Review

Missing Words lays out the practical steps families can take to adjust to one member's hearing loss. Readers will identify with Eve Nickerson's feelings about her gradual loss of hearing and the eventual effect it had upon her ability to teach. She joins her daughter in outlining an exact course of action for making the most of voices that still can be heard, optimizing one's environment, communicating beyond words, the importance of taking charge and also of letting go of the need to control that which is beyond control. Missing Words shows how the exchange of information can be altered at fundamental levels, what these alterations entail, and how they can affect one's ability to understand and interpret spoken communication. Along with the hands-on tips provided throughout this handbook presents sound professional advice from ear, nose and throat specialist Dr. Donald H. Holden on medical aspects of hearing loss, including the use of assistive devices and the potential of cochlear implants. For all families coping with a loved one's hearing loss, Missing Words is the outstanding single resource upon which they can rely. -- Midwest Book Review