Thanks for taking the time to write me! You aren't the only one who's brought up the first point to me. I have heard from a couple of other people that the writing is too expository at times. To be honest, the sections you've outlined have been rewritten a few times already to try and pare it down and make the conversation feel more natural, so I'm not quite sure what to do with them at this point. I will likely take another pass at them later if I feel like I have a better idea of how to approach them.
Regarding your other criticism, I can understand if it feels like it's too much, but Colby is approaching the situation as someone who doesn't have any idea about what life as a Deaf person is like and wants to learn more about it, and there is truthfully a lot to know, so I don't feel it's insulting to have it be such a dominant topic of discussion with Eli. I have also received comments from actual Deaf people or hearing people who are part of that culture via friends and family who were really appreciative over the way it's covered in FLW, so I don't really think it's much of a problem.