| Double Take: A Memoir | 
| Author: Kevin Michael Connolly
Publisher: Harper
List Price: $19.99
Buy Used: $4.94
as of 7/30/2010 08:39 EDT details
You Save: $15.05 (75%)
Rating:  reviews
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1ST
Pages: 240
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 8.3 x 5.7 x 1
ISBN: 0061791539
Dewey Decimal Number: 921
EAN: 9780061791536
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
| |
| |
| Features:
| • | ISBN13: 9780061791536 | | • | Condition: New | | • | Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed |
| |
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
From Kevin Connolly: "I was bitten nearly in half by a shark while swimming in New Zealand. I was a victim of a Serbian mortar round in Sarajevo during the Balkan wars. I have been the victim of a dozen car accidents - head on collisions, vehicle rolls, and pedestrian injuries. I have been the purveyor of magic tricks for children - a routine often involving mirrors and a trapdoor. I have been a beggar and vagabond - panhandling across countries with varying degrees of success. I have also been a holy man - bringing moments of inspiration and light to those who chose to look for it. I am none these things - and I am all of them. My name is Kevin Michael Connolly and I was born in Helena, Montana on August 18th, 1985. I was also born without legs. All my life I′ve been an object of curiosity, the subject of a stare. But, while I have shouldered the stares and stories of others, the story of how I′ve managed to travel the world is uniquely my own. DOUBLE TAKE is my story, and it begins in many ways the day I was placed on prosthetic stilts at the age of eight. In an attempt to capture the moments of intense curiosity I experience on a daily basis, I traveled to 17 countries and took over 32,728 photographs of people staring at me. In Zurich, I raced down the Limmat River against a group of twenty Vikings. In Bosnia, I scrambled to collect my groceries after being side swiped by a car. In Malaysia, I got caught in torrential rainstorms and had to skate and paddle with one hand, while keeping my camera above the rising tide with the other."
|
| Customer Reviews:
 Connolly Goes for Broke October 14, 2009
M. Anfinson (Helena, MT)
10 out of 11 found this review helpful
Double Take is a captivating book, chronicling the life and travels of one of the most extraordinary people alive today. Kevin Connolly, although only 23 years old, chronicles events that most people will not experience in their entire life. His literary prowess keeps the reader on the edge of their seat, slogging them through the whole range of human emotion. You end one chapter in tears, only to read a few more pages, mouth agape in horror as he plummets and tumbles down from the top of Lone Peak. Kevin also has his lighter side, depicting images of ramshackle floats build by high school students, who mainly wanted a day out of class, for the annual Helena Vigilante Parade. Through it all, the reader gets a sliver of insight into the life of someone unlike anyone they have ever met, but also much akin to themselves.
The intimacy and reality with which Kevin writes pulls the reader in close to him. Although he has lived a different life due to physical circumstances, he still shares many experiences with the rest of us, growing up playing in mud and dirt, wanting to be part of a team, and most importantly, the value of family. I would highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone. It is a quick read that chronicles not only the incredible experiences of young adult but also the realities of anyone who has ever had to grow up.
Reality check November 10, 2009
Sally Uhlmann (bozeman, montana)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Kevin's book is a reality check for anyone who feels like whining and complaining about their life. It is wonderfully written with each sentence and chapter jumping from the pages. Kevin is a very handsome, articulate, intelligent young man who was born without legs. His entire life has been spent dealing with the ramifications of being legless in a culture that highly values "fitting in" and physical attributes. He is funny, insightful, open, honest, and the best antidote for ever feeling sorry for yourself. Read this book and your views of what it means to be disabled, along with your behavior toward the disabled, will be altered in a positive manner forever. Thank you Kevin for sharing your life with us.
This is a GREAT read! November 5, 2009
Catherine Yetter (Helena, MT)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I read the book straight through, only stopping to sleep and snack. Kevin Connolly's book "Double Take" gave me the feeling of sitting by a campfire with intimate friends just back from distant parts unknown, listening to thier adventure tales that you know are true but hard to believe none the less. I seemed to go back and forth between laugh out loud moments to "oh my gosh...I can't believe he had the guts to do that...go there....expose himself in that way. Kevin has a gift of storytelling that makes you feel as if you were there with him....being stared at....wrestling with the angst, humor, curiosity, adventure, love lost. This book also made me ponder people and events that I have only explored at a surface level before. It was really thought provoking to rethink what it means to be "disabled". How, why, and who decides. His willingness to share and articulate experiences that so many people struggle with on some level who don't fit the norm may be cathartic not only for him but for many who don't have his ability to give voice to the good, the bad and the ugly of being physically different than the masses. Kevin Connolly may not be able to dance with feet but he can sure dance with words and proves that in his book "Double Take". This is a great read!!!
Great read! November 4, 2009
Clara L. Wilson
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Kevin has written a book that will inspire you to get out and enjoy life to its fullest. Through his global travels and adventures, you will realize that there are no obstacles that can't be overcome. A truly great read. Thanks Kevin for waking me up!
A Must Read! I could not Put it Down! November 10, 2009
N. Defonde
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
From start to finish this book had me wanting more. It truly is a gripping life story about somebody you can relate to. There is just the right ammount of humor, drama, and human spirit that anybody can enjoy this tale. I cannot reccommend this book enough. I have already told countless friends to give it a shot and the ones who have read it agree, this is worth a read. Kevin Michael Connolly takes you on a journey and lets you feel what it's like to be in his "boot", to see, and feel things from his perspective. This book also contains photos from his project which just adds to the reasons you should buy this book. I could not put this down, I read it in a day because of how gripping it was. I'm no skilled writer so I cannot fully do this fine literary work enough justice, so go on read it, you know you want to.
|
|
|
| |
