Search - Emergence : Labeled Autistic

This is Temple's story, her no-nonsense telling of her life. She offers no excuses, no sugar coating, just her vivid recollections and insights of what it was like to be the Temple of old: dysfunctional, nerdy, and rebellious. The important idea is that her "emergence" from autism didn't change who she was. Rather than discarding the old obsessions, anger, and pain, she made them work for her, turning them into the strengths she needed to operate in the "normal" world.

This is Temple Grandin's own story, full of insights into how life and the world looked to a high-functioning autistic. A friend of mine with an autistic son has found this book very helpful and encouraging, and I found it fascinating.

I've been meaning to read Temple Grandin because I loved Born on a Blue Day and A Curious Incident With the Dog in the Nightime. Emergence was a quick read, but it felt almost like a chore. While the voices in Blue Day and Dog in Nightime were quirky and creative, Temple Grandin is a recovered autistic so that quirkyness that engaged me in the other books wasn't there. It was amazing to read about her life and what helped her along the way but it wasn't as entertaining as I hoped.