A Quiet World Living with Hearing Loss
Thursday, February 5th, 2009A Quiet World Living with Hearing Loss
How do people cope with hearing loss? In this study, David Myers, who has himself suffered gradual hearing loss, explores the problems faced by the hard of hearing at home and at work and provides information on the new technology and surgical procedures available.
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars Valuable book
This book is very nice and a valuable source. However, there are some things you ought to know before buying it.
The book is very subjective in the sense that it is written in diary form. The author basically tells you about his experiences with hearing loss. Fortunately, he does have insightful comments with regard to hearing loss.
This book both made me sad and happy at the same time.
The account of this guy made me very happy that there are others out there who do understand what I’m going through, like I’m not alone or just antisocial. Deaf IS an important issue when communicating and relating to others.
Sad because for the first time I fully realized how real this is for me. I just can’t keep ignoring it. I need to understand that there are things I must do to become more functional out there as a hard of hearing person.
Why 4 stars?
Well, the book isn’t exactally written by a professional advisor on hearing issues. He is a psychologist who happened to be hard of hearing. And as far as I know he does not have a speciallity in hearing therapy or such. What I’m saying is that you should read the book as a valuable testimony from someone’s experience, not as a professional help source.
It is important to have this kind of book, because there are people who need to know there are others going through similar experiences. Yet, it is very important you understand this is still a very subjective book.
He also mentions that he is a teacher and all the big time problems he has in his class and conferences. It sure most be hell for him, still what about people who hadn’t even had an education to teach and who need to work in even way more demanding (for the hearing impaired) workplaces because they had not had other choices.
Again, the book is good, but keep in mind it is just the very personal account and not a professional source to help you overcome deaf or hard of hearing problems.
5 Stars Exploring hearing loss
This book is wonderful and useful in a variety of ways. It deserves all of the praise it has earned. The chapter “Aids and Advice” contains a helpful subsection, “Advice for Friends and Family Members” that is invaluable. Tips such as “invite us to a quiet place,” “get our attention,” “face the light and face us,” “rephrase,” “create a context,” and “speak slowly” are essential for successful communication with people with hearing loss since, for many people with hearing loss, lip-reading is necessary or at least desirable.
Wearers of hearing aids become particularly vexed by, for example, noisy restuarants. This is because most hearing aids still amplify all sounds without prejudice - the words you want to hear (the signal) along with the crash of dishes three tables away (the noise). Add curtainless windows, uncarpeted floors, background music, and ever-increasing decibel level of voices competing to be heard, and you get a very noisy place. Myers explains this in good detail. He then shares his wonderful fantasy : respite from the “noisy world” of most restaurants and coffee shops via a chain of acoustically thought-out tea rooms and coffeehouses named “A Quiet Place.” He quotes various studies and surveys that have shown that a great many restaurant patrons object to excessive noise.
Myers offers some great trivia, such as the fact that umpires’ hand signals were invented in 1892 by William Hoy, the major leagues’ first deaf player. In addition, Myers cites the works and writings of others (whom he names) - Oliver Sacks, linguist William Stokoe, Alexander Graham Bell, for example - leading his reader further into this interesting field, should one wish to read on. He also mentions, though not in much detail, some current research and developments, using lay person’s terms. There is an appendix of resources for the hard of hearing, and an index. No bibliography, unfortunately.
A great book and thoroughly worthwhile.
5 Stars A Heart-Felt, Exquisitely Written Piece!
If you have loss of hearing, the prose and memoirs by Dr. Myers will be profoundly familiar. You will find yourself sitting and listening to this friend as he shares secrets you seldom discuss with anyone. The author offers rich experiences in roller coaster rides of emotion. He is insightful, humorous, sensitive, revealing, encouraging–and often painfully honest. You feel his torment and elation, and through it, not only come to know the author, but clearly more about living with hearing loss.
An excellent recommendation for those with hearing loss, and professionals who desire to learn more about the experience.
Dr. Myers leaves you anxiously waiting for his next book. . .
Richard Carmen, Au.D. Clinical Audiologist, Sedona AZ rcarmen27@yahoo.com [and Editor/Author, "The Consumer Handbook on Hearing Loss & Hearing Aids: A Bridge to Healing," Auricle Ink Publishers, 1998]
5 Stars Very informative
This book has so much to offer for the hearing-impaired and their families. I almost skipped over it because it is the author’s story of losing his hearing as an adult. My son was diagnosed at age 4 1/2. I am so glad that I decided to read it! Myers offers a wealth of technical information along with an impressive list of internet resources. Perhaps the most important aspect of the book is the emotional insight in dealing with hearing loss. I definitely learned to be more patient with my son after reading this book. I visited the author’s website and emailed him about his helpful book. He even emailed back with more suggestions for my son!
5 Stars If you have hearing loss, read this book.
Anyone with hearing loss will identify with the content of David Myer’s book. Very inspirational!
