He was 43 years old, a father of two children, and a successful editor when a stroke on December 8, 1995, deprived him of all his previous life possibilities. Fifteen months later, he completed a book that he dictated solely by blinking his left eyelid - his only remaining means of communication. It is a unique document, an act of self-assertion of the spirit in the face of total physical defeat. The illness transformed Bauby into a writer who analyzes his situation with admirable humor. A poignant testimony, a unique piece of literature, and a book that inspires courage to live.