Song Without Words: Discovering My Deafness Halfway through Life (A Merloyd Lawrence Book) Hardcover – February 26, 2013

I have a young niece who speaks well, although partially deaf. When I saw this book I was immediately intrigued., and ordered it, as it was not available in my local library. It more than lived up to my expectations: it was an insight into how difficult it is to be constantly translating in one's mind what others 'are/might be' saying.The passages where Mr. Shea transliterates what he might be hearing are tedious, as the reality of doing that must have been for him on a daily basis, and perhaps remains so, now, even though he has excellent hearing aids.If this subject interests you, I also recommend the documentary film Sound and Fury which studies and analyzes pros and cons of cochlear implants and gives those of us in the hearing world a peek into the world of the non-hearing.In addition, Mr. Shea has led a very interesting life, and writes very well. I was riveted to his story. It is heart-breaking to read his honest telling of feeling sure there is something wrong with him when everyone else around him seems to be all right. That is a very universal experience with which all of us, even if not handicapped, are familiar.

I have the same type of hearing loss as does Mr. Shea, only mine started from birth. I identified a lot with what he writes, the constant issues of not"getting" what is said and having to "translate" it - this is very common for me. However, I found it unbelievable that he - and no one around him - recognized his disability. In fact, it flabbergasted me. He is to be commended for bringing his story to the page and I hope that others will see either themselves or people they know in these pages. And get help!

I like Gerald Shea. I admire his courage and integrity. I like his ability to face facts, no matter how difficult or unpleasant. Half deafened by scarlet fever in his youth, he was never subjected to a hearing test, and so his deafness was not confronted. He went to college and law school and was hired at a big law firm where he spent his entire career. Finally, of course, the strain of keeping his deafness in the background and dealing with incredibly large sums of money proved too much for his over-taxed body and he retired.All my life I have had good hearing and so was unaware of what deafness means to the one who has it. Shea doesn't complain, he treats it rather like a nuisance that must be borne. I encourage others to read it if only to broaden their horizons.

The author had serious hearing difficulties as a child but did not recognize them until his 30’sDespite the difficulties he became a major international lawyer and a competitive athelite.I have minor hearing problems and could not imagine how he did it.His beautifully written book helped me understand.

As a partially-deaf man for most of my life, this book really struck home. He spelled out many of the unrealized difficulties and potential solutions that I also have experienced. I can only say that having defective hearing is somewhat better than having severely defective sight. It's frequently a bit embarrassing to ask/require speakers to blend/alter their speaking into something I can hear and understand, but I do find most people sympathetic enough to do so for me. The author speaks of having rather severe tinnitus, which I have; but in addition, I also have (when not wearing my hearing aids) a dull roaring--like machinery in the next room. Maybe more hearing-defective people reading this are similar, and can relate. Anyway, I found it easy reading and more or less "comforting" to read.

I was impressed with all that the author has been able to achieve in his career with his handicap and found it moving the way that he thought the rest of the world heard the way he did, only he had to work harder at translation. I will admit I skimmed some of the detailed discussions of the legal cases. Overall, I think the book would have been improved by tighter editing, but I found it informative and inspiring.

I heard a conversation with the author on CBC radio. It was most interesting and also intriguing that I bought this book to learn more about the subject. Not disappointed.

Very well written. Engaging story. We have a child with hearing problems and this book gives us an idea of how the "lyricals" are rattling around in his head and what to expect when he gets hearing aids. But a great read even if you don't have anyone close to you with hearing problems.

Gerald Shea's story provides amazing insight into the life expderiences of someone who is partially deaf. Shea's book is extremely well written and he describes how he constructs meaning from hearing fractions of words. He was very successful in his career despite his hearing loss - yet at the time he had no idea how much physical & mental energy was spent translating speech. Shea's descriptions of hearing loss and hearing aids allows me a better understanding of the worlds of my pre-teen daughter and my sister, both of whom are partially deaf.

I learned so much about deafness or partial deafness and the unbelievable things that Gerald Shea did to compensate all through his life. I am passing this book on to a local audiologist and, if she has already read it, she can pass it along to another. It was an inspirational read!

The story of a remarkable fellow of humble beginnings who overcame huge difficulties and achieve top marksA must read for all - both sad and most amusing, inspiring, uplifting. Well written.With the right director and cast would make an excellent film.

this is a really good book, i highly recommend it!