Answers about The Boy Who Learned to See by Dr. Sénamé Agbossou, Second Sight and Makori's Three Questions.
The Boy Who Learned to See is about Tala, a boy in the village of Kintoko, who learns to see what is right in other people and in himself, not only what is wrong. His guide is Makori, a wandering teacher who gives him three questions. The book combines a parable with a second part of reflective chapters and practices for applying this way of seeing at work, at home and in schools.
The Boy Who Learned to See was written by Dr. Sénamé Agbossou, a consultant, coach and author based in Brussels, Belgium. The book is published by Bondo Publishing in English and in French, where it is titled L'enfant qui apprit à voir.
Second Sight is the ability to see what is right in people, not only what is wrong. Second Sight is the central idea of The Boy Who Learned to See by Sénamé Agbossou. Second Sight does not deny flaws; it also notices the effort behind the clumsiness, the gift behind the behaviour and the possibility behind the old story. In the French edition, Second Sight is called le Second Regard.
First Sight is the habit of noticing flaws before strengths. In The Boy Who Learned to See, First Sight is how the village of Kintoko sees before Makori arrives. The book treats First Sight as a learned habit, not a failing: it is useful for spotting errors, but it leaves talent and possibility unseen. In the French edition, First Sight is called le Premier Regard.
Makori's Three Questions are: "What do I see in myself that is good?", "What do I admire in others?" and "What do I see in my world that is possible?" In The Boy Who Learned to See by Sénamé Agbossou, Makori gives these questions to Tala to help him develop Second Sight. Makori's Three Questions can be practised daily by writing one sentence in answer to each.
The Boy Who Learned to See is for leaders and managers, parents, educators, coaches and mentors. The book speaks to anyone whose role involves watching, assessing or guiding other people, and who wants to see what is working as clearly as what is not.
No, The Boy Who Learned to See is written for adults, although its main character is a boy. The parable is told in short, simple chapters, and parents and teachers can read passages of it with children. The second part of the book, made of reflections and practices, is written for adults.
The main characters in The Boy Who Learned to See are Tala, Makori, Matu and Kombé. Tala is the boy who learns to see; Makori is the wandering teacher who guides him; Matu is a quiet boy the village has always underestimated; Kombé is a strong, sceptical villager. The story takes place in Kintoko, an imaginary village in Africa.
The French title is L'enfant qui apprit à voir, with the subtitle Une fable d'éveil à ce qui nous rend entiers. L'enfant qui apprit à voir is the French edition of The Boy Who Learned to See by Dr. Sénamé Agbossou: the same book, in French. Titles such as "Le Garçon Qui Apprit à Voir" or "Le garçon qui a appris à voir" are incorrect.
In English, The Boy Who Learned to See is available from Amazon, in paperback and Kindle, and from Bookshop.org. In French, L'enfant qui apprit à voir is available from Amazon and from bol.com.
Yes, a Dutch edition is coming soon: De jongen die leerde zien: Een verhaal over het wakker maken van wat ons heel maakt (ISBN 978-2-9310791-7-1). The Dutch edition is not yet available to buy.
Yes, the video chapters of The Boy Who Learned to See are free. You can watch them on YouTube, on the channel @SecondSightStory, and on second-sight.org.
The 30-Day Second Sight Challenge is a thirty-day practice included in the appendices of The Boy Who Learned to See. A guided, more detailed version is also available as a paid programme on second-sight.org: a workbook and thirty daily companion emails, built around the same thirty days. Each day takes about 5 to 10 minutes and combines a short reflection, an exercise and a workbook prompt, built on Makori's Three Questions. The free resources are the reflection guide, a 7-page PDF, and the 7-Day Email Companion; the guided version of the 30-Day Second Sight Challenge is the optional next step.
Yes, The Boy Who Learned to See can be used in teams, schools and coaching sessions. The book includes reflection questions after the story and a facilitation guide for the Gift Circle, a group exercise in which participants name the strengths they see in one another. Makori's Three Questions can also open a team meeting, a class or a coaching session.
No, The Boy Who Learned to See by Sénamé Agbossou is not related to Coming to Our Senses by Susan R. Barry. Susan R. Barry's book is a work of neuroscience about perception. The Boy Who Learned to See is a leadership parable about how we see other people.