Finding a Different Kind of Normal: Misadventures With Asperger Syndrome [Paperback]

Jeannette Purkis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 15, 2006

Jeanette Purkis spent her early life reacting violently against her feelings of embarrassment, anger and confusion about her 'difference' from other people. She was unaware until well into adulthood that everything she found difficult, including her lack of success in forming relationships, could be a result of having Asperger Syndrome. Used to being a misfit from a very young age, Jeanette found that being a member of a group in which she had a label - Jeanette the communist; Jeanette, enemy of the state; Jeanette the convict; Jeanette the drug addict - gave her a sense of order she could depend on, particularly in prison, where each day had a set routine and the inmates accepted her because of her rebel attitude. Finally diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome at the age of 20, the author only began to accept her diagnosis some years later when she felt for the first time that she might learn to cope with being herself. Jeanette's remarkable life and her journey towards finding a different kind of normal is compelling and inspiring reading for people with autism spectrum disorders, and those living or working with them.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jeanette Purkis is an artist who has Asperger Syndrome. She has a masters degree in Art and owns a small business.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Pub (February 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1843104164
• ISBN-13: 978-1843104162
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,550,453 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dark But Beautiful Honesty, March 20, 2006

By 

Suz "treadingwater" (Freeland, United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Finding a Different Kind of Normal: Misadventures With Asperger Syndrome (Paperback)

With all due respect to another reviewer here, I would not describe this as a humorous book. The themes of violence and drug addiction don't naturally lend themselves to comedy. Personally I think you'd have to be a bit sick to laugh at the author's very painful story. It definitely does not show "the fun side to having Asperger's Syndrome". If anything it is quite the opposite. Sorry Beetlebangs1964 but did you actually read this book?

The author has succeeded in describing her life before she knew she had Asperger Syndrome and resisting the temptation to apply retrospective wisdom, capturing perfectly what it is like to see everything going wrong in your life and not knowing why. Neither does she shy away from dark thoughts and feelings... in that way most typical of people on the spectrum she is frank and honest, confronting the reader with sometimes harsh realities. A book like this should change you a little bit, and this one does.

That said, this is still an accessible read and is ultimately very positive and hopeful. It proves that no matter how big a hole you get yourself in to or how desperate things may seem, there is always a way forward. I don't think you can underestimate what a big step it must have been for the author to talk so publicly about these most difficult times in her life, and hopefully her generosity in sharing her experiences will help others who have faced similar challenges.

As with any auto-biography this is the story of part of one persons life, not a description of Asperger's syndrome, and I cannot stress enough to the casual reader that Asperger Syndrome does not cause or result in criminal or violent behaviour and is not at all characterised by such. The author explains herself "I tend to think we are all given a set of circumstances to deal with and that we have to do the best with what we have at our disposal". She has just happened to have a "somewhat dark and bizarre life". You probably have to already have some knowledge about what Asperger Syndrome is I think to see how it fits in to that picture, but nonetheless this is a very worthwhile read.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Scary and Mistitled in My Opinion, June 15, 2008

By 

Shadoxfire (Pacific Northwest USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Finding a Different Kind of Normal: Misadventures With Asperger Syndrome (Paperback)

I feel that these authors included the "Asperger Syndrome" subtitle simply to find a market audience. I think "Misadventures With Poor Parenting, Drugs, and Poor Choices" is more appropriate.

I am trying very hard not to come across as judgmental, because I actually liked the "Jeanette Purkis" character in this story. She is both strong and honest, and I like that.

I am not a mental health professional of any kind but my daughter and I have both been diagnosed with Asperger's and our lives have not even remotely taken the scary path outlined by these authors.

This being said, the book is extremely well written and quite fascinating. The human touches Purkis includes are brilliant. For example, I think Jeanette was wise to become a lesbian, and foolish to choose such poor partners. This kind of foolish wisdom, found throughout the book, makes her story very touching and very believable.

Want to find out about Asperger's? Look elsewhere. Want to read a marvelous autobiography? Look no further.

2 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Charged Humor, February 19, 2006

By 

BeatleBangs1964 (United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Finding a Different Kind of Normal: Misadventures With Asperger Syndrome (Paperback)

This book shows the fun side to having Asperger's Syndrome. Asperger's Syndrome is a neurobiological condition that is the spectrum partner to autism. As with any spectrum, there will be overlapping behaviors. Purkis does an exemplary job of describing those overlaps.

This is a book that will make everyone, regardless of whether or not they have a place on the a/A spectrum laugh. Neurotypical and a/A alike will find plenty of humor and much to commiserate with and identify with in this book. I recommend this along with Kenneth Hall's book entitled "Asperger Syndrome, the Universe & Everything: Kenneth's Book."