The Seeing for Life™ Series of Books are practical, science-based guides to protecting eyesight for a lifetime.
For much of my career, I played a doctor on television. Millions of viewers tuned in each week to see a caring physician they felt they could trust. What most people never knew was that, behind the scenes, I was struggling with a very real medical problem of my own: cataracts.
The gradual loss of vision was frightening. Reading scripts, hitting my marks, even recognizing faces across the set became harder and harder. My livelihood—and the joy I found in my work—were slipping away. Then I had cataract surgery. Quite simply, it saved my career. It gave me back the clarity and confidence I needed, not just to work, but to live fully again.
I soon discovered that I was not alone. Over the years, I met others—well-known figures from the stage, the screen, the sports arena, and even the morning news desk—who quietly confided the same story. A judge, a celebrated actress, a Super Bowl quarterback, and a world-renowned golfer all told me that the restoration of their vision gave them back not just their work, but their independence, confidence, and joy.
That’s what makes Dr. Robert Kershner’s Seeing for Life™ – Clear Vision to Age 88 and Beyond so important. He has dedicated his career to this very miracle: preserving sight, restoring clarity, and helping people—famous or not—see their way forward. His voice is one of compassion and authority, born from decades of surgical mastery and a lifetime of caring for patients from every walk of life.
If you value your sight, this book is your guide. I know firsthand how precious the gift of vision is—and how grateful I am to those who made mine clear again. With this book in your hands, Dr. Kershner now extends that gift to you.
— A real life testimonial from someone who once played a doctor, and became a patient himself
Your eyes are the windows through which you experience nearly everything that matters in life: the smile of a loved one, the words on this page, the horizon at sunrise, the face in the mirror. Yet for most of us, we don’t think about our vision until something goes wrong.
As an ophthalmologist who has performed more than 32,000 eye surgeries, I’ve spent four decades saving, restoring, and protecting sight. I’ve also seen too many people wait until it’s too late. The truth is that most vision loss is preventable — if only people knew the steps to take early and consistently.
Seeing for Life is the book I wish every patient had before they walked into my exam room. It is not a textbook and it is not medical jargon. It is a clear, practical guide that anyone can use — whether you’re a parent worried about your child’s screen time, an adult who’s just picked up your first pair of reading glasses, or someone hoping to keep cataracts and glaucoma at bay well into your 80s.
This book will show you:
Your vision is not only precious — it’s largely within your control. My mission with this book is to give you the knowledge, confidence, and tools to see clearly for the rest of your life.
Imagine if your eyes had a favorite grocery list. What would be on it? Bright orange carrots, leafy greens, wild salmon, blueberries fresh from the bush. As it turns out, your eyes really do “eat” with you — and the nutrients you choose can mean the difference between sharp vision at 80 and preventable blindness at 60.
Decades of research have proven that certain vitamins and antioxidants play a critical role in eye health. The AREDS2 study, one of the largest clinical trials ever conducted on age-related macular degeneration, showed that a specific combination of nutrients — vitamins C and E, zinc, copper, lutein, and zeaxanthin — can reduce the risk of vision loss by as much as 25%.
Other nutrients, like omega-3 fatty acids found in cold-water fish, protect the delicate tear film and may reduce the risk of dry eye and retinal disease.
Patients often ask me, “Doctor, should I just take a pill?” The answer: food first. Supplements can help when diets fall short, but nothing replaces the complex synergy of nutrients found in whole foods. Spinach delivers lutein with fiber; salmon provides omega-3s with protein. Think of supplements as insurance, not a substitute.
Eating for your eyes isn’t about restriction; it’s about richness. When you build your meals around color, variety, and balance, you’re not just feeding your body — you’re protecting your vision. And every forkful becomes an investment in the decades of sight still ahead of you.
Discover what early readers think about Seeing for Life.
View Published Reviews