My Aspie library is growing!

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In addition to internet forums (pretty much only this one now), and professional papers online, I have been adding books about AS to my educational materials.

So far I have -

How To Understand Autism - The Easy Way by Alex Durig (interesting reading so far. I'm about 1/3 of the way through).

Asperger's and Girls "Featuring Tony Attwood, Temple Grandin, plus 7 more experts" (just got this one in on order from a local bookstore in Arcata.)

I also have on order the book, "Women From Another Planet?" edited by Jean Kearns Miller.

Any opinions on these books? Anyone read them?

One of the ladies at the bookstore brought me a book from the shelves while I was paying for the book I had ordered.

It is, "All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome" by Kathy Hoopmann.

THIS IS JUST TOO CUTE! I'm not sure why the lady thought to show me the book. I'm wondering if she knows about AS and figured anyone buying "Asperger's and Girls" must know someone with AS and wants more books?

Anyway, the Cat book is a little kid's book describing the signs & symptoms of AS using cats & kittens as models

One look and I bought it on sight!
I really bought it for my friend (who's the motivation for my learning more about AS). She is an animal person and recently got herself a kitten.
I just HAVE to give her this book... I think she'd like it!

Only problem is, she isn't really keen on presents. She told me once that presents make her feel obligated to return the favor. Plus, when we had our 'deal' a little while ago, I think she felt my presents (a half-a-bag of lettuce from the farmer's market, a Ditty Bops CD and an iced dinosaur cookie - all at separate times) were intended to be 'romantic' gifts.

Hopefully we've got that all straightened out... but just in case...
I asked the girl in the bookstore to tell me, "You need to give that book to _ _ _ _ _ _ !". That way I can tell my friend the people at the bookstore made me do it!

I actually give things to people fairly often. I just see something I think fits for someone I know and I get it.
Sometimes I like to get things for the street people. I got a gift card (the kind you pay for and get a money credit on it for future purchases) about a week ago when I saw a lady on the corner with a sign that said, "Hungry" and something else, I forgot.
I drove past to the next turn-around, went into the Target store, got the card (after I wound up walking around the store in a daze as usual), drove back to the corner and the lady was gone!
That bummed me out!

I did give the card to another street gal a few days later.

Anyway, this was about books... right?

Although I have enough books (with one on the way) to read right now on AS, any recommendations are welcome.

After I learn how to relate to my friend on her terms better, I may just keep on reading stuff because I am finding all this fascinating.
Sorta like once I accepted the diagnosis of ADD/HD for myself.

Thanks

Recently got the Alex Durig book, not sure what I thought of it-seemed too simple but maybe that's my problem (and the cover picture freaked me out, scary-looking face). "Women from Another Planet" was anthology, so I liked some parts & not other parts. My review of "Asperger's & Girls" is 3rd or 4th post in this thread:
http://www.wrongplanet.net/modules.php? ... highlight=
Here's my list of books (compiled several months ago) that I've bought & read so far (since getting dx'd 3 years ago)-there are more since then but haven't updated this yet.
sorry the order is confusing, author first & then title(s)-

autobiographies/memoirs/first-person narrative, more
or less-
by Temple Grandin:
"Emergence Labelled Autistic"
"Thinking in Pictures"
"Animals in Translation"
by Donna Williams:
"Nobody Nowhere"
"Somebody Somewhere"
"Like Color to the Blind"
"Everyday Heaven"
"The Jumbled Jigsaw" (a textbook)
by Liane Holliday Willey:
"Pretending to be Normal"
by Jeanette Purkis:
"Finding a Different kind of Normal"
by Gisela & Christopher Slater-Walker:
"An Asperger Marriage"
by several authors, Jean Kearns Miller editor:
"Women From Another Planet"
by several authors, Robert Naseef & Cindy Ariel
editors:
"Voices from the Spectrum"
by Ashley Stanford:
"Asperger Syndrome and Long Term Relationships"
by several authors:
"AS and Girls"

Parents write about their kids-
by Robert Hughes:
"Running with Walker"
by Anne Addison:
"One Small Starfish"
by Michael Blastland:
"The Only Boy in the World"
by Barbara LaSalle:
"Finding Ben"
by Patricia Stacey:
"The Boy Who Loved Windows"

other people's ideas about ASD's-
by William Stillman:
"The Everything Parents Guide to Children with
Asperger's"
by Olga Bogdashina:
"Communication Issues in Autism and Asperger
Syndrome"
by Uta Frith:
"Autism Explaining the Enigma"
by Ed Ritvo:
"Understanding the Nature of Autism and Asperger's
Disorder'
by Isabelle Henault:
"Asperger's Syndrome and Sexuality"
by John Ratey & Catherine Johnson:
"Shadow Syndromes"
by several authors incl. James T. Webb:
"Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnosis of Gifted Children &
Adults"
by Marti Olsen Laney:
"The Hidden Gifts of the Introverted Child"
by Simon Baron-Cohen:
"The Essential Difference"
by Bryna Siegel:
"The World of the Autistic Child"
by Karen Zelan:
"Between Their World and Ours"
by Stanley Greenspan:
"Engaging Autism"
by several authors, Kevin Stoddart editor:
"Children, Youth, and Adults with Asperger Syndrome"
by several authors, Margot Prior editor:
"Learning and Behavior Problems in Asperger Syndrome"
by Susan Ashley:
"The Asperger's Answer Book"
by Teresa Bolick:
"Asperger Syndrome and Adolescence"
by Tony Attwood:
"Asperger's Syndrome A Guide For Parents and
Professionals"
"The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome"
by Stephen Shore & Linda Rastelli:
"Understanding Autism for Dummies"
by Juanita Lovett:
"Solutions for Adults with Asperger Syndrome"
by Fred Volkmar:
"Asperger Syndrome"

Wouldn't recommend all these to same extent, but they were better (in my personal opinion, based on my idiosyncratic personality) than the ones in which I chose not to browse further.

My other post was so lengthy I wanted to separate this one, since it's different topic. Know there are many threads on this issue (though don't have links for them).
I feel similarly to what you describe as the reaction of your lady friend. If someone downplays (doesn't make a big show or fuss over) as much as they can what they're giving me, that might help. Feel less "in debt" economically, interpersonally, socially if person says "here's this used item & I didn't want to throw it out, you can have it but it's okay if you don't want it."
That isn't gonna' work for something bought new. If I believe it genuinely is pleasing to the giver to give me something & that thing is item I truly would enjoy, then I may be okay with accepting gift. But I hate feeling like I'm supposed to reciprocate, esp. since I don't do the "surprise someone with gift that shows how well you know this person" thing.
Feeling free to say "no thanks" without risking other person's hurt feelings is important in these situations. It's not fair putting me in position where I have to pick between pretending for sake of other person-or being authentic but upsetting other person. Especially when I provide people (verbally) with my disclaimer on how I view these ritual scenarios (holiday or occasion presents) & I've explained why they need to adjust their expectations of my reactions beforehand.
Have plenty of aggravating memories of being guilt-tripped & hassled by parents to write/express thanks to people who gave me things (frequently having no idea what would appeal to me) as kid, and not being allowed to honestly say when I didn't want/like what they chose for me.

I'd love to read "All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome." That would be the purr-fect addition to my library.

WOW! Thanks for the book list!
I'll check out the link also, sometime.

I HATE gift-giving holidays and birthdays! I really do!

For one... I can never remember the correct dates. My wife spent 17 years quizzing me on the date for things like Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas. I honestly can't remember the exact day. I know the month they come in.

I like gift-giving to be about appreciation of who the person is. So, I don't want to feel obligated to go out and 'just buy something' for the birthday celebrations at work. I have tried to participate, but it is extremely difficult and agonizing for me to wander about the stores purposely looking for "an item under $10". What a waste!

I also believe that when I give a gift to someone... IT'S THEIRS TO DO WHAT THEY WANT WITH IT! If they get tired of it and want to pass it on to someone else... that's fine with me.

I appreciate what you are saying about having the option to just say "No Thanks!".
That's what I did for my friend when I gave her the CD.
The problem is though, in our society most folks would think I'm "just trying to be nice" and didn't really mean it when I said, "if you don't like it or don't want it you can give it back to me or give it to someone you think will like/use it!".

I believe that since she is an Aspie, and trying to 'fit in' with the rest of the world, she might not take my words seriously either thinking I am just another pushy NT who will get my feelings hurt if she REALLY doesn't see any practical reason to accept the gift.

Anyway, thank you for what you wrote!

I'll try to find a good way to present the book to her and not make her feel uncomfortable about it.
After all, it's all about respect... right?

I recommend getting this book.

Thanks Belle77!

So tell me, is Dr. Tony Attwood really the "World's Foremost authority on the subject of Asperger's Syndrome", as I have seen quoted on the back of one of my books?

You're welcome.

I've had the book for awhile, but I just started reading it. I'm highlighting parts that really seem to describe me...and I find that I'm highlighting a lot of stuff! I really like the tone of the book and it's not full of medical jargon, so it's easy to understand. Tony Attwood really seems to know what he's talking about and he has a lot of experience working with AS patients, so I trust what he has to say. Here's the link to his bio on his website: Tony Attwood's profile

I also just got an excellent book on ADHD because my husband has it pretty severely. I've read the first several chapters of it and I definitely recommend it.
Scattered Minds: Hope and Help for Adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder by Lenard Adler, M.D.

"Sound of a Miracle," Annabel Stehli
"There's A Boy in Here," Judy and Sean Barron
"Dancing in the Rain," Annabel Stehli
"Son Rise," Barry Neil Kaufman
Asperger Syndrome and Guide to Asperger Syndrome by Tony Attwood
The OASIS Guide to Asperger Syndrome (I found this one a bit tedious in places.)
The Mislabled Child
The Blue-Bottle Mystery
Born on a Blue Day, Daniel Tammet
Not specifically about AS, but "The Four Minute Mile," Roger Bannister's autiobiography, talks about a lot of the issues a high-functioning AS person has, even one who is intellectually excellent and fully functional in the "normal" world. He talks about loneliness, trouble fitting in at school socially, despite high academic achievement and the need to have something (in his case, running) that helped him fit in.

I hear that Stress & Coping with Autism is the most fantastic book...anyone?

I am currently reading Girls & Asperger's...quite like it.

Here are some for/about kids:

Trevor Trevor
Little Rainman
Laughing & Loving with Autism
More Laughing & Loving with Autism
Still More (or something) Laughing and Loving With Autism
Just This Side of Normal


Others:
Navigating the Social World


I'm sure there are others. I can't wait for us to get our commune so that we can collect all those books that libel us and read them and make fun of them!

Wow, people have read some good books! Belfast you have a great list. I particularly liked One Small Starfish among others.

I have my list on this website www.freewebs.com/aspiefrommaine
I have about forty or slightly less books on AS, mostly eiuther from people wiuth AS or autism or parents writing about it

Kate