Martin L.A. Sternberg, Ed.D., is a native New Yorker. Deaf since the age of seven, he has spent most of his
career working with deaf people. The idea for this book came from Dr. Elizabeth Peet, Dr. Sternberg's sign language
teacher at Gallaudet University (for the deaf), in Washington, DC. Dr. Sternberg kept Dr. Peet's ideas and methods,
but expanded the work greatly. Early work on the project received a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Health,
Education and Welfare to New York University, the sponsoring institution. A graduate of the City College of New
York, American University, and New York University, Dr. Sternberg has enjoyed a distinguished career as a teacher
at Gallaudet, New York, Hofstra, and Adelphi Universities. He is currently chairman of the board of trustees of
Lexington School for the Deaf and Lexington Center for the Deaf. He is the author of four ASL dictionaries and
a Codies Award-winning CD-ROM, all published by HarperCollins. He also received Emmy and Peabody nominations for
his ASL series by the NBC network, "Speaking With Your Hands," as well as medals at various international
film and television festivals.
Review
"An abridged edition of 'the most comprehensive and clearly written dictionary of sign language ever published.'"
--Los Angeles Times
"Your ASL dictionary is Webster's for ASL. There is no more comprehensive and authorative source.
--Harlan Lane, author of, When the Mind Hears and The Mask of Benevolence
"Four thumbs up! Martin Sterberg's intelligence and passion for his subject gleams in this monumental work."
--David Hays, Founding Artistic Director, The National Theatre of the Deaf
"A fabulous reference book, a must for everybody's library."
--Dorothy Chler, President, Coalition of Deaf Educators
"An invaluable and indispensable tool for the student of American Sign Language. Martin Sternberg has done
an excellent job."
-- I. King Jordan, President, Gallaudet University
"Martin Sternberg has done a magnificent job of opening the doors to the resplendence and distictiveness
of our visual language."
--Bernard Bragg, Internationally Renowed Deaf Actor and Mime
Submitted by Publisher, July, 2001
Summary
This authoritative bestselling classic on American Sign Language has been updated to include more than 500 new
signs and 1,500 new illustrations.
An illustrated abridgment of the most authoritative reference book on sign language, with well-written and easily
understood instructions for the use of each sign.
"An invaluable and indispensable tool for the student of American Sign Language. Excellent."
