a little boring - and a little too much "dreaming" but a look at what happens when Sandy loses his sight at age 19 due to a mis-diagnosis. He completes his graduation at Columbia, Oxford, etc. and goes on to become very successful and rich. He has issued a challenge to "end blindness" that carries a 2 million $ prize. Garfunkle was his college roommate who encouraged him to return to college and his helpmate and friend. ( )

I might not have read this memoir if Art Garfunkel wasn't the reader. It turns out that his role as dear friend of the author was hugely significant. The story of a college student who loses his eyesight, and what he then makes of his life, is well written and very interesting. It is always inspiring to hear of triumphs of the human spirit. ( )

Thank you to #Netgalley for this book.

An interesting book (but not depressing) about how one copes with blindness from glaucoma at age 19 when he was in his first year of Columbia University in New York. He never let it rule or lead his life and refused to use a cane or a guide dog. At this time, he met Art Garfukel (as in Simon and Garfunkel) and he became his best friend and went with him everywhere as a guide. He was and probably still is a close friend and almost like a brother. I have to admit that I wanted to read this book for this friendship and he was a prominent person in his life along with his wife Sue who he met in grade school. 60 years later they are still married with children and grandchildren.

He persevered in life his own way and like he said since he had his sight until 19 years old he can imagine what things look like. He's still a strong figure in advanced ways of preventing blindness when this book was published (2020).

As the book went on, it became more business like and I became a little bit bored and the writing became "over my head" in phrases and chapters.

One interesting thing almost at the end of this book, he had an "imaginary" party, where people from past and present where there all having a good time and talking to each other. I guess this was his way of seeing people together that he admired (both professional, friends and family). It was sure different but I enjoyed it. ( )

In spite of poverty, Sandy had everything going for him. Then he went blind at nineteen. Not inky blackness but to never clearly see loved ones or the printed page. But he didn't need sight to see his college roommate/best friend/support system at his side in the worst days of his life. Without Arthur's help would he have gotten his PhD, gone to Yale, then Oxford? But Sandy did all these things and more, including devising a specialized tape recorder and getting a patent for it, married his childhood sweetheart, had children, met several POTUS and worked inside the capitol. He always remained driven but later learned (metaphorically) to stop and smell the roses. And Arthur? He became a singer/songwriter until he left that business and did well with his wife and children. And his friend, Sandy. This is a very moving story and I am thankful to have been able to read it.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Post Hill Press via NetGalley. Thank you! ( )

When I saw this memoir had an introduction from Art Garfunkel, a foreword by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and a final word from Margaret Atwood, I had to read it. I mean a musician, justice, and writer come together and volunteer their name and talent for one person.Hello Darkness, My Old Friend is the story of Sandy Greenberg whose facility for forming deep friendships with many people from all walks of life enriched his life and thanks to his own genius, enriched ours as well.

Sandy Greenberg came from a poor family. His stepfather ran a scrap metal business but he was smart and won a scholarship to Columbia. In his junior year he started losing his sight and thanks to malpractice he went blind but he was still able to graduate thanks to his roommate pushing him to go back to school and his roommate and friends’ willingness to read for him. He was afraid of the future but thanks in large part to his roommate, Art Garfunkel. he found the courage and determination necessary to go into the world and compete on his own terms.

I had never heard of Sanford Greenberg before I began this memoir, but I am glad I read it. His determination was impressive and though I think he made his life harder by refusing to use a cane or a guide dog that kind of determined ambition and effort is admirable. He was active politically, worked at in the White House as a fellow, and worked in science and technology inventing things and investing in technology. Now he has offered a challenge to end blindness. if past is prologue, he will.

I received an ARC of Hello Darkness, My Old Friend from the publisher through Shelf Awareness.

Hello Darkness, My Old Friend at Post Hill Press | Simon and Schuster
Sanford D. Greenberg bio at End Blindness

https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com/2020/07/16/9781642934977/ ( )