Fixing My Gaze

A Scientist's Journey Into Seeing in Three Dimensions

By: Susan R. Barry

Narrated by: Barbara Longo

Length: 5 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

When neuroscientist Susan Barry was 50 years old, she took an unforgettable trip to Manhattan. As she emerged from the dim light of the subway into the sunshine, she saw a view of the city that she had witnessed many times in the past but now saw in an astonishingly new way. Skyscrapers on street corners appeared to loom out toward her like the bows of giant ships. Tree branches projected upward and outward, enclosing and commanding palpable volumes of space. Leaves created intricate mosaics in 3D. With each glance, she experienced the deliriously novel sense of immersion in a three dimensional world.

Barry had been cross-eyed and stereoblind since early infancy. After half a century of perceiving her surroundings as flat and compressed, on that day she was seeing Manhattan in stereo depth for first time in her life. As a neuroscientist, she understood just how extraordinary this transformation was, not only for herself but for the scientific understanding of the human brain. Scientists have long believed that the brain is malleable only during a critical period in early childhood. According to this theory, Barry's brain had organized itself when she was a baby to avoid double vision - and there was no way to rewire it as an adult. But Barry found an optometrist who prescribed a little-known program of vision therapy; after intensive training, Barry was ultimately able to accomplish what other scientists and even she herself had once considered impossible.

A revelatory account of the brain's capacity for change, Fixing My Gaze describes Barry's remarkable journey and celebrates the joyous pleasure of our senses.

©2009 Susan R. Barry (P)2012 Susan R. Barry

An Amazing Book that will help many. Thank You.

I found this book laying on my optometrist waiting room table. I read two pages and have to have it. I listened to the book in two days and became so well informed about what I am experiencing in my perception of the world it is scary. I self diagnosed my condition (strabismus), which lead me to this optometrist and to this book. I'm 30 years old and began developmental therapy CONFIDENTLY and WITH UNDERSTANDING because of this book. I highly recommend anyone who is dealing with vision issues of "lazy, croossed eyed, strabismus" or any of the like to read this book. Parents PLEASE PLEASE read this book to help understand what your child may be going through.

Hope for Strabismus Sufferers

What did you love best about Fixing My Gaze?

How Susan explained all the scientific portions in an easy to understand manner.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Fixing My Gaze?

When Susan describes the first time she sees in 3D.

Which scene was your favorite?

When Susan describes the first time she sees in 3D.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes and no. You need to take time to digest some of the information so taking more than a couple sessions to finish it is ideal.

Any additional comments?

This is a must read for anyone with strabismus; especially if you have had it since you were a baby. Susan explains the condition in an easy to understand manner and guides you through her transformation from seeing as a strabismic, to seeing in 3D. The journey she takes you on is worth the read in itself, even for someone who doesn't know what seeing with strabismus is like.

I have had esotropic strabismus for as long as I can remember (just like Susan) and have always been told by Optometrists and Ophthalmologists that I will never see in 3D. They have recommended surgery purely for cosmetic purposes and snark at the idea of vision therapy stating there is no scientific evidence that suggests it works. Susan touches on this topic and makes some very good points, especially for someone who is in "the business" herself.

This book gives people like me hope that perhaps there is a "cure" for long-time strabismus sufferers and that it is time the eye care professionals take a second look at vision therapy as that potential cure.

Finally

At 70 years and in the optical industry,I have been trying to explain to optometrist and ophthalmologists the concern of my poor reading. It is not until I went to an optometrist that specialized in vision therapy that I had a change in my vision of reading. Every time I would read, I did not know I was fusing sentences on one line. My eyes kept jumping around,making it very frustrating to read all of my life. My eyes were check by an optometrist or an ophthalmologist every year but there were no changes in reading but I always came out 20/20 vision and no glasses until my age required glasses.The difficulty is not day dreaming in a sentence because for so long I would get tired of reading. I would love to fix this problem.

Excellent book

Very full of information and well written, hard to follow when tired or multitasking but absolutely incredible resource not lacking

Not fixing your gaze

An autobiography from a writer who indulges in anecdotes, quotes, padding and repeating stuff that was already said. No useful advice to follow if you are trying to figure out how to work with your strabism and its effects.

Enlightening!

I am grateful for this peek into the experience of those living with and adapting to these conditions.

Great! I have a lazy eye and cannot see 3D

After visiting an eye doctor, he suggested I buy this book before beginning vision therapy. This book gives you an in depth view of what a doctor without stereo vision went through to get it. Gives you hope!

Terrific!

A wonderful journey through a difficult topic. Science not dogma help patients win!

Fascinating and Thought Provoking

As someone who has always had 2D vision, I have always been certain that if it were possible to have my eyesight "fixed" so that I could have 3D vision, I wouldn't want it. This book was recommended by a friend and I was skeptical that whatever the situation, it couldn't possibly be relatable. People so often ask me "Well that must be weird, does the world just look like tv?" Well er yeah. Isn't it supposed to? I guess I've taken it for granted that 3D people can't understand my world and I can't understand theirs. But here's a story from someone who has experienced both and can describe the difference in a compelling way.

This book has helped me to understand how my brain compensates, so that I can drive safely. And why I'm so rubbish at badminton.But it has also got me thinking... what if? What if I could experience 3D vision? Maybe I really am missing out on something amazing. I never understood what the fuss was all about before and after 6 eye operations, I can't say I've been even remotely interested in exploring further.

But this book has given me a new perspective (pardon the pun). If the purpose of writing a book is to make people stop and consider something they previously completely dismissed out of hand, I can safely say this book has fulfilled that purpose, at least for me.