Beschreibung:
Tell Me the Number before Infinity, The Story of a Girl with a Quirky Mind, an Eccentric Family, and Oh Yes, a Disability is a memoir in 60 short chapters arranged chronologically by Becky Taylor, who was born with cerebral palsy, and by her mother, Dena Taylor. Dena writes of Beckys birth in 1972, discovering Beckys exceptional gift for calculus and depth of thought even at the age of four. Together they write about her school years and college to adulthood, in counterpoint, from their own distinct perspectives. Although several books on disabilities already exist, the use of two narrations is unique. TELL ME THE NUMBER BEFORE INFINITY is a heros journey with Becky Taylor at the forefront of the pivotal 1975 federal education act mainstreaming disabled children into the public schools. Parents, teachers, people with disabilities, people who know and work with people with disabilities, those curious about how a childs mind works, and even brain researchers will findTELL ME THE NUMBER BEFORE INFINITY a fascinating account as the authors describe life and the realities of having a disability. Becky Taylor has a degree in accounting, and is a Computer Science graduate from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She lives in Santa Cruz where she vice-chairs the Commission on Disabilities, and is involved in other civic organizations. Dena Taylor, M.S.W., Rutgers University, is the mother of two grown daughters, and is retired from careers in social work and education. She is the author, editor and co-editor of six books on womens issues.Included are photos and newspaper clippings from throughout Becky's life.';I learned so much about human nature reading this book that I forgot to worry about the disability of one co-author and the enormous frustrations of the other. It's not that this exceptional mother-and-daughter team glosses anything over; they face all of it like warriors, with ingenuity and courage, and we learn a great deal from that, too. Rather it's their focus on the power within that struck me to the core. It's hearing myself laughing out loud at their beautiful sense of humor. It's understanding through them that the strength it takes to face life head on can inspire readers like me, who feel genuinely renewed at book's end.' Patricia Holt, former book review editor, San Francisco Chronicle
Tell Me the Number before Infinity has been praised as the honest, moving, informative, and often funny memoir by Becky Taylor, born in 1972 with cerebral palsy and a gift for math, and by her mother Dena Taylor. They contributed to mainstreaming of disabled children into California public schools. Parents, teachers, sociologists, disabled people and even brain researchers will find the book inspiring.
Although several books on disabilities already exist, the use of two narrations is unique. The subject is Becky Taylor, from her birth in 1972 to about age forty. The mother, Dena Taylor, begins the book by telling us about her daughter's earliest years, discovering Becky's cerebral palsy, and her exceptional gift for calculus and depth of thought at the age of four.
Then Becky and Dena, from their own distinct perspectives and styles, in counterpoint, write of Becky's early childhood, school years with the family, and on to college and adulthood. Stan Rushworth wrote about the book: ...We experience the honest, blended lives and feelings of these two women, navigating all that happens together from birth through adulthood, from different viewpoints that are very deeply intermingled.... carries strength, humor, and pain, and it will make a profound difference in people's lives.
The title is Becky's answer to her father's question to her as to whether infinity is an odd or an even number. She was four years old at the time, the same age as she was in the cover photo.
Becky Taylor has a degree in accounting, and is a Computer Science graduate from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She lives in Santa Cruz where she vice-chairs the Commission on Disabilities, and is involved in other civic organizations. Dena Taylor, M.S.W., Rutgers University, is the mother of two grown daughters, and is retired from careers in social work and education. She is the author, editor and co-editor of six books on women's issues.
1-London, 1972; 2-Two Babies; 3-Starting School; 4-Tell Me the Number before Infinity; 5-Independence; 6-The Kind of Person She Is; 7-Monsters; 8-Figuring It Out; 9-Small Talk; 10-Weight Lifting; 11-Rice for Dinner; 12-Every Crumb of Every Minute of Every Day; 13-Let Me Tell You about the Mother ; 14-A Funny Encounter; 15-Odd Ones Out; 16-House Aspirin; 17-Patience; 18-I Chose Taylor because It Was a Common Name; 19-What's In a Name?; 20-Junior High Days; 21-The Ticket; 22-The Only Operation ; 23-My Eye Surgery ; 24-FOG Things; 25-Therapy Rant; 26-An Acupuncture Appointment; 27-Looking for a Needle in a Hair-Stack ; 28-An Oar in the Mainstream; 29-Questions in the Car ; 30-Pushing Me On; 31-Decision; 32-Riding Free; 33-Reality Check ; 34-A Clean Break; 35- Leaving Home; 36-Poison Oakes; 37-Becky vs. the University ; 38-The Meetings; 39-Are Things Any Better?; 40-Whose Community?; 41-Quality of Life; 42-The Laughing Cousin ; 43-Perspective; 44-Computers and Poetry; 45-Some People; 46-One Sister Apiece; 47- Graduations; 48-Excerpt from Anna's Play; 49-My Trip to England; 50-Anna; 51-Dual Realities; 52-She's 27 Now ; 53-That Voice ; 54- Dialing 9 from the Moon; 55-Rejecting Stem Cell Treatment; 56-CPA by 40?; 57-Finding Crumbs; 58-WILD; 59-Epilogue; 60- Resources.
