The fascinating technology of cochlear implants continues to change the lives of children and adults with severe or profound hearing loss. This book explains, in a simple and accessible style, the manner in which cochlear implants work, for whom they work, and the extent to which they help deaf people hear. The author tells the story of her own experience with the implant procedure, along with its advantages and benefits. The book contains a comprehensive yet simple explanation of the basic concept, history, and evolution of cochlear implants. It includes questionnaire responses and summaries, case studies, and general information-all provided by some of the foremost clinicians in the field-that provide a full picture of how implant recipients and their families feel about the procedure. Readers will come away from this unique book thoroughly informed about the ability of cochlear implants to reduce or eradicate the ramifications of deafness.

Bonnie Poitras Tucker, deaf since infancy and unable to wear hearing aids, received a cochlear implant in 1991. An attorney and professor of law at Arizona State University, she is the author of six books and over 100 articles, and has been on television's Nightline and Good Morning America Sunday.