Richard Pocker Books
Cochlear Implant Basics: What a Candidate for a Cochlear Implant Needs to Know
At the age of thirty, I experienced a sudden and total collapse of my hearing. What followed was thirty-five long years of complete deafness, a silence that isolated me from conversations, music, and the everyday sounds of life. Then, with simultaneous bilateral cochlear implant surgery, everything changed. With rehabilitation, I went from zero speech comprehension to 85%. It was a transformation that opened the door back to the world of sound.
That journey inspired me to dedicate my life to helping others who face the same challenges. Since receiving my implants, I have mentored and assisted hundreds of candidates, guiding them out of the loneliness of deafness and into the possibilities that cochlear implants can provide. My website, cochlearimplantbasics.com, hosts a library of podcast interviews—complete with transcripts—with recipients, surgeons, audiologists, and other professionals who share their firsthand experiences and insights.
This book, Cochlear Implant Basics, is designed as both a guide and a companion. For many, the suggestion of a cochlear implant can be overwhelming, even frightening. My goal is to dispel misconceptions, answer common questions, and provide a clear path through what can often feel like uncharted territory. Within these pages you’ll find the transcripts of 25 podcast interviews, rehabilitation exercises used after surgery and activation, and a carefully curated list of resources. Together, they form a roadmap for anyone considering or beginning the cochlear implant journey.
Above all, this book is about hope and connection. A cochlear implant can restore not only speech comprehension and awareness of environmental sounds but also the joy of music, the ease of a phone call, and the simple yet profound gift of participation in daily life. My objective is to reach those “sitting on the fence” and encourage them to step forward—to leave the isolation of deafness behind and rediscover the fullness of living.
I’m Richard Pocker, and through my writing, mentoring, and advocacy, I continue to share the story of cochlear implants—helping others find their way from silence back to sound.
The Idiot From Mensa; Not Among the Gifted
What do you get when you combine an art dealer, a third-generation picture framer, a wildlife trapper, a world traveler, a man who once received a Harvard education for twenty dollars, an outdoor forager, a tobacco nursery farmer, a custom cutlery hobbyist—and, by his own admission, a real, honest-to-goodness S.O.B.? You get Richard Pocker, the “Idiot from Mensa.”
This collection of essays captures a life lived with sweeping interests and an eye for the absurd. Pocker’s stories wander from the decline and fall of the humble pay toilet to his own reincarnated career as a whale hunter; from the mystery of how Oscar the Grouch got his name to the unforgettable day when his beloved dog, Mr. Peabody, became the only canine ever to receive a death notice in The New York Times. Readers will also join him on a cross-country adventure to the Alcan Highway, where he attempted to drive all the way to Alaska in a Ford Pinto—an expedition equal parts daring and ridiculous.
At once witty, sharp, and delightfully self-deprecating, The Idiot from Mensa is proof that even the “best and brightest” can make hilarious mistakes, stumble into improbable adventures, and remind us of all that being human sometimes means being an idiot—and that’s where the best stories begin.
I invite you to laugh along with me in this collection, where curiosity and foolishness meet.
The illustrated Guide to Flowering Tobacco for Gardens Discovering Nicotiana
Every garden has its hidden treasures, those plants that quietly dazzle when given the chance to shine. For me, that plant is Nicotiana, or flowering tobacco. Most people know it only in its dried-leaf form, yet before it reaches that stage it becomes something extraordinary—tall stems crowned with clusters of star-shaped blossoms, evening fragrance drifting across the garden, and an elegance that feels both timeless and unexpected.
My introduction to Nicotiana was entirely by chance. Years ago, at a county fair exhibit in the South, I came across a display that stopped me in my tracks. At first, it was simply the plant’s delicate beauty that caught my eye, but as I lingered, I realized there was more to the story. Nicotiana was not just an ornamental curiosity, it was a plant woven into centuries of human history. That realization sparked a fascination that has shaped my gardening life ever since.
Over the past decade, I’ve dedicated myself to uncovering the layers of this remarkable plant. I’ve tracked down rare seeds from far-off sources, experimented with growing conditions, captured its fleeting beauty through photography, and shared its story through exhibits and writing. Each season brings new lessons, and each bloom reminds me why I was drawn to it in the first place.
For me, Nicotiana represents more than a plant in the garden. It is a living link between history and horticulture, beauty and meaning. My hope is that by sharing my journey, others might discover the same sense of wonder I felt when I first stood before it—that moment when something overlooked suddenly reveals itself as unforgettable.
If you’d like to explore this journey further, I invite you to discover my book and photography, where I share the story of Nicotiana in greater depth—its beauty, its history, and its enduring place in both garden and culture.
J. Pocker & Son: Story of a Third Generation Family Business
Established in 1926, J. Pocker & Son Picture Framing became a landmark on Manhattan’s Upper East Side—a place where craftsmanship, art, and community converged. The business began humbly with Jacob and Bessie Pocker, who both arrived in America as immigrant children at the turn of the twentieth century. With little more than determination, sacrifice, and a belief in the promise of their new home, they built a shop that would outlast its founders and carry their name into the heart of New York City’s cultural life.
Their grandson, Richard Pocker, grew up in the business and eventually became its third-generation steward. In this book, he pays tribute not only to his family’s vision and endurance but also to the dedicated staff and loyal clients—some of them now third-generation customers themselves—who shaped the business into more than just a framing shop. It became a gathering place, a neighborhood fixture, and a window into the creative pulse of New York.
J. Pocker & Son is more than a business history; it is a snapshot of the immigrant spirit that defined an era. Built on a shoestring budget, gumption, and a refusal to fail, the Pocker story mirrors the broader story of countless families who carved out a life in America. Along the way, artists, designers, celebrities, and personalities who made New York vibrant in its heyday all walked through the store’s door—and many of them are remembered here through vivid stories and photographs.
With equal parts affection and honesty, J. Pocker & Son invites readers to step inside a quintessential family business and glimpse the world behind its gilded frames.
I’m Richard Pocker, and this book is my tribute to the family, staff, and clients who made J. Pocker & Son not only a business, but a legacy.