Been There. Done That. Try This!: An Aspie's Guide to Life on Earth, edited by Tony Attwood, Craig Evans, and Anita Lesko, is a 300ish page book of advice from autistic mentors on how to deal with the toughest challenges we face in life. I was initially very turned off by this book's cover, I suppose because I confused "editors" for "authors." It seemed like the people listed as editors weren't autistic, and so were making the assumption that their neurotypical lives were sufficiently similar to mine that they could offer advice. Much as I respect Dr. Attwood, that assumption was a bit much to stomach.
I was quite incorrect in my initial reaction. The book is in fact mainly comprised of short essays from people on the spectrum. These are organized by topic, and the topics were chosen by asking autistic people which issues cause the most stress to them. The end result is that these topics are generally the most relevant to the widest population. In fact, in my personal case, there were only two of the seventeen chapters that weren't relevant to my immediate life and needs. Included in this book are suggestions on managing anxiety, self-image, sensory issues, bullying, career and job advice, depression, and personal organization.
Each chapter begins with a short introduction to the topic, like "Making and Keeping Friends," and then proceeds right into the essays by the contributing autistic authors. Most of these are between a half page and three pages long, so not intensely involved reading. At least four essays appear per topic, sometimes quite a few more than that. After the essays finish, editor Tony Attwood has a say on the subject, based on his extensive experience with autistic people.
The back of the book lists the "Aspie mentors," or the sources of the various essays that begin each chapter. I was pleased to see that most of them hail from what I call "The Lost Generation," or the generation prior to the introduction of Asperger's Syndrome and the idea that being autistic didn't mean you had to be intellectually disabled. I call it "The Lost Generation" because many of the autistic people that lived and died in those years never knew they were autistic, and in a lot of cases, got shunted into institutions with incorrect diagnoses such as schizophrenia. I hate being near old mental institutions for that reason. It's almost like I can hear the anguished screams and the misery. All of which would have been preventable with a little more knowledge and a large dose of human empathy.
The very youngest contributor of this book is only two years older than I am, but a number of the authors were born in the '40s and '50s. Many of the authors talk about only getting their diagnosis in their 50s and 40s. Also of note, these authors aren't all from the US. There is a smattering of authors from Australia, the UK, and even one from Pakistan. The editors kept the "British-isms" and other non-US grammar styles in the book, so I kept noticing words like "learnt" instead of "learned," and other minor differences. I had no trouble understanding what the authors were getting at, though.
Finally, I can safely say that much, if not all, of this book is useful, relevant, and helpful. Between the efforts to make the topics of discussion as widely relevant as possible, and the care put into choosing the essays, I think this is a fine book, and quite useful. I am seriously considering putting it on my wishlist for my birthday and Christmas, which would be a first for any of my book reviews.
I was quite incorrect in my initial reaction. The book is in fact mainly comprised of short essays from people on the spectrum. These are organized by topic, and the topics were chosen by asking autistic people which issues cause the most stress to them. The end result is that these topics are generally the most relevant to the widest population. In fact, in my personal case, there were only two of the seventeen chapters that weren't relevant to my immediate life and needs. Included in this book are suggestions on managing anxiety, self-image, sensory issues, bullying, career and job advice, depression, and personal organization.
Each chapter begins with a short introduction to the topic, like "Making and Keeping Friends," and then proceeds right into the essays by the contributing autistic authors. Most of these are between a half page and three pages long, so not intensely involved reading. At least four essays appear per topic, sometimes quite a few more than that. After the essays finish, editor Tony Attwood has a say on the subject, based on his extensive experience with autistic people.
The back of the book lists the "Aspie mentors," or the sources of the various essays that begin each chapter. I was pleased to see that most of them hail from what I call "The Lost Generation," or the generation prior to the introduction of Asperger's Syndrome and the idea that being autistic didn't mean you had to be intellectually disabled. I call it "The Lost Generation" because many of the autistic people that lived and died in those years never knew they were autistic, and in a lot of cases, got shunted into institutions with incorrect diagnoses such as schizophrenia. I hate being near old mental institutions for that reason. It's almost like I can hear the anguished screams and the misery. All of which would have been preventable with a little more knowledge and a large dose of human empathy.
The very youngest contributor of this book is only two years older than I am, but a number of the authors were born in the '40s and '50s. Many of the authors talk about only getting their diagnosis in their 50s and 40s. Also of note, these authors aren't all from the US. There is a smattering of authors from Australia, the UK, and even one from Pakistan. The editors kept the "British-isms" and other non-US grammar styles in the book, so I kept noticing words like "learnt" instead of "learned," and other minor differences. I had no trouble understanding what the authors were getting at, though.
Finally, I can safely say that much, if not all, of this book is useful, relevant, and helpful. Between the efforts to make the topics of discussion as widely relevant as possible, and the care put into choosing the essays, I think this is a fine book, and quite useful. I am seriously considering putting it on my wishlist for my birthday and Christmas, which would be a first for any of my book reviews.
Read This Book If
You're autistic and want some good advice, on important subjects, from people who are like you and know what they're talking about. A parent or professional could also get an idea of how we think and what tactics actually work for us by giving this book a read, but it is very much geared toward aiding autistic people in their lives. If autistic book clubs exist, or an autistic social group is looking for a book to read together, I highly recommend this book for your reading list. Tackling a chapter or two per week would likely provide invaluable discussions about some of the most challenging and important subjects in an autistic life.
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