Missing Pieces: A Chronicle Of Living With A Disability

by Irving Kenneth Zola

The personal odyssey of a man with a disability, Irving Zola describes and analyses what it is like to have a disability in a world that values vigour and health. First published in 1981, a founding book in the fields of health and disability studies, this text considers his trials and triumphs.

Genres: Disability, Nonfiction, Memoir, Disability Studies

262 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

Reviews

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. The title makes it sound depressing and serious, but I promise it's not one an overcoming adversity story. This book really dissects what being disabled in mainstream society is like; something that all of us will have to deal with as we get older and sicker. Hopefully this won't happen for a long time, but I think this is a book that everyone should read, as it makes disability less scary and gives you a great glimpse into what it's like to have a chronic condition physically, emotionally, and socially.


Irving Zola is considered the "father" of disability studies, and was a professor at Brandeis until his death in the mid-nineties. He developed polio as a child, and wrote this narrative after visiting Het Dorp, a completely accessible village that the Netherlands developed for its disabled citizens. The premise sounds academic and somewhat boring, but it's really an insightful narrative about living with a disability in a mainstream, Western world.

[Kitty Sidel-Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not really my type of book, but some parts still drew me in. Had to read for a sociology class.