I read this book for my ASL class and I am so glad I had to. I learned so much and the author is great. I hope to read more books by him in the future. "Join Mark Drolsbaugh in his fascinating journey from hearing toddler… to hard of hearing child… to deaf adolescent… and ultimately, to culturally Deaf adult. The struggle to find one’s place in the deaf community is challenging, as Drolsbaugh finds, yet there is one interesting twist: both his parents are also deaf. Even though the deaf communit...

A fascinating memoir, I read it on one day.

I read this for my second ASL class and it was enlightening to see the everyday struggles a Deaf person may face— us hearing folks may "know," but we don't really know. The crazy stories Drolsbaugh shares are entertaining and informative, inconceivable and jaw-dropping (like the time his mom gave birth to him and the epidural wasn't actually in her back like they thought it was, and when they finally listened to her screams of pain and administered anesthesia, the machine was broken and they wer...

I picked up this book since it is a Deaf Culture requirement read for my ASL I class that I am taking. I absolutely loved this book not only for the insights into this culture, but it felt like part of the book modeled my own experiences. I felt like someone had written my own childhood story. My mother never told me I was born hard of hearing, this was cause she despised labels. She always said that I was born with an old persons hearing. Marks story deals with alot of frustrations he's had to

This book was required for one of my ASL classes in college, but I really enjoyed reading it! The writing style is a little rough and sometimes jumps around or is repetitive, but I loved that the message was all about becoming a part of Deaf culture. It was really all about accepting Deafness, joining Deaf culture, and being proud of being deaf. Mark wrote a very eye opening story with aspect of Deaf culture and ASL that I never would have thought about before.

I wish I wasn’t in such a hurry to finish this book (literally finished it the morning I was supposed to turn in my paper for it lol…) but I did genuinely enjoy reading about Drolsbaugh’s experience, and him finding his identity as a Deaf person. It blows my mind how completely ableist society has been (and still is), and I found myself asking, “why would anyone think that??” numerous times while reading this book. The simple answer is that people think Deaf individuals are “missing out” on a “h...

This book is fabulous! From the perspective of a man born hearing to deaf parents, who became deaf as a child, then realized what being Deaf (w/a capital D) is all about as an adult; this book offers the perfect guide into the world of deaf culture. Also, as the author has matured and seen more sides to the many issues facing the deaf and hard of hearing world, he offers great insight and arguments on subjects from signing vs. oralism, to Cochlear Implants. Even if you are not an ASL student, or...

I enjoyed this book from the start of Mark Drolsbaugh life to the start of his child's life. Really puts in perspective the amount of influence parents can have on a child and the fact that there is still heavy stigma against thoses who identify as Deaf. Overall the main take away is to make sure you respect others and that ASL is such a beautiful langauge and the Deaf community is just as beautiful. I recommend this book to thoses who want to read how important finding your identity is or redis...

Drolsbaugh's writing is excruciating. Although I did learn a thing or two, I have no doubt that I could have learned far more from any number of other books about deafness.

FAV QUOTES:One of the hardest fights a deaf man has to fight is to live in a world where every single day someone is trying to make him hear.As opposed to overcoming deafness, this book expresses the joys of finding deafness.An old Zen saying applies here: Empty your cup so that it may be filled. Deafness emptied my cup.Nearly every weekend I would find myself in the same predicament: My college friends would stop by on Friday night, raving about a great party I couldn't afford to miss. I'd poli...

I really enjoyed most of this book, but for some reason the last few chapters were tough for me to get through. It became a disclaimer of "I'm not here to say how what the perfect was to be deaf is" which is a great message, but didn't require so much time. The book is the author's experience of struggling at a mainstream school and eventually immersing himself into Deaf culture and ASL. It was really interesting to read of his hearing relatives and deaf parents pushing so hard for him to be a p...

The author certainly isn't going to give you lovely words here. The writing style is a little rough, but is written in biography style. This is good since the author is very arrogant with his way is the right way. He does admit that there are as many different deaf people as there are deaf people and no one way is right. He gives a rant on Cochlier ear implants, but the age of the book may represent an old technology. Not saying this is the solution for all, but it is for some. And there needs t...

This book for required reading for my ASL class at university but I have to say I seriously enjoyed it! Though it is not the most eloquent writing, it is real and honest. I’ve read a couple of books before dealing with Deaf cultural or involving deaf characters but ever a nonfiction autobiography. I definitely feel like this story changed my perspective and has motivated me even more to learn ASL!

I’m a hearing student in an ASL Interpreter Training Program and new to learning about deaf culture. I so enjoyed learning more about deaf culture in general, but specifically through the lens of Mark’s perspective as someone with post-lingual hearing loss who was late in claiming his Deaf identity. This book covers a lot about the importance of language and acquiring it at a young age, as well as an expiration of identity itself. Great read.

Drolsbaugh gives a deaf perspective that everyone can learn from. For hearing, it gives you an idea of what it's like for some of the community you're so curious about. For deaf, it provides an experiance that you might relate to on a personal level. For both, it provides a humorous outlook on the life of Mark Drolsbaugh told in autobiographical format and the story he tells is intriguing, informative and an all-around great read.

A compelling true story. The author does an amazing job at making the deaf experience accessible to those who do not have any knowledge about it. The writing is simple but thorough and communicates ideas and history excellently. Highly recommend it to hearing individuals who have deaf family members especially.

This gave me an insight into Deaf culture that I never would have learned otherwise. I thought it was really cool! Two personal notes: 1) Mark Drolsbaugh and his wife remind me of my parents (my dad is a psychologist and my mom is a teacher).2) I'm autistic and I could relate a little too much to what Mark Drolsbaugh called "social bluffing".

I had to read this book for class. It gave some good insights into Deaf culture and issues that deaf individuals face. However, the author is really not interesting enough to write an autobiography. It also felt extremely preachy, which got old pretty quickly.

Good autobiography.

Definitely not the greatest book I had to read for a class, but it was interesting enough. Actually, it was not as dry as I was expecting, as the author had some funny stories to tell and had a decent sense of humor in his writing. Certainly cool to see what kind of experiences he had as a deaf guy with deaf parents who was born hearing.

Despite having to read this for my ASL class and having to write a 5-6 page paper on it, I actually enjoyed reading this. It was an autobiography, but instead of just filling it with facts about his life, he also added in his own feelings into it, because not only did I learn about Mark, but I also learned about the Deaf community as well. It was as though I was also reading about the lives of many other deaf children. As the reader, I was allowed access inside his head and given the chance to e...

This is a great book for anyone who loves autobiographies or for ANYONE who is interested in teaching. Mark Drolsbaugh offers a great perspective on how his education (both the positive and negative experiences) led him to who he is now. As an aside, Mark is able to touch on controversies in Deaf culture both humorously and frankly without trying to persuade you that all other views are wrong.

I waver between 3 stars and 4 stars. While I really enjoyed the book, and found it very informative where the Deaf community is concerned, the author seemed to jump around a lot, and repeat himself even more. While the story was interesting, the writing style leaves much to be desired. I'm going to be kind and give it 4 stars because I did learn a lot, and it got me thinking about what I'd do in such situations.

This book offers a meaningful window into the current deaf community. By sharing his own life experiences, Mark Brolsbaugh offers comprehensive answers regarding why it's not enough for deaf people to be schooled in the mainstream, and what is so important about communing with other deaf people. Anyone associating with deaf people should read this!

I liked this book it gave me great insight into the world of the deaf. Mark does a great job telling his life story being a deaf child through his adulthood and the many challenges he faced. Some parts will infuriate you and others have you laughing out loud. I had to read this book for my college ASL class and really enjoyed it. It was a great read for a college course!

This book opened my eyes to a world I had very little idea about which is the Deaf community. I had to read this book for my American Sign Language class but I would have read it in my free time anyway. Mark opens the readers eyes to the struggles of a child born hearing and growing up deaf, trying to please his family and fit in and struggle academically but finding happiness in baseball.

The writing in this book is atrocious that I could barely follow along with his story. This was required reading for my ASL class & so I painstakingly attempted to read the whole thing but I just couldn't.

I liked this book. Read it for my ASL II class. It is about Mark's life and how he has grown up into the Deaf Culture. I think that this book is great for both deaf and hearing people, it sheads light on a lot of issues within both cultures. I'm giving three stars it was a fun read.

This book was wonderful! I have been to one of his lectures and his ability to translate deaf culture for the hearing community through his life experiences is brave and moving. I'm looking forward to reading madness in the mainstream

This is a great book, the writing style is really funny and inviting yet very educational. A great read for anyone curious about Deaf culture, or just looking for a great, funny book that'll teach them something.