Dr. Charles, who had developed a remarkable number of retinal surgery techniques and instruments, was still skilfully performing ten microsurgical retinal operations a day. (He’d performed approximately 38,000 in his career to that point.) When he wasn’t working, he was travelling to provide charity care and teach others around the world the procedures that could save patients’ vision. Sadly, by the time Dr. Charles examined Moore, his condition was inoperable. However, the journalist was intrigued by this extraordinarily high-energy, single-minded medical specialist and felt his accomplishments should be known by more than a relatively small number of retinal surgeons—hence, this book.
Moore proceeds to provide a history of the development of surgical techniques for the repair of torn and detached retinas. He details the achievements of big innovators of 1960s and 1970s ophthalmological surgery who trained Dr. Charles at the University of Miami’s Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. A quick scan of the text reveals that after this Steve Charles’s own biography and contributions to the field of ophthalmology (surgical and technical) take centre stage. (Dr. Charles also has a mechanical and electrical engineering background, which proved valuable in designing revolutionary instruments, equipment, and even techniques for eye surgery.)
I regret to say that I found the book’s many technical details and its considerable medical jargon extremely dry reading. Not far into the third chapter, I decided not to complete the book. While Moore’s text does contain photographs of scientists, equipment, and instruments involved in retinal surgery, there is, quite stunningly, not a single diagram of the eye! Moore assumes that his reader has the same knowledge that he, a sufferer of retinal detachment, gained over a five-year period as a patient and during the additional years it took to write his book.
Though I found Moore’s writing far from engaging, I’ll allow that it is grammatical and competent. I’m sure if I’d been more interested in the material or more motivated, I could have finished the book. The fact is: from the start, I was probably not prepared to read a text that contained this degree of detail about eye surgery techniques, instruments, and equipment, and Moore did little to inspire interest. I was expecting a book geared more towards a reasonably intelligent lay person. Unfortunately, I didn’t get that book. Moore does not methodically guide a reader, such as myself, who has only basic knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the eye and almost no familiarity with eye surgery. Instead, from the get-go, he bombards the reader with medical terminology. When approaching new medical subjects, I prefer a more supportive approach that provides me with diagrams and some basic explanations. Because I felt I wasn’t getting what I needed, I spent an inordinate amount of time googling medical terms, surgical descriptions, and eye diagrams. I didn’t have much confidence that I could read the book without this kind of educative “front loading”. Even that proved to be inadequate to the task: too much work for far too little pleasure.
I don’t think it is unreasonable to expect an author to do some of this set-up work for a lay reader—which raises another issue: who, exactly, is Moore’s intended audience? In the foreword, retired Iowa ophthalmologist/retinal surgeon Christopher Blodi suggests there are three types of readers for the book: (1) those with medical problems who are trying to negotiate their own way through the healthcare system or adjust to disability; (2) those interested in “driven” individuals; and (3) ophthalmology specialists interested in learning more about someone who has dominated the field. I don’t really fit into any of these categories, and maybe that’s why I found the book so unsatisfying. My sense is that only the third type of reader could cope well with this text.
March 13, 2019
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway and am happy to provide an unbiased review with thanks to the publisher and the authors.
If you haven't heard of James C. Moore, you should have. If you haven't heard of Dr. Steve Charles, you should have. I read a lot of medical books - actually a lot of books period - and I hadn't heard of either of them, I am ashamed to say.
This book is about Emmy award winner and author James C. Moore's long fight to protect the sight in his right eye, which led him to Dr. Steve Charles, who wasn't only the best in the field, but who had first imagined, then developed, and finally created numerous machines and techniques that had saved the sight of thousands of people himself, and untold millions who benefited from his research worldwide.
James Moore suffered for years with a repeatedly detached retina. Living in Houston, his physician tried many times to repair the tear, only to have it come back with a vengeance. Finally, he mentioned Dr. Charles to James. James went home and immediately contacted Dr. Charles via mail. He didn't expect to hear anything very quickly, especially noting it was the middle of the night and Dr. Charles was undoubtedly a very busy man. He was wrong. Dr. Charles answered the email himself, and within minutes.
He told James to get to his Memphis office sooner rather than later. James did so and for the first time had some hope that his sight could be saved.
The book is written by both men in alternative chapters, each telling his story and how their lives intersected; one driven to save his sight, the other driven to help as many people as possible. It is unusual in that the book is part biography, part auto biography, part memoir...and on it goes.
If you haven't heard of James C. Moore, you should have. If you haven't heard of Dr. Steve Charles, you should have. I read a lot of medical books - actually a lot of books period - and I hadn't heard of either of them, I am ashamed to say.
This book is about Emmy award winner and author James C. Moore's long fight to protect the sight in his right eye, which led him to Dr. Steve Charles, who wasn't only the best in the field, but who had first imagined, then developed, and finally created numerous machines and techniques that had saved the sight of thousands of people himself, and untold millions who benefited from his research worldwide.
James Moore suffered for years with a repeatedly detached retina. Living in Houston, his physician tried many times to repair the tear, only to have it come back with a vengeance. Finally, he mentioned Dr. Charles to James. James went home and immediately contacted Dr. Charles via mail. He didn't expect to hear anything very quickly, especially noting it was the middle of the night and Dr. Charles was undoubtedly a very busy man. He was wrong. Dr. Charles answered the email himself, and within minutes.
He told James to get to his Memphis office sooner rather than later. James did so and for the first time had some hope that his sight could be saved.
The book is written by both men in alternative chapters, each telling his story and how their lives intersected; one driven to save his sight, the other driven to help as many people as possible. It is unusual in that the book is part biography, part auto biography, part memoir...and on it goes.
Read
May 25, 2019The book is well-written and addresses an important issue. But--The medical detail made it hard for me to sustain interest in reading it. It is a book that will be of great interest to those working in the field. I elected not to finish the book at this time.
March 14, 2019
I won a free digital copy in a Goodreads giveaway; this did not influence my review.
I skimmed and/or read about 25% of the book (including portions of the last chapter). With a few notable exceptions, I find journalists often don't write the most compelling memoirs. I found myself wishing Moore had inserted more of himself into his story. He repeatedly mentions his decades of good health before developing a detached retina (this grew irritating to me after a few mentions - as an intelligent, well-educated journalist he must know that good health isn't an insurance policy against later ailments). I suspect Moore repeatedly notes his good health because of the shock and sadness he felt upon developing eye problems; I wish he explored his emotional response more openly and thoroughly rather than perseverating on the facts surrounding his visual difficulties.
Moore is clearly fascinated by Dr. Charles, the ophthalmology specialist whom he consulted after several failed attempts to repair his detached retina. There is no doubt that Dr. Charles is an exceptional physician and a remarkable person, however, I wasn't particularly interested in reading about his grandparents, his mentors, etc. Again, the level of details focus on the "wrong" things. I expected more exploration of the doctor-patient relationship and some summary of Dr. Charles's achievements. Instead, Moore delves into minutiae of instruments and procedures without giving enough sense of the man or doctor himself.
The foreword (by another physician) tells the reader that one of the main things the book offers is an education into how to persevere through health challenges and how to manage the health care system as a patient. While I admittedly didn't finish the book, I unfortunately feel no more enlightened after reading the portions that I did complete.
I do think the book will be of interest to eye professionals, but I think the synopsis and foreword do a poor job of accurately reflecting what this book is and who it is for.
I skimmed and/or read about 25% of the book (including portions of the last chapter). With a few notable exceptions, I find journalists often don't write the most compelling memoirs. I found myself wishing Moore had inserted more of himself into his story. He repeatedly mentions his decades of good health before developing a detached retina (this grew irritating to me after a few mentions - as an intelligent, well-educated journalist he must know that good health isn't an insurance policy against later ailments). I suspect Moore repeatedly notes his good health because of the shock and sadness he felt upon developing eye problems; I wish he explored his emotional response more openly and thoroughly rather than perseverating on the facts surrounding his visual difficulties.
Moore is clearly fascinated by Dr. Charles, the ophthalmology specialist whom he consulted after several failed attempts to repair his detached retina. There is no doubt that Dr. Charles is an exceptional physician and a remarkable person, however, I wasn't particularly interested in reading about his grandparents, his mentors, etc. Again, the level of details focus on the "wrong" things. I expected more exploration of the doctor-patient relationship and some summary of Dr. Charles's achievements. Instead, Moore delves into minutiae of instruments and procedures without giving enough sense of the man or doctor himself.
The foreword (by another physician) tells the reader that one of the main things the book offers is an education into how to persevere through health challenges and how to manage the health care system as a patient. While I admittedly didn't finish the book, I unfortunately feel no more enlightened after reading the portions that I did complete.
I do think the book will be of interest to eye professionals, but I think the synopsis and foreword do a poor job of accurately reflecting what this book is and who it is for.
February 11, 2019
Way above my pay grade. This book belongs in a university classroom. It seemed to be more of a glowing tribute to Dr. Steve Charles and his contributions to eye surgery. . I d0 agree that physicians should never stop learning and refer patients to those more advanced in their specialty. Unfortunately, we "blindly" trust our doctors to heal us. But how do we know they possess the skills to get the job done? i received this book in a GoodRead's Giveaway. Thank you!
May 22, 2019
I received a copy of this book for free through a Goodreads First Reads Giveaway.
As someone that has suffered with vision problems for my entire life I find the content fascinating. My eye surgery was at the age of 4 and I can still remember the recovery, wearing eye patches for months, and being teased by my sisters 46 years later. I can't imagine the difference in recovery time and techniques for the same surgery today. For most people this book may be too technical, but you should still read it. Research what you don't understand. Grow your mind.
As someone that has suffered with vision problems for my entire life I find the content fascinating. My eye surgery was at the age of 4 and I can still remember the recovery, wearing eye patches for months, and being teased by my sisters 46 years later. I can't imagine the difference in recovery time and techniques for the same surgery today. For most people this book may be too technical, but you should still read it. Research what you don't understand. Grow your mind.
March 13, 2019
3.5 stars rounded up.
I received a copy of this book for free through a Goodreads First Reads Giveaway.
Part biography, part memoir, James C. Moore introduces us to Dr. Steve Charles, who's contributes to ophthalmology are extremely extensive. Parts of the book were fascinating, like Moore's own story of losing sight in one of his eyes. Also portions of the biography of Charles were quite interesting too.
The main issue with the book is the technical jargon that will leave a layperson in the field of ophthalmology scratching his/her head. While Moore explains some...he doesn't explain nearly enough. He names diseases and procedures using the technical terms without giving us analogies or simpler explanations. It makes the book confusing and difficult to read. It's almost as if he took the information verbatim from technical manuals or textbooks and not providing any interpretation for the layperson.
Overall, the biography portion of Dr. Charles is important and he should be more well known than he is outside of eye surgery circles. The memoir of Moore is interesting too as he battles to first reverse the blindness in one eye, then battles to accept his loss of sight. It's just the delivery that was poor.
I received a copy of this book for free through a Goodreads First Reads Giveaway.
Part biography, part memoir, James C. Moore introduces us to Dr. Steve Charles, who's contributes to ophthalmology are extremely extensive. Parts of the book were fascinating, like Moore's own story of losing sight in one of his eyes. Also portions of the biography of Charles were quite interesting too.
The main issue with the book is the technical jargon that will leave a layperson in the field of ophthalmology scratching his/her head. While Moore explains some...he doesn't explain nearly enough. He names diseases and procedures using the technical terms without giving us analogies or simpler explanations. It makes the book confusing and difficult to read. It's almost as if he took the information verbatim from technical manuals or textbooks and not providing any interpretation for the layperson.
Overall, the biography portion of Dr. Charles is important and he should be more well known than he is outside of eye surgery circles. The memoir of Moore is interesting too as he battles to first reverse the blindness in one eye, then battles to accept his loss of sight. It's just the delivery that was poor.
December 27, 2018
I received this ARC e-book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
To begin with I could only tolerate about 1/3 of this book. It is very poorly written with lots and lots of repetition. For example, there was a whole paragraph repeated word for word from chapter one to chapter two.
The book was purportedly written for laymen interested in sight restoration, particularly in Steve Charles’ innovations in treatment of problems with the vitreous. The author started out explaining ocular problems in laymen’s terms, yet not in an elementary fashion. Soon, however, he segued into scientific and ophthalmologic jargon. He would go back and forth from a story line (which jumped all over the place) to lecturing (to medical students?). The lectures didn’t seem to maintain a relationship to the problems involved in the story line. However, the story line was not consistent, either.
I’m sure the life and life-work of Steve Charles was a story worth chronicling, but this book did not do it justice.
To begin with I could only tolerate about 1/3 of this book. It is very poorly written with lots and lots of repetition. For example, there was a whole paragraph repeated word for word from chapter one to chapter two.
The book was purportedly written for laymen interested in sight restoration, particularly in Steve Charles’ innovations in treatment of problems with the vitreous. The author started out explaining ocular problems in laymen’s terms, yet not in an elementary fashion. Soon, however, he segued into scientific and ophthalmologic jargon. He would go back and forth from a story line (which jumped all over the place) to lecturing (to medical students?). The lectures didn’t seem to maintain a relationship to the problems involved in the story line. However, the story line was not consistent, either.
I’m sure the life and life-work of Steve Charles was a story worth chronicling, but this book did not do it justice.
March 6, 2019
I am recommending this book to my ophthalmologist and if he reads it,I will post an update or ask him to post a review as retina issues are part of his expertise.
I found book interesting and informative. I would recommend to anyone interested in learning more
about relatively new advancements made in retinal health field.
ARC was provided courtesy of publisher thru NetGalley without any expectations of recompense whatsoever.
One last thing that I personally would like to add: IF YOU OR ANYONE ELSE THAT YOU MAY KNOW HAVE HAD CHICKEN POX, PLEASE GET THE SHINGLES VACCINE (WITH YOUR DOCTOR'S BLESSING). I had shingles in the eye. I was basically blind in my eye for two weeks and twenty months later, I am still dealing with the aftermath. As a voracious reader, this was the worst nightmare imaginable. Thankfully I am seeing the light at the end of a long tunnel thanks to excellent and caring ophthalmologist care.
I found book interesting and informative. I would recommend to anyone interested in learning more
about relatively new advancements made in retinal health field.
ARC was provided courtesy of publisher thru NetGalley without any expectations of recompense whatsoever.
One last thing that I personally would like to add: IF YOU OR ANYONE ELSE THAT YOU MAY KNOW HAVE HAD CHICKEN POX, PLEASE GET THE SHINGLES VACCINE (WITH YOUR DOCTOR'S BLESSING). I had shingles in the eye. I was basically blind in my eye for two weeks and twenty months later, I am still dealing with the aftermath. As a voracious reader, this was the worst nightmare imaginable. Thankfully I am seeing the light at the end of a long tunnel thanks to excellent and caring ophthalmologist care.
April 18, 2019
I had no expectations for this book, since I won a copy in a raffle and didn't really know anything about it. It brought to my knowledge all of the incredible work that Dr. Steven Charles has contributed to the field of opthamology. I am always in aww of people who don't just love their work but are completely devoted to it. The book highlights decades of not only invented technique, countless machines, and tools all patented and designed by him as well but also Dr. Charles generous nature to anyone suffering or in need. I think my major issue with this book was that James Moore attempted to fit so much information about Dr. Charles into this book that I found it hard to follow at times and the flow from when he talked about his own personal trials with loosing his eye sight and giving the reader a history of Dr. Charles accomplishments didn't merge well. All in all it was worth the read .
July 12, 2019
I won the kindle version of this book in a Goodreads giveaway. It caught my attention because I have suffered from bad vision for most of my life. I’ve had two different surgeries to correct eye muscle issues and have had LASIK. I have zero experience with a detached retina, like the author, but I can sympathize with the fear that goes along with any eye disorder. I found the book very interesting. I feel like it would appeal to anyone who has suffered from eye problems or anyone who has an interest in the treatment of retinal disorders. I’ll admit I skipped over some of the more technical descriptions, simply because I wasn’t interested in those, but Dr. Charles is clearly a very gifted doctor who has used his knowledge and persistence to improve many different types of surgery. He deserves the accolades given him in this book. I’m glad that I’ve learned about this talented man and his contributions to the world.
March 4, 2019
Disclaimer: I received this book as part of GoodReads' First Reads program.
The author of this book has suffered with a detached retina for years. Multiple procedures failed to resolve the issue. Finally he finds out about Dr. Steve Charles. An inquiring email is almost immediately answered with instructions to come to Memphis for an evaluation. What follows is the story of one of America's best eye surgeons, who is also an engineer, and designer of some of the most important surgical tools in use today. He's also a pilot, who uses his own jet to get around to conferences to introduce others to his techniques and the technology he's invented. He was also instrumental and getting the funding for a flying operating theater to take him to other countries, where his services are needed. This is a fascinating book, and I'd highly recommend it.
The author of this book has suffered with a detached retina for years. Multiple procedures failed to resolve the issue. Finally he finds out about Dr. Steve Charles. An inquiring email is almost immediately answered with instructions to come to Memphis for an evaluation. What follows is the story of one of America's best eye surgeons, who is also an engineer, and designer of some of the most important surgical tools in use today. He's also a pilot, who uses his own jet to get around to conferences to introduce others to his techniques and the technology he's invented. He was also instrumental and getting the funding for a flying operating theater to take him to other countries, where his services are needed. This is a fascinating book, and I'd highly recommend it.
April 7, 2019
This study is clearly and comprehensibly written, but the audience which would most benefit from it is medical, engineering, and entrepreneurial. It is a biography of an ophthalmological surgeon with an engineering background who is consumed by the need to restore sight to as many people as possible and design the astounding medical devices and machines which will implement that goal. Much of the engineering and technological stuff is way over my head, as is some of the physiology of specific treatments (I am an RN not involved in ophthalmology). It is fascinating, but best suited to the above. Great for continuing ed!
I won an ebook copy in a Goodreads Giveaway!
I won an ebook copy in a Goodreads Giveaway!
April 4, 2019
An interesting mix of biography, autobiography, and medical history that focuses on one surgeon. The author was a patient of Steve Charles too late to save his own eye, but developed an interest in this incredibly prolific doctor-engineer who has literally changed the face of medicine. The number of patients saved by him, by doctors he has trained, or through instruments he invented is innumerable. Dry in places, but profoundly moving in the personal narrative of struggling with blindness it really brings to life the import of Dr. Charles to individual patients.
June 13, 2019
I received a copy of Give Back the Light as part of a Kindle giveaway. In addition to Moore's experience with his own medical history, he put in time to research Dr. Steven Charles. But this book is not meant for light reading. I gave is a low score because it was way too technical for non-academic work. I would recommend it for collegiate work or something before bed if you need help falling asleep.
August 20, 2019
This was an amazing book about a real problem that isn't discussed very much. It was partly about an incredible man who has by himself revolutionized the science of the eye. Although it was about a subject that could tend to get a bit technical and boring Moore kept me reading with interest throughout the book. I recommend this book to anyone who is concerned about their eyes or knows anyone who has a problem with their retinas.
May 21, 2019
My three positives and a negative because the world needs more positivity:
+ If I or anyone I knew were experiencing serious eye issues, I would look to this book for guidance. The author includes leading practices, what to do and not do, and how to go about finding the right care. The most compelling and heartbreaking parts of the book are when the author shares his own journey of loosing an eye to disease. As Moore aptly states There’s not much difference between determination and desperation when your eyesight is at stake... People tend to fear blindness, the complete loss of any vision, more than just about everything in life. By sharing his loss, Moore is helping so many others
+ The doctor of the story, Dr. Steve Charles, is without a doubt an unsung hero of the world. I am a huge admirer of individuals who pursue life with passion that manifests itself in his every action. The breakthroughs he has made and the countless inventions he has created in his field were mind boggling. A toast/roast passage of Dr. Charles in which a friend jokingly describes a 'typical' day was both hysterical and acutely humbling (reference replying to hundreds of emails, creating a few patents, and performing numerous surgeries all before dinnertime)
+ I learned all sorts of new terms. I was constantly looking up words. My hands down favorite was an ocularist: an artist who creates artificial eyes. It's so close to being a mash up of ocular-artist I have to hope that is the origin
- Along those lines, while the author states that he did not intend to write a textbook, the technical nature of Dr. Charles' work mandate that jargon and specifics will abound. I appreciate that the author put a human face on as much as possible. However, there were pages I had to re-read several times. An example sentence: There was also a list of tactics he employed in the switch from a single port to three-port vitrectomy, the ideas he developed for approaching proliferative vitreo retinopathy (PVR) surgeries, retinopexy with lasers, the advantage of re-operations without removing previously injected silicone oil, and what he described as a “two-port 25-gauge silicone oil re-op” methodology. Right...
Read this if you wanted to grow up and play doctor (specifically an ophthalmologist), if you enjoy reading stories of pioneers and experts in their field, or if you know someone with retinal eye issues.
+ If I or anyone I knew were experiencing serious eye issues, I would look to this book for guidance. The author includes leading practices, what to do and not do, and how to go about finding the right care. The most compelling and heartbreaking parts of the book are when the author shares his own journey of loosing an eye to disease. As Moore aptly states There’s not much difference between determination and desperation when your eyesight is at stake... People tend to fear blindness, the complete loss of any vision, more than just about everything in life. By sharing his loss, Moore is helping so many others
+ The doctor of the story, Dr. Steve Charles, is without a doubt an unsung hero of the world. I am a huge admirer of individuals who pursue life with passion that manifests itself in his every action. The breakthroughs he has made and the countless inventions he has created in his field were mind boggling. A toast/roast passage of Dr. Charles in which a friend jokingly describes a 'typical' day was both hysterical and acutely humbling (reference replying to hundreds of emails, creating a few patents, and performing numerous surgeries all before dinnertime)
+ I learned all sorts of new terms. I was constantly looking up words. My hands down favorite was an ocularist: an artist who creates artificial eyes. It's so close to being a mash up of ocular-artist I have to hope that is the origin
- Along those lines, while the author states that he did not intend to write a textbook, the technical nature of Dr. Charles' work mandate that jargon and specifics will abound. I appreciate that the author put a human face on as much as possible. However, there were pages I had to re-read several times. An example sentence: There was also a list of tactics he employed in the switch from a single port to three-port vitrectomy, the ideas he developed for approaching proliferative vitreo retinopathy (PVR) surgeries, retinopexy with lasers, the advantage of re-operations without removing previously injected silicone oil, and what he described as a “two-port 25-gauge silicone oil re-op” methodology. Right...
Read this if you wanted to grow up and play doctor (specifically an ophthalmologist), if you enjoy reading stories of pioneers and experts in their field, or if you know someone with retinal eye issues.
March 5, 2019
I received this book in a Goodreads giveaway. As much as I tried to like this book, I just didn't. This book was a little too technical for me. Thank you for the opportunity to read 's book out of my normal genre.
June 1, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. I have had a detached retina as well and some of the details made me squeamish but it is fascinating to learn that one person had such a great influence on the surgical procedure. Thankful for doctors like Dr. Charles who put the patient first.
June 8, 2019
I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway. A lot of it was over my head, but it was still very interesting. Once I started reading it, I never thought about not finishing it. Dr. Charles is incredible.
April 15, 2019
I won this Kindle edition book in a GoodReads
Giveaway. Thank you to everyone involved.
Interesting book but does contain a lot of
Medical information.
Giveaway. Thank you to everyone involved.
Interesting book but does contain a lot of
Medical information.
April 25, 2019
Interesting read
August 7, 2023
I have worked in ophthalmology for 43 years, the past 20 in retina. It was very interesting to learn more about the history of many things that are in my daily work life.
December 20, 2019
I won this book in a GoodReads giveaway. I was interested in reading it because my dad suffered from several health issues, including losing his vision. I admit that my biggest fear is losing my sight. However, reading about all of the progress Dr. Charles has made and continues to make gives me hope. I do believe that this book may contain too much technical jargon for the average reader who may simply want to relax by reading a memoir. Instead, Mr. Moore gives the reader lots of information on the progress made since the 70's in the field of retina re-attachment and even the use of robots for other surgeries. I found it to be interesting, albeit a bit dry at times. Nonetheless, I kept reading to learn about the author's outcome and to learn more about Dr. Charles.
July 5, 2020
I won this in a giveaway and never received notification.
August 18, 2024
Not what I expected
I thought this would be more of a book about adjusting to a loss of vision but It was mostly all about a dr.
I thought this would be more of a book about adjusting to a loss of vision but It was mostly all about a dr.
March 18, 2019
I loved the premise of this book, but I wasn't impressed when actually reading it. It was filled with medical language that the non medically educated more than likely will find dry. I think that this man's journey should be chronicled, but I think it could have been done better.
I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book free of charge. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of it.
I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book free of charge. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of it.
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