FROM LEBANON TO CALIFORNIA

About the Book

"This autobiography is a fascinating reflection on a life of experiences rich enough for three men. A testimony to family, friendship and faith, it is, like St. Augustine´s Confessions, a spirited and frank account of the quest for God. Dr. Zeiter is driven throughout his life to find truth, goodness, and beauty, and it is particularly through the beauty and order of music that his imagination is captured and he is brought to see even more fully truth and goodness in their own intrinsic splendor. High culture is not some incidental acquisition for Dr. Zeiter, but part of the nurturing of his daily life for nearly three-quarters of a century, whether in Lebanon, Venezuela, Canada, or the U.S. Dr. Zeiter reveals in his autobiography his wit (evident in his healthy sense of humor), his insight, and his optimism, as well as his intellectual and spiritual depth. This book is a pleasant reminder to us all of the high destiny to which we are called" (Thomas Dillon, Ph.D., President of Thomas Aquinas College).

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

In an era when autobiography is often little more than a ghost-written celebrity ramble, Dr Henry Zeiter’s “From Lebanon to California, A Marriage of Two Cultures” is a self-written memoir that manages to be as many-sided and engaging as the man himself. Zeiter retraces the path that led him from his native country to success as a cataract surgeon, educator, philosopher and philanthropist. It’s not your usual immigrant story, but Zeiter is not your typical immigrant guy. A reader, traveler, observer and thinker, he brings excellent credentials to his book. It’s fun to follow his adventures and his digressions wherever they may lead (from locker rooms to Shakespeare). Reading this book is like taking a college course with a lively and well-traveled professor from whom you can’t help but learn and whose class you look forward each time to attending.
— Howard Lachtman, The Book Nook

Ophthalmologist and Renaissance man Henry Zeiter of Stockton California, disproves the theory that you can’t go home again. His associative skills are much in evidence as he describes his journey from Lebanon to California, through Venezuela and Canada, in his autobiography, “From Lebanon to California” (Xlibris). A true Renaissance man, he studied painting, watercolor and oil, symphony conducting, historical and philosophical writing, opera-cast acting, real estate developing, as well as pioneering new procedures in ocular surgery. The book is replete with anecdotes from music to world literature to philosophy, his true love. As he relaxes on his lakeside terrace, Dr Zeiter reminisced, “We ought to be spending our golden years in a sort of active leisure, engaged in intellectual and spiritual growth and in charitable giving helping the less fortunate.” Through his ability to write in a fluid, yet concise, style, he evidences a life truly worth living.
—Dorothy Humanitzki, “One” magazine.

Dr Zeiter’s life story, “From Lebanon to California,” is truly an examined life. He follows the Socratic dictum, “Man, know thyself”, throughout his engaging and well-written story. He has read broadly and deeply in history, philosophy and the arts, particularly music. Throughout his life, he has maintained an optimistic outlook despite difficulties and suffering. His faith is central to his being; it orients his life. This book is a pleasure to read; it is very well written—his prose is vivid and evocative. The reader feels he is a part of the action, involved in it and understanding it. Dr Zeiter is perceptive and very honest in his descriptions of himself and those around him. I would recommend it to anyone interested in a broader view of cultural experiences beyond the usual.
—Andrea Woodruff, Reviewer for new acquisitions at the Lodi Public Library

Dr Z