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Seeing Language in Sign: The Work of William C. Stokoe

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Seeing Language in Sign, by Jane Maher, held my attention to the last page. It is a true story about one of the most influencial hearing individuals in Deaf Society. William Stokoe was a true hero in his brilliance, committment and sacrifices to bring the true nature of American Sign Language to light. His story is inspiring and infuriating, as the reader learns of the obsticles placed in Stokoe's way as he strove to prove that ASL is a true language, full of all the richness and bredth of any spoken language. I was moved to tears several times and as I read the last page I wanted to meet this incredible man in person. The author wrote in such a manner that I felt as though I knew him personally. In my opinion, he deserves the Nobel Prize in Education. This book is a MUST READ for anyone who is serious about understanding ASL and Deaf Culture.

Seeing Language In Sign: The Work Of William C. Stokoe by Jane Maher (Assistant Professor, Basic Education Program, Nassau Community College, Garden City, New York) is an informed and informative examination of the life and ground breaking work of William Stokoe, the man who dared to challenge the commonly held belief that sign language is not a true "language" in and of itself. Stokoe's study and intense research into the beauty, complexity, and linguistic formatives of what would come to be called American Sign Language forever transformed how the linguistic community would view the language of the deaf. A fascinating book of an academic pioneer and his work, Seeing Language In Sign is a highly recommended and invaluable addition to Linguistic Studies supplemental reading lists and academic reference collections.