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A review by turninpages_sippintea
Untypical: How the World Isn't Built for Autistic People and What We Should All Do About it by Pete Wharmby
funny
informative
reflective
fast-paced
3.5
I switched to the audiobook about halfway through, and it instantly became more enjoyable. I suppose the typical British deadpan passive aggressive humor is best understood when actually heard and not read.
Personally, I think the only neurotypicals who'll find this book eye-opening will be the ones who are already quite accepting and open-minded. The rest (the ones who actually make all those rules that are so unforgiving towards autistic people) might not be persuaded, possibly because of the sarcastic and disgruntled tone of the book. It doesn't mean that the book should never have been written - on the opposite, I found the personal experiences described here very relatable, and it's incredibly validating knowing that I'm not the only one who struggles so much with depression, chronic stress, and the whole social aspect of, well, society. But that's why I think the book shouldn't make even hints of promises of trying to explain autism to neurotypicals. It's just not it.
There were also a couple things that didn't work for me personally.
The first is a very contradictory claim in the beginning that the author is by no means trying to speak for all autistic people. And it's contradictory because just a few pages later he takes on a role of an intermediary of sorts between the neurodivergent and neurotypical folks. I found that... weird. It sounded like, "I can't represent interests and experiences of the autistic community because everyone's different, but actually let me represent interests and experiences of the autistic community because I got diagnosed 6 years ago". (Yet another reason why I think the book should've just been marketed as a collection of essays of a late-diagnosed autistic man.)
And the second one is an astounding lack of academic references. I understand that the whole sphere is severely under-researched, but if you make claims about statistics, the "I asked some people on twitter" won't suffice.
To sum up, it's not a bad book. If you are either already diagnosed or suspecting being on the spectrum, you'll find it quite validating.
Personally, I think the only neurotypicals who'll find this book eye-opening will be the ones who are already quite accepting and open-minded. The rest (the ones who actually make all those rules that are so unforgiving towards autistic people) might not be persuaded, possibly because of the sarcastic and disgruntled tone of the book. It doesn't mean that the book should never have been written - on the opposite, I found the personal experiences described here very relatable, and it's incredibly validating knowing that I'm not the only one who struggles so much with depression, chronic stress, and the whole social aspect of, well, society. But that's why I think the book shouldn't make even hints of promises of trying to explain autism to neurotypicals. It's just not it.
There were also a couple things that didn't work for me personally.
The first is a very contradictory claim in the beginning that the author is by no means trying to speak for all autistic people. And it's contradictory because just a few pages later he takes on a role of an intermediary of sorts between the neurodivergent and neurotypical folks. I found that... weird. It sounded like, "I can't represent interests and experiences of the autistic community because everyone's different, but actually let me represent interests and experiences of the autistic community because I got diagnosed 6 years ago". (Yet another reason why I think the book should've just been marketed as a collection of essays of a late-diagnosed autistic man.)
And the second one is an astounding lack of academic references. I understand that the whole sphere is severely under-researched, but if you make claims about statistics, the "I asked some people on twitter" won't suffice.
To sum up, it's not a bad book. If you are either already diagnosed or suspecting being on the spectrum, you'll find it quite validating.