“Astounding, unusual, unique, extremely personal view from the inside out.” PattyMacDotComma
“A brilliant memoir that I related to very much! Highly recommended reading. I could not put this book down.” Maxine Groves (Booklover Catlady Reviews) Top Ranked Reviewer
“As soon as I started this memoir I knew I was in the process of a life-changing read.” Carrie
“A useful memoir that serves as a self-help book as well for those who have autism, know someone with it, or are interested in learning how to communicate and relate to others better.” Pamela Crane
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Wearing my mask of rules,
I imitate the person,
You expect me to be.
Am I wrong to deceive you?
How could we interact otherwise?
What would the world see?
A life spent in coping,
Alone, overwhelmed and ignorant,
Cannot be my whole story.
Why am I this way?
And without this disguise,
Who is the real me?
Written after Warren was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome at age 43, this is a memoir focused on the cause, effects and outcomes of being born different from others. You will find fascinating personal stories placed against technical information to give an understanding of autism that is wider than Warren’s own story. Warren shares the plain truth of his life, ways that he overcame adversity, and that self-understanding is critical to be the best version of yourself, whether you are in or out of the autism spectrum.
Human: Finding myself in the autism spectrum is the book by Warren Mayocchi. Stay up to date on the latest news with facebook.
A knowledgeable yet intimate account that takes you through the marvelous intricacy of a human mind.
Dr Winnie Yu Pow Lau, Clinical Psychologist Tony Attwood’s Clinic
Having read several books on this subject, mainly in order to help develop some coping strategies for my daughter who has Semantic Pragmatic Disorder, I found this account more helpful than most.
Whilst being very personal, and I can only imagine how difficult that was, the detail was sequenced well, clear and easy to read. I especially liked the “Asperger’s Syndrome Primary and Secondary Features” table which is concise and relevant. The section on Autistic Burnout was enlightening and I think schools and HR departments everywhere should read and understand this. Our own term at home for this is “meltdown”, and the consequences of not dealing with it early enough are painful and significant.
This book, will not only help those diagnosed with Asperger’s, but spouses, parents, care givers and employers too.
Whether you are an Aspie yourself, a parent or carer or one, an educator or professional you will get something great from this book. After reading so much on the topic I have lost faith in a lot of books as I find them repetitive and nothing new touches me or educates me. Warren’s book is one of only two memoirs I have read where I was really nodding my head a lot and saying “I get it, I get it”.
I give this one an easy five stars and really recommend it highly.
Maxine (Booklover Catlady Reviews) Top Ranked Reviewer
By drawing upon his personal struggles, Mayocchi provides a rare and profound insight not only into Asperger’s but also the fragility and vulnerability of human existence. Mayocchi illustrates the challenges of living in harmony with himself, whilst adhering to a strict set of rules designed to allow an inconspicuous existence in a judgmental world. Through these illustrations, I found my own insecurities being bought to the surface and was forced to examine my fears, prejudices and ultimately my self-understanding and purpose. Human is a unique book which is truly a seminal text I would recommend for all readers both on and off the spectrum.
Jody Connelly
An incredibly insightful look at autism from an autistic person’s point of view. As the mother of an autistic child, this was a detailed and thoroughly helpful book that gave an intimate glimpse into how they think, how they feel, and how they process. I’ve found my son’s mind to be a cryptic puzzle for me at times, leaving me often baffled at how to communicate better with him. But this book breaks many of these complexities down so that I can understand him better. A useful memoir that serves as a self-help book as well for those who have autism, know someone with it, or are interested in learning how to communicate and relate to others better.
Despite any former knowledge of Asperger’s that a person may have, this book is guaranteed to teach the reader something new.
By using real life examples Mayocchi reveals an insight into his own personal struggle living on the autism spectrum, to live cohesively in a mainstream society. The most interesting thing that sets this book apart is the breaking down of the strict set of rules which the author abides by to avoid situations which reveal him as different.
Highly recommend “Human” as an insightful read.
Tyler Hofmann
As someone with late in life diagnosed Asperger I found this book to reach somewhere inside me where I thought I was alone and bring it to the surface showing me I am in fact not alone in my struggles, please read this book if you have any interest in autism.
I usually don’t read non-fiction (especially non historical none-fiction) but I was drawn to this book because I wanted to learn more about Aspergers and Autism Spectrum Disorder. This book is different because it was actually written by an adult with Autism. For me this makes this book totally different from books written by professionals. Warren Mayocchi knows he is different his whole life but does not know how. He is constantly using energy to ‘fake it’ in the real world. As a result his relationships and job performance suffer.
I liked this book. I think our society concentrates on children with Aspergers/Autism but what about these kids when they grow up? They still have Autism but with a different set of problems. Also, such as was the case with Warren, there was no talk of Autism 30 or so years ago. As a result many adults today push through life with Autism with these conditions without even knowing it.
I recommend this book that may have someone in their life with Aspergers/Autism or suspect someone in their life has it.
This book is indispensable for anyone seeking to understand the thought processes and behavior of Asperger’s Syndrome. Mayocchi vividly describes the day-to-day “grind” life becomes when people and society don’t make any sense.
Mayocchi’s story has a lesson for everyone, regardless of whether you are interested in autism, or affected by someone with it, or suffering from it: if you spend every day doing things that make you miserable because you think you’re supposed to and have no other choice, it will break you. Most people, in my experience, never learn this lesson. This book is your opportunity.
What I like most about this book is Mayocchi’s unashamed honesty. And this book isn’t a memoir of a functioning autistic who overcomes all the obstacles to become a rock-and-roll star, or a billionaire, or a famous inventor or an olympic gold medalist. His story is the story of the rest of us — overcoming all the obstacles to simply understand that there’s a reason we are how we are, that we belong, and that we are, despite all the evidence our logical mind can muster, human after all.
The story has several hilarious moments and many deeply moving moments. Also after 48 years I FINALLY learned what the expression “a stitch in time saves nine” means! That was always perplexing.
This book compelling enough for me to write my first Goodreads review. Enough said.
Human : Finding myself in the autism spectrum, is a fascinating and complex blending of creative non-fiction in your life story with carefully detailed analyses of information about autism. Balancing the creative and factual aspects of narrative can’t have been easy but you do it well. Your achievement in interweaving your story and the subject of autism is in part due to your willingness to reveal your difficulties as a person experiencing life from within the autism spectrum. Your book gives the reader a very clear understanding of the challenges, as well as the strengths, in seeing the world through this lens.
The struggle to overcome adversity along with the courage to continue the quest for understanding and a sense of self-worth make for engaging reading. The challenges, strategies and solutions you describe would interest readers who are looking for answers as well as readers for whom the subject itself holds interest. There’s nothing quite like being inside an experience to understand it, and your book gives the reader this opportunity.
Your memoir has a very good balance of personal experience, social expectations, diagnostics and medical discourses around autism. Your ability to describe your experience of living in the spectrum, and to research it, brings a wealth of information to the public about an often unrecognised and very confusing condition.
Dr Maria Simms, Author and Editor
An interesting read from inside the spectrum.
This is a very in depth, technical and personal account of someone who was diagnosed as autistic. There are many pages from clinical journals and hence this is not an introductory guide or for anyone who has not already read up the subject or has some prior medical terminology knowledge.
There are some wonderful scenarios and “things to give you an idea”, like the Rubik cube – one side appears normal, or almost done – but the rest is in chaos.
Warren ends up being diagnosed with Asperger’s and whilst on the same spectrum is very different from “normal” autism and needs to be treated as such. He is clearly a talented, sporty man who can very much see “outside the box” technically but not always with other human beings. An argument on a train journey concluded with him reading a book and his wife taking over the debate!
For anyone dealing with someone with autism or Asperger’s (or both) this is a useful tool to give the personal perspective of how the world functions to them. Written with a touch of pathos and much humour to situations Warren found himself in, this is a touching story of a brave and talented man. Through feeling suicidal, to living “until the next film or book” and taking each day at a time with all of the terrors it holds (Will I do the right things, what if they hate me, what if they like me?) this put you right there.
A very interesting read for me as I have a medical interest having worked in the medical field. Not a book for everyone but for those that pick this up this is a unique insight into that “wired” spectrum.
Be proud Warren – you have and can do it! (Whatever “it” might be!)
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