Customer Reviews

Dasha's Journal: A Cat Reflects on Life, Catness and Autism

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am a man with Asperger's Syndrome, the highest-functioning form of autism, and I have, for many years, been involved in autism advocacy. As such, I cannot help but be perplexed by the huge amounts of misinformation abounding in the media, invariably from non-autistic sources. "Dasha's Journal" is the proverbial breath of fresh air. In describing the ins and outs of autism, the author gets it exactly right. These are objective facts.

Style and format are, of course, as the saying goes, in the eye of the beholder. This beholder found it very entertaining. (Disclaimer: I am an unreconstructed cat lover.) It takes a rare literary talent to put across something as seen through the eyes of someone else, especially an animal, and make it convincing. In this, the author has been successful. I should also like to point out that this book is not "pop science". The author gives many sources that "Dasha" uses to make her points, and these can referenced by professionals and others.

I have read at least a hundred books on Asperger syndrome, and this one stands out not only because it is very accurate in its description of autism spectrum disorders, but also because of its narrator's style. Author T.O. Daria sets the stage through his cat Dasha, who serves as the voice of the book. Dasha offers a viewpoint that is unique and gracious and charming. I know it sounds silly to think a narrating cat can do ASD justice, but trust me, the concept works and it works very well. This is the kind of book you can give to anyone, but especially to reluctant readers not sure they want to face the subject of ASD. I highly recommend it.
Liane Holliday Willey, author of Pretending to be Normal: Living with Asperger's Syndrome; Asperger Syndrome in the Family: Redefining Normal; and Asperger Syndrome and Adolescence: The Ups, the Downs, and the Things In-Between.

i really really wish amazon had an option where we could leave a comment about the book WITHOUT giving it stars and affecting it's rating. but since that doesn't exist right now, i'm putting 3 stars on here just so i don't tip it's rating one way or the other too badly.

the reason for this is because i'm literally on page 22 and i do not want to go any further in the book because the *i'm a little kitty meow meow* narration is waaaay too annoying. if you want to write from the point of view of an actual cat, DO IT but this is a cat with a human brain who is researching autism and i just can't even, it's too annoying. i WANT to learn about autism and it looks like the author has some GREAT points to make but the cat stuff is really getting in the way. i don't want to give this book a bad rating because it does seem like the ideas in it are sound but i'm just putting this review here as a warning for others, i have two cats myself, i'm a cat lover, but this book just made me grind my teeth. please read a sample of it before you commit to it. two other reviewers on here loved it, and two, including me, hated it, so obviously the writing style isn't for everyone. i'm going to continue trying to read it while just skipping through the *LOOK AT ME IM A CAT MEOW MEOW MEOW* parts but ugh... reading shouldn't have to be such an ordeal!

I didn't like this book at all. It's written as if it's in the cat's perspective, like the cat is telling what is going on. It's about a family contending with autism and how the cat views this. Although it's not for me, it really is for cat lovers. It is better than the one about cats with asperger's, but not by much.