Listen with the Heart: Relationships and Hearing Loss by Michael A. Harvey

From the Publisher

While distressing for an individual, hearing loss also takes a heavy toll on family and friends. These stories chronicle the unique challenges of hearing loss in interpersonal relationships, including communication, self-identity, and how to continue sharing and growing in these relationships. Many shared activities, such as enjoying music, whispering sweet nothings to a lover, and hearing children's voices are deeply missed by both the hearing and hearing-impaired relationship partners. This book illustrates the power of relationships to transform people and how each party has unparalleled opportunities to grow in profound and unpredictable ways.

Author Biography: Michael Harvey is the author of Odyssey of Hearing Loss and Family Narratives of Hearing Loss. He lives in Boston, Massachusetts.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Linda Jacobs-Condit, AuD, CCC-A (George Washington University)
Description:This book depicts vignettes that describe how individuals with hearing loss as well as those in their lives are affected by that loss.
Purpose:The purpose is to use tales to portray how psychological, social, and spiritual influences shape one's experience of hearing loss and that of significant others. For me, as an audiologist interested in bettering my counseling abilities, fulfilling these objectives can give better insight into the needs of others. The author meets his objectives using stories.
Audience:According to the author, this book is intended for use by a wide audience — spouses, children, parents, friends, extended family members, interested laypersons, and professionals. I believe this would make interesting reading for all of these groups, yet professionals may find it to be "light reading" because it is not technical in nature. The author is a clinical psychologist whose practice includes many persons with hearing loss. This is one of several books he has written about psychotherapy with the deaf and hard-of-hearing.
Features:This author uses stories to describe crises of hearing loss, as well as other crises that can occur in life — loss of loved ones through divorce or death, changes in health, for example. He includes scenarios to portray individuals' coping strategies, ability to empathize, to more fully develop relationships, and to "listen with the heart." The stories are compelling and draw one into the book. As a professional, I wanted more.
Assessment:This would be agood book for families to read, as well as students entering the field of audiology or psychology. The use of stories can often be more instructive and make for more "fun" reading than technical texts.

Rating

3 Stars from Doody

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