Unstrange Minds: Remapping the World of Autism

This is a must-read book - not just for those with an interest in autism but for anyone with a heart. It is full of information on the history, treatment, and prevalence of autism spectrum disorders but it is also the story of the author's daughter and the sons and daughters of others throughout the world who struggle with autism. Grinker shows us the love and devotion - and sometimes utter exasperation - of parents everywhere trying to meet the challenge of finding the best treatment, support, and education for their children. Anyone with a uniquely challenging child will be inspired and comforted. But the book should also strengthen our resolve as a society to find the tools we need to treat autism and improve the lives of individuals and families struggling with the disorder. This is an important book and I highly recommend it.

This book had three main topics. One is the author's own daughter, Isabel, who is autistic. The second is addressing what many see to be an epidemic of autism, and deciding if that really is the case. The third is taking a look at how other cultures treat those with autism. All three topics were covered well, and were very interesting to read about. I especially enjoyed hearing about Isabel's fascination with the book Linnea in Monet's Garden, and how the family used that interest to expand her horizons, rather than discouraging it. It reminded me of a time when my son was extremely taken with a certain episode of Mister Rogers, where Mister Rogers visits a trolley museum. We took a trip to the same trolley museum, and my son was just stunned and thrilled to be able to see and do the same things he saw in the episode. I think it's important to USE special interests to engage kids, rather than discourage them as often we are told to do. I had often wondered if the uptick in autism diagnoses could be simply that it's more accepted as a diagnosis now. I am now convinced that is the case. In many cases, according to this book, it wasn't even AVAILABLE to use as a diagnosis until recently, so OF COURSE it's diagnosed more now! I think my favorite part of the book was the chance to see how other cultures deal with autism today. It mostly makes me happy I live here and not in India or South Korea, although everyplace seems to be improving in the attitudes and care. I would love to hear about more countries and autism---what about China? I want to thank the author for this thoughtful, well researched and very interesting book.

This is an extraodinarily good book that works on many levels. It's a history of psychiatry's attempts to understand autism, a hard look at the idea that there is an autism "epidemic", and a genuinely compelling story of one man's journey to understand and deal with his autistic daughter. It is extremely well written, honest when honesty is called for and passionate and eloquent when simple honesty isn't enough. Grinker manages to treat autistic people with respect without romanticizing them or the struggles of autistic people and their caregivers to "fit in" to a social world that simply isn't put together the way they'd like it to be. If you are only going to read one book about autism, I strongly recommend this one.

In this provocative and wide-ranging book, Grinker examines how culture influences our understandings of autism and the treatment of people with this diagnosis. The book has already become controversial, because Grinker sheds new light on complex debates about rising rates of autism. He shows that these rising rates actually reflect better ways to detect autism in the population, the changing climate for educating autistic children, and the successful integration of autistic people into community life. Grinker is both the father of an autistic child and an accomplished anthropologist, and the book documents his efforts to increase autism awareness in cultures where people with autism are still hidden from view. Some passages in the book are quite moving, such as -- Paul McEnroe's story, Maureen Fanning's heroism, and Merry Barua's dedication. The book weaves together many different facets of autism (child psychiatry, public health, neurology), and it taught me a lot about the controversies over the so-called epidemic of autism. The book is both as serious contribution to this debate and a moving personal chronicle.

Dr. Grinker has written a book that is quite educational and simultaneously compelling and touching. This work helps us understand this phenomenon we call Autism today and how it came to be. I have spent the past twenty years treating individuals with Autism and teaching others to care for them as well, and this book is one that is truly a "must read!". No doubt that Dr. Grinker will come under fire for his position that the increase in Autism diagnoses is more a reflection of improved awareness on the part of the public, and the medical and educational communities, and not primarily the result of unknown or evil forces in our world. The argument he makes is scientifically sound, and is really only one aspect of this wonderful book, that holds so many other treats for the reader. I recommend it to all and will make it required reading in my classes