The Book That Found 'Me' In The Dark

On Friday, we all received the sad news of Ron Davis's passing, and we are still reeling from the loss of our mentor and friend. He has been on my mind ever since, because this is a man who unexpectedly changed the entire trajectory of my life.

If that name means nothing to you, let me tell you why it means so much to me.

Ron Davis was the author of The Gift of Dyslexia. He was severely dyslexic himself, and could not read at all until he was thirty eight, when he worked out a way to correct his own dyslexia and then spent the rest of his life helping other people do the same. The methods he developed are the ones I teach every single day.

Just recently he released his own autobiography, Dummy, his life story in his own words, and it has gone on to become a bestseller. There is something deeply moving about a man who could not read a single word until he was thirty eight writing the story of his own life, and seeing it reach so many people.

I still remember reading his first book for the first time. It was like someone turned a light on in a room I had spent my whole life stumbling around in the dark. What struck me most was how simple his methods were, and how much sense they made. Not complicated. Not clever for the sake of it. Just tools that worked, and worked quickly.

They changed how I learn. They changed how I work. And I do not say that lightly.

In 2023 I had the privilege of meeting Ron in person, at the Davis symposium in San Francisco. I count it as one of the great honours of my working life, and I am so grateful I got to tell him then, face to face, just how much his work had changed the direction of everything I do.

From what I understand he was surrounded by love at the end, which feels right for a man who gave so much of it to others through his work.

So today I want to say it plainly and proudly. I teach the Davis methods. The difference they have made, for me and for the people I work with, has been profound.

The thing I never get tired of seeing is the moment a client lights up when they experience for themselves just how much easier learning can be. That moment is Ron's legacy. Every single time it happens, it is because of the work he started.

Thank you, Ron. For the book, for the methods, and for showing so many of us that there was never anything wrong with the way we think.

Thank you for being part of this community. It means a lot to have you reading along each week.