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

~ Paul Collins (Author) "A collapsible steamer basket, opened to its full circumference, resembles a giant perforated metal flower-like something the Iron Giant might wear in his lapel..." (more)
Key Phrases: New York, Peter the Wild Boy, Big Bird (more...)

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 )

Product Description

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.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA (March 24, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582344787
• ISBN-13: 978-1582344782
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #340,465 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply Splendid!, April 27, 2006

By	Sharon Afzal "mawm2three" (North Carolina, USA) - See all my reviews

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!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "It's not a tragedy, it's not a sad story, it's not the movie of the week. It's my family." too., June 8, 2006

By	M. Harris (Frederick, MD United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must Read for Anyone Interested in Autism, September 30, 2007

By	N. A. Prianti "napria" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.