The Diving Bell

Even though I'm in school where I already am neck deep in readings, one of my resolutions this year was to read a little bit more - outside of Harvard Business cases, outside of textbooks - to expand my world that little bit more.

A week ago or so, I ordered The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.  Its not a very long book and I've just started with it.  So far, its been a good read.  It describes the life of Jean-Dominique Bauby, ex-editor-in-chief of Elle in France, who was left paralyzed in a "lock-in" syndrome as a result of a stroke.  It details his life before his stroke, and his life after.  What was amazing was the fact that the entire book was written by Bauby blinking his left eye.  His translator would read out the french alphabet and he would blink to indicate which letter he wanted - for each word!  Bauby was obviously someone who loved life - in his book, he takes us through his memoirs with wit and compassion.  

Over and above how he wrote the book, it is story of imagination, of courage in the face of the impossible, of tenacity, of all things we regular people could learn from.  While Bauby's situation is admittedly very unique, it provides us a lens through which to view the entire human condition - as feeble and weak as we are, the potential between our ears, the potential for great imagination is limitless.  If only we could get beyond our diving bells.  

Unfortunately a couple of days after his book was published in France, Bauby passed on.