Reading Between the Lips: A Totally Deaf Man Makes It in the Mainstream [Hardcover]

Lew Golan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1995

In a candid celebration of the advantages (and yes, occasional pitfalls) of communicating orally by speaking and lipreading, Lew Golan, who is totally deaf, shows that deafness is not an impenetrable barrier to making it in the hearing world.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Born in Chicago in 1934, Golan became deaf at age six as the result of a meningitis attack. Since he had been talking for four years, he was in the category of the postlingually deaf, which led his parents to determine that he should be trained in speech and lip-reading, rather than in signing. He attended the University of Chicago, studied journalism at the University of Illinois and became a successful freelance writer in both the U.S. and Israel. Golan forthrightly calls himself disabled (he is reminded of his handicap daily by his inability to use the telephone), but he excoriates those who want the deaf to communicate via American Sign Language, which he argues denies them entry into the mainstream, since few hearing people know or care to learn how to sign. Golan also writes of his hearing wife and four hearing daughters and of the family's move to Israel in 1970s, return to the U.S. in 1978 and relocation to Israel in 1986. The primary focus of his book, however, is a call to the deaf to take their place in the hearing world by communicating on its own terms, by speaking and reading lips.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Deafened by a high fever caused by spinal meningitis at age five, Golan was already reading and writing and, of course, talking with considerable skill. In this amusing and percipient autobiography, Golan certainly demonstrates that he can survive quite successfully in the mainstream (without sign language). He launches some devastatingly clever assaults on Harlan Lane and others who insist on the necessity and cultural veracity of the Deaf Community. His remarkable talents include a confounding ability to jump into new situations with zest and skill. He has worked as a sportswriter, advertising copywriter, academic book editor, marketing executive, television writer, and carpenter on a kibbutz. His own versatility and outstanding achievements belie his insistence that any deaf child could be taught to speak and maintain a role in the hearing world. Issues aside, this is a book filled with stories that will delight all readers about a man who works hard, enjoys his family, and never stops trying. Golan is an excellent raconteur. Hopefully, he'll write more stories about his life in Israel and the secrets shared with his grandchildren. Denise Perry Donavin

Product Details

• Hardcover: 363 pages
• Publisher: Bonus Books (March 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1566250218
• ISBN-13: 978-1566250214
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #737,851 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Strong Opinions mixed with a personal story of success in a hearing world, July 17, 2008

By 

Theodore M. Alper (Palo Alto, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Reading Between the Lips: A Totally Deaf Man Makes It in the Mainstream (Hardcover)

This is a fascinating book. I find the writing style a little strange (every sentence is its own paragraph), but very readable -- and Mr. Golan has a lot to say that's worth reading! Mr. Golan tells the story of his own life, the challenges he faced and overcame in carving out a successful life in a hearing world that, while not unsympathetic to him, ultimately judged him by his ability to function in it on its own terms.

Along the way, he gives his strong opinions on education for the deaf, ASL, etc. There are other sides to all of these issues -- and he acknowledges as much -- but he has a valid perspective of his own and makes his case assertively.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and well-written, July 11, 2008

By 

Wendi Kast (Chicago Suburbs) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Reading Between the Lips: A Totally Deaf Man Makes It in the Mainstream (Hardcover)

I just finished this book and I loved it. It was well-written and extremely interesting. Yes, it's a fact that the author supports oral communication. However, his thoughts on ASL and Deaf culture are supported with fact. His position is that of "whatever works for you" and he never says ASL shouldn't be used. He simply states the benefits of also being able to communicate orally and have a good command of the English language.

As a late-deafened adult, I could really relate to many of the experiences and stories that he tells in his book. I highly recommend it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!, April 11, 2010

By 

P. Ellis - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Reading Between the Lips: A Totally Deaf Man Makes It in the Mainstream (Hardcover)

I bought this book after recently losing my hearing from NF2. This is a great book that has helped me get out of my "slump" and realize that I can still go on and live a productive life even though I am no longer able to hear. I was shunned by the Deaf community because I was not born that way and I am glad to have had the opportunity to read Mr. Golan's book. Very well written and very enjoyable. I only wish Mr. Golan would write a follow-up.