Chorost, Michael 1964–

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Chorost, Michael 1964–

PERSONAL: Born 1964, in Westfield, NJ. Education: Brown University, B.A., 1987; University of Texas, Austin, Ph.D.

ADDRESSES: Home—San Francisco, CA. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Houghton Mifflin Company, Trade Division, Adult Editorial, 8th Fl., 222 Berkeley St., Boston, MA 02116-3764.

CAREER: Briefly worked in San Francisco, CA, 2000; SRI International, CA, technical writer.

WRITINGS:

Rebuilt: How Becoming Part Computer Made Me More Human (memoir), Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 2005.

SIDELIGHTS: Michael Chorost was born with severe hearing loss, the result of his mother contracting rubella (German measles), during her pregnancy. The disease, which caused a wide range of birth defects in babies born in 1964, so affected Chorost's hearing that he wore powerful hearing aids and relied on lip reading as he grew up. Despite this setback, he completed his education and worked as a technical writer in Silicon Valley. Ironically, the computer, which seemed to have taken over his life, came to his rescue when in 2001, while on a business trip, Chorost went completely deaf.

In his memoir Rebuilt: How Becoming Part Computer Made Me More Human Chorost describes how a tiny computer was surgically implanted behind his left ear. He explains cochlear surgery and the science of hearing as he relates what it was like to regain his hearing through the technology. The implant functions through a magnetic headpiece that is connected to a wire that leads to a processor he wears on his belt. Library Journal contributor Denise Dayton noted that what could have simply been a story about technology comes to life because of "Chorost's graceful, poetic turns of phrase and dry, self-deprecating humor." A Publishers Weekly reviewer wrote that "readers will find much food for thought on the implications of medical technology and what constitutes our humanity in this beautifully written debut."