Waist-High in the World: A Life Among the Nondisabled Book

I have read this book 3 times, the first two about 10 years ago, either right before or right after I graduated from college. The first time I read it, it was a library copy, and I couldn't mark it up the way I was dying to, so I dog-earred pages and used slips of paper as bookmarks to share passages with others.

Then, I bought my own copy and was liberal with the yellow highlighter. This time around, I used an ink pen, to differentiate between my different readings. And, somewhat surprisingly, I managed to underline different passages than I did before, even though those yellow words still resonated.

It would make sense to recommend this book to anyone who uses a wheelchair, because, even though our experiences are vastly different, Mairs and I have a lot in common, as evidenced by her essays here. However, I would recommend this book to nondisabled readers, even those who have never had an encounter with someone with a disability.

It might seem like a depressing read to someone who doesn't understand the differentiation between the words "cripple," "handicapped," or "disabled." But, though Mairs doesn't shy away from the harsh realities of living with a disability in a world that actively seems to say "We don't want you here," her writing is also sharp and funny - sometimes even "LOL" worthy. It will have nondisabled readers thinking differently about the world they traverse on two legs, and readers with disabilities will revel in the fact of knowing that someone, somewhere, understands.

Visit my blog at Bums & Bellybuttons.