,PROLOGUE

  ,IMAG9E YRF 9 A ROOM ) J A FEW CLOSE
FRS Y LOVE1 TALK+ & LAU<+4 ,! 3V]S,N IS
QK & ANIMAT$4 ,X IS TOO SWIFT = Y 6FOLL[
ON _! LIPS1 TOO DI6ICULT = Y 6"U/&--2C Y
>E D1F4 ,Y SIT 9 _! MID/ )A FROZ5 SMILE
ON YR FACE1 YR *EEKS A*+1 AFRAID 6BR1K !
W>M MOOD 0TELL+ !M Y >E UNA# 6"U/&4 ,YR
HE>T TI<T5S & A*ES TOO4 ,Y FEEL ANGRY T
Y >E ONCE AG %UT \1 ANGRY AT YRF = 2+
D1F1 & AT ! _W = EXPECT+ Y N 6BE4 ,!N1
IMAG9E ANO!R "D1 :5 Y H A DEVICE
IMPLANT$ DEEP )9 YR E> 6HELP Y 6HE>4
,IMAG9E T ) X1 Y HE> ^WS & PHRASES 9 !
AIR )\T LOOK+ = !M ON P'S LIPS4 ,Y "U/&
--N "EY?+1 B 5 6FEEL A "P (! GR\P4 ,Y
HE> BIRDS T 7 ONCE SIL5T1 MUSIC T 0 ONCE
NOISE4 ,YR *EEKS ?AW4 ,YR HE>T OP5S UP4
,YR ANG] MELTS1 & Y FEEL A S5SE ( GRACE4

,! DEVICE )9 MY E> IS A CO*LE> IMPLANT4
,=! F/ =TY-SIX YE>S ( MY LIFE1 X SEEM$ T
,I 0 HELP.S 6D ANY?+ AB ! PROGRESSIVE
H]$IT>Y HE>+ LOSS T MADE MY _W 9CR1S+LY
QUIET & 9CR1S+LY FRU/RAT+4 ,MY MOD]ATE
HE>+ LOSS 9 *ILDHOOD 2CAME PROF.D 0! "T
,I R1*$ MY E>LY TE5S4 ,AL? ,I CD TALK1
,I CD "U/& NO SPEE* AT ALL UN.S ,I CD AL
SEE X ON ! SP1K]'S LIPS4 ,I CD N USE !
TELEPH"O1 NOR LI/5 6! RADIO4 ,! CO*LE>
IMPLANT MY SURGEON 9S]T$ :5 ,I 0 =TY-SIX
0 ! F/ R1L TOOL T 5A#D ME 6FEEL LESS
HELP.S1 LESS A VICTIM ( D1F;S4
  ,? DEVICE IS ! F/ SU3ESS;L >TIFICIAL
S5SORY ORGAN1 ! RESULT ( "O (! MO/ RAPID
ADV.ES "E MADE 9 M$ICAL TE*NOLOGY4 ,= *N
:O _C D WELL ) HE>+ AIDS1 X IS ! F/
MAJOR DEVELOP;T 6HELP !M -MUNICATE 9 !
#BJJ YE>S S9CE SIGN LANGUAGE 0 F/
E/ABLI%$4
  ,MY CO*LE> IMPLANT IS / "S:AT (A
NOVELTY3 "! >E ONLY AB #BJ'JJJ P 9 ! _W
:O H "O4 ,HE>+ LOSS1 H["E1 IS ! MO/
PREVAL5T & FA/E/ GR[+ 4ABIL;Y 9 ,NOR?
,AM]ICA1 DUE 6! AG+ (! POPUL,N &! 9CR1SE
9 NOISE POLLU;N4 ,MOREOV]1 PROF.D HE>+
LOSS O3URS 9 "O 9 #A'JJJ *N AT BIR?1 &
"O 9 #EJJ 0! AGE ( FIVE4 ,G5],Y1 "O
P]SON 9 T5 HAS "S SORT ( HE>+ LOSS1 &=
R\<LY "O P]SON 9 "O HUNDR$ ! LOSS IS
SEV]E OR PROF.D4 ,^! P CD 2 C&IDATES = ?
LL-"KN PROC$URE T C ALL[ ! D1F 6HE>
BIRDS;G1 SYMPHONIES1 & SPEE*4
  ,! IDEA = ? BOOK CAME :5 ,L>RY ,ORL(F
& ,I 7 SITT+ >.D 8 KIT*5 TA# 9 ,FOXBORO1
,MASSA*USETTS1 TALK+ AB ! NE$ = P 6"U/&
:AT X IS L 6HE> ) ? RELATIVELY NEW
DEVICE CALL$ A CO*LE> IMPLANT4 ,L>RY IS
! $ITOR (! QU>T]LY J\RNAL ( ,CO*LE>
,IMPLANT ,CLUB ,9T]N,NAL1 ,,3TACT4 ,HE &
,I TALK$ AB H[ X WD 2 USE;L 6H A BOOK T
TELLS P :AT X IS L 6DECIDE 6GET A CO*LE>
IMPLANT1 6H ! SURG]Y1 6H ! EQUIP;T
8TURN$ ON10 & 6LE>N 6HE> ) ? ELECTRONIC
PROS!SIS4 ,WE ?"\ "! 0 A NE$ =A BOOK T
WD--)\T EXA7],N1 & Z H"O/LY Z POSSI#--
EXPLA9 ^! ?+S 6"S"O Z IF HE OR %E 7 "! 9
,FOXBORO SITT+ >.D ! KIT*5 TA# ) U4 ,BO?
( U _H MET & CORRESPOND$ ) _M P :O WANT$
6"K :AT X 0 L 6H ELECTRODES SURGIC,Y
EMB$D$ 9 \R E>S 6GIVE U A S5S,N ( RI* &
-PLEX S.D4 ,LAT]1 :5 ,I />T$ 6WRITE &
/>T$ MY J\RNEY BACK 9 "T1 ,I R1LIZ$ T N
ONLY 0 ,I WRIT+ = ^? D1F P :O MI<T
B5EFIT F ! PROS!SIS 7& N ALL C71 B AL =
ANY"O 9T]E/$ 9 \R ABIL;Y 6TRANS=M \R
LIVES4 ,& 6HELP BO? ! R1D] & MYF 6"U/& ?
TRANS=M,N1 ,I H G"O BACK 6DESCRIBE ": ,I
H -E F3 D1F;S4 ,6"U/& ! EXP]I;E ( HE>+
)A CO*LE> IMPLANT1 Y NE$ AL 6"U/& !
EXP]I;E ( D1F;S4

,? BOOK HAS _M VOICES--Y W HE> M9E1
MO/LY1 = ? IS ABV ALL A P]SONAL /ORY (
MY EXP]I;E ( D1F;S &( HE>+ )A CO*LE>
IMPLANT4 ,Y W AL HE> ! VOICES ( O!R D1F
P & P>5TS ( D1F *N4 ,I H PLAC$ _!
QUOT,NS "?\T ! BOOK 9 ORD] 6GIVE Y AN
APPRECI,N (! HUGE RANGE ( RESPONSES T P
H BO? T[>D D1F;S XF1 & T[>D ! EXP]I;E (
HE>+ )A CO*LE> IMPLANT4 ,_M ( ^!
RESPONSES >E V DI6]5T F MY [N4
  ,"S ( Y W 2 FAMILI> ) CO*LE> IMPLANTS
ONLY Z A 3TROV]SIAL DEVICE T "S D1F P D
N WANT4 ,I HOPE ? BOOK W %$ LI<T ON !
3TROV]SY & %[ T "! >E NO PRESCRIP;NS T
FIT ALL D1F P4 ,! DECI.N 6OBTA9 A CO*LE>
IMPLANT IS A P]SONAL "O =A D1F P]SON &
P>5TS ( D1F *N 6MAKE !MVS4 ,= ME1 9 !
5D1 MY CO*LE> IMPLANT HAS ALL[$ ME 6D
:AT ,I WANT 6D ) F> GRT] EASE1 & 6D NEW
?+S T GIVE ME TREM5D\S JOY4 ,X HAS D"O
NO LESS ?AN TRANS=M$ MY LIFE4

,I WANT 6SAY A FEW ^WS AB ! ORGANIZ,N (
? BOOK4 ,! F/ *APT] DESCRIBES MY 9ITIAL
EXP]I;ES 9 HAV+ MY CO*LE> IMPLANT
EQUIP;T 99TURN$ ON499  ,NO?+ FULLY
PREP>$ ME = :AT ,I 5C.T]$4 ,! NEXT *APT]
DESCRIBES MY ROLL]-COA/] RIDE 9 ! "DS
FOLL[+1 Z ,I LE>N$ 6MAKE S5SE (! /RANGE
S.DS MY NEW PROS!SIS GAVE ME4 ,*APT]S
,?REE & ,F\R G BACK *RONOLOGIC,Y
6DESCRIBE H[ ,I 2CAME D1F & ADAPT$
6D1F;S Z ,I GREW UP1 & DESCRIBE ! E6ECTS
( D1F;S ON MY FAMILY4 ,9 ,*APT] ,FIVE1
,I 4CUSS H[ ,I DECID$ 6GET A CO*LE>
IMPLANT1 & :AT 0 9VOLV$ 9 ! TE/+ &
SURG]Y4 ,X IS "H T ,I DESCRIBE ! DEVICE1
XS HI/ORY1 H[ X "WS1 :O IS A C&IDATE =
X1 & H[ WELL X "WS 7= BO? ADULTS & *N74
,9 ,*APT] ,SIX1 ,I PRES5T ! OPPOSI;N (
"S P 9 ! ,D1F CULTURE 6? PROC$URE & PUT
T OPPOSI;N 9 P]SPECTIVE4 ,! F9AL *APT]
(! BOOK DESCRIBES "S (! %ORTCOM+S (!
TE*NOLOGY & "S PROMIS+ DEVELOP;TS ON !
HORIZON4 ,9 ! ,EPILOGUE1 ,I 9DULGE 9 "S
REFLEC;NS ON LIFE PO/-IMPLANT4 ,& F9,Y1
,I HOPE T ^? ( Y :O WD L M 9=M,N W F9D !
ANNOTAT$ 5DNOTES &! LI/+S ( RES\RCES &
RECOMM5D$ R1D+ AT ! BACK (! BOOK USE;L4