It is estimated that there are currently 1.9 million deafened adults living in North America - people who could once hear naturally or with amplification but have become deaf and are now unable to rely on hearing to comprehend spoken information. Despite this vast number, there are no existing books that specifically address the process of adjustment to, and acceptance of, deafness as an adult. Kathryn Woodcock and Miguel Aguayo attempt to remedy the situation with their look at deafness in this work. Becoming deaf causes a crisis. The authors demonstrate that deafness is more than merely a medical condition; it is a social disability that changes the individual, the family, the social circle, and the work group. Attempting to control this condition and maintain an unchanged lifestyle often leads to an inability to cope and to emotional struggles. By describing the psychosocial experience of acquired deafness as a process of adjustment, Woodcock and Aguayo demonstrate that acceptance of deafness is a process involving practical, social, and emotional implications. To assist in that process, the authors have provided an invaluable guide to self-help techniques of proven value to deafened people. Drawing on their own experiences as deaf professionals, Woodcock and Aguayo explore such questions as how deafness occurs, how relationships (professional and personal) can be affected by progressive deafness, and how and where to find peer support. The section on adjustment describes this evolving process in deafened adults and the section on support offers a practical guide to a successful method of establishing a self-help support network for deafened people, as demonstrated by the Association of Late-Deafened Adults. The book combines an informal style, with a review of the current theory and literature and ample personal examples. While "Deafened Adults" is footnoted for the medical professional, it remains accessible to the lay reader.