There’s just something about having a good summer reading list to enjoy on the patio, at a park, or at a sunny café. It’s a great time to rest, recharge, and escape into a good story…especially if you can connect with an author who shares their own experiences of hearing loss and offers ideas on addressing hearing difficulty and engaging with others. Below is a selection of nonfiction memoirs and guidebooks available on the experience of hearing loss in adulthood, embracing treatment options through hearing aid technology, and navigating daily life, hobbies, and relationships after treatment:
Hear & Beyond: Living Skillfully with Hearing Loss by Shari Eberts and Gael Hannan
While hearing aid technology has assisted the authors in managing tasks and communication in daily life, Eberts and Hannan offer a unique, comprehensive guide on managing the emotions of living with hearing loss, how to navigate relationships and the workplace, and becoming your own best advocate, to name a few. The book is worth checking out for adults at any stage in their hearing loss journey.
(Hannan also previously published a book, The Way I Hear It, in 2015 about the myths and facts about living with hearing loss and practical communication guidance through all stages of life.)
Shouting Won't Help: Why I--and 50 Million Other Americans--Can't Hear You by Katherine Bouton
As an editor at The New York Times, Bouton struggled with severe hearing loss and the frustration and fatigue associated with trying to understand speech during meetings. Bouton shares her personal experience with hearing loss, including her years denying treatment, and offers insight into the growing epidemic of this “invisible” disability in America. Bouton highlights the importance of the hearing care professional in treating hearing loss and includes interviews with scientists and researchers in the field of hearing health.
Rebuilt: My Journey Back to the Hearing World by Michael Chorost
After living most of his life with normal hearing, Chorost suddenly lost the ability to hear in one ear during adulthood. The book provides an account of the intense feelings of being confronted with hearing loss, being fit with a “technological marvel” cochlear implant, and navigating life as a young professional wearing a hearing device.
The Train in the Night: A Story of Music and Loss by Nick Coleman
Coleman provides a narrative on a musician’s worst fear: one day waking up to deafness in one ear and severe tinnitus in the other. Growing up in Britain in the 1960’s, this book offers memories from the height of the rock and pop scene and how Coleman managed to gradually gain his passion of music back even after his hearing loss diagnosis.
How to Talk to People with Hearing Loss: what you can do to improve communication and why it works by Mary Florentine, Julia Florentine, and Michael Epstein
Noted for being an easy and quick introduction for those with normal hearing to the world of those living with hearing loss. Written primarily for those living with someone who has hearing loss, this book offers practical tips for communicating effectively and supporting someone with hearing loss in various settings.
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