Book Review

'WATCH THIS FACE - A practical guide to lipreading'
Based on an original text by John Chaloner Woods.
Published by RNID. Price £8.99 ISBN 0 900634 79 0

This book should be regarded as a bible for everyone connected with the art or science of lip-reading.

For lip readers, or someone talking to a lip reader, reading this book supplies guidelines to aids to a successful conversation. It is complete with chapters explaining lip shapes for vowels, double vowels and consonants and pictures.

The book explains lip shapes for people with accents, e.g. northern people pronounce the word 'bath' with a short vowel 'a' whilst southern people use the long vowel 'ah', for similar sounding words and how the lip reader can check to ensure they have read the correct word.

I recommend the book to be used as a textbook for lip-reading classes or between two or more people. It is ideal reading for family members and friends of anyone who is in contact with a lip reader.

The book can also be used for an individual on their own but will need a lot of self-determination rather like an actor/actress revising their lines on their own.

Book Review by Victor Markham, July 2001
ALS Associate Member