{"product_id":"9780306832789","title":"Connecting Dots","description":"\u003cb\u003eThe extraordinary memoir of a scientist who became blind at a young age—how he navigates his experience and channels his genius into decades of cutting‑edge work in accessibility—packed with humor, adventure, and insights on life and disability.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e At the age of four, Joshua Miele was blinded and badly burned when a delusional neighbor poured sulfuric acid over his head in a crime that shocked New York. It could have ended his life, but instead, Miele—naturally curious, and a born problem solver—not only recovered, but thrived. Throughout his life, Miele has found increasingly inventive ways to succeed in a world built for the sighted, and to help others to do the same. At first reluctant to even think of himself as blind, he eventually embraced his blindness and became a committed advocate for disability and accessibility. Along the way, he grappled with drugs and addiction, played bass in a rock band, worked for NASA, became a guerilla activist, deconstructed and reconstructed myriad technologies, and married the love of his life and had two children. He chronicles the evolution of a number of revolutionary accessible technologies and his role in shaping them, including screen readers, tactile maps, and audio description.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eConnecting Dots \u003c\/i\u003edelivers a captivating first-person perspective on blindness and disability as incisive as it is entertaining, and ultimately triumphant: In 2021 Miele won a MacArthur “Genius” award for his work in accessibility. His story demonstrates the normality of blindness as he lives, loves, invents, raises a family, and takes pride in his blind identity. It also introduces us to an extraordinary cast of characters, from his loving if eccentric family, to his rock-and-roll buddies and first loves, to the devoted teachers and brilliant colleagues whose encouragement and collaboration supported his success. It’s a riveting romp, interweaving tales of invention and independence with humor, struggle, and achievement —the story of one ordinary blind life with an indelible impact.","brand":"Joshua A. Miele","offers":[{"title":"Hachette Books |  Hardback  |  2025-03-04","offer_id":46308099916031,"sku":"9780306832789","price":39.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0329\/9075\/7001\/files\/BNCImageAPI_816c9df6-26f0-4b30-af39-7c59bf88b953.jpg?v=1730917975","url":"https:\/\/riverbookshop.com\/products\/9780306832789","provider":"River Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}