18 Oct 2020, 6:21pm
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Comments Off on Kate’s 2¢: “Anthony Stand Up or Sit Out Memories and Musings of a Blind Wrestler Runner and All around Regular Guy” by Anthony Candela

Kate’s 2¢: “Anthony Stand Up or Sit Out Memories and Musings of a Blind Wrestler Runner and All around Regular Guy” by Anthony Candela

“Anthony Stand Up or Sit Out Memories and Musings of a Blind Wrestler Runner and All around Regular Guy” by Anthony Candela

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

Take-outs from: “Stand Up or Sit Out: Memories and Musings of a Blind Wrestler, Runner and All-around Regular Guy”

–Some people are sprinters, some run marathons, most fall inbetween.

— The ones who compete and never make the headlines They are most like you and me. They are the special ones.

–The best approach to educating a blind child is in main-stream public schools with special educational training and socializing with other blind and sighted students.

–Take what life gives you and move on.

–Rising from the deep is better than remaining mired in the mud.

–The trick is not to worry about becoming a super achiever, but, to enjoy the endeavor for its own sake.

–you have to get on top of your own trauma

–The scholar-athlete needs to find a balance between the two.

   I had to chuckle at Anthony’s first attempt at water skiing, because, the only reason I got up on the first try in Lake Michigan, was because the water was so cold, I wanted to get up into the warm air.

   Anthony gave pointers throughout the story and suggestions at the end of the story that would bode well for visually impaired athletes. The story is full of male ego and testosterone.

Candela is a lively, engaging, and interesting guest speaker. He talks about writing both of his books simultaneously, asking for help, and the outfit that published his book, as well, as how to submit the e-pub files to BookShare. 

Bio provided by Anthony to the Behind Our Eyes writer’s group prior to his tele-conference with them  on October 18, 2020:

Tony Candela currently works as an Outreach Coordinator for Bookshare/Benetech and a Program Assistant with American Foundation for the Blind on leadership development and employment projects. He worked for more than 40 years in the field of blindness and visual impairment. He was founding Director of the Department of Veterans Affairs Blind Rehabilitation Center in Long Beach, CA; Director of the Specialized Services Division of the California Department of Rehabilitation; National Program Associate in employment for the American Foundation for the Blind; Director of Employment Services for Lighthouse International (Now Lighthouse-Guild); and for 17 years served as a rehabilitation counselor, supervisor, and district manager for the New York State Commission for the Blind.

Mr. Candela is interested in enhancing the success of blind persons who wish to work in the computer science field. He is a “retired” athlete (wrestler and long distance runner). He loves movies, sports, reading, writing, and music, including dabbling in guitar. He has published two books:

Stand Up or Sit Out: Memories and Musings of a Blind Wrestler, Runner and All-around Regular Guy

Vision Dreams, A Parable

Stand Up or Sit Out: Memories and Musings of a Blind Wrestler, Runner and All-around Regular Guy

Synopsis

In this memoir, Anthony Candela, a self-described “all-around regular guy,” traverses a lifetime of challenges. Some of these are accidents of birth, like his poor eyesight and slow trek to blindness, and some are of his own making, like choosing to compete as a scholar-athlete. Infused with lots of New Yorkana, a touch of California, and a few related historical references, this memoir conveys that in any environment, life does not always follow a prescribed course. Moreover, as humans, all of us are imperfect. This includes people with disabilities who are often thought of as transcendent beings, but who should also be regarded as “all-around regular guys.” Just like the rest of the human race, they often strive imperfectly to get through life.

In his descriptions, the author hopes that readers will understand a little more about the nuts and bolts of running and wrestling, not to mention skiing and scuba diving. The ups and downs of coping with life and progressive loss of eyesight and, by extraction, disability in general will be clearer. Readers will come away with a fuller appreciation of the ways people deal with challenges. In the end, we all have a choice whether to stand up or sit out.

The story related in these pages will occasionally give you cause to chuckle or even shed tears of sadness or joy. Above all else, it will enlighten you about why things happen the way they do. Ultimately, this memoir increases our understanding of what it means to be truly human. Perhaps after reading it, we will be kinder and gentler to each other. Most important, perhaps we will take it a little easier on ourselves.

Copyright:

2019

Book Details

Book Quality:

Publisher Quality

ISBN-13:

9781098005672

Publisher:

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc

Date of Addition:

02/14/20

Copyrighted By:

Anthony R. Candela

Adult content:

No

Language:

English

Has Image Descriptions:

No

Categories:

Nonfiction, Self-Help

Submitted By:

Bookshare Staff

Usage Restrictions:

This is a copyrighted book.

18 Oct 2020, 6:16pm
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by

Comments Off on Kate’s 2¢: “Vision Dreams, A Parable” by Anthony Candela

Kate’s 2¢: “Vision Dreams, A Parable” by Anthony Candela

“Vision Dreams, A Parable” by Anthony Candela

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

   Using various characters, all the thoughts blind had about being sighted and sighted people had about being blind were expressed in this sci-fi story.

   This story might be summed up by saying, Be careful what you wish for.

   Candela is a lively, engaging, and interesting guest speaker. He talks about writing both of his books simultaneously, asking for help, and the outfit that published his book, as well, as how to submit the e-pub files to BookShare. 

Bio provided by Anthony to the Behind Our Eyes writer’s group prior to his tele-conference with them  on October 18, 2020:

Tony Candela currently works as an Outreach Coordinator for Bookshare/Benetech and a Program Assistant with American Foundation for the Blind on leadership development and employment projects. He worked for more than 40 years in the field of blindness and visual impairment. He was founding Director of the Department of Veterans Affairs Blind Rehabilitation Center in Long Beach, CA; Director of the Specialized Services Division of the California Department of Rehabilitation; National Program Associate in employment for the American Foundation for the Blind; Director of Employment Services for Lighthouse International (Now Lighthouse-Guild); and for 17 years served as a rehabilitation counselor, supervisor, and district manager for the New York State Commission for the Blind.

Mr. Candela is interested in enhancing the success of blind persons who wish to work in the computer science field. He is a “retired” athlete (wrestler and long distance runner). He loves movies, sports, reading, writing, and music, including dabbling in guitar. He has published two books:

“Stand Up or Sit Out: Memories and Musings of a Blind Wrestler, Runner and All-around Regular Guy” and “Vision Dreams, A Parable”

Vision Dreams, a parable

Synopsis

In this dystopian novella, Anthony Candela, a self-described “Trekker” and “secular humanist”, shows us the extremes to which societies will go if sufficiently frightened, especially if science and technology permit it. Individuals will do likewise in order to achieve, if not happiness, then at least relief from tyranny. In this story, the narrator, who both hovers above the action and is totally immersed in it, tells of the lengths he and his three co-adventurers go to achieve their goals. One wants an even chance at life and, oh yes, to be a star baseball player; another wants to fly. A third seeks true artistic sensuality, and the fourth wants nothing more than the Freudian essentials of success at love and work. Unfortunately the society they live in has hunkered down, devoting nearly all of its resources to self-protection and very little to everyday human comforts—all except for a small group of scientists who appear to be bucking the system.

Ultimately by extraction, this novella increases our understanding of what it means to live in a society that is supportive of its citizens’ daily happiness and humanity. Perhaps after reading it, you will be more on guard against what can happen when nations decide to be hypervigilant. As the plot unfolds, you will see the lengths to which people will go to achieve their humanity. In the midst of the subtle kinds of strife that leads many to live lives of quiet desperation, there are heroes willing to take risks.

Copyright:

2019

Book Details

Book Quality:

Publisher Quality

ISBN-13:

9781098006747

Publisher:

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc

Date of Addition:

04/01/20

Copyrighted By:

Anthony R. Candela

Adult content:

No

Language:

English

Has Image Descriptions:

No

Categories:

Literature and Fiction

Submitted By:

Bookshare Staff

Usage Restrictions:

This is a copyrighted book.


 
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