Listening: Ways of Hearing in a Silent World [Paperback]

Hannah Merker (Author), Henry Kisor (Foreword)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Changing perceptions induced by her loss of hearing are fused in an ongoing adventure described by the author of these musings about life in a silent world. Merker, at one time a director of reading services for the handicapped, found herself among the disabled when a skiing accident some 20 years ago gradually deprived her of her hearing. A feisty woman, happily remarried, living close to nature on a houseboat on Long Island Sound in New York, Merker relies on her hearing guide dog to supplement her lip reading skill. She stresses that "it is possible for hearing impaired and deaf people to 'hear,' to acknowledge cues that indicate the presence of sound. It is possible for us to listen." She defines this listening as visual, tactile and intuitive--which perhaps promotes her lyrical expression of this bounty in these pages.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Hearing loss caused by an accident 22 years ago prompted Merker, the executive editor of Academic Library Book Review , to think of sound, language, communication, and particularly listening in uncommon ways. Weaving together science and autobiographical experience, she contemplates topics ranging from sound waves to the possibility of conversations between plants. She provides insight into the world of the hearing impaired, relating frustrations, dangers, and the indignities of rude treatment. On the positive side, she writes lovingly of her guide dog and offers examples of alternative listening techniques. Merker's writing is rambling, prone to reverie, and a bit difficult to follow. The result is not a typical self-help book but a collection of musings for people who want to become more creatively attuned to the world around them. For larger collections.
- Carol R. Nelson, Ball State Univ. Lib., Muncie, Ind.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Southern Methodist University Press; 1 edition (January 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0870744488
• ISBN-13: 978-0870744488
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,683,792 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful book, December 21, 1999

By 

Angela Brown (Chicago, Illinois) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Listening (Hardcover)

This is a delightful memoir written by a woman who cannot hear. In losing her ability to hear, she gained an awareness of the importance of listening. It is that awareness that she shares in this book. _Listening_ is a composite of personal experiences and scientific studies regarding sound. The author speaks of sounds made and perceived in the natural world, bringing a fresh awareness of those sounds to her readers.