The encyclopedia of deafness and hearing disorders /

Useful and interesting to read, this encyclopedia, with more than 600 entries, serves as a comprehensive desktop source of information about hearing, ranging from anatomy and physiology of the auditory system to various aural rehabilitation strategies. Each entry, even those for difficult terminologies and concepts, is written in language aimed at general readers. The book also includes famous people, such as Helen Adams Keller and Ludwig van Beethoven, who are noted in the annals of hearing and deafness. The informative appendixes list, e.g., statewide rehabilitation services, international journals on hearing impairment, and religious ministries and organizations for the deaf. Audiology and hearing science students and professionals should find this encyclopedia practical and enjoyable. Academic collections. M. L. Ng Illinois State University

More than 28 million Americans are deaf or hard-of-hearing. One in ten has some degree of hearing loss. Although hearing people consider the deaf to be handicapped, the deaf community is, in fact, a separate and rich culture with a wide range of institutions that help its members lead full lives in a hearing world. The Encyclopedia of Deafness and Hearing Disorders, first published in 1991, has been revised by the authors. Turkington, a medical writer, and Sussman, a professor and counselor at Gallaudet University, provide the latest information about hearing impairment and its treatment. More than 800 alphabetical entries cover such topics as parts of the ear (Cochlea), clinical terms (Delayed auditory feedback), individuals (Beethoven, Ludwig van; Keller, Helen Adams), devices and equipment (Telecommunications device for the deaf), diseases and conditions (Auditory neuritis, Tinnitus), and institutions and organizations (Gallaudet University, Institut National des Sourds). Among the new or expanded entries in the second edition are Autoimmune inner ear disease, Cochlear implants, Genetics and deafness, and Newborn screening programs. The entries vary in length from a few sentences to several pages. Cross-references appear in small capitals. There is an extensive bibliography of professional and lay literature at the end of the book. Appendixes list referral information to government and private agencies and organizations, sources of devices for people with hearing loss, performance groups, periodicals, summer camps for children with hearing impairment, training centers for hearing-ear dogs, and residential programs for deaf and emotionally disturbed children. The new edition provides an excellent overview of a common disability. Including articles about famous deaf people and the sign languages and deaf communities of other countries gives it an international scope. The referral information in the appendixes is valuable. This source is an excellent addition to most reference collections.