Thunder Dog: The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog, and the Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Thunder Dog: The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog, and the Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero

by Michael Hingson, Susy Flory (Goodreads Author) (Contributor)

3.82 of 5 stars 3.82 · rating details · 2,262 ratings · 578 reviews

Faith. Trust. Triumph.

"I trust Roselle with my life, every day. She trusts me to direct her. And today is no different, except the stakes are higher." ―Michael Hingson

First came the boom―the loud, deep, unapologetic bellow that seemed to erupt from the very core of the earth. Eerily, the majestic high-rise slowly leaned to the south. On the seventy-eighth floor of the Worl...more

Hardcover, 231 pages

Published August 2nd 2011 by Thomas Nelson Publishers (first published January 1st 2011)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Marley & Me Illustrated Edition by John Grogan

Non-Fiction Animal Heroes

9th out of 54 books — 123 voters

Best 9-11 Books

1st out of 17 books — 18 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Dec 31, 2011 Elaine rated it 2 of 5 stars

A guide dog navigates her blind human down 78 flights of stairs on 9/11. Under any circumstance, this feat would be inspiring, but, given the chaos that prevailed, and that the dog had never traversed these stairs, her performance was amazing.

Actually, Hingson doesn't say much about the dog's performance. To my surprise, then, I turned a page to a new chapter. It consisted of the 23d Psalm in italics. "The Lord is my shepherd... Huh? No disrespect to God, but this book is about a dog who is a sh...more

12 likes · like · see review

Carolyn Amundson I didn't find support in the book for your God-related issues with this book. Hingson says that "by the grace of God and my guide dog," he was not som...more
Jul 25, 2012 12:20pm

Marion Agree with Carolyn here -- Hingson's references to God (part of his experience whether you choose to respect it or not) was covered in 9 pages out of...more
Aug 17, 2012 07:55pm

Elaine The arrogance of saying that one is alive because one didn't get killed although thousands were is a sore point with me & I have the right to say...more
Aug 18, 2012 07:28am

Aug 30, 2011 Angel / YA rules!/ rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Angel / YA rules!/ by: Kwesi 章英狮

It's been hours since I finished reading the book and I can still feel the flow of emotions I had while reading it. Although, I am amazed at how Michael Hingson overcame his "disability" the feeling of being awe inspired is also mixed with a feeling of dread at what happened on 9/11. To be able to read it from the perspective of a survivor somehow makes it all real for me. Of course, all that is real. However, being on the other side of the globe when all that happened, I felt somehow detached l...more

3 likes · like · see review

Feb 07, 2013 Leslie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 20th-century-setting, american-history, americana, animals-nature-ecology-issues, audiobook, autobiography, history, memoir

This book is presented as being about September 11th, but is also a memoir about growing up white, middle-class and blind in the mid-20th century USA. The author earned a Masters degree in Physics so is clearly brilliant; he is no ordinary guy but someone exceptional. He tells about how his family insisted he be treated like his other sighted siblings.

[I don't know that I approve of blind people riding bicycles or driving vehicles on public streets, or piloting airplanes - all of which he has c...more

1 like · like · see review

Sep 17, 2012 Abigail rated it 5 of 5 stars

I recommend you read this book, if you want to read an inspiring book about the human spirit during one of the darkest days in United States history. The author turned a horrible moment and found inspiration and deepened his faith from the experience. I believe anybody would find this book inspiring no matter what religion they are. I enjoyed learning about how the author Michael Hingson and his guide dog Roselle escaped the World Trade Center Building 1 after it was attacked on 9/11. The author...more

2 likes · like · see review

Sep 13, 2012 Susie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My church book club chose to read this for our September meeting, and it felt very appropriate that I finished listening to this on September 11. Because of that, I felt more connected than the 10th anniversary last year when there were many more events to commemorate the day. I had no idea of the organization of the book, since I never saw it in print. At first when Hingson related the events of the day and their descent, I wondered if the entire book would be about September 11. However, he do...more

2 likes · like · see review

Aug 17, 2012 Marion rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

An uplifting story of 9/11 -- if there can be such a thing. More than that, though, the author's agenda was to promote Guiding Eyes - an amazing organization - and to be a spokesman for the blind. Hingson's story is an interesting one, though difficult for those of us with sight to believe in many ways (He's driven a car? He can hear the coffee table??). He comes across as a bit pedantic at times, and goes into too much detail about blind technology and his professional background for this reade...more

like · see review

May 23, 2012 Anne Baxter Campbell rated it 4 of 5 stars

Author Susy Flory will be one of the presenters at the Write to Inspire Conference in Elk Grove, CA, next month. Her book with Michael Hingson hit the New York Times best seller list right after it released in 2011.

Thunder Dog is the story of Roselle, a guide dog, and her friend Michael Hingson. I know there are thousands of stories of the heroism of guide dogs; this is only one. But it's a very special one. You see, Roselle guided her master down 1,463 steps to safety from the 78th floor of the...more

like · see review

Mar 28, 2012 Eduardo Santiago rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

TL;DR Blind people can do more than you think they can. Also, if you get to pick your parents, make sure you get supportive ones who encourage you to do all you can (vs the mollycoddling kind).

I feel disappointed, and I almost feel like I should apologize for it (but I won't). I expected a book titled “Thunder Dog” to, you know, deal a bit more with the dog. Instead it was a long motivational speech. With occasional God silliness and OBTW I walked down the stairs on 9/11.

Hingson has a chip on hi...more

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 25, 2012 Hannah rated it 5 of 5 stars

really didn’t know what to expect when I bought this book for my kindle, but it was $1.99 and involved a dog and 9/11. Two things that I find interesting, so I went for it.

Wow! It was really good. I don’t want to say too much as to give away the highlights of the book…but essentially you’re guided through Michael’s experiences on 9/11 as well as some of his experiences throughout his life. Being that Michael is blind (and has been from birth), the book offers a lot of insight to the life of a b...more really didn’t know what to expect when I bought this book for my kindle, but it was $1.99 and involved a dog and 9/11. Two things that I find interesting, so I went for it.

Wow! It was really good. I don’t want to say too much as to give away the highlights of the book…but essentially you’re guided through Michael’s experiences on 9/11 as well as some of his experiences throughout his life. Being that Michael is blind (and has been from birth), the book offers a lot of insight to the life of a blind person in North America; something I’d never thought to consider or wonder about, but found really fascinating. Michael talks about learning to get around as a kid as well as the thrill of getting a guide dog.

Being the dork that I am, after finishing it, one morning I decided to try to shower and get ready with my eyes closed. I have an advantage as I’ve already seen the location of everything so when I close my eyes, I can think from memory where things are located. I last about one minute in the shower until I decided I’d probably kill myself shaving and gave up.

I saw a blind runner during the marathon with a running-aid and almost teared up; how freaking cool is that?! I almost complimented her during the race, but then I thought back to Michael’s mindset- that just because someone is blind, doesn’t mean they’re different. Blind people want to be treated as equals and respect just as anyone else, not called out for their difference. Actually, in the end of the book there was an article comparing the world for blind people to the world for left-handed people, just on a much smaller scale. I’m left-handed so I found this really interesting. Think of it, the world really is set-up to be most convenient for right-handed people….we shake with our right hands, zippers on purses are set-up for a right handed person as are the dials on watches. Heck, even ice cream scoopers are made for left-handed people (although they do make left-handed scoopers; I had one ordered for me when I worked at Whitey’s Ice Cream in high school).

Any who, the book drew tears to my eyes, a few times, but to be honest, I am a crier. I definitely recommend this book. (less)

4 likes · like · see review

Mar 07, 2012 Drew Leverton added it

Michael Hingson’s purpose in writing Thunder Dog was to share his experiences on 9/11 as he escaped one of the Twin Towers with his guide dog Roselle. Mr. Hingson, who has been blind since infancy, lets the reader know how capable he is despite his blindness. He also shares how important a guide dog is to a blind person. Michael Hingson gives the reader a view of his every day life along with the minute-by-minute details of his experiences on 9/11.

The theme of the book was trust. Michael Hingso...more

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 06, 2012 Valerie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I remember 9/11 and the horrific images of that day.
Michael Hingson remembers 9/11 also. This is his first-person telling of what it was like inside Tower 1. He describes the confusion after the first plane (American Airlines Flight 11)hits the North Tower, and the only escape, down 1,463 stairs. There were touching, as well as frightening scenes as Michael and Roselle navigate through a world gone mad.

More than a survivor story, as if that wasn't enough, this book is also about being blind in...more

like · see review

Feb 29, 2012 Horace Mann Family Reading Challenge rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2-012-in-2012, adult-nonfiction

This is the true story of a man and his guide dog who were on the 78th floor of Tower 1 when the first plane hit the World Trade Center on September 11. The story chronicles the events that day and how his guide dog, Roselle, helped save him and many others, while providing comfort along the way to some who did not survive the events of that day. The story from that day is interspersed with moments from the author's life and how he has gone through life as a blind individual, never letting his l...more

like · see review

Feb 18, 2012 Starlet Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

I haven’t read anything about the survivors of 9/11 – this is the first and, as a result, I have a couple more audible books to listen to -- on the subject…..(I just listened to Angel in the Rubble, which was also worthwhile).

Thunder Dog was a great story -- I recommend it highly. It’s two-fold in that the reader also has the opportunity to be educated about people who are blind – this was a major portion of the book, interspersed, and well worth it for that reason.

I don’t know any blind people...more

like · see review

Feb 16, 2012 Kim rated it 3 of 5 stars

Good book, not great writing or literature, but a good story and quick read. "Thunder Dog" gave me insight into the world of a blind man and his guide dog, Roselle, who got him off of floor 78 in tower one of the WTC on 9/11. Reading about 9/11, even 10 years later, still makes me a bit melancholy as I think about those who lost their lives, especially the firefighters and other rescue workers.

I enjoyed learning about the author's life and relationships with his dogs. Here's my favorite quote:

"...more

like · see review

Dec 28, 2011 Jill rated it 3 of 5 stars

"Don't let your sight get in the way of your vision." thought-provoking!

"She kisses his hand and then he is gone. I would realize later that this touch was probably the last unconditional love he ever got." The author is talking about his guidedog Roselle snuzzling a firefighter on his way up the stairs of Tower 1 on 9/11/01.

Thunder Dog is a fast read and is a touching first-hand account of survival on that terrible day. The author is blind and with his guidedog and a co-worker, he makes it out...more

1 like · like · see review

Dec 21, 2011 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The title and cover image are a bit misleading. They make you think this story is about a guide dog. Really, the story is about a blind man who escaped ground zero on 9/11. Still a very interesting read. As Michael narrates his journey out of WTC tower 1, he explains aspects of growing up blind that have contributed to his personality. As I was listening to the audio book, I can't help but feel Michael exemplifies what Malcolm Gladwell talks about in some of his books: notable success isn't due...more

1 like · like · see review

Nov 28, 2011 Lynn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Thunder Dog: the true story of a blind man, his guide dog, and the triumph of trust at Ground Zero by Michael Hingson with Susy Flory ISBN 978-1400203048
Thunder Dog by Michael Hingson with Susy Flory

At the end of the summer there were many books being published to commemorate the anniversary of 9/11. This one caught my eye and when I decided to select one or two to add to the library collection I hoped this would be just different enough to be a great addition.

Later I was at the new non-fiction...more Thunder Dog: the true story of a blind man, his guide dog, and the triumph of trust at Ground Zero by Michael Hingson with Susy Flory ISBN 978-1400203048
Thunder Dog by Michael Hingson with Susy Flory

At the end of the summer there were many books being published to commemorate the anniversary of 9/11. This one caught my eye and when I decided to select one or two to add to the library collection I hoped this would be just different enough to be a great addition.

Later I was at the new non-fiction section of the library when a patron picked up this book and said, “This is an amazing book — I read it in one sitting and I never do that.” So since this patron has given great recommendations in the past, I took it out and just like he said, I read it in one day.

This is a wonderful book and not just for the under-dog overcoming huge odds to get back home to his loving wife and thinking of all those poor people who didn’t. The main story was how did a blind man get into World Trade Center Tower 1 to begin with. The story begins with a hospital procedure that used to be common practice with premature babies — which caused blindness. His doctor told his parents,well he is blind — there is nothing we can do, better send him to a home for the blind.

His parents refused to do that and Michael had a normal childhood, riding bikes, running around the neighborhood with his brothers and cousins and everything else that kids do. At the age of 14 he got his first guide dog and he started to learn some of the amazing things that other blind people were doing. He worked with some of the new technology that was originally designed for the blind — the voice to text technology and scanners that read. Michael was truly cutting edge and highly educated.

He was a salesman working on the 78th floor preparing for a major regional sales meeting when the first airplane struck. Having lived in California growing up he first thought it was an earthquake and he and his colleague started backing up the computers before shutting them down when they realized that something more was happening and Michael, his colleague and Roselle found the stair well to go down.

This book is a series of vignettes of his early childhood and his meeting with his first dog as he goes down the stairs and it is extremely well written and inspirational. Even if you are not typically a non-fiction reader or if you don’t usually do animal stories. This is one that should make it to the top of everyone’s to read list!(less)

1 like · like · see review

Nov 14, 2011 yuki rated it 5 of 5 stars

A powerful tale of courage and trust. I picked this book because I thought it was a dog story and also I was traveling to the states soon. I was expecting to learn something about the country I was about to visit. 9/11 was one of the crucial event of their country as so it is to the world also. Story of smart dog was merely entering point for me to get to know the event from a different angle. However, this book is more than that. It is about how trust can thrust amid of difficulties and create...more

1 like · like · see review

Sep 23, 2011 Leon Keylin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone

I started out reading this book based on the Sept. 11th events. The fact is is that I've walked down those same steps as Hingson did but my trip was from 103rd floor and way before 9.11.01--I was drunk from the Christmas Party in Windows on the World. :)

I digress. I wanted to know how a blind man made it out of there alive but I've picked up other, even more interesting tidbits like how dogs are trained for the blind. How the blind folk get trained for dogs. How one "acquires" better senses whe...more

1 like · like · see review

Sep 22, 2011 Melissa Roach rated it 5 of 5 stars

"Thunder Dog" by Michael Hingson and Susy Flory

Description
A blind man and his guide dog show the power of trust and courage in the midst of devastating terror.

It was 12:30 a.m. on 9/11 and Roselle whimpered at Michael’s bedside. A thunderstorm was headed east, and she could sense the distant rumbles while her owners slept. As a trained guide dog, when she was “on the clock” nothing could faze her. But that morning, without her harness, she was free to be scared, and she nudged Michael’s hand w...more

like · see review

Sep 11, 2011 Clockstein Lockstein rated it 5 of 5 stars

Thunder Dog by Michael Hingson & Suzy Flory is the story of one man's escape from the 78th floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center on 9/11 with his heroic and one -of-a-kind guide dog. Hingson, who was been blind since birth, was getting ready for a meeting that morning when the plane hit his building. He used his beloved guide dog and his faith in God to get him down 1,463 stairs to escape the building, only to flee for his life when the South Tower fell. Thunder Dog is about muc...more

1 like · like · see review

Sep 06, 2011 Susan Bazin rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the story of a blind man and his dog. The main story is during his time getting out of the World Trade Center. The other main theme is the story of blind people in general. Getting out of the tower was traumatic for everyone. The fact that the dog was so well trained and that neither dog nor master were panicked, was amazing. Having read other stories about people getting out, this was no different. Everyone was calm. Everyone helped each other. Amazing stories.

I appreciated the informa...more

1 like · like · see review

Sep 03, 2011 Susan rated it 3 of 5 stars

“Thunder Dog” is the tale of a blind man, Michael Hingson, and his guide dog, Roselle, who make it out of one of the World Trade Center towers after the plane struck their building on 9/11.

It sounded like a compelling book, and with a dog to boot? What’s not to like?

This was a good book overall, but I felt it was a bit of false advertising. From the cover, I assumed that it was a story focused on 9/11 and the dog. Since it was published by Thomas Nelson, I expected it to be a Christian book as w...more

like · see review

Aug 22, 2011 Andrea Estelle rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorite-adult-books

It's hard to believe it has been 10 yrs since 9-11. There are a slew of books out right now focusing on the anniversary of the tragedy. I did enjoy this one - although it makes your stomach turn just to think of 9-11 again. Overall, however, this is not a depressing story but rather an inspirational one. The author, Michael Hingson, is a blind man who was working on the 78th floor of the WTC the morning of 9-11 along with his seeing eye dog, Roselle. The story takes you through the harrowing exp...more

like · see review

Aug 15, 2011 Kathleen Hagen added it

Shelves: 2011-audio-books, 2011-nonfiction

Thunder Dog: the Story of a Blind man, his Guide Dog, and the Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero; by Michael Hingson, Narrated by Christopher Prince, Produced by Oasis Audio, downloaded from audible.com.

"I trust Roselle with my life, every day. She trusts me to direct her. And today is no different, except the stakes are higher." Michael Hingson First heard the boom.More terrifying, the majestic high-rise slowly leaned to the south. On the 78th floor of the World Trade Center's north tower, no alar...more

like · see review

Aug 14, 2011 Renee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Thunder Dog by Michael Hingson with Susy Flory is about much more than a guide dog named Roselle. The book intertwines the events of 9/11 as experienced by the author in the north tower of the World Trade Center with his life story. We hear first-hand what one man experienced with his guide dog as he made his way down seventy-eight flights of stairs to safety. We also learn of the life of a blind man growing up in a family that treated him as any seeing child - even driving a car at times.

I full...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 12, 2011 Mindy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction-otherwise-uncategorized

As the tenth anniversary of 9/11 approaches, you may want to pick up this wonderful book by Michael Hingson and Susy Flory. Blind since birth, Hingson narrates the story of his escape from the 78th floor of the World Trade Center's north tower with his guide dog, Roselle. I read it in one night and loved every moment of it~~laughing at parts (believe it or not) and crying too.

Hingson not only relays his story as a survivor of the terrorist attacks; he shares his personal story as a blind child b...more

2 likes · like · see review

Aug 09, 2011 Cafelilybookreviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

As soon as I saw the cover of this book, I knew I had to read it. I’m a sucker for true stories – especially true stories with canines as the subject matter. And when I found out that this story also revolved around September 11th, I was hooked.

Thunder Dog is a very emotional read. Not only does it tell the story of Roselle, a beautiful guide dog loyal to her master, it tells the story of a brave man (who also happens to be blind), and how he helped encourage others down the treacherous Stairwel...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 06, 2011 Jen Rothmeyer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Thunder Dog by Michael Hingson (and Susy Flory) is being released just in time for the ten-year anniversary of the devastating terrorist attacks around which this book orbits. Roughly half of the novel discusses Michael Hingson’s down-trodding escape from the 78th floor of the World Trade Center On 09/11/2011. The other half is about, as Mr. Hingson puts it, blind power. You see, Mr. Hingson is not only a survivor of the attacks, but he was also rendered blind shortly after his birth. Thunder Do...more Thunder Dog by Michael Hingson (and Susy Flory) is being released just in time for the ten-year anniversary of the devastating terrorist attacks around which this book orbits. Roughly half of the novel discusses Michael Hingson’s down-trodding escape from the 78th floor of the World Trade Center On 09/11/2011. The other half is about, as Mr. Hingson puts it, blind power. You see, Mr. Hingson is not only a survivor of the attacks, but he was also rendered blind shortly after his birth. Thunder Dog details Mr. Hingson’s life from the time his parents discovered he was blind until sometime after the attacks of 9/11 with some focus (approximately half of each chapter) on the actual events of the day that he fled for his life with his guide dog leading the way. Written in very easy-to-understand language, the book is a breeze to read and I flew through it. It was interesting and even Mr. Hingson admits that sometimes he’s come across as a little arrogant (but perhaps his accomplishments deserve the pride in his actions).

Normally, despite my meager yet formative reserve military service of 03/2001-03/2007, I would shy away from topics relating to 9/11 and the events that have transpired since. They quickly devolve into politics, blaming, and finger-pointing. Thunder Dog is not that way; in fact, you could say the novel is all about empowerment. Mr. Hingson, with the help of Susy Flory, delivers encouragement and understanding to those who are also blind. He discusses his relationship with his guide dog, Roselle (who has since passed away), which I greatly enjoyed reading as I am a lover of working dogs. He also discusses how the sighted (or light-dependent as he puts it) should not pity nor look down upon the blind, as the blind don’t have it all that bad. He discusses some dos and don’ts and some things of which sighted people may not normally think.

As someone who has not seen the site of the WTC except on television, has never been to New York, and was not present for the events, I found this book to be really touching. More than once I cried as I read about the hardship that New York and it’s residents and nearby areas suffered (I don’t mean to leave out the other victims and victims’ families, but the book centers on the World Trade Center). I will never forget where I was when I learned of the attacks. I watched the second plane hit and the subsequent announcements. That still didn’t really bring it home to me until I picked up this book and read about the devastation. That said, Mr. Hingson truly writes more about being blind and its impact on his survival and living in daily life than he actually writes about the events of the day. In the end, that was really okay for me because I needed to learn some of the things he had to say about blindness.

It also reminded me that I need to start writing and coding and thinking in terms of not just my sighted readers but also those who aren’t light-dependent as well as others who need accessible websites. Don’t worry, Mr. Hingson, I’m going to educate myself and be of more use.

Probably the most touching part of the book was probably something that other people would gloss over. I’m going through a really rough period in my personal life right now; therefore, I really took some comfort from the following passage. “Here’s a great Milton Berle quote from my vintage radio show vault. He sums it up perfectly: ‘I’d rather be a could-be if I can-not be an are; because a could-be is a maybe who is reaching for a star. I’d rather be a has-been than a might-have-been, by far; for a might-have-been has never been, but a has was once an are.”

Here’s to a lot of reaching for stars. Thank you, Mr. Hingson.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received Thunder Dog by Michael Hingson free from Thomas Nelson through the Booksneeze review program. I was not required to write a positive review and did not receive any other compensation. The opinions I have expressed are my own and no one else’s. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”(less)

1 like · like · see review

Oct 12, 2011 Barb rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: memoirs, new-in-2011, non-fiction, read-in-2011, vine

I have not read any first-hand accounts from survivors of 9/11 until now. What I thought this story was going to be about was the relationship between Michael Hingson and his guide dog Roselle who walked out of the World Trade Tower's north tower together on September 11th.

What this book spends the majority of its time focusing on is Michael Hingson's life as a blind person. While much of the information included in the book regarding blindness and Michael's personal experiences were interestin...more

1 like · like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Doggie Book Club: Reader Review	1	4	Jan 19, 2013 04:28am
Doggie Book Club: Our Review	4	20	Aug 29, 2011 11:59am

combine
Other Editions (10)

More editions...

Videos About This Book

Add a comment

Genres

Non Fiction

105 users

Animals

51 users

Animals > Dogs

37 users

Biography

27 users

Autobiography > Memoir

23 users

History

15 users

Biography Memoir

12 users

Book Club

10 users

Inspirational

9 users

Adventure > Survival

5 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Michael Hingson

When the World Trade Center was attacked on 9-11, it was as though the world stood still. It was a day that captured our full attention. Michael Hingson and his Guide Dog Roselle were on the 78th floor of Tower One that day, and were able to make their way to safety and survive the attack. The duo was immediately thrust into the international spotlight, becoming well-known representatives of the s...more When the World Trade Center was attacked on 9-11, it was as though the world stood still. It was a day that captured our full attention. Michael Hingson and his Guide Dog Roselle were on the 78th floor of Tower One that day, and were able to make their way to safety and survive the attack. The duo was immediately thrust into the international spotlight, becoming well-known representatives of the strength of the human/animal bond and a living example of the powerful partnership that exists between a blind person and their Guide Dog. In 2002 Michael joined the Guide Dogs for the Blind team as the National Public Affairs director, to share his story throughout the world on behalf of the school. In June of 2008 Michael left Guide Dogs to form The Michael Hingson Group to continue his speaking career as well as to serve as a consultent for corporations and organizations that need assistance with Inclusive and Diversity training as well as adaptive technology training.
Michael Hingson is available for speaking engagements, public appearances, consulting and training contract positions and media interviews.
In his own words:
I lived through the 9-11 tragedy and have much to say about my experiences leading up to and escaping from the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. Since that day, I’ve traveled the world with Roselle and her successors; at first to help people heal and hope, and now, to help them find meaning and purpose. As a blind person living in today’s world I want people to see that while there are many different kinds of people, each with their own different gifts, we all can live and work together if we choose to open our minds and hearts and become a more inclusive world. There are positive lessons to be learned from every tragedy, and 9-11 is certainly no exception.
Because I am blind, I have a unique perspective. Because I believe in the power of partnering with my Guide Dog, I can speak from the heart about teamwork and trust. I’ve been a guest numerous times on Larry King Live, have been interviewed on Regis and Kelly, and have appeared on the CBS Morning Show – but I’m looking forward to my next big engagement: as the featured speaker at your event.
I promise to bring my faithful friend and guide dog, Africa – she has her own fan club! If it weren’t for our ability to work together as a team just as I Roselle and I did on 9-11, my story would be much different and I probably would not have learned the lessons I now can pass on to audiences throughout the world.
The events of September 11th changed the world, and they certainly changed my life. There’s something about almost losing your life that makes what really matters in life crystal clear. I left my successful 27-year career in high tech computer sales and management to travel the world speaking about the importance of teamwork and trust in our professional and personal lives.
I would like to bring my story to your audience at your next event or meeting and help you make it a memorable and rewarding experience. And you will have the satisfaction that any dollars you spend will not only cover my speaking fees, but will help others like myself enjoy the independence and companionship that comes from a partnership with a Guide Dog.(less)

More about Michael Hingson...

Books by Michael Hingson

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Thunder Dog: The ...

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from Thunder Dog: The True ...

“Prejudice comes from being in the dark; sunlight disinfects it.” — 2 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: Thunder Dog: The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog, and the Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero
avg rating	preview: Thunder Dog: The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog, and the Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero Goodreads rating: 3.82 (2262 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9659034-thunder-dog?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1315519972l/9659034.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9659034-thunder-dog?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Thunder Dog: The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog, and the Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero by Michael Hingson[/url]

Thunder Dog: The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog, and the Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website