Reviews (26)

Autobiography of an Autistic
The book is made up of many experiences throughout Donna's life starting at the pre-school level. It was not until page 58 that the reader learns that Donna lived in Australia, now residing in England. I was wondering why there were so many Italian families in the 1970s when reading Nobody Nowhere!

The way Donna saw things was bit by bit, a string of pieces strung together. Donna got her first job at the age of fifteen, sorting goods in a department store. Donna got a goat from a service station when she was twenty-one, naming it after her late grandfather.

For years Donna slept with her eyes open and her dreams would come true years later. Donna had brothers older and younger than her and a Mother that abused her, calling her a drug addict and slut. Donna was three people, Carol, Willie and Donna. She would escape into the characters and felt it was okay to feel only three years old.

It was confusing at times since Willie and Carol are described as personalities. Donna saw Mary from the Psychiatric outpatient department for several years, who thought Donna was Schizophrenic. As Donna explained, "Carol was always sent out to test the waters before Donna decided it was safe to jump in."

Donna referred back to friends she met throughout the book and moved every two months since it felt like two years to her. She had many male friends as well as female friends that came and went.

Nobody Nowhere does not touch upon the Special Education Laws or assessments that I have experienced with my two autistic children. Since her diagnosis was later in life that aspect of the disability is not mentioned since she did not experience it.

This was an interesting account of Donna's life and how she dealt with the outside world and intertwined her three personalities to cope. I feel this is a worthwhile read for any parent or relative of an autistic person. Teachers and psychologists as well as therapists would better understand how an autistic person sees themselves.

Powerful...
This was the first book I read about autsim, by an autistic person, and it is one of my favorites.The other two are also by Donna Williams, "Somebody Somewhere" and "Like Color to the Blind."It's fascinating to read all three and watch her writing style and structure change as she learns to adapt to her environment and work within the limits of her condition.

In "Nobody Nowhere," the writing style is unmistakably that of an autistic, with all the emotional and psychological baggage that implies.If it seems egocentric, it's because at this relatively early stage in her development, she is still egocentric.Some have called it "disjointed" as well, and it is.This too seems to mirror her thought processes, and gives a unique insight into the way her mind works and the way she experiences the world.

This is not an easy book to read.Donna writes with a clinical, detatched emotional style about some pretty horrific abuses that she suffered as a child, and her disconnection from her own experiences gives the book a harrowing, emotionally charged quality that becomes almost nightmarish at times (and this carries through with greater force in "Somebody Somewhere").I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to learn about autism, but probably not as a first read if your child has just been diagnosed.

Once you've finished with her autobiographical series, move on to Donna's other books, "Autism and Sensing" and "Exposure Anxiety".I can't recommend them enough.

Reviews (20)

Autistic Child & Supportive Mother Triumph
This autobiographical story of an autistic child who overcame huge obstacles to lead a useful life as an adult should be an inspiration to us lesser mortals.I found her description of her mother's heroic and ultimately successful efforts to help Temple overcome the isolation of this huge emotional and cognitive deficit (autism) incredibly moving.Her mother's long and thoughtful letters to Temple's psychiatrist give ample evidence of how much of her life she devoted to her oldest child.The importance of her mother is etched even more strongly by Temple's contrasting portrayal of her father as distant and given to fits of anger.
Many of is will notice little shards of autism (described in this book as a form of brain damage at birth) in our own development and realize how much difference a supportive parent can make.Hearing what it is like to be autistic from someone who actually lived it is an incredibly unique experience. The fact that Temple is now a functioning PhD who gives lectures in Europe as well as all around the US is ample testimony that some autistic children can have rich and rewarding adult lives.

Amazing person and story...if not well written
Temple Grandin has become an inspiration to the autistic community, as someone who has become highly successful both despite and because of her autism.As someone raising an autistic child, this seemed to be a good book to read to help my son reach his full potential.

While it is certainly inspirational that someone with autism wrote this book, I'm afraid the prose is quite wooden and plodding, and the 150 page book seems a lot longer than that.Too often, long journal entries and letters are used in place of narrative, and not always to good effect.I suppose this isn't going to make me popular here, but this book can be tedious to read at times.

But it's worth the effort.Ms. Grandin provides insights into the autistic mind unfortunately very few can possibly provide, and it has helped me to understand what my son must be going through.A lot of facts and theories of autistic behavior are woven into the story to make it informative enough.Few autobiographies are published about average people, but certainly Temple Grandin is an extraordinary and inspirational figure, and simply reading about her life, however weakly it's presented, is rewarding.Clearly Ms. Grandin benefited from a determined mother and instructors and many health care professionals that were well ahead of their time in understanding her condition, and probably that is the most important message one gets from this book.

For anyone who knows someone with autism, I'd give it five stars.For someone with a more passing interest in the subject, the rating sinks to three stars.

Reviews (52)

Falls short of its potential
I sought this book out because it was by and for an adult with Aspergers. I was a bit disappointed with it in several ways. First, I was surprised to read that the author has not been formally diagnosed with AS, although she admits that fact in an early disclaimer. This becomes more of an issue as Ms. Willey asserts that her AS traits are 'melting away' with age, a possibility that is as unprecendented as it is unbelievable from her own narrative. There are other facts that emerge in this autobiography that don't exactly fit the AS picture. For example, Ms. Willey readily admits shortcomings in math, spelling and reading maps. But the typical person with AS has a fascination with numbers, and often a photographic memory. This makes me wonder if Ms. Willey does in fact have Aspergers syndrome, rather than another similar condition. There were parts of the author's life story that came tantalizingly close to important revelations, but never went the extra step to realization. Still, her story held my interest enough to complete it.I recommend instead "The Essential Difference" by Simon Baron-Cohen.

Great Book Worth Reading, It could raise false hopes however
I am proud of this writer for sharing her insights.The Autism Spectrum has many variations.She is definately on the highest end of the functional curve.It took me 40 years to understand enough about humans, their world with its complex social instituational and workplace expectations to keep a job.I only barely function well enough to remain employed now with lots of help.I manage my autistic issues within the parameters of most human social tolerances.I have mastered living alone in human society with few exceptions.

I picked up the book upon reading the first few pages most of her experiences were immediately familiar to me.I guess where she and I diverge is in the fact she has done so well socializing with the humans.She also seems to have an understanding of human society, culture and its sophisticated ways that shocks me.My struggle has been hard, I have come from total backwardness to bare basics functionality in this world.I am not jealous of her success I respect it but she sounds so normal and in control it scares me.

I guess thats the problem.She sounds as if she has everything about her AS under control.For me managing the anger and other issues associated with tantrums, desires to self mutalate, desires to fight those who touch me, make sudden loud noises among other things is a constant battle I am not always so certain I will win.Many times if things get too rough at work I have no alternative but to leave before I lose control and revert to feral instinct driven primal less appropriate resolutions of workplace situations.

Her book almost frightens me because for some on the AS spectrum things are not that neat, cut, dry and controlled.I am so happy she does not have to deal with the uncontrolled issues threatening to get away I manage every moment, but I wish I knew how she managed to get things set up so nice.I still do not socialize well at all.I have no connection with anyone outside work. I do not socialize with family not because I do not want to, I LOVE my family, I just do not know how to establish and maintain connections with humans in situations that do not involve meeting a deadline or completing a structured task.Human relationships outside work have no structure and I am a lost foolish thing in such circumstances. The writer seems as adept plying the waters of human interpersonal relations as any so called neuro-typical human.

She seems to have decoded even mastered the human equation expectations model far better than I have in my lifetime of trying.Me I am just struggling to stay afloat on the vast unforgiving sea of human reality. I must be satisfied to barely survive among humans in their society; as the best I can do is just enough to keep from being rejected from my job and institutionalized.I never even thought someone with AS could understand this world well enough to interact among the humans on advanced levels this writer has reached.The writer is doing more than just surviving among humans its almost as if she has mastered things in the human world I still do not know exist.

This book is a great read and worth buying but please do not think all people with AS have it this easy.Please know that if you have AS you have a good chance of being successful in your chosen field if you stick with it and let NO ONE stand in your way.This book paints a picture of a person with AS that has had the best possible outcome which you must understand is extremely rare.My only problem with this book is I hope it does not give false hope to those struggling with the issues associated with living with AS or living on the spectrum.Please know that for most people with AS you will likely succeed if you try with all your heart.Just know that success in life will MORE LIKELY THAN NOT be a constant often painful struggle at college, on the job, at home and expecially in unstructured social situations among humans.Success in this human reality will more likely be a fight to survive in the storm of adversity not a cake walk in the sunshine of bright smiling faces that is this writers experience.

Reviews (10)

Overview And Ideas For Coping
Grown-ups have ADD too. Lynn Weiss was the first to tell us so, and she brought the concept to national awareness.

Her title, "Attention Deficit Disorder In Adults" mises the pizzazz enjoyed by flashier titled books, but the content is succinct and superb. The much larger "Driven to Distraction" is more thorough, by far, but it also has 100 more pages. Weiss' gives the reader just enough to start the reader exploring ADD seriously for the first time.

Kenneth A. Bonnet Ph. D. is promoted with her, as he penned the introduction. Feel free to skip it; there is nothing useful there.

Just as anecdotal as any other psychology-related popularly written book, the reader will see several case studies to which he or she might relate.

Weiss lists and describes the emotional pain felt by most ADD sufferers, from self-esteem to anger and more.

She presents the positives of ADD, and how having it isn't a condemnation to a life of rags and sad frustrations.

Unlike some other books, Weiss isn't playing the game that ADD is a blessing, but she objectively acknowledges what it is, and what can be done about it. She discusses with candor romantic relationships. There is an excellent question-answer section for friends and family.

The best value comes from the chapter on restructuring. At a certain point, someone with ADD knows what's going on, but what they want to know is how to deal with it. Weiss shows the way with example charts that can realistically applied.

The singular drawback to this book is its need for an update. Research has been exploding with new ideas in medication, diagnoses and management. Weiss tackles all of this in a 60+ page Appendices section, with contact information for support groups, organizations, and sample official letters to interested parties. Year to year, these lists can quickly become out of date.

I'm a big fan of Weiss for the reason that through every one of her books, she's a pragmatist. No silly games of "I think I can, I think I can," but good old-fashioned how-tos.

Other helpful books in the ADD reader's library will be "Driven to Distraction" by Hallowell and Ratey, "Uncommon Gifts" by James Evans (very encouraging, especially for men), and "Managing Attention & Learning Disorders: Super Survival Strategies" by Elaine K. McEwan.

I fully recommend "Attention Deficit Disorder in Adults" by Lynn Weiss.

Anthony Trendl

My ADHD "bible"
This book was great for me!It was as though the author had been living inside my brain.Some of the issues in this particular book did not particularly pertain to me, but most of them did.I have purchased several of these books and given them to people who have been diagnosed adult ADD or ADHD telling them to return it if they did not like it.If they did like it then they could reimburse me for it.So far 6 of 6 people have sent me a thank you note with a check for repayment.I have just ordered another copy of this book for my fiance to have for his own referance since this book does a much better job of explaining how I think, feel, act etc than I can!

Another book that I read just after being diagnosed and medicated for ADHD is "Safe People" by Cloud and Townsend.It helped me to re-set limits, re-define boundaries, and fine tune my interactions.It is also available on audio!

Disappointed
I bought this book, suspecting that I might have Adult ADD.I was hoping to get a book that presented a general overview of the condition, with an emphasis on adults.Though the book focuses on adults, I was disappointed because like previous reviewers of this book, I found that it's geared toward those with the hyperactivity vs. inattentive type.Although I could empathize, I couldn't related to many of the stories about extremely dysfunctional relationships and coping styles, so the book wasn't very helpful to me.

I believe that I've never been diagnosed with the condition precisely because of the lack of the hyperactivity symptoms (e.g. acting out behavior in class) that the book focused on.I overcompensated in various areas to function & "succeed" the best I could.I was disappointed that the book didn't really get into this aspect of Adult ADD (overcompensation), and seemed to focus on adults who had "failure after failure" and experienced a great deal of verbal and/or physical abuse as a result, as well.

Reviews (8)

Very helpful for the parent of an autistic child
When my wife and I found out that our son, Jason, was autistic, it was devastating.My wife was in denial for about a month and I felt like my whole world collapsed.I went looking for books on autism and stumbled on this one first.

Sean Barron was probably more severely autistic than my son; Jason was actually diagnosed as Pervasive Development Disorder: Not Otherwise Specified, which is a catchall for disorders that are akin to autism but less severe in nature.The book gave us an insight into what it means to be autistic: the inabiity to interpret sensory data in the normal manner.This in turn leads to everything else: the loss of language(or failure to pick it up), the great difficulties in socializing, etc.

The fact that the book provides (in italicized segments) Sean's own insights makes it invaluable.Much of what his mother writes provides insights into how wearing it can be on a family, but so much has changed since Sean was a child that I could not say that it provides much useful advice in the therapies to seek for a child with autism.

The good news is that many children CAN improve significantly.Jason is now 8-1/2, he is mainstreamed in school, he does well, and he has some friends.My wife and I have reached our dream: hearing him talk so much that we wish he would take a break.

The bad news is that not every child will succeed like that, and the road is still a very difficult one, leaving parents short on cash, time and attention to spare on their other children.

This book still remains a great place to start.

Not Just another Autism Story
This book is the first I've seen and read that was written or partially written by the person WITH autism. The mother recounts her son's life and then Sean himself interjects with what he remembers of that time in his life. I didn't know that those with Autism remembered how they acted and why they did it. It's a real eye opener to the autism world. What many autistic kids do is not longer just "weird" and "pointless" behaviour. Sean explains why he did such repititious things. For anyone even remotely interested in autism and definitely for anyone who has an autistic in the family, this a must read. I was captivated and couldn't put the book down. What also makes this an interesting read is Sean was born in the 60's. Back then, there was very little known about Autism and what people thought they knew was later proved wrong. Raising an autistic kid in the 60's and 70's was a lot harder than it is today.

Isbn: 1885477120
Sales Rank: 408091
Subjects:  1. Biography / Autobiography    2. General    3. Health/Fitness    4. Autism in children   

Reviews (9)

A Valuable Resource For Parents of Autistic Children.
Thomas McKean gives great advice and valuable insight for parents of autistic children. He understands how parents try so hard to be helpful for their children, and sometimes fall short for lack of understanding. Thomas gives an insider's view of what autism feels like as a child and as an adult.

Thomas was a student of "The Child Whisperer" author Matt Pasquinilli. Mr. Pasquinilli has worked with children and adults challenged by austism and aspergers syndrome, and speaks about it in his book. Get "The Child Whisperer" for some great advice that compliments Thomas McKean's "Soon will come the Light."

A moving personal account of autism
I have had the pleasure of speaking with the author on AOL and after hearing about his book, I purchased it.His personal account of his life and dealing with the realization he had autism was extremely moving. I only hope that I can remember the things he went thru, the things he felt growing up, the sensory issues he continues to deal with....and be able to apply that knowledge to understanding my son who has autism. I want to help my son make his journey thru life in such a way that their is no pain, limited frustration and in such a way that he is confident and happy in his world. Reading this book has helped me see a glimpse of my own son's thinking. Thanks Thomas for putting such a personal glimpse of your life in words!

Reviews (3)

A powerful tale of love and humanity
Before I read this book I didn't know anything about autism, and I didnt even realize what the auther's mental condition was until a fair way into the book. I happened to pick up this book at the library (catchy title, Iguess), and loved it.This is not so much a story about autism, but rathera painfully personal account of the difficulties involved in sharing a lifewith another human being.

Finding and laboriously sticking to the true self.
"Like Color to the Blind" is the third book by Donna Williams,after "Nobody Nowhere" and "Somebody Somewhere" but itcould easily stand by itself.Donna, who is autistic, puts forth anamazing effort to break through the socially acceptable masks that she hadgrown in order to relate to society.She is in a relationship with a manwho has similar problems, and they help each other as much as they can.Avery important part of this book is the account of Irlen filters, tintedlenses that reduce the many symptoms of visual overload.Anyone who hasthought about obtaining these lenses should read this, as it is a veryeloquent account of these problems and their disappearance.The author,though going through understandable rough periods, seems to put all of herfree effort into retaining who she is.I could use any number of cliche'shere (touching, great read, etc) but I will just say that I loved this bookand I hope that other people will, too.

Editorial Review

Editorial Review

Reviews (28)

Clear, coherent, rational, and effective.
I wish all parents would read this book.And I wish parents would read it together.I don't know how many books on parenting I've read, that simply don't respect children.This book teaches us howto be respectful parents, raise respectful children, and how to provide a nuturing rational environment in which they can grow.

Dreikurs provides a genuine basis for confident parenting. With many anectdotes of difficult parent/child interactions and logical strategies to gain cooperation.New Parents, experienced parents, teacher, or parents at odds, should benefit from the clear and direct language that can be used as a springboard for further thought and discussion.

I can't recommend any parenting book more highly.Read it aloud with your partner and discuss it before your pregnant.

A parent of two toddlers

Possibly the best childrearing book out there
My in-laws raised my husband on this book, and he is quite a wonderful person. We intend to raise our children this way, too.

The book IS outdated, and I don't agree with 100% of it.

For example, research done since the book was written has shown that quick, consistent, loving response to a baby's cries builds trust and communication between the baby and its parents. So I would disregard the advice to leave a baby to cry.

Dreikurs is opposed to spanking, but it's because he doesn't think it works very well, not because he thinks it's inherently harmful or dangerous. So his advice to let other significant adults in your child's life use corporal punishment if they want to is off, I think.

Other parts of the book are outdated as well, but not in ways that would matter as far as changing parenting techniques. Well, you shouldn't leave your kids alone in a car, obviously, but other than that....

Why am I still giving his book five stars even with all of the above reservations? Because even WITH all of my reservations, I still think this is the best childrearing book I have ever read--and I've read a lot of them. It clearly outlines a parenting style that is neither authoritarian nor permissive, and contributes to loving relationships where people take responsibility for their actions. I can't recommend it more highly. If you have children or if you interact with them at all, do yourself a favor and read this book!

Reviews (5)

Evidently mistreating people is OK if they're disabled?
There are many great books about how to have a happy relationship with somebody on the autism spectrum -- just look up Patrick McCabe, Ashley Stanford, or Linda Holliday Willey to see a few. Sadly, unlike those, "Asperger Marriage" focuses almost entirely on the many ways that the AS guy has it drilled into his head that he is inferior, that he is not worthy enough to have his needs met, and that it does not matter if he is in outright pain as long as the "normal" people are happy.

It is mentioned that he is suicidally depressed, and it's no surprise -- nor is the sad reality that over the years he has been trained to believe he deserves no better. Knowing he has extremely sensitive hearing, his wife yells in his face; aware that he can't handle confrontation or chaos, she throws things. She deliberately sets up situations that are extremely stressful, confusing, or upsetting to him, then once again nastily tells him off and shows her disgust with him for showing even in the slightest of ways that he's bothered by those things. When others in society show their prejudice against the disabled, she makes it very clear that she is ashamed of him rather than of their bigotry! It's quite depressing, and I don't think that you have to be autistic to feel that treating another human being so callously is wrong.

Obviously there are difficulties and pitfalls in any relationship, but throwing things, name-calling, yelling, and vicious put-downs aren't exactly a great example to set for handling them. If anything, I'd say that being the first to write upon a topic of having a certain kind of disabled partner is even better reason to *not* hold verbal and physical violence towards them in high esteem.

Relationships are supposed to be an island of loving acceptance in a cold harsh world, and such an island is what we should all strive to give our partners, especially those that already have to struggle with a handicap in everyday life. It is what my partner has given me, and what I do my absolute best to give him. Unfortunately, "Asperger Marriage" has not been useful in pursuing this goal, as it can only give an idea of how *not* to treat our loved ones, regardless of what their neurology is.

An Asperger Marriage
WHY is this book good?Because like the first book dedicated to Asperger Marriage, Maxine Aston's "The Other Half of Asperger Syndrome," Gisela and Chris Slater-Walker have broken the barrier of the ring of "silence" surrounding partners' description of their own unique relationships in a "mixed marriage."

For anyone wishing to understand one couple's take on Asperger marriage, this book is a "must read."It is such a book not for the truth it depicts about AS, but for the process of frank communication and openness much needed in our culture of secrets about life-altering differences and the common phenomenon of late-life adult diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome.

WHY is this book important?

(1) It is important for readers to appreciate that mixed marriages exist, and they not only "survive" but thrive largely due to the open exchange of views between the partners.Because of the prevalence of Asperger Syndrome and a fifty-fifty chance that a primary relative is also somewhere on the autistic spectrum whenever a school child or young adult is "discovered," these "discoveries" come from somewhere. In most cases, AS children come from "mixed marriages."

(2) Within such marriages, especially where there are children, there are discrete, distinct voices waiting to be heard, each voice "speaking" from its owner's unique perspective. Disparaging those voices because they aren't harmonious is not respectful nor is it an intelligent kind of criticism.

On the cover of the book, the marriage band is not "broken." Some persons with AS will say, "My non-spectrum spouse is playing'victim' and trying to change me or 'fix' me when I don't see a need to be changed. I am NOT broken!"In this book, Gisela and Chris offer a different perspective, revealing their frustration and discomfort as publicly to each other as they do to us, their readers. To bottle up such feelings works havoc on a marriage where both partners are trying to understand one another. For both partners to express themselves so openly is neither an act of abuse or disrespect.It is testimony to their courage and the faith they both share in the strength of their marriage.

Gisela is one of the founding members of ASPIRES. ...ASPIRES is
dedicated to supporting the open discussion of marital and couples' issuesof AS couples for the purpose of greater understanding and enrichment of this special relationship.

Linda Newland, Co-Founder and list serv owner, ASPIRES
Roger N. Meyer, Co-Founder of ASPIRES and author, "Asperger Syndrome Employment Workbook"