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kcrouth's review against another edition
5.0
Thinking in Pictures is the inspiring, fascinating, and informative account of the life experiences of Temple Grandin. She shares with candidness and detail her interactions with the world around her as a person with autism. Her insight and knowledge on many subjects have made her an expert on animal psychology and thought, and she has used her knowledge to revolutionize humane approaches to livestock handling. Her methods have enabled humane handling techniques to be used in a large percentage of the cattle and swine industry. Her personal experiences, challenges, and her philosophical pondering are interesting and thought provoking. She shares a viewpoint that many of us can never see for ourselves. I enjoyed this book very much and am looking forward to reading more of her expertise in animal psychology in her book "Animals in Translation"
kstanpadg's review
this book was assigned in one of my psych classes which was an interesting choice. there are a lot of important/beautiful parts like
- the idea that autistic kids should have adults who focus on their strengths, embrace their special interests, introduce them to new cool stuff, etc
- autism being portrayed as symptoms that were challenging at times but also as a trait allowed her to accomplish things that make the world so much better, specifically thru her passion for her job
- loveddd reading about her job and animal knowledge
- the quote “it was difficult for me to understand the idea of kindness until i had been soothed myself” of course!!!!
- “every kind of mind can make a contribution…the world needs all kinds of thinkers and all kinds of emotional types to make good decisions that will benefit society”
less good parts:
- like many older nonfiction books there is outdated info (like the pages on diagnosing Asperger’s and Kanner’s syndrome)
- an idea that repeats throughout the book is: “In an ideal world the scientist should find a method to prevent the most severe forms of autism but allow the milder forms to survive.” another part (pg 209) suggested that we need to accept the burden of people with bipolar disorder because their genes may produce genius, creative relatives? i have a lot more to say about this but mostly that the portrayal of people with higher support needs/impairment as only a burden, disregarding the important things they could offer the world and just the inherent worth they have did not sit right with me at all.
i don’t think this was the right book to give to a bunch of students learning about autism, especially not without further information on the history of/problems around ABA therapy, the label Asperger’s, labels like “high/low functioning”, and probably more stuff that i didn’t pick up on. i also don’t like the idea of future mental health professionals absorbing the idea that people with higher support needs don’t have anything to offer. however, temple grandin and her work matter (and her views may have evolved/been misunderstood by me). overall an interesting/insightful book in many parts but probably shouldn’t be the only book on autism you read
- the idea that autistic kids should have adults who focus on their strengths, embrace their special interests, introduce them to new cool stuff, etc
- autism being portrayed as symptoms that were challenging at times but also as a trait allowed her to accomplish things that make the world so much better, specifically thru her passion for her job
- loveddd reading about her job and animal knowledge
- the quote “it was difficult for me to understand the idea of kindness until i had been soothed myself” of course!!!!
- “every kind of mind can make a contribution…the world needs all kinds of thinkers and all kinds of emotional types to make good decisions that will benefit society”
less good parts:
- like many older nonfiction books there is outdated info (like the pages on diagnosing Asperger’s and Kanner’s syndrome)
- an idea that repeats throughout the book is: “In an ideal world the scientist should find a method to prevent the most severe forms of autism but allow the milder forms to survive.” another part (pg 209) suggested that we need to accept the burden of people with bipolar disorder because their genes may produce genius, creative relatives? i have a lot more to say about this but mostly that the portrayal of people with higher support needs/impairment as only a burden, disregarding the important things they could offer the world and just the inherent worth they have did not sit right with me at all.
i don’t think this was the right book to give to a bunch of students learning about autism, especially not without further information on the history of/problems around ABA therapy, the label Asperger’s, labels like “high/low functioning”, and probably more stuff that i didn’t pick up on. i also don’t like the idea of future mental health professionals absorbing the idea that people with higher support needs don’t have anything to offer. however, temple grandin and her work matter (and her views may have evolved/been misunderstood by me). overall an interesting/insightful book in many parts but probably shouldn’t be the only book on autism you read
cassmdurell's review
informative
slow-paced
2.0
Lots of generalizations made about individuals with autism and some very questionable content here and there. Some of the information is now also a bit outdated.
nderiley's review
2.0
More of a 'how to' guide for understanding Autistic traits than the memoir I was hoping for, Thinking in Pictures provides very interesting insight but is slightly bogged down but numerous redundant points and anecdotes.
ninevehthecat's review
4.0
This was so fascinating and eye-opening. While I don’t particularly share certain viewpoints on a couple topics with the author, I can still admire her intellect and her achievements. Will be checking out more of her books!
princesspersephone's review
4.0
This is my first book by Temple Grandin, and I can honestly say I am blown away by her vivid expression of detail. With many people on the autism spectrum, conveying a message or idea can get lost in translation. With Grandin, she expertly walks through her thought processes and experiences step by step to ensure a complete understanding is formed. She touches on so many topics from her expertise in livestock and autism/aspergers to more foundational sectors of life such as genetics, biochemistry, psychology, and social dynamics. I was not expecting to get so much from this book, and greatly appreciated how effortlessly it all flowed together. (Who knew talking about cows could relate to human behavior so much?!)
My favorite part of this book is when she talked about her life on the spectrum. Though it comes with its difficulties she wouldn't trade her autistic traits/genes/etc. for "normal". This is something i respect so much about her. She understands the different dynamics at play in her life and how that can sometimes create more obstacle than others. For some this is debilitating, but for many the different neuronal connections and thinking patterns offer up a specialized and unique gift. She recognizes her talent as an equipment designer would be far more mundane if she were to have lost those visualization skills attributed to autism. She also goes on to talk about other famous people in history who most likely had autism, or at the very least were neurodiverse and approached aspects of the world in similar ways as those on the spectrum. The only reason I docked one star was because a lot of the science and research is out of date (understandably so) but Grandin still offers up a fantastic inside look at autism regardless.
My favorite part of this book is when she talked about her life on the spectrum. Though it comes with its difficulties she wouldn't trade her autistic traits/genes/etc. for "normal". This is something i respect so much about her. She understands the different dynamics at play in her life and how that can sometimes create more obstacle than others. For some this is debilitating, but for many the different neuronal connections and thinking patterns offer up a specialized and unique gift. She recognizes her talent as an equipment designer would be far more mundane if she were to have lost those visualization skills attributed to autism. She also goes on to talk about other famous people in history who most likely had autism, or at the very least were neurodiverse and approached aspects of the world in similar ways as those on the spectrum. The only reason I docked one star was because a lot of the science and research is out of date (understandably so) but Grandin still offers up a fantastic inside look at autism regardless.
mnm2's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.25