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3.47 AVERAGE
3.47 AVERAGE
fast-paced
hopeful
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
Part how to navigate life while dealing with difficult personal conditions and part science it didn't hold my attention. Might be helpful for readers who struggle with the same challenges as the author.
I got this book because Lizzie Hux recommended it and I trust Lizzie.
Dr Pang is witty, intelligent and uses scientific theories to explain the complexity of human relationships. I really liked the analogies.
The only thing that irritated me was that she uses 'neurodiverse' incorrectly. A group is neurodiverse or not, akin to biodiversity. Humanity is neurodiverse - there are a lot of different and equally valid human brains. A person may be considered neurotypical - that is within the norms or society, the centre of the bell curve. People on the outside edges are neurodivergent. Being autistic, ADHD, dyslexic, etc. makes you neurodivergent. I do wish people would be more precise in their words.
Dr Pang is witty, intelligent and uses scientific theories to explain the complexity of human relationships. I really liked the analogies.
The only thing that irritated me was that she uses 'neurodiverse' incorrectly. A group is neurodiverse or not, akin to biodiversity. Humanity is neurodiverse - there are a lot of different and equally valid human brains. A person may be considered neurotypical - that is within the norms or society, the centre of the bell curve. People on the outside edges are neurodivergent. Being autistic, ADHD, dyslexic, etc. makes you neurodivergent. I do wish people would be more precise in their words.
This book claims to use science to explain human behaviour, which it does at no point.
It is the autobiographical story of a scientist with ADHD, ASD, OCD, anxiety disorders, synesthesia as well as a PhD, who tells how she uses concepts from a mishmash of scientific disciplines to find her way into the world of neurotypical people. Note: these concepts in themselves do not have anything to do with human behaviour, but are used as metaphors. Clumsy, incorrect, incomplete and far-fetched metaphors, but no more than metaphors. At no point is there any real relationship between the concept (e.g. proteins) and the human equivalent (e.g. group behaviour).
The cringe-inducing text is complemented by drawings from a teenage diary that are supposed to cement the link between metaphor and reality, and obviously fail to do so.
It is the autobiographical story of a scientist with ADHD, ASD, OCD, anxiety disorders, synesthesia as well as a PhD, who tells how she uses concepts from a mishmash of scientific disciplines to find her way into the world of neurotypical people. Note: these concepts in themselves do not have anything to do with human behaviour, but are used as metaphors. Clumsy, incorrect, incomplete and far-fetched metaphors, but no more than metaphors. At no point is there any real relationship between the concept (e.g. proteins) and the human equivalent (e.g. group behaviour).
The cringe-inducing text is complemented by drawings from a teenage diary that are supposed to cement the link between metaphor and reality, and obviously fail to do so.
informative
medium-paced
Overly simplistic. The examples of how to interact with people didn't map very well onto the scientific theories the author discussed. Didn't feel like a book written by a doctor but rather like a paper written by a high school student.
funny
informative
medium-paced
A bit of a stretch at times in terms of the correlations that the author makes, but still, interesting reading.
This was a really unique and special book about Millie's personal journey getting to grips with the complex world around her through the lens of science. Part self-help book, part pop science, there certainly is something for everyone in here and it is immensely readable. The science is super accessible to non-science minded readers as well.
The most useful chapters for me were the last three, which dealt with the challenges of relationships, learning from mistakes and navigating the confusing world of social rules using game theory and machine learning. They were most eye-opening to me both due to my own challenges with an anxiety disorder and being kind to myself, and because of my relative ignorance on the topics.
Importantly, the book also celebrates the value of neurodiversity in our society, something that is really only just beginning to be discussed. My favourite people embody the full spectrum of neurodiversity and I see their value implicitly. Each of those people has struggled in the workplace because of how their diversity is perceived, just like Millie struggles with people viewing her as rude or emotional. Some of those dear friends have wished away their neurodiversity after difficult encounters at work and heavy criticism. I say the same thing to them as I would say to Millie: never change. Once you are in the right environment with people that can see how to use the value your neurodiversity brings, you will thrive.
Millie tackles all this with a sense of humour and understanding even for the people that have misunderstood her. The latter is probably the most impressive of all. I would be especially interested to see reviews from individuals with ASD and ADHD, so get reading!
The most useful chapters for me were the last three, which dealt with the challenges of relationships, learning from mistakes and navigating the confusing world of social rules using game theory and machine learning. They were most eye-opening to me both due to my own challenges with an anxiety disorder and being kind to myself, and because of my relative ignorance on the topics.
Importantly, the book also celebrates the value of neurodiversity in our society, something that is really only just beginning to be discussed. My favourite people embody the full spectrum of neurodiversity and I see their value implicitly. Each of those people has struggled in the workplace because of how their diversity is perceived, just like Millie struggles with people viewing her as rude or emotional. Some of those dear friends have wished away their neurodiversity after difficult encounters at work and heavy criticism. I say the same thing to them as I would say to Millie: never change. Once you are in the right environment with people that can see how to use the value your neurodiversity brings, you will thrive.
Millie tackles all this with a sense of humour and understanding even for the people that have misunderstood her. The latter is probably the most impressive of all. I would be especially interested to see reviews from individuals with ASD and ADHD, so get reading!