Books.org participates in affiliate programs including Bookshop.org and the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no additional cost to you.
Overview
Kevin Michael Connolly is a twenty-four-year-old man who has seen the world in a way most of us never will. Whether swarmed by Japanese tourists at Epcot Center as a child or holding court at the X Games on his mono-ski, Kevin Connolly has been an object of curiosity since the day he was born without legs. Growing up in rural Montana, he was raised like any other kid (except, that is, for his father's MacGyver-like contraptions such as the "butt boot"). As a college student, Kevin traveled to seventeen countries on his skateboard, including Bosnia, China, Ukraine, and Japan. In an attempt to capture the stares of others, he took more than 30,000 photographs of people staring at him. In this dazzling memoir, Kevin Connolly casts the lens inward to explore how we view ourselves and what it is to truly see another person. From the home of his family in Helena, Montana, to the streets of Tokyo and Kuala Lumpur, Kevin's remarkable journey will change the way you look at others, and the way you see yourself.
Synopsis
Double take A rapid or surprised second look, either literal or figurative, at a person or situation whose significance has not been completely grasped at first.
Kevin Michael Connolly is a twenty-three-year-old man who has seen the world in a way most of us never will. Whether swarmed by Japanese tourists at Epcot Center as a child or holding court at the X Games on his mono-ski, Kevin Connolly has been an object of curiosity since the day he was born without legs. Growing up in rural Montana, he was raised like any other kid (except, that is, for his father's MacGyver-like contraptions such as the "butt boot"). As a college student, Kevin traveled to seventeen countries on his skateboard, including Bosnia, China, Ukraine, and Japan. In an attempt to capture the stares of others, he took more than 33,000 photographs of people staring at him. In this dazzling memoir, Connolly casts the lens inward to explore how we view ourselves and what it is to truly see another...
Publishers Weekly
Photographer, champion skier and skateboarder Connolly has been stared at his entire 23-year life. Not because he's handsome, talented and athletic (all true), but because he has no legs. He was born without them, but born into a family that he describes as loving, loyal and matter-of-fact. Connolly writes that his father and grandfather—inspired by several seasons of MacGyver—engineered numerous devices to help the growing boy manage everyday tasks, from using light switches to pitching in on chores, and he was well prepared for his first day of school because his mother led countless “What would you do if...?” conversations. Connolly appears to be an intelligent, fairly unflappable adult with a healthy sense of humility and humor. He's a good storyteller, too, whether describing his first high school wrestling match, the path from novice to champion skier or what it's like to travel around the world on a skateboard. Connolly also shares his memories of an important, defining moment: when he decided to use photography to gaze back at the people who stared at him. “Each photo was a miniature catharsis,” he writes, adding, “Finally, I was able to find my own use for that stare, and it felt good.” His photos, 19 of which serve as chapter dividers, became part of The Rolling Exhibition, which was shown worldwide, including at the Smithsonian. The images are beautiful, revealing and stimulating—just like his narrative. (Nov.)
Editorials
From Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble Discover Great New WritersWe've all felt it -- that humiliating awareness that people are staring at us because of a flaw in our appearance. Perhaps it's a pimple that feels like Mount Vesuvius, or a red and scaly rash. For most of us, the problem heals before long, and we blend right back in. But how do you handle it when the difference is permanent?
\ \ That's the subject of Connolly's remarkable memoir, Double Take, which chronicles his efforts to record, explain, and ultimately come to terms with the stares he has endured throughout his life. Connolly, you see, was born without legs. Entirely normal in every other way, he adapted to his condition by learning to move around by skateboard, which he found easier and more convenient than a wheelchair. Encouraged by his parents, he refused to let his condition slow him down, and by the time he was 23, he had won acclaim as a mono-ski competitor at the X Games and had traveled the globe.
\ \ Yet wherever he went, people stared, trying to figure out what had happened to him. Stung by their insensitivity, he began to take pictures of them as they stared. What started out as retaliation soon spurred deep self-reflection, as Connolly was forced to ask himself if he was allowing his condition to define him. After reading his story, you'll never look at a stranger the same way again. \ (Holiday 2009 Selection)