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Rating: 
Summary: Inspiering and usefull
Review: I have read Mr Parry's book and find it to a brilliant book and the best book on stuttering i have come across. It is very well researched and he makes a compelling argument for his theory. He also gives suggestions, based on the theory, for how to deal with stuttering. The Valsalva hyphotesis matches my own experience with stuttering and have given me good ideas on how to refine my own, and very succesfull, process of achieving comfortable and fluent speech. The book should be of great interest to both persons who stutter and to proffesionals in the field. Hopefully it will also inspire further research on the valsalva mechanismen and its relation to stuttering.
Rating:
Summary: Finally some help
Review: I ordered this book hoping that it would contain some new insight to my disfluency. I was somewhat disappointed. The author did do a good job of describing his theory, which I don't buy into. The self help exercises outlined aren't worth the effort. There was nothing in this book that described stuttering as a learned behavior. The simple fact is that stuttering is a conditioned response to a early childhood stress. Stuttering becomes habitual through repetition and a poor self-perception. One who truly wants to achieve fluency should study the writtings of Napoleon Hill and Norman Vincent Peale, and apply their success techniques to Stuttering. Scientific Prayer also played a big part of my recover.
Rating: 
Summary: Repetitive and Barely Illuminating
Review: I was very excited to purchase this book with the hope that it would help me overcome stuttering blocks. I hoped it would illuminate the specific reasons behind the poorly developed speaking habits that I've learned and developed. I read Mr. Parry's hypothesis on his web site and was intrigued by it. I received the book a few days after ordering it and quickly read through the first few chapters. Unfortunately by chapter 4 the repetition began. Mr. Parry repeated and reworded his hypothesis at least 50 times throughout the book, desperately trying to make a convincing argument that the Valsava Mechanism was indeed the culprit behind stuttering. I agree with the idea that controlling one's breathing is the cornerstone of good speech. Unfortunately for the reader, the most helpful part of the book is the appendix. Exercises to continue breathing in a relaxed way when we feel a buildup of tension in our chest cavity were helpful. The andronious speaking exercises, or breaking words down into their respective phoenitic syllables using an "a-sound" in front of each syllable are probably most helpful for the worst stutterers. His suggestion that we look at speaking as a positive experience was probably the most enlightening thought in the book although hardly original. Why make us wait until the appendix to read it? Could it be that the Valsava Mechanism is only one part of the speaking puzzle and that properly exercised speech is more important than one physical obstacle? I wish this book had been edited down to about 7 chapters. Mr Parry dismisses and discourages the use of diction coaches and speech teachers only to offer exercises that they promote. He explains that the only way to improve our speaking is by slowing down and speaking more. I think most people who stutter have heard these ideas on more than one occasion. Too bad I had to spend twenty five bucks plus shipping and handling to hear it again.
Rating:
Summary: Every stutterer needs to experiment using this approach...
Review: Mr. Parry has written a book that targets the specific physical act [or acts] that every stutterer performs when they block.
I am a mild stutterer, [most people don't know because of word substitution and other avoidance tactics] but can become severe depending on the situation.
The explanations and descriptions given to describe our experience are absolutely accurate; you will find yourself nodding your head in agreement.
I experimented with the relaxation techniques given on the web site and experienced immediate positive results...not "cure" or instant fluency, but the realization that my speech can be controlled. If the work is put in, it is my belief the exercises discussed in the book, as well as a change in attitude [also discussed in the book] can help a significant amount of stutterers. I highly recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent clarification of the stuttering process
Review: This book changed the way I look at my stuttering. It makes riveting reading. The author has clearly spent an enormous amount of time, effort and energy in trying to get
a better understanding of his oun stutter, and in the process, formulated a hypothesis that makes a lot of sense. He offers explanations for questions like
- why do more men stutter than women?
- why do most stutters sing fluently?
- why do most stutters have a problem saying their name? He breaks down the process of speach into it's components and deals with each one in turn. He explains why a lot of therapies enable stutters to (for a time period, at least) speak more fluently. Regardless of which therapy one is using - be it
prolonged speach, "air flow" technique, "costal breathing" etc etc - this book will help in providing a better understanding. There are exercises at the back and a recommended daily routine program. I've read many books on stuttering, but this one is by far the best. A very comprehensive, thought out and well-researched book.
Rating:
Summary: A great book on stuttering
Review: This book hits the spot. For the first time in my life (I'm 34 years old) I finally realized what is happening to me, especially when we talk about the physical aspect of stuttering. And it reveals the method I believe to be effective in coping with the stutter "beast".
Everything now fits into place, the path seems clear enough, although it won't be an easy one.
The book also deals with the psychological aspects and that is the right way too.
I don't want to bore anybody with this review anymore. Just get the book, it's worth it. 5 stars without hesitation. Congratulations to the author, he made a fantastic effort in creating this book. One must admire the man who has read, learned and experimented so much in order to know more about this problem and to get rid of it.
Rating:
Summary: UNDERSTANDING AND CONTROLLING / VALSALVA
Review: This book is the best that I have ever utilized. My developmental stuttering and severe blocks are described exactly the way it is. Therefore I recommend this book to any one with no doubt in my mind.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent book - very helpful
Review: This book offered me a completely new approach to my speech impediment. It offers opinions on the reasons for stuttering and exercises for enhanced control all based on the author's own struggle with stuttering. I found this book very helpful early on, and while I read it from cover to cover when I bought it, I still read certain chapters when I feel it's necessary. The exercises helped me initially, but the progress slowed after a few months. However, I'm happy to say that I just think I was a slow learner, as I'm still doing the exercises and I'm sure of the progress I've made and will continue to make using this model. I would recommend buying this book!
Rating:
Summary: A must buy for every stutterer
Review: When I read about Valsalva hypothesis for the first time in an article by Mr. William Parry on the internet, I decided to buy the book "Understanding & Controlling Stuttering" to learn more about this mechanism. The book is very well written from the beginning till end. The explanation of the speech mechanism, the basics of speech, speech functions of the brain, the Valsalva mechanism and all information are written in intelligible terms. The exercises for Valsalva and speech control are very well proposed. I was always puzzled why I spoke fluently in some situations and was not able to say a single word in other ones. I knew I gave much effort to my speech. The Valsalva hypothesis is the most precise description of my stuttering I have ever encountered. I am severe stutterer and exercises described in this book improved my fluency and I hope this improvement will continue. This is the most interesting book about stuttering I have read and I recommend it to anyone who stutters.
Rating:
Summary: Invaluable and Profound
Review: Whether you are a speech therapist/pathologist or a stutterer, I highly recommend that you buy this book. It demystifies several aspects of stuttering, including the speech blocks that are so often experienced. It explains the neurological confusion between speech and the valsalva mechanism and how this affects disfluency. It explains why males predominate the stuttering population by pointing out sexual differences in the valsalva mechanism. Mr. William Parry also provides a self-therapy program called Valsalva Control, which can be effectively used to control stuttering. After reading this book, for the first time, I was able to get non-stutterers to personally experience the closing of the larynx and other physiological symptoms of a stuttering block created by the valsalva mechanism. This book gave me the "Ah-ha! That explains so much." feeling.
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