TALKING WITH YOUR HANDS, LISTENING WITH YOUR EYES: A Complete Photographic Guide to American Sign Language

Grayson, chair of the New School University's department of sign language, created this massive reference in the hopes of "making it easier to understand, duplicate and remember the vocabulary" of American Sign Language, which is used by an estimated 500,000 deaf people in the U.S. and Canada. Grayson can hear, but was born to parents who were both deaf, and his first means of trained communication was sign language. The book covers more than 900 signs that represent nearly 1,800 words and phrases, with signs grouped by topic, e.g., common and polite phrases; mealtime and food; school and education; careers, jobs and the workplace;and the body and health. One or more photos of professional signers demonstrating the sign formation accompany a discussion of each sign. Grayson provides instructions for each word, explaining the hand shape, the position in front of the body where the sign is made and the type of movement involved in expressing the word. Perhaps most useful is the "visualize" portion of each entry, which often explains the essence of the sign. For example, when signing the word "farmer," which involves moving one's hand across the chin and then down the chest, visualize yourself depicting "the bushy beard of a farmer." Although the photos are on the small side (about two inches square), Grayson's instructions are detailed and clearly written. Especially valuable are the educational sidebars on what it's like to live as a deaf person in the U.S., including a suggested reading list on the history of deaf culture, a discussion of how technology has created more career options for deaf people and a list of American films featuring deaf protagonists. Index. (Feb.)