A Man Without Words
by Susan Schaller
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Description
For more than a quarter of a century, Ildefonso, a Mexican Indian, lived in total isolation, set apart from the rest of the world. He wasn't a political prisoner or a social recluse, he was simply born deaf and had never been taught even the most basic language. Susan Schaller, then a twenty-four-year-old graduate student, encountered him in a class for the deaf where she had been sent as an interpreter and where he sat isolated, since he knew no sign language. She found him obviously show more intelligent and sharply observant but unable to communicate, and she felt compelled to bring him to a comprehension of words. The book vividly conveys the challenge, the frustrations, and the exhilaration of opening the mind of a congenitally deaf person to the concept of language. This second edition includes a new chapter and afterword. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
This is a short but powerful read. It manages to be very accessible while tackling a subject of no less magnitude than the nature of human language and the possibility of being human without it. It also happens to be a good introduction to the world of ASL. The book is both a serious look at the struggles of pre-lingual adults and an ode to the joy of communicating with our fellow human beings. As a soon-to-be TESOL teacher, I found much food for thought in this book, but I think it would also be an interesting read for anyone who has ever been at a loss for words.
The story of Ildefonso is wonderful from beginning to end, from his first breakthrough to his eventual fluency. The story is very touching. Add to that Schaller's searching mind and her ability to pick apart the insights Ildefonso gave her into the meaning of language, and it really was a fantastic book.
A fascinating story, but stiffly and rather blandly told.
A fascinating story, but stiffly and rather blandly told.
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170 works; 1 member
Author Information
3 Works 164 Members
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- Genres
- Nonfiction, Anthropology, General Nonfiction, Biography & Memoir, Science & Nature
- DDC/MDS
- 362.4 — Society, government, & culture Social problems and social services Social Welfare People with disabilites
- LCC
- HV2534 .I43 .S33 — Social sciences Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Protection, assistance and relief Special classes People with disabilities
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 159
- Popularity
- 205,451
- Reviews
- 4
- Rating
- (3.89)
- Languages
- Dutch, English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 7
- ASINs
- 1
