When the Mind Hears: A History of the Deaf

by Harlan Lane

The authoritative statement on the deaf, their education, and their struggle against prejudice.


From the Trade Paperback edition.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Disability, Education, Historical, Academics, Linguistics

537 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

Harlan Lane is a Professor of Psychology at Northeastern University. His research focuses on speech production and perception in hearing and deaf people and on the culture, history and manual language of the deaf world.

--from the author's website

Reviews

[Sarah]

Hearing people need to do a lot more listening and stop assuming that we know what is best for everyone. This is a fascinating history of deaf education in Europe and the US.

[Dawn]

While a long story, I enjoyed this history book of the deaf. Written in part by the first deaf teacher for the deaf in America, Laurent Clerc, it is a first person witness to the real events in the 1700 & 1800s. I enjoyed this part a lot.

After Clerc's story, Harlan Lane picked up the history until the beginning of the 1900s. His part of the story I didn't enjoy as much, but he gave a very thorough account of the congresses in the latter 1800s, including the most impactful: the Milan Convention in 1880. This convention single handedly destroyed the deaf community and its effects are still being felt to this day. It was at that event that sign language, the natural language (yes, a true language), was banned from schools for the deaf.

The most significant data was cited by Mr. Lane on page 399 (of my copy) of a study conducted by Gallaudet University. 17,000 SAT scores showed a decline. At the time of the study, it showed the average math score dropped to that of a 6th grader and the rest of the subjects fell below that. Proving that sign was an important component in the education of the deaf. I propose that more hearing people learn the language of the deaf.

If you're interested in deaf history, I highly recommend this book.

[Jessiane]

Again, I read this for ASL. I thought it was very insightful into deaf culture and their history. How all the varied approaches to the deaf have come about and again, how we shouldn't decide for everyone who is deaf what is best for them, especially if you don't even now someone personally who is deaf.

[Sue Bridgwater]

In order to gain real insight into Deafness and Deaf Culture you must read this book, along with Seeing Voices by Oliver Sacks and Understanding Deaf Culture; in search of Deafhood by Paddy Ladd.

[Raymond Cox]

A troubling read. In what areas are we as proudly ignorant as so many of the people recorded in this book? If you care to understand the past, particularly the dark past of a time some men actually withheld life and liberty from their fellows (as apposed to people who incorrectly think it is happening now, I'm looking at you SJWs), the dark past when men and women with no understanding or willingness to understand thought they could fix a problem by stuffing it in a box (again looking at you SJWs), then you should read this book. Do not turn away from learning the sins and successes of men in history, do not turn from the records of what happens to the poor and innocent when liberty and humanity are denied, otherwise you may find yourself turning into just such monsters as you can find in this history.

[Alexandro]

Good information, and deeply thorough. But Lane writing as if he was Clerc was impossible for me to get into as a read and left me absorbing less of the text and more questioning why this hearing man had put himself in this Deaf man's shoes— particularly when the text talks so much about the hearing taking over the control of the Deaf narrative.

[Ashley]

Certainly a worthwhile and interesting book. I'm not entirely convinced of Lane's decision to write the majority of the book in Clerc's voice, but that did not diminish its readability.

[Chad Nichols]

Extensively researched, Lane passionately presents an important perspective. Overly detailed at times, so it's a bit of a slog - especially in the middle - but worth reading.

[Susie]

Unfortunately I found this book unbearably dull. Nevertheless, I read it until the end.
It’s a history of deaf education, so worth reading anyway.

[Natalie]

I couldn’t get into this book. Too dense for my mental state.

[Corgi (Rob)]

A must-read if you have Deaf loved ones. a detailed historic awakening. I knew they were descriminated, but I had no previous knowledge that Deaf people were sterilized and executed.

[Andrew Rose]

Best I've read on the history and struggles of deaf people. Very important piece of work. Highly recommended.

[ShaLisa]

This was required reading for me years ago when I was taking an ASL class. Currently my daughter and I are learning/relearning sign and my daughter wanted to write a paper about the deaf culture for an assignment. I recalled this book and some of its insights and decided to purchase and read this book for a second time. There is so much to know and understand and I appreciate this book, its depth and thoughts. I learned much reading it a second time.

I did not read this book to critique the book but to learn from its pages. There is a lot of valuable information and whether it should be text or narrative and such does not concern me. It answered the questions I had.

[James]

I have already studied the history of sign language, deaf culture, and deaf education. So the history points were not that much of a learning point for me. I read this to prepare for my interpretation certification test. It is ok. I can see how someone who hasn"t learned the history would find this book facinsating (so for those of you who dont know , then read it ). I already knew that so I was looking at the writing. I thought it was interesting that he wrote from Clerc's point of view but beyond that I did not find the writing style great ( but not bad either)

[Trisha]

Harlan Lane is a phenomenal author. I think that anyone who actually knows Deaf culture and history (and has a passion for it) will love this book. In fact, I think the more you know about it, the more inspiring this book will be. The people I've heard complain about this book are usually novice ASL students who do not know the language, culture, and history of the Deaf (and are required to read it for class). Don't let the size of the book scare you off. If you are really interested in Deaf culture/history/education, this is a must-read!

[Kathleen]

I am giving this book 5 stars because it is full of SO MUCH information. Reading the book was slow for me since I normally read stories not informational books. I would read a few chapters, set it down for a while and come back. I when I finished the entire book I felt acomplished. :) hehe. This is a must read for anyone interesting in the history of American Sign Language and Deafness.

[Ben]

This is the true story of Deaf history in America, it is a great but frustrating book. Frustrating because idiotic people throughout time try again and again to force oralism on the Deaf and destroy everything that has been worked for. There is much to be gained from this book and I would recommend it to anyone.

[Bailey]

A really great book, packed with history, information, and perspective. I am rating it four stars only because it can get a little slow at times. Otherwise, phenomenally written and passionately persuasive.

[Glenda]

Whew! Read this with my ASL III students. Long and challenging read, but quite an interesting detailed journey on the history and underpinnings of Deaf education. Nothing is sacred from politics and shenanigans!

[Louie]

This book has a lot of great information, but not great writing.

[Aubrie]

It can be long and a bit lugubrious at times but over all it's better than reading a text book on Deaf history.

[Rachel]

This book had far too many details for my taste, but other than that it was pretty good.

[Critical Hysteria]

still waiting for the audiobook

[Yvonne]

I enjoyed this book the first time I read it in college but the second reading fascinated me. Maybe that's the difference in required reading and reading for pleasure

[Gaile]

If you want to satisfy your curiosity as to how and why we are what we are, this one has all the information.

[Christine]

It is a history of deaf people. There were few things I didn't know prior to reading this book. This book is a keeper.

[Cecilia Boyers]

hardcore skimmed this cuz i had to whip out an essay on it BUT the sections i actually read were super interesting and i wanna actually read it at some point.