Book: How to Understand Autism -- The Easy Way

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How to Understand Autism -- The Easy Way by Alex Durig.

I just finished reading it, and I thought I'd write a review, for others who might be interested.

I'm definitely glad I read it. It helped me understand how who I am, and the autistic traits I have, fit together with what autism is.

What he says about autism, it explains how someone like me who has good non-verbal skills and a lot of good social skills can somehow share a way of being (to a certain extent) with those who are profoundly lacking. (And there's of course a whole contiuum in between profoundly lacking and mostly not lacking, I mean that to describe the extreme.) It has to do with relative strengths, and how this effects how one sees the world and interacts with it.

It is written for people who don't think of themselves as autistic. That's the assumption of who the audience reading it is. Though it notes that some of those readers may be in the "slightly autistic" category (which is where I am). I think it still might be a good read for some folks on the spectrum, but it would be nice to see the same ideas presented in a form addressed to those on the spectruum, for those who recognize their autisticness and want to understand more and/or want to understand the bigger picture of autism.

I also think the idea would benefit from being fleshed out by other people looking at it and adding their perspective. Right now it's one man sharing his idea. I think it's a good insight, though.

I think it's a great book, but it not necessarily a book for everyone here.

is the authour alex durig the same alex from wrong plaet?
if not, is he AS himself?

If you look at the copyright info at the bottom of the pages of Wrong Planet, the name listed is Alex Plank.

Alex Durig in the book does not indentify himself as being on the spectrum. He's also not writing about himself, nor, as I said, is he writing for those who see themselves as on the spectrum.

Last edited by Mysty on 15 Aug 2008, 12:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.

ahh perhasp a pen name could explain the confusion not all people are who they claim to be. and a resonable person would expect a book titled "how to understand autism" by someone who isnt autistic is a bit like a colour blind person writing a book on how a rainbow if formed.

i'll pass.

I suggest you should read the book before making a general judgement.

I respect your choice to not want to read it. That's why I wrote a review. Not just so people will know about the book, but hopefully to help give people an idea if they'd want to read it.

But to judge the book as worthless without seeing it is going too far.

And while, as I said, he doesn't talk about himself (I didn't say he's not autistic, he didn't say that, that's YOUR assumption), it's certainly possible he's what he calls "slightly autistic". He doesn't say he's not. But it's not a biography, it's a book that presents and idea about autism and how the different degrees of it relate and how it relates to what we hear call neurotypical people (though he doesn't use that word).

I've met Alex from WP, and I've seen photos of Alex Durig. Not the same one. (Assuming they're the same (as in a later comment on this thread) because they share a very common first name seems odd to me.)

As far as the content goes... it's not at all in keeping with what's known about autistic cognition, but it's certainly in keeping with a lot of assumptions about autistic people.

[quote="MR"] (I didn't say he's not autistic, he didn't say that, that's YOUR assumption), quote]

you also said: Alex Durig in the book does not indentify himself as being on the spectrum.

you then said: I respect your choice to not want to read it. That's why I wrote a review. Not just so people will know about the book, but hopefully to help give people an idea if they'd want to read it.

you said: But to judge the book as worthless without seeing it is going too far.

me here: i didnt judge the book as worthless. and i didnt assume he was or wasnt AS i had interpreted that when you said he does not identify himself as being on the spectrum that he wasnt on the spectrum, a reasonable assumption to make given your "review"

perhaps we are getting out wires crossed here.

apologies for the confusion.

As have a different cognitive style often making links, rapidly between seemingly unlinked dobjects , events places and names.
when i hear a book with a title that contaisn the words: alex durig, how to understand autism and a wrong planet forum i immediately link all of these up to create alex plank.
it may seem odd to you, it is a very AS cognitive style for me.

the second point to be decipherd here, and i do apologise for not being clear. i do have slight difficulty communicating at times, mainly due to AS is that there is a rather large and profitable cottage industry growing up around As diagnosis, intervention cures and tricks to help adapt and deal with it.
they are maninly books and courses written by non AS people who have an inability to be seen as any recognised authourity on
AS but who seem to be cashing in on AS. so i feel it is justified to question the credential and AS status on anyone who claims to know all on AS.

So, Anbuend, we can assume you've read the book too, since you know what the content is?


What I wrote was NOT a summary of the book's content. It was a review, including why I personally liked it, and also some notes that might affect other people's level of interest in it. It's not my place to summarize his thoughts, as my summary wouldn't do his ideas justice.

Like I said, if you (generic you this time) don't want to read the book fine. But don't judge it's contents based on my review. My purpose is to give information about the book, not to save people the trouble of reading it.

Yes, I've read the book, and what I described was my impression of what was in it, not my impression of your review. I don't think the things contained in the book are any more accurate than epicycles are.

Some links.

publisher:
http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book.php/i ... 1843107910

amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/How-Understand-Au ... 432&sr=8-1

a review:
http://www.ont-autism.uoguelph.ca/Understand-Autism.pdf

Alex Durig is the author, his name is not in the title. Nor does Wrong Planet in any way connect with the book. I didn't mention Wrong Planet in talking about the book.

have attempted to explain the cognitive style behind the answer.
you are doing a typical AS response and dissecting every written word.
ypu didnt mention wrong planet, we are on wrong planet.
i made the link and provided the explanation you either dont accept it, dont get it or chose to be argumentative.
regardless im not biting.
enjoy your book

I'm supposed to understand your point when you make inaccurate statements?

Oh, and by the way, I already read the book, thus posting about it. So, no, I won't be enjoying the book, as I've finished it.

I really don't appreciate you coming in here and being critical without adding anything of substance. We know you personally don't want to read a book on autism written by someone who claim to have it. Okay.

Oh, and when you wrote: "...and a resonable person would expect a book titled "how to understand autism" by someone who isnt autistic is a bit like..." to be honest, I read that much and took it as you saying that if someone doesn't have autism, they can't say anything valid about it. That's how that sort of simile is usually used.

I don't know if you meant that or not, but after actually paying attention to the rest of the simile ("a colour blind person writing a book on how a rainbow if formed"), well, yeah, and so what. Other than I don't think the content would fill a book. But, a color blind person can write about how a rainbow is formed just as validly as anyone else who's studied it. What they can't do is write about the experience of seeing a rainbow.

And just as your theortical color blind person isn't writing about the experience of seeing a rainbow, Alex Durig was not writing about the the experience of being autistic. He was writing about a basic understanding of autism to help non-autistics in understanding and interacting with autistics.

In doing so, he proposed a framework for understanding which, while I find it incomplete, non-the-less, I found it usually in fleshing out my understanding of autism. Not something I'll take as a full explanation, but something to add to what I've already learned.

Actually, I think I can summarize the basic idea of the book. That autism is not specific weaknesses, but a way of seeing the world.

Anyway, whoever's managed to make it this far in this thread, read the book if you want more than that one line summary.

And I think I've said all I have to say on this matter.

P.S.

The author does not claim to know all on autism. (And, yes, Autism, not AS. It's not a book on Asperger's.) The book isn't called "How to completely and totally understand autism".

And if you want to know his credentials, check the links I belatedly supplied. (I wasn't expecting someone to come criticising without investigating. My error there.)