No More Laughing at the Deaf Boy - A Technological Adventure between Silicon Valley and the Alps

Geoffrey Ball's extraordinary adventure in technology began in the legendary Silicon Valley of California and ultimately led him to the mountains of Austria, where he now lives and continues his work. Even as a child, Ball knew that sign language, conventional hearing aids, and lipreading were not for him, so he decided to find a cure for his deafness. Never letting his disability stand in his way, he became a kind of modern Renaissance man with wide-ranging interests and abilities, all coupled with an undeniable talent for entrepreneurship and invention.Ball introduces us to family and friends, surfing buddies and lab rats, business partners and fellow inventors, computer and Internet legends, the larger-than-life mentor who gave him his start, and the woman who ultimately saved his brainchild. He intersperses insights into technology and business with personal anecdotes and fascinating accounts of successes, failures and near misses along the way.

About the author

Geoffrey R. Ball wurde 1964 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, geboren und wuchs in Silicon Valley auf. Bereits als Kind wurde Schwerhörigkeit bei ihm festgestellt. Doch hat er seine Behinderung ins Positive gewendet und zählt mittlerweile zu den führenden Forschern auf dem Gebiet der Hörimplantate. Ball ist Gründungsmitglied mehrerer Firmen und wird heute als Unternehmer und Erfinder respektiert, der nie den leichten Weg zum Erfolg gegangen ist. Die von ihm entwickelten Mittelohrimplantate werden in mehr als 60 Ländern eingesetzt. Ball lebt mit seiner Familie in der Nähe von Innsbruck.

Summary

Geoffrey Ball’s extraordinary adventure in technology began in the legendary Silicon Valley of California and ultimately led him to the mountains of Austria, where he now lives and continues his work. Even as a child, Ball knew that sign language, conventional hearing aids, and lipreading were not for him, so he decided to find a cure for his deafness. Never letting his disability stand in his way, he became a kind of modern Renaissance man with wide-ranging interests and abilities, all coupled with an undeniable talent for entrepreneurship and invention.
Ball introduces us to family and friends, surfing buddies and lab rats, business partners and fellow inventors, computer and Internet legends, the larger-than-life mentor who gave him his start, and the woman who ultimately saved his brainchild. He intersperses insights into technology and business with personal anecdotes and fascinating accounts of successes, failures and near misses along the way.

Report

This story is a story like no other. It is from the most creative and passionate man I know. This story is about taking a personal challenge and turning it into a positive and pushing technology to its limits to reach a breakthrough that has helped many thousands of desperate people. It is about the limitless potential for creativity. Mostly, though this story is about someone who never ever gives up chasing a dream, a vision. When Geoffrey called me worried about the chances of survival for his Vibrant Soundbridge, I knew, this warm-heated, most creative and passionate man would be a perfect fit. Doz. DI Dr. DDr. med.hc Ingeborg Hochmair, CEO Med-El It was the contagious originality and determination of Geoff that made me accept in 1994 his offer to lead his European Clinical Study Group in Zürich, Switzerland. The time I spent working with him and his team until the first surgical implantation of the Vibrant Soundbridge on August 27. 1997 has been one of the most inspiring of my professional life. Prof. Dr. med. Ugo Fisch, Professor Emeritus & Head of ENT Department University Hospital Zürich Switzerland, implanted the first Vibrant Soundbridge worldwide. Life involves hard times and miracles for all of us. This is the story of a man who not only overcame his own disability but went the extra mile to pass on the miracle of hearing implants to so many others. Through Geoff s book, we learn about his spirit for which no challenge is too big, his never ending curiosity and his absolute determination to see it all through to the successful end. - Prof. Gregor Weihs, University of Innsbruck If there is a way to sustainably use active middle ear implants in chronic otitis media, Geoff will find it. - Prof. Dr. med. Alexander Huber, UniversitätsSpital, Zürich (during the Wiener Dinner in Goteborg 1996) Geoff s mind is a unique blend of unbounded curiosity, lightning quick intelligence, and joyful good humor. Given that, interesting things tend to happen. For example, he thought about his own hearing impairment and wondered if there might be some new way to work with that. And wouldn t you just know it, there was. - Jay Sandvos, Partner at Sunstein, Boston (Legal Intellectual Property Specialists) Having been present in both the research laboratory early in our careers and in the operating room as his surgeon later on, I have witnessed the compelling and fascinating story of Geoff s journey as a scientist and patient with hearing impairment. His intellect, drive, and purpose has and will produce a lasting effect on hearing loss and its treatment. - Joe Roberson MD, Otology-Neurotology-Skull Base Surgery, CEI Medical Group, California

Product details

• Authors: Geoffrey Ball
• Publisher: Haymon Verlag
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 01.12.2011
• EAN: 9783852187143
• ISBN: 978-3-85218-714-3
• No. of pages: 288
• Dimensions: 140 mm x 215 mm x 219 mm
• Weight: 492 g
• Subjects: Non-fiction book > Nature, technology > Biographies, autobiographies; austria, Leben mit Behinderung, California, Haymon Grundrabatt, Autobiography, Med-El, Hearing aid, Inventor, Business Man, Deafness, Boundlessness, Disability, Scientist, hard of hearing, Umgang mit körperlichen Beeinträchtigungen / Behinderung