LoveBlue - one thing I'd actaully recommend is looking to your public library for books instead of buying them especially if money is tight. "Journey into the DEAF-WORLD","Train Go Sorry","Deaf in America, Voices from a culture","Seeing Voices","Learning to See" etc are all commonly available at many public libraries ... if you don't find a title - ask the library to add it to their collection!
I'd also recommend looking at re-sellers such as
AbeBook.com for copies of books - since they often are a fraction the cost of traditional books stores. I've purchased a number of "like new" books at 80% off the MSRP from AbeBooks.
One thing that I caution people on when reading these books is - when you first start reading the book, make sure that you look at the original publication date. It's very important to remember that the contents of that book refers to ASL and the Deaf Community etc.
at that point in time and is not necessarily the same today.
The largest and most dramatic change in the DEAF WORLD from the time at which most of these books were written (1980-2000) is the advances in technology pertaining to Hearing Aids and Cochlear Implants. It is important to keep in mind that the CIs results of today are MUCH different than the ones of the 1970s and 80s ... the goal of early CIs were to 'give an awareness of sound/noise' (but rarely enough that people could understand any speech or what the sound they 'heard' was). The CIs of today can sometimes/often provide
understanding of both sounds and some/most speech.
Today's CIs provide
functional hearing to many/most of those who are implanted - they allow a person to identify sound sources (is it the doorbell, water, a bus/car, person speaking) and often to improve access to aural/oral communication.
The CIs of the past simply immersed a deaf person (who was used to a very quite world - a quiet world that made sense to them) into an environment swimming with what was largely incomprehensible noise - then were expected to make sense of the non-sense noises.
The more people who are implanted with CIs, the more people who are able to voice their opinion regarding communication, understanding etc. Many people with CI are involved in the Deaf Community and sign ... and professionals who for decades perpetuated the myth that ASL was "harmful" for those with CI etc have been outnumbered by Professionals and CI users themselves who know that ASL (or SEE, PSE etc - even Cuing) in fact is a powerful and helpful
additional tool for CI users.
These positive changes are HUGE in the eyes of the Deaf Community - and most of the Deaf Community no longer views Ci as a "threat" (much of the threat/fear was that individuals would be forced/required to get a CI -have no control over their own body, own language, own identity).
Are there still
individuals in the Deaf Community that are truly "Anti-CI", of course, but that is an
individual view, not a community view.
While the many books out there are extremely valuable in understanding Deaf Culture and the Deaf Community (general) - it's also absolutely critical that people reading these books keep in mind that they represent a JOURNEY, not an "end".
The DEAF COMMUNITY, DEAF CULTURE (glossed intentionally) is a living, growing, expanding and
changing community with a living, growing and thriving language.
The books of the 1970s-2000s are valuable for depicting the Deaf Community's world and struggles
at the time the book was written while also demonstrating to the reader of TODAY that as a truly living community/culture/language the Deaf Community (just like various hearing communities) has many values&norms that remain fairly constant over generations, however there are also many changes which take place (especially pertaining to technology) including the general acceptance of the use of HA and CI in today's Deaf Community.
It's important to remember when reading Deaf History books (which now include "When the Mind Hears", "Journey into the DEAF-WORLD" etc) that they are read AS history books (albeit recent history). The core values of the Deaf Community are static ... Signed Language, Deaf Poetry, Deaf Stories, Community and cultural aspects remain largely the same over generations ... however the way in which the Deaf Community views technology such as CI etc does change, and often changes dramatically over a 5-10year period (largely because technology itself changes so very quickly).
Hope that helps ... sorry if it's a bit rambling (I'm battling a migraine)
It really is a good book in the hands and mind of someone who is capable of learning.
