Nobody Nowhere : The Extraordinary Autobiography of an Autistic

Rating:
Summary: A bit disappointing
Review: The content of this book was truly engaging, but the author's disjointed manner of writing and her constant display of self-importance put me off.

Rating:
Summary: Nobody Nowhere could deny the power of this book!
Review: This book was amazing! I was floored by the look inside of the author's life. While I realize autisum take various forms within persons, this was an eye-opener to me. At the time I read this book I was working with an Autistic teenager, and it altered my view and perception of what she was going through. I hope it made me more compassionate. I do believe it helped us to communicate better and have a better understanding of each other.
Simply wonderful!

Rating:
Summary: Try not to be critical
Review: This is a book that you have to truly read only for content. In that I mean that the language that permeates this book is disjointed, and the events that are chronicled seem to appear from nowhere and then disappear again. In short, it is written in a very 'stream of consciousness' way.
With this being said, if you can get past the disjointed form, it is a brilliant work of literature that gives more than a glance at the world of the autistic. Throughout this book, you take a ride through the world of an autistic from her first memories until the present day. This book does not pull any punches, and through years of therapy, she is able to analyze herself and her many actions through the years to make this an easy and gripping read for both the psychologist and the uninitiated.

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating
Review: This is a fascinating book that has a lot to teach us about how the human brain works and "malfunctions" (for want of a better word.)
One person has said that this book is depressing and might frighten a newly diagnosed family.
The answer to this is that this book needs to be read in conjunction with it's sequel "Somebody Somewhere" which IS uplifting and inspiring and explains what it feels like to be autistic still furthur. This woman becomes a teacher in the end, despite being discriminated against by one of the teachers. (The only teacher at the teacher's college who knows she has the disorder ,a cautionary tale to those who consider revealing their "disorders" to those who have power over them.)
There is so much in depth information about what autism feels like and the way in which autistics and those whith disorders on the autistic spectrum see and experience life compared to the way in which others do.
As a sufferer of Attention Deficit Disorder myself I could relate to the way in which Donna experienced the world differently from others even though my experiences and problems are different. My friend with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder also really related even though her problems are very different. So I would recommend these two books to anyone suffering with a neurological disability, learning disability or mental disorder.
The reviewer who insists this book is about child abuse is very blinkered in their thinking.
Williams makes it VERY clear that she does not belive that her mother's abuse caused her autistic symptoms and in fact says it is a blessing that her mother was not the type to hug her a lot because as an autistic with sensory troubles who finds touch very uncomfortable she finds hugs physically painful.
Certainly a loving family could have helped her find help for her problems sooner however.

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating
Review: This is a fascinating book that has a lot to teach us about how the human brain works and "malfunctions" (for want of a better word.)
One person has said that this book is depressing and might frighten a newly diagnosed family.
This is probably true however, this book needs to be read in conjunction with it's sequel "Somebody Somewhere" which IS uplifting and inspiring and explains what it feels like to be autistic in even greater depth. The two books must be read in sequence. This woman becomes a teacher in the end, despite being discriminated against by one of the teachers. The only teacher at the teacher's college who knew she had the disorder. (a cautionary tale to those who consider revealing their "disorders" to those who have power over them.)
There is so much in depth information about what autism feels like and the way in which autistics and those whith disorders on the autistic spectrum see and experience life compared to the way in which others do.
As a sufferer of Attention Deficit Disorder myself I could relate to the way in which Donna experienced the world differently from others even though my experiences and problems are different. My friend with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder also really related, even though her problems are very different too. So I would recommend these two books to anyone suffering with a neurological disability, learning disability or mental disorder.
The reviewer who insists this book is about child abuse is very blinkered in their thinking.

Williams makes it VERY clear that she does not belive that her mother's abuse caused her autistic symptoms and in fact says it is a blessing that her mother was not the type to hug her a lot because as an autistic with sensory troubles who finds touch very uncomfortable she finds hugs physically painful.
Certainly a loving family could have helped her find help for her problems sooner however. There is no doubt she had a very abusive mother but Donna expresses the opinion that this did not cause her disorder.

Rating:
Summary: Powerful...
Review: This was the first book I read about autsim, by an autistic person, and it is one of my favorites. The other two are also by Donna Williams, "Somebody Somewhere" and "Like Color to the Blind." It's fascinating to read all three and watch her writing style and structure change as she learns to adapt to her environment and work within the limits of her condition.

In "Nobody Nowhere," the writing style is unmistakably that of an autistic, with all the emotional and psychological baggage that implies. If it seems egocentric, it's because at this relatively early stage in her development, she is still egocentric. Some have called it "disjointed" as well, and it is. This too seems to mirror her thought processes, and gives a unique insight into the way her mind works and the way she experiences the world.

This is not an easy book to read. Donna writes with a clinical, detatched emotional style about some pretty horrific abuses that she suffered as a child, and her disconnection from her own experiences gives the book a harrowing, emotionally charged quality that becomes almost nightmarish at times (and this carries through with greater force in "Somebody Somewhere"). I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to learn about autism, but probably not as a first read if your child has just been diagnosed.

Once you've finished with her autobiographical series, move on to Donna's other books, "Autism and Sensing" and "Exposure Anxiety". I can't recommend them enough.

Rating:
Summary: A must read
Review: Whether you live with and autistic, deal with one, or none. This is a "must read" book for everyone. It'll help you realize and understand autism, and autistic people.

Rating:
Summary: What it's REALLY like to be autistic
Review: Wow! I have a son with high-functioning autism, so I read everything on the subject. I've read technical books, personal accounts and everything in-between. But NO book, before Nobody Nowhere, could tell me what it's really like to be autistic. Donna Williams has an amazing gift for writing and describing her experiences in living detail. I was so engrossed in this book; I could hardly put it down. Williams' is a haunting story, but one that now serves to help others. I am so grateful she wrote this book!