I love his book.
I love the extract where Craig says 'Send in the idiots' - it's a classical example of echolalia.
I'd have done the same. But I am sure I'd have felt remorse.
It's great that the people in the book are shown as successful and productive even if they did have lots of advantages which are unrepresentative of us as a whole. Especially Craig the speechwriter, and the woman in it is shown to have done well.
I will get it when it comes, along with a truckload of Torey Haydens. Hayden did a good portayal of a high-functioning autistic girl - and her passion for geography - in her last non-fiction book Beautiful Child. Gwennie was awesome, and Alice might have been more subtle in her presentation as she came from an intellectual background. Her father was a literary professor
The book seems fascinating, and I like his position about not being an idiot or a genius, though I wouldn't call any group seeking not to be changed a 'pressure group.' And there is nothing wrong with my empathy or theory of mind.
My list of books I've got to read is becoming long, indeed
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I havenīt read this book, although Iīm intending to acquire it and read it (put it in my ever growing pile of books to be read).
But it already seems like something I will be able to relate to much more than Temple Grandin (I think sheīs much further along the spectrum from me) and Liane Holliday Williams (although I can relate to the idea of īPretending to be Normalī the reality of the book was that it seemed a bit and whiny and self-pitying to me).
It seems much more positive to concentrate on the range of outcomes and different lives and lifestyles that can be achieved, as opposed to concentrating on individuals (as in the two above examples), where it often seems as though certain people are promoting their own experiences as the definitive, this is what itīs like for everyone, kind of thing, whereas I believe, and as is evidenced by the experiences of everyone here, while we have some similar traits (although we donīt all have the same traits - another common misconception) and we experience those traits to different degrees (again, another common misconception, that all Aspies, although on the autistic spectrum, are all the same kind of Aspies, when itīs more a spectrum within a spectrum), basically, weīre all very different, and I think books like this will help to create an awareness of that.
I hope that it reads as well as the original post suggests it will, Iīm looking forward to it!
Wiley, not Williams. Donna Williams (now Samuel, so there is no confusion) has written 9 books, which are good for all phases and moods.
I relate heaps to Temple Grandin and have found unexpected common ground in the areas of science and technology. Liane Holliday Wiley has my dream career (psycholinguistics) and a very attractive daughter who has Aspergers too. I don't know that I picked up the self-pitying ethos but there was only a little bit I read.
I suppose if you got to read regularly around the forums you would soon pick up that not all Aspies and Auties are alike. That in fact we embrace a wide range of human variation.
Send in the idiots would be an awesome book. I'm looking forward to more of it when it comes out.
I think he's making excellent sense. Everyone should be encouraged into the main body of society before deciding it's not for them, rather than allowing them to fester on the fringes. It's simply the best chance of happiness. Politicism is fine if that suits you, but I think it does far more good (as therapy) to the politically active than to those they claim to speak for, whom it may actually harm. You shouldn't claim someone as a brother and foot soldier in your battle without being sure they know the sacrifice you ask of them.
I meant me.
Looks interesting but I'm a little bogged down. What specific words? I'll tell you if she's right.
Do you want a state where that kind of antisocial behaviour is tolerable or not depending on how neurotypical they are? Where's the cut-off?
Seems to me that it's all or nothing for tolerance activism. Like, I saw an AS guy on wikipedia who was also anti-gay. I'm sorry, that just doesn't work. You have to be fully hippy or your argument gets shot down for selfishness.