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After Michael Chorost suddenly lost what was left of his hearing, he took the radical step of having a cochlear implant -- a tiny computer -- installed in his head. A technological marvel, the device not only restored to him the world of sound but also could be routinely upgraded with new software. Despite his intitial fear of the technology's potentially dehumanizing effects, Chorost's implant allowed him to connect with others in surprising ways: as a cyborg, he learned about love, joined a writing group, and formed deeper friendships. More profoundly, his perception of the world around him was dramatically altered. Brimming with insight and written with charm and self-deprecating humor, Rebuilt unveils, in personal terms, the astounding possibilities of a new technological age.
I am days away from receiving my first Cochlear Implant and "Rebuilt" was on a list of books my audiologist recommended when I was first evaluated for receiving an implant. It has been an immense help, my fears and misgivings soothed, and I feel so much better prepared for this exciting journey back from the helplessness and frustration of losing my hearing. Much like Michael Chorost I was a fully functioning hearing adult for most of my life until a sudden loss in one ear and a rapid decline in the other left me unable to understand people in any acoustical situation or on the telephone and my world turned upside down. If you or anyone you know is in this situation this book will help you understand you or they are not alone and help is out there.Michael Chorost's personal journey from aided hearing to deafness and back as an adult is inspiring and told with humor and frankness. Although he received his first Cochlear Implant (CI) more than a decade ago and the technology has advanced since, the human aspects have not changed. The intense feelings when confronted with a sudden loss of hearing and verbal communication as an adult in the hearing world have not changed.Chorost's background in the humanities and computer technology were ideal preparations for him to write this book. The book is well researched, footnoted and has an extensive bibliography. Not only do you come to understand what a person might experience receiving a CI, Chorost tells the story of the wonderful technology that has made CI's the world's most successful prosthetic device and have coupled humans to machines like never before. For the first time ever a computer becomes directly linked to a human brain and controls the person's perceptions of sound energy in the environment around them; even the sounds created by the vibration of human vocal cords that communicate the words and meanings like "I love you." Especially those.Although the book ends with Chorost's happy return to the hearing world, his Cochlear Implant Journey and life have continued to unfold and blossom. He's become a sought after speaker and writer on technology and he even found love and marriage. You can follow him through his second implantation, called bilateral, the upgrades of the technology and his life through his website.
