1 comments about Orchid of the Bayou: A Deaf Woman Faces Blindness.

1. This is a great book-helps you understand what people with Ushers Syndrome go through. The author is very real and honest. Once you start, can't put it down!

1 comments about Wasted Talent: Musings of an Autistic.

1. As the mother of an autistic child, you go through the phases when you first hear the words: disbelief, excruciating sadness, frantic research, and then you hit that point where you realize that your child is the same person he was the day you heard the diagnosis.
   
   If you are the parent of an autistic child, wait until you hit that last stage before you read this book.
   
   Mr. Narayanan relates his experiences growing up autistic. He gives us that peek into the mind that may seem closed to us, may even seem not to be working at all on a level we can understand. The insights provided by this man are invaluable both to the autistic community and to those who spend their lives caring for and loving persons with autism. His descriptions of the treatment he received, Ayurveda, and its impact on his ability to communicate are fascinating. This is a stellar read, and has made me seek more information on Ayurveda and also on other biographies of the non-verbal autistic adult.

5 comments about Listening with My Heart.

1. really good book. only thing not perfect is the quality of the pictures in the softcover version. Otherwise great.



2. Struggling to come up with title for this review shouldn't have happened, for "refreshing" describes this enjoyable read.
   
   Heather is an honest, open and Christian person. Her humility to share her fears, exasperations, even private darker moments is refreshing!
   
   And then there is her deafness. She is honest and open here as well, lamenting at times the deaf culture, but also showing sensitivity to their plight.
   
   I'm a page-bender, underliner, note-taker kind of reader who continually marks passages in the great reads that I have, and this book has so many of them. I wanted to communicate them in this review, but will choose to just give some salient phrases from them so that you'll read this marvelous book: "going to bed means getting some sleep"; returned autographs which included Scripture quotes; Miss America wearing a clown on her head; dreaming and God's Word.
   
   Haven't read such a refreshing work in quite some time; treasure as a precious Christmas gift that it was.



3. This was a really good autobiography about Heather Whitestone, former Miss America. She talks about her struggles as a deaf person and her experience as Miss America, and how God has worked in her life.
   
   I really enjoyed her book. I like how she was so open about her struggles with a deaf person. She didn't feel like she fit into the deaf world or the hearing world. Yet, she continues to persevere, and with God's help, she overcomes her obstacles to become Miss America. And she is open with her struggles as Miss America, too. She talks about the need for privacy and her struggles with criticism from the press.
   
   A great, inspirational book.



4. Because I have a grandbaby who was just diagnosed with profound deafness, I have been reading all the books I can about how deafness affects those who are deaf. Heather Whitestone's story was so inspirational and gave me a great deal of insight of how it feels to be deaf and different from the hearing world, and to understand what obstacles might arise, and to take heart knowing that most can be overcome if you have faith and the fortitude to meet the challenge. Her story also gives insight into the debate between the use of sign language, oral education, and cochlear implants, and the prejudice that still exists among some people in the deaf culture. A truly informative and inspiring book.



5. I am inspired by Heather Whitestone when I read this book...she is an inspiration to many deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals like myself. She taught me in this book that no matter the outcome, anyone with a disability can do just about anything in life...even marrying a good, handsome man named John McCallum and being the first deaf Miss America. This Christian autobiography is one of my favorites because it is very interesting to read and there are good pictures of her and her husband, family, even deaf actress Marlee Matlin. I even noticed by reading this book is that Heather and I have things in common with each other such as we both grew up as oral deaf. I love this book and I know you will too...you will enjoy it as much as I did.

No comments about Reflections: The Life and Writings of a Young Blind Woman in Post-Revolutionary France (The History of Disability D).

No comments about Catch Me Before I Fall.

No comments about Normal Again: Redefining Life with Brain Injury.

2 comments about Some Kind of Genius: The Extraordinary Journey of Musical Savant Tony DeBlois.

1. The book not only takes you on the journey of Mr. DeBlois's life and accomplishments, it explains the complexities of his "disabilities" along the way. I had the pleasure of meeting the family and I heard Tony's one-man concert. Too bad it wasn't longer. I would've stayed because it was riveting, beautiful and the man performs from the deepest corners of his heart. I recommend the book to parents of autistic or asperger's syndrome children, even if they are not musical, artistic or a math genius. Ms. DeBlois two sons, both born with these similar disabilities, were raised to bypass all the obstacles and develop the gifts with which they were blessed.



2. This is an amazing story about a highly talented man, Tony Deblois. To fully understand his talent and the reality of his achievments, buy his CD from www.cdfreedom/com or contact his mother in Boston.

No comments about Alive and Fighting: Coping with a Brain Tumor and a Bone Marrow Transplant.

2 comments about The Life and Wisdom of Gwen Frostic.

1. A great woman...an informative read.



2. Gwen Frostic has been an icon for as long as I can remember going to her wonderful shop in Benzonia, Michigan. Incredible artwork, a very nice business (in the middle of nowhere!), but I always wanted to know more about her....why she was so successful, how she has overcome her handicap (what did she have)...she is so inspirational, and to know how and why is inspirational to me as well.

   This book should become a classic.

1 comments about The Feeling's Unmutual: Growing Up With Asperger Syndrome (Undiagnosed).

1. When I came to realize last summer that I might just have Asperger Syndrome, I was elated. I finally at least had an idea of why I was so ... peculiar. I also wanted Answers, so I embarked upon a quest to learn more about this mysterious syndrome. I've read some good books on the subject over the past several months but the only one to really capture the escence of what it actually _feels_ like to be an Aspie is Hadcroft's. If you have a loved one with Aspergers, or if you are an Aspie yourself, read this book. Hadcroft's experiences as an adolescent were painfully familiar, as were his woe's in the adult world. Then there are the fantasy worlds he retreated into. Man, I know all about those. True, we differ in many specifics, especially religion. (He's a Jehovah's Witness, I'm a staunch athiest). Big picture wise, though, we are much the same. Thanks to his Aspergers, Hadcroft has a unique outlook on life, as do I. He's had his struggles but now he seems to be finding his way in life. That gives me confort as I try to do the same for myself. This book is a window - a window into the minds of folks like Will Hadcroft, myself, and millions of Aspies the world over.