I loved the movie Temple Grandin and wanted to read the books on which the film was based. So for me, the interesting parts of the book are the narratives and vignettes of Ms. Grandin's life. But because this book was written to educate caregivers of autistic persons on how to educate and understand autistic behavior, there is a lot of explanations of what could have been the cause of autism, what treatments/therapies are effective....etc. Those sections I began to skip as I got further into the book. Ms. Grandin provided many first-hand documents from her life in the book. We got to read her diary, her mother's letters to her, a health report form her mother filled out....While these are valuable memos to Ms. Grandin's life story, I feel they dragged on the narrative rather than enhanced it because of their length. In terms of storytelling, the film did better. ( )

Temple Grandin is such an amazing person. I really enjoyed this book. It was well put-together and easy to follow. Grandin's insight into her experience with autism is awe-inspiring. Having read her book Thinking in Pictures: My Life with Autism first, this book clarified a lot of important concepts that I did not fully understand the importance of previously, such as the symbol of doors. If you are at all interested in Autism Spectrum Disorders, I highly recommend this book. It's a quick read and definitely worth it. Grandin goes through each stage of her life from early childhood to young adulthood and describes her own hardships and successes in living with autism. While no two individuals with ASDs are the same, Grandin gives insight into her own life, which may be beneficial to others. It is also an important tool in better understanding how some individuals with ASDs see the world ( )

Biographical account by a woman with autism of her childhood and development to become a successful professional.

Temple Grandin is a fascinating woman. Diagnosed autistic as a child, Grandin went on to become a PhD holding animal behavioralist who has designed a third of all the livestock-handling facilities in the U.S., including those used by McDonalds. She is a passionate advocate for the humane treatment of livestock, and she also lectures worldwide on autism, both from her own perspective and as a researcher. She has written five books, of which Emergence: Labeled Autistic was the first, published in 1986 and reissued in 2005.

Emergence is an autobiography focusing primarily on her childhood and youth: how she was diagnosed, her mother’s advocacy for her, and the difficulties she encountered, particularly in adolescence. Nine years later, Grandin wrote a second autobiography Thinking in Pictures, and I found that to be the more interesting of the two. Thinking in Pictures reflects not only a more mature writing style, but also describes her thought processes and how she understands the people and animals around her. It includes the salient points from Emergence, so reading both is superfluous. Do read Thinking in Pictures, however, if you haven’t already. Her story transcends autism, the treatment of animals, and the Oscars, and adds another page to the story of humanity. ( )

Emergence tells the story of a woman with autism. It is mostly a summary of her youth. She describes memories of being teased by other children, confused by their actions, and the reasons and feelings behind her own unusual behavior. She talks about teachers who mentored her, and how her own internal symbolism enabled her to make goals and finish high school and college. Included in this short book are letters by Grandin's psychiatrists and teachers (written to her mother), which give a different point of view; facts and data about autism, and the original checklist Grandin's mother filled out about her behavior when she was diagnosed. As it stands alone, this book can feel rather incomplete and brief. But read in conjunction with Thinking in Pictures, it completes the story, adding many new insights and details of this extraordinary woman's life.

From the Dog Ear Diary ( )