This book made me cry, and deeply. It may be impossible to describe adequately why this book is so good, even as it is so to describe why people with autism are, without knowing us. Still, of all the books I've read on this topic, this is the best.
Even though it is reasonably impossible to do so with any level of appropriateness to the depth of his accomplishment in the writing of this book, I must thank Steve Silberman for this highly compassionate and comprehensive account of the history of what in many ways could be said to be my own 'race'; a race even more invisible than Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man, since my race is not divided by any simplistic or obvious trait.
In a world preoccupied with surfaces and mirrors, the race of people I belong to must be known only in compassion, by way of un-intrusive study, reflection and observation; indeed, we can only be known by the very qualities which we ourselves possess; to a degree scarcely known by the violence of various idealisms, divisive thinking and ever-quickening societal change.
It is a history that is PROFOUNDLY moving in the way that a thing can only be once it is known that it exists at all, as if for the first time. It is as if centuries of human progress and profound insight has been revealed before me, by my own extended hands, and by my own extended consciousness, across time and space. Indeed, it is so moving because it is as if Silberman was allowing me to understand that I was Dirac and Cavendish reincarnated, having never heard of either before, and in his words and descriptions discovering a long lost family to which I belong; never having belonged before...
Indeed, I also cried because it is astounding to hear stories of compassion and understanding extended to and revealed by my long-lost tribe members in the patient understandings of their teachers, doctors and parents; none of which I have experienced myself, since my family are entirely unaware of their own inherited Autism (and thus their lack of understanding both for themselves or me). I brought these facts up to them, only to have it largely denied.
One particular scene described in the book about the caring of a family to show their child an advance preview of the experience of visiting the dentist will remain permanently etched in my mind, such is the gulf between the experience of compassion and caring described in this book and between this scene and my own personal experience.
Throughout the book, the sheer beauty of what it is like to experience life in the ways I do is expressed in a way that validates the lives of all inward-focused people everywhere. Some, like Henry Cavendish, lived lives in profoundly positive circumstances (being wealthy and having a father who appropriately focused the mind of his son, to the lasting benefit of all), such that in Cavendish, one can see an example of what I think nearly all the Asperger's (this is certainly true of myself) tribe would (and do) strive for, given the chance. I am shocked to learn about examples of my fellow brothers-in-mind, and feel as though the hidden and mysterious history of the modern world has been shown to me in a map of my own heart, written in the hands of Steve Silberman, a proxy for my long-dead brethren, and for myself.
The service provided by such a history will ever be with me, now. I would hope that anyone with autism would read this deeply wonderful book, and I would hope anyone who is taking an idealistic stance against autism or regards people with autistic in such a violent way would read this book and know that you have to spend time getting to know us. We know you better than you can imagine, and we experience things more deeply than you can know.
Nature abhors a vacuum, it is said, and by removing ourselves into quiet, consistent lives, we are able to reveal larger truths about the nature of the world around us. This is both a history of the traits of people doing this, and I believe could be an insight and a history into how truth itself is revealed to human beings in general.
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Popular Highlights in this book
“Our therapeutic goal must be to teach the person how to bear their difficulties. Not to eliminate them for him, but to train the person to cope with special challenges with special strategies; to make the person aware not that they are ill, but that they are responsible for their lives.”Highlighted by 392 Kindle readers- Kanner named their condition autism—from the Greek word for self, autos—because they seemed happiest in isolation.Highlighted by 388 Kindle readers
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I am an Autistic Adult and I Have an Autistic Child - We Both Thank Silberman Immensely for Shedding This Light
I pre-ordered this book, and I'm so glad I did! I don't often talk to others about the autism books I read, mostly because NT's don't seek the same answers those of us on the spectrum seek. But this one masterpiece that Silberman has put together is the biggest of exceptions. He basically said what I've been theorizing all along, and seeing all the work and research put into finding some answers put into this one book gave me a more hopeful outlook on my life and the future of my son's life. He is also on the autism spectrum. We've come so far in our understanding of neurodiversity, but there is still much work to be done. Silberman has opened a door to a different and better approach to embracing and accommodating those who think differently.
Top reviews from other countries
Bernie Gourley
A history of the changing findings of autism research and how the condition is seen
Reviewed in India on April 21, 2020
ampmc
Excellent plaidoyer pour la reconnaissance de la neuro-diversité
Reviewed in France on January 3, 2019
