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Not Even Wrong: A Father's Journey into the Lost History of Autism [Paperback]

Paul Collins
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)

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Book Description

March 24, 2005
In Not Even Wrong, Paul Collins melds a memoir of his son's autism with a journey into this realm of permanent outsiders. Examining forgotten geniuses and obscure medical archives, and beginning to see why he himself has spent a lifetime researching talented eccentrics, Collins shows how these stories are relevant and even necessary to shed light on autism.

Frequently Bought Together

Not Even Wrong: A Father's Journey into the Lost History of Autism + Born On A Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant
Price for both: $22.87

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Collins elucidates, with great compassion, what it means to be 'normal' and what it means to be human." (Los Angeles Times )

"Brilliant." (Vanity Fair )

"Striking…Brave man, brave book." (Washington Post )

"A genre-bending spellbinder." (Newsday )

"This is a smart, compassionate study of autists-'the ultimate square pegs'-and how they see the world..." (Publishers Weekly )

"[A] fascinating portrait of his son. (Entertainment Weekly )

"A thoroughly touching and engaging look at autism through the ages, told from the perspective of a loving father." (Booklist )

"Exceptionally well written and a joy to read." (Library Journal )

"Collins paints a vivid picture of parenting, and provides a fascinating history of the disorder." (Psychology Today )

About the Author

Paul Collins is the author of Sixpence House and Banvard's Folly: Thirteen Tales of People Who Didn't Change the World. He edits the Collins Library for McSweeney's Books and lives in Portland with his wife and son.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 256 pages
  • Publisher: Bloomsbury USA (March 24, 2005)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1582344787
  • ISBN-13: 978-1582344782
  • Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #304,961 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Paul Collins is a writer specializing in science history, memoir, and unusual antiquarian literature. His 7 books have been translated into 10 languages, and include Sixpence House: Lost in a Town of Books (2003) and The Murder of the Century: The Gilded Age Crime That Scandalized a City & Sparked the Tabloid Wars (2011). His freelance work includes pieces for the New York Times, Slate, and New Scientist, and he appears on NPR Weekend Edition as its resident "literary detective" on odd old books.

Collins lives in Portland, Oregon, where he teaches in the MFA program at Portland State University.

Customer Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
(11)
4.6 out of 5 stars
Paul Collins has crafted a brilliant novel that is inspiring without being unrealistic. Sharon Afzal  |  3 reviewers made a similar statement
A friend suggested this to me as the first book about autism we should read. tabitha omelay  |  4 reviewers made a similar statement
Purchase two copies of this book. N. A. Prianti  |  2 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Simply Splendid! April 27, 2006
Format:Paperback
Paul Collins has crafted a brilliant novel that is inspiring without being unrealistic. He cleverly interweaves his experiences with being a father of a child who is autistic, the history of the study of autism, and added in some biographies of people who are "suspected" autists.

I wasn't sure about this book when I bought it. I have read many books on ASD, some have too much scientific data for me to actually get into the spirit of the message. This is not one of those books! It is extremely user friendly and does not contain so much information in such a short format that you can't relate.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who is dealing with ASD, interested in the study of ASD, or is looking for answers. A fantastic read! Thank you Mr. Collins!
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
My son has ASD and I've got all the books they tell you to buy to find out more about Autism-- this one should be added to the list! Initially I bought this book as a gift for my husband for Father's Day, I read the first page and was hooked. When he saw what I was reading I said, Happy Father's Day and went back to the page. Not Even Wrong has securely found itself added to my list of all time favorite books. Thank you, Mr Collins, for such a great book that everyone should read and all ASD families will treasure.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Must Read for Anyone Interested in Autism September 30, 2007
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I loved this book. It was uplifting, informative and interesting. I especially appreciated the love that permeated throughout this book. You can feel it between Paul, his wife and (autistic) son.

So many books about autism focus on "fixing" what's wrong with the autist. On page 225 of the paperback version of "Not Even Wrong", Paul writes, "Autists are the ultimate square pegs, and the problem with pounding a square peg in a round hole is not that the hammering is hard work. It's that you are destroying the peg." I couldn't agree more. As the mother of an 11 year old autistic boy, I love who he is.

Paul Collins weaves his experiences with his son and his findings from his research trips into a beautiful, informative memoir with an extensive resource section in the back.

Purchase two copies of this book. You'll want one to pass along and one to keep.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Every parent of an autist needs this
This book is beautiful! It's not an instruction manual, it's not another journal article or scientific study. Read more
Published 3 months ago by A Mommy
4.0 out of 5 stars Liked it!
I love the anecdote where the title comes from and reference the book when talking with parents and teachers about how kids with autism are not giving us wrong answers because... Read more
Published 11 months ago by notwith
2.0 out of 5 stars Not much here
This book provides a few decent insights into the mind of an autistic child, and a few tidbits that sort of qualify as a history of autism. Read more
Published on April 6, 2010 by Peter McCluskey
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written, Easy read
A friend suggested this to me as the first book about autism we should read. Our 2-year old is in the process of being evaluated for autism. This was a perfect book for us. Read more
Published on December 20, 2008 by tabitha omelay
5.0 out of 5 stars I love this book!
This is my favorite book on autism, period. I adore it.

I am a 30-year-old mom with Asperger Syndrome, my 11-year-old daughter has Autism. Read more
Published on April 17, 2008 by Jennifer Dooley
5.0 out of 5 stars This should be the first autism book you read!
This is the latest book I have read on Autism. I wish it was the first. It tracks parents as they first learn of their son's diagnosis at around 2 years old. Read more
Published on April 2, 2008 by Loli
5.0 out of 5 stars Opened my mind, opened my heart and made sense of many people I've...
I have just finished Not Even Wrong and am in that stunned place of being so moved and so enlightened that I will need time to process it all. This is an amazing book. Read more
Published on October 6, 2007 by Carol E. Anderson
5.0 out of 5 stars thank you!
I cannot thank the author enough for writing this book. It is the first book on Autism that I have been able to relate to. Read more
Published on May 20, 2007 by Shoshana R. Handel
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