VANCOUVER, Wash., Feb. 17, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Don Donaldson has quite literally been lost in darkness and blinded by the light. His autobiography, What's in a Name (now available through AuthorHouse), details Donaldson's experiences throughout a life blessed, cursed and always out of the ordinary.
"Mine has been an unusual life lived to the fullest, in the two worlds of dismal shadow and restored 'come look see' perfect eyesight," Donaldson says.
What's in a Name captures the essence of his experiences and hopes to inspire others with tales of overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles. At age 7, he lost his sight from a horrible accident involving dynamite. He attended a blind school and worked his way through Harvard on a scholarship. After 14 years of darkness, Donaldson had his full vision restored in one eye through a new surgical procedure he underwent at age 21. Upon his return to the visual world, Donaldson finished school and was asked to write an article chronicling his journey from blindness back to the sighted world for "Readers Digest." The article made him a minor celebrity, and he rubbed elbows with notables such as Helen Keller, the Kennedys and Margaret Burke White.
After school, he embarked on a long, successful career as an educator. He began at Boston's famous Perkins School for the Blind before moving home to Washington to teach in high schools. He spent the last 20 years of his career as principal of the Washington State School for the Blind. During his career, he met and married a woman who taught at a school for the deaf. Together, they shared numerous adventures. Their mutual love for freighter ships led to annual trips to various ports around the world, from South America to Europe, Asia and the Middle East. At one of these ports, the Donaldsons were held hostage along with the ship's crew for 11 fearful days.
An unusual autobiography befitting unusual life, What's in a Name offers inspiration, adventure and hope.
Donaldson has written a number of magazine articles, but What's in a Name is his first book.
ABOUT AUTHORHOUSE
AuthorHouse is the world leader in publishing and print-on-demand services. Founded in 1997, AuthorHouse has helped more than 18,500 people worldwide become published authors. For more information, visit www.authorhouse.com.