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'This book is a wonderful idea and it meets a heretofore unmet need. It derives from a particularly interesting database, since it deals with aphasia in aphasic people's own language...It is strongly recommended.'' Professor Audrey Holland, Department of Speech Pathology, University of Arizona, USA This book is about living with aphasia - a language impairment which can result from stroke. Drawing on in-depth interviews with fifty aphasic people, it explores the experience of aphasia from the dramatic onset of stroke and loss of language to the gradual revelation of its long-term consequences. The story is told from the perspective of aphasic people themselves. They describe the impact of aphasia upon their employment, education, leisure activities, finances, personal relationships and identity. They describe their changing needs and how well these have been met by health, social care and other services. They talk about what aphasia means to them, the barriers encountered in everyday life and how they cope. The book offers a unique insight into the struggle of living with aphasia, combining startlingly unusual language with a clear interlinking text.
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An excellent overview of a topic that while not exactly under-researched, rarely considers the patient's point of view so prominently. The text does repeat itself at times but it's so short (138 pages, about a 3.5 hour read) I didn't really mind that much; sometimes it helps to read the same thing in a different context to help it really “click”, and non-aphasic readers need to remember this book is not meant exclusively for them, but for the actual people living with the condition as well. It is meant to tell them “you are not alone in your experiences”, and I think that's wonderful, especially in reproducing their words faithfully throughout the text.