About the Author

Ken Brandt is the author of the adventure and humor filled memoir "Positive Vision: Enjoying the Adventures and Advantages of Poor Eyesight". He has led a fun and adventurous life and had a successful business career despite (or perhaps in part because of!) his bad eyes. Poor eyesight never impacted Ken's vision of what life could be. Whether galloping across the Montana range, exploring claustrophobic (and fiery!) caverns, chasing a thief through the streets of 1980s New York, or taking a plunge from a plane, his adventures are sure to entertain. Complementing the adventures are his amusing and relatable anecdotes demonstrating the advantages of poor eyesight. Ken has always had poor vision and slightly crossed eyes. He has undergone six eye operations (including a detached retina and cataract operation in each eye), and spent parts of his life legally blind. Ken donates 10 percent of his author royalties to eye research and ending avoidable blindness. Prior to retiring and writing "Positive Vision: Enjoying the Adventures and Advantages of Poor Eyesight", Ken held senior management and management consulting positions in information technology and cyber security with firms and clients of all sizes in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Ken is an entertaining speaker and an amateur New Orleans style jazz trumpeter. He and his wife Judy Roberts Brandt have been married for over twenty years, lived most of their lives in New York City, and now live in Melbourne, Australia. The savvy and very cool Elzy Kolb is the book's editor. She is a long-time New York-based freelance writer, editor and copy editor, and has worked for a spectrum of print and web publications including The New York Times, O - the Oprah Magazine, Rolling Stone, Vogue, Teen Vogue, Food & Wine, Psychology Today, Glamour, Popular Mechanics, and many others. She has been a Hot House (New York's premier jazz guide) contributing writer since 2003 and is now its contributing editor. Judy Roberts Brandt designed the book cover, interior of the book, and created much of the photography. She has a lifetime of art direction, visual design, and graphic design expertise encompassing commercial and fine art. Her commercial work includes advertising and marketing campaigns, corporate branding and logos, promotional materials, TV commercials, short films, websites, and all types of printed materials. Her clients have included large firms such as American Express, UBS, KPMG, etc., as well as government agencies, many small-medium size firms, and start-ups. Her fine art - largely abstract photography: stills, videos, and large scale projections - has been exhibited in Melbourne, Australia and New York City, U.S.A.

Reviews

A very nice read. Ken has done so many things that it's amazing. I don't mean for someone with poor vision, I just mean for anyone. His positivity and gratitude are infectious. My favorite part was about catching the thief toward the end; made me laugh out loud at several points. Good work! Australian Book Lovers "Positive Vision" is a fun journey of insightful anecdotes and exciting adventures, illustrating how poor eyesight can contribute to a joyful and full life! A great read for anyone who has - or knows someone with - poor eyesight.Bennie H. Jeng, MD, Professor and Chair, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine a fascinating adventure biography about thriving with low vision, for all to enjoy...you're sure to find Ken's escapades captivating and humorous...Humbling stories of triumph over every-day adversity fill every chapter. Jokes, tips and thought-provoking insights abound...vivid storytelling and wholesome reflective pieces...A new appreciation for the hurdles and advantages of low vision is assured.Optometrist John De Francesco ​for Good Vision for Life (Optometry Australia) An exhilarating and uplifting read! Drowned in the nuances of daily life, most of us always look but cannot see... In "Positive Vision", Ken shows us how to look AND see, with heaps of humour, from the heart and soul.Dr. Daniel Chiu - Ophthalmic Surgeon and Retinal Specialist An upbeat read on an issue that affects everyone: eyesight. Ken speaks from real personal experience how vision impairment can impact a person's life. Ian Wishart, CEO, The Fred Hollows Foundation An incredibly optimistic and positive view on life. It is a pleasure to read and a fascinating biography that proves that even with very limited eyesight there is no limit to what you can achieve.Dr. Mark Troski - Cataract Surgeon "Positive Vision"'s personal stories, insightful quotes and funny jokes elegantly demonstrate how much life could and should be lived in spite of poor eyesight. I will recommend it as a wonderful, hopeful, and inspirational read for my patients who have or fear low vision. Plus, it is a great read for anyone of any vision level, who likes adventures and biographies.Dr. Constance Okeke - Glaucoma Specialist & Cataract Surgeon ​An upbeat, inspiring, adventurous, humorous memoir by a low vision author who has had six eye operations and was legally blind for many years.Teaching Students with Vision Impairments Like a moustachioed Indiana Jones, an adventurer to the core, he travels the globe scuba diving, riding horses... and jumping out of planes. He also plays jazz trumpet, New Orleans style. His name is Ken Brandt.Matthew Layton, Vision Australia Radio, Studio 1 An Upbeat Book About Poor Eyesight... a 'rollicking good' book that proves poor eyesight needn't impact potential... a remarkable and insightful book for optometrists, ophthalmologists and orthoptists. It is also a wonderful, inspiring, and humorous read that vision professionals can recommend to anyone struggling with less than perfect vision....mivision - minews, mivision The Opthalmic Journal a wonderful biographical recollection... a gloriously positive view on life... The adventures are mind blowing, entertaining, and wholesome... I highly recommend Positive Vision: Enjoying the Adventures and Advantages of Poor Eyesight to anyone who wants to read about adventure, creativity, fun, or visual impairment. Vision professionals will enjoy reading it and recommending it to many of their patients. Everyone will find something they love about it. It is an easy to read page-turner...Sepideh Heydar Zadeh - In the Know, Vision Science Academy