Xdiving Bell and the Butterfly by Bauby Jean Dominiqu

Skip to product information
1 of 1

Xdiving Bell and the Butterfly by Bauby Jean Dominiqu

Regular price
Checking stock...
Regular price
Checking stock...
Proud to be B-Corp

Our business meets the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. In short, we care about people and the planet.

The feel-good place to buy books
  • Free shipping in the US over $15
  • Supporting authors with AuthorSHARE
  • 100% recyclable packaging
  • Proud to be a B Corp – A Business for good
  • Sell-back with World of Books - Sell your Books

Xdiving Bell and the Butterfly by Bauby Jean Dominiqu

A celebration of the liberating power of consciousness--a triumphant book that lets us witness an indomitable spirit and share in the pure joy of its own survival.

In 1995, Jean-Dominique Bauby was the editor-in-chief of French Elle, the father of two young childen, a 44-year-old man known and loved for his wit, his style, and his impassioned approach to life. By the end of the year he was also the victim of a rare kind of stroke to the brainstem.

After 20 days in a coma, Bauby awoke into a body which had all but stopped working: only his left eye functioned, allowing him to see and, by blinking it, to make clear that his mind was unimpaired. Almost miraculously, he was soon able to express himself in the richest detail: dictating a word at a time, blinking to select each letter as the alphabet was recited to him slowly, over and over again. In the same way, he was able eventually to compose this extraordinary book.

By turns wistful, mischievous, angry, and witty, Bauby bears witness to his determination to live as fully in his mind as he had been able to do in his body. He explains the joy, and deep sadness, of seeing his children and of hearing his aged father's voice on the phone. In magical sequences, he imagines traveling to other places and times and of lying next to the woman he loves. Fed only intravenously, he imagines preparing and tasting the full flavor of delectable dishes. Again and again he returns to an inexhaustible reservoir of sensations, keeping in touch with himself and the life around him.

Jean-Dominique Bauby died two days after the French publication of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. This book is a lasting testament to his life.
SKU Unavailable
ISBN 13 9780007879557
ISBN 10 0007879555
Title Xdiving Bell and the Butterfly
Author Bauby Jean Dominiqu
Condition Unavailable
Binding Type Paperback
Publisher Harper Perennial
Year published 2010-04-26
Number of pages 0
Cover note Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note Unavailable