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Vision

By: David S. Tatel
Narrated by: John Lescault, David S. Tatel
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Publisher's summary

A memoir by one of America’s most accomplished public servants and legal thinkers—who spent years denying and working around his blindness, before finally embracing it as an essential part of his identity.

David Tatel has served nearly 30 years on America’s second highest court, the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, where many of our most crucial cases are resolved—or teed up for the Supreme Court. He has championed equal justice for his entire adult life; decided landmark environmental and voting cases; and embodied the ideal of what a great judge should be. Yet he has been blind for the past 50 of his 80-plus years. Initially, he depended upon aides to read texts to him, and more recently, a suite of hi-tech solutions has allowed him to listen to reams of documents at high speeds. At first, he tried to hide his deteriorating vision, and for years, he denied that it had any impact on his career. Only recently, partly thanks to his first-ever guide dog, Vixen, has he come to fully accept his blindness and the role it's played in his personal and professional lives. His story of fighting for justice over many decades, with and without eyesight, is an inspiration to us all.

©2024 David Tatel (P)2024 Little, Brown & Company
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What listeners say about Vision

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Wonderful book

I found David Tatel’s book to be completely engaging. It felt both expansive and personable, demonstrating how legal issues and ideas affect individual human lives. Judge Tatel’s intellect, clarity, values, warmth, and humor, appear throughout every chapter.

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The courts and their role in democracy...

David Tatel presents a thoughtful, articulate, and nuanced view of the ways the current conservative majority SCOTUS has set aside judicial precedent and created new theories of interpretation which have led to rulings gutting the rights of women and allowing states to enact laws making it harder for many people to vote. His years as a lawyer and judge allowed him direct participation in major civil rights cases. His concern for the lack of sound judicial reasoning by the current SCOTUS is also my concern. Their recent decisions will have profound and far reaching negative consequences for our democracy and our world. We should all be concerned and we should all get more educated, informed and involved in fighting for more fairness and equal protection for everyone.

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What an epic life!

I learned so much and loved every minute of the book. It was exhilarating to be along for the ride of the civil rights movement in the 60s and see how that clearly influenced later decisions. A really great insight into federal law as well as the challenges and solutions of a highly motivated person dealing with a progressive loss of sight. I’ve already listened to it twice!

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Defending Civil Rights in the face of blindness is a remarkable accomplishment

Judge Tatels story is not just about his life with RP, not just about his efforts in the defense of civil rights, not just about the definition of a judge in the truest sense and not just a warning about the makeup of our current Supreme Court. It is a remarkable treatise on all of that! I learned a lot from this book, which isn’t what I anticipated. I was expecting a story about a judge and his dog. There are some parts that I think run on a bit but they can be forgiven. This book tells the story about an American Role model for all of us, regardless of our abilities or disabilities. Not perfect, but pretty darn close!

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An honest assessment of the Judiciary in 2023-2024

"I loved this book. My mind raced as I recalled years of history seen from the perspective of a man of integrity who served at the center of some of the most important decisions that would determine and forge a path of change in this country."

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A wonderful and inspiring listen, a clear and compelling story

Thank you for sharing your challenges and triumphs. I have RP and so many of your tales and tells made me laugh at my own similar denials and laughable attempts tto be normal. Your gracious and kind demeanor is a great gift.

Also thank you for your voice on our judicial system and the challenges we face with our Supreme Court. It is worth the effort to save our precious democracy and the gift it bestows on our continued freedoms.

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Complex story

This book had so many layers of interest. Well done. Thank you for helping me refine my ideas about how the courts should behave.

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Heartwarming Yet Disturbing

This book gave a lot of background information as to how the laws work in our country and how we got to where we are politically, while at the same time delivering a very sweet story. It left me wishing that David Tatel had been one of my professors in college.

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The ability to transcend handicap

Inspiring and enlightening story of transcendence and perseverance. An insightful discussion of the evolution of the law.

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A blind and caring judge

Loved all of it. Marvelous and inspiring. Gives you new hope in human beings and confirmation of dogs’ fidelity

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