Autism Books: Not Even Wrong by Paul Collins

This blog entry is the first of many solely dedicated to books on Autism that I have on my "highly recommended, all time favorite Autism books" list. I wanted to do one big blog about them but I am never going to have the time to do it all at once, this way is easier and I can add new books as I complete them! Please share your recommendations too. Enjoy!

You can buy it here on Amazon.com

I read this book years ago, it was the first Autism book that I read that was NOT solely dedicated to "fixing" the problem. Paul Collins is a historian and writer and that is the focus of this book-- the History of Autism from the perspective of an Autism Dad.  I originally bought the book for Rob for Father's Day and thought I would just read the first chapter to see if it was any good. Five hours later I read the last page with eyes burning from fatigue.  Rob had long since come in from work and I looked up and showed him the cover and said, "Happy Father's Day, now be quiet, I'm reading". I found the stories and the history inthralling.  Of course Rob is not a reader, and in the end I actually read the book to him on a long car drive to visit my parents. (FYI- now if there is an Autism book I want him to read, I just pray that the library is going to get the audio version in because I do not want to read aloud an entire book again). I went on to read another book by Paul Collins as well called Banvard's Folly: Thirteen Tales of People Who Didn't Change the World it isn't about Autism but it is a fantastic book just the same. If you are someone who likes obscure history (like me) check out his books.

Here's the description from Amazon:

In Not Even Wrong, Paul Collins melds a memoir of his son's autism with a journey into this realm of permanent outsiders. Examining forgotten geniuses and obscure medical archives, and beginning to see why he himself has spent a lifetime researching talented eccentrics, Collins shows how these stories are relevant and even necessary to shed light on autism.

Here's my review that I posted right after I read it for the first time (on Amazon as well):

5.0 out of 5 stars "It's not a tragedy, it's not a sad story, it's not the movie of the week. It's my family." too., June 8, 2006

By 

M. Harris (Frederick, MD United States)
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Not Even Wrong: A Father's Journey into the Lost History of Autism (Paperback)

My son has ASD and I've got all the books they tell you to buy to find out more about Autism-- this one should be added to the list! Initially I bought this book as a gift for my husband for Father's Day, I read the first page and was hooked. When he saw what I was reading I said, Happy Father's Day and went back to the page. Not Even Wrong has securely found itself added to my list of all time favorite books. Thank you, Mr Collins, for such a great book that everyone should read and all ASD families will treasure. 

Stay tuned for more Autism books!