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80th out of 856 books
—
1,224 voters
Thinking in Pictures: My Life with Autism
Temple Grandin, Ph.D., is a gifted animal scientist who has designed one third of all the livestock-handling facilities in the United States. She also lectures widely on autism—because Temple Grandin is autistic, a woman who thinks, feels, and experiences the world in ways that are incomprehensible to the rest of us.
In this unprecedented book, Grandin delivers a report fr...more
In this unprecedented book, Grandin delivers a report fr...more
Paperback, Expanded Edition, 240 pages
Published
January 10th 2006
by Vintage
(first published 1995)
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40th out of 413 books
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428 voters
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The tragedy of this book is that even as Temple Grandin's crusade to help slaughter farm animals humanely led to many changes, I tend to doubt these changes are still in effect. Particularly management imparting a sense of care and concern for the animals. I live near a plant she designed. This plant, until a year ago, was staffed by many illegal immigrants. Many of the current staff are Monolinguals (non-English). And some from cultures that do not revere (and in fact mutilate)female human bein...more
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Temple Grandin made it very clear how autism affected her as a child and as an adult. She was lucky to have her mom's, her aunt's, and teachers' help to help Temple through the hard times. Being a visual learner, Temple has a memory which retains visual pictures in her head like a CD. She has a video library in her head with all of her memories. She uses these videos to create livestock design projects and humane facilities for cattle.
Temple has always identified with animals, in their thinking...more
Temple has always identified with animals, in their thinking...more
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Saw her on C-Span in an hour and a half long sit down w/Steve. It's still up. Moved me to tears, am dyslexic, and loved her characterization of our difficulties. She's a treasure. Too many of my friends have born children who are somewhere on the spectrum. I've been promoting her, and gifting her books to them, in hopes that they'll hear her central message, which is:
people on the spectrum only ever get better.
people on the spectrum only ever get better.
This is a fascinating book written by a woman with high-functioning autism. Temple Grandin describes her life struggles and triumphs. Her unique way of thinking allows her to really identify with animals and to be able to look at situations from their point of view. This talent has allowed her to design very humane slaughterhouses for cattle. She has revolutionized the cattle industry in the US with her designs, which are also being widely copied. Grandin has an analytical mind and earnest feeli...more
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This book is an amazing source of information about autism that covers a wide range of topics, from sensory over sensitivity problems in autism to how to develop talent as an Aspergian or a high-functioning autistic individual, with great details both from Grandin's personal experiences and scientific studies. Not surprisingly, Grandin has an exceptional memory that allows her to tell vividly each of the the stages in her life steps that she has taken, decisions she has made towards now. The des...more
I really liked this book - saw the movie first a few weeks ago. How because of her autistic mind she has a lot of trouble socially, but a lot of advantages in visually designing and figuring out why things don't work because of animal instinct/behavior.
Makes me feel a little like I'm missing out not being able to think (nearly) as visually as Temple Grandin.
And also makes me feel much better about eating meat. I tried going vegetarian for a while - can't do it. I need the protein and B vitamins....more
Makes me feel a little like I'm missing out not being able to think (nearly) as visually as Temple Grandin.
And also makes me feel much better about eating meat. I tried going vegetarian for a while - can't do it. I need the protein and B vitamins....more
Interesting person, this Temple Grandin! But such an anomaly, she's really no help to the rest of us -- you know, we who are always fiercely intelligent, usually disciplined, passionate, thirsty for facts and analyses, at times monomaniacal ...
She was an anomaly in that she was lucky to have a mother dedicated to shaping her daughter's environment and sculpting her brain. She is also a mainstream anomaly in that she is female. (The majority of cases for autism tend to be male.) And most importa...more
She was an anomaly in that she was lucky to have a mother dedicated to shaping her daughter's environment and sculpting her brain. She is also a mainstream anomaly in that she is female. (The majority of cases for autism tend to be male.) And most importa...more
Review
“I hardly know what to say about this remarkable book. . . It provides a way to understand the many kinds of sentience, human and animal, that adorn the earth.” –Elizabeth Marshall Thomas, author of The Hidden Life of Dogs
"There are innumerable astounding facets to this remarkable book. . . . Displaying uncanny powers of observation . . . [Temple Grandin] charts the differences between her life and the lives of those who think in words." –_The Philadelphia Inquirer_
“A uniquely fascinat
...more
I have to admit, I didn't read this book because I particularly wanted to. As a parent of an autistic child, many well-meaning people will ask, "Do you know about Temple Grandin?" I initially picked up the book just so I could say that I was familiar with her, and had read some of her work. I didn't expect to actually enjoy the book as much as I did. Dr. Grandin writes in a very straight forward, no nonsense fashion that I really found easy to follow. She does a fantastic job of explaining how h...more
The book is about Temple Grandin and living with autism. She is really a remarkable and amazing person. She was able to receive a Ph.D in Animal Science and currently an associate professor of animal sciences at Colorado State University. She frequently lectures about autism. Many people don't understand autism, so in effect they are afraid of it. People and scientists work on finding a cure for the "disease", which in my opinion it is not a disease but a natural progression of evolution.Many in...more
I have always been fascinated by autism. It's one of the reasons I became a Special Ed teacher. Temple Grandin gives the reader an inside view of how the brain of a person with autism works! It's unique that she is able to put her experiences and feelings into words for us to understand from the outside. I was interested in learning more about her life and her work with animals. She was able to use her autism as an advantage in her career because of her ability to think "like an animal." She als...more
Temple Grandin's book "Thinking in Pictures and Other Reports from My Life with Autism" is certainly a unique book. Grandin writes in simple, understandable prose about how she and others with autism cope with life. She describes the difficulties she has had with social encounters, and how she has learned how to relate to others on an intellectual, rather emotional level. Grandin has a Ph.D. in animal science. She has made a career of designing equipment for handling livestock.
Grandin describes...more
Grandin describes...more
I read Animals in Translation by Temple Grandin last year and loved it. I found her insights and speculations about the thought processes of animals (and people) truly intriguing. Reading the book felt like taking a privileged journey into a world so different from my own that nevertheless exists side by side with my own. In the case of my dog, that magical world lived entirely intertwined with my own, and I remember the absolute delight I felt when the author suggested that people and dogs migh...more
The writing doesn't flow easily, but it is written simply. Temple Grandin does a very good job of describing how the intake of information and the sharing of it is different for people with autism. Anyone who knows someone with autism or is dealing with it should consider this book. It's a good basic introduction to some related issues. She's an admirable woman, and I liked how forthright and persistent she is despite some of the obstacles she faced. She grappled with a lot of ignorance and sexi...more
An insider's look at autism. In my work I am always encouraging people not to pathologize; and I love this book for many reasons, foremost among them that she is able to look at her limitations as strengths. Grandin not only gives us a roadmap to autistic thinking and behavior but gives quick biographies of many geniuses and artists who were/are very likely autistic. This is an important book for every teacher and therapist, for anyone who works with people who are or feel like they are "outside...more
I have heard Temple Grandin on NPR over the years and have always been impressed. I recently watched the movie of the same name and it was excellent and really captured who she is and how she evolved to the person she is now in her sixties. This book, like my favorite "Quiet" should be read by everyone because while it is Temple's story, it is so much more. Through her own journey and those of her friends, she is able to explain so much about not only autistic people, but animal behavior and how...more
Temple Grandin, the author of this book, has the asperger's form of autism. She has a Ph.D. in animal science and compares the thinking process of autistic people to that of animals. She explains how it feels to her to be autistic, and she has learned from other people with autism, what it feels like to them as well.
She explains how she does not think in words, but rather visualizes everything in images. She believes that Einstein, Bill Gates and many other highly intelligent people have or had...more
She explains how she does not think in words, but rather visualizes everything in images. She believes that Einstein, Bill Gates and many other highly intelligent people have or had...more
High rating not because it was a masterpiece overall -- I sped-read the bulk of the book -- but it provides valuable insight into human nature. My great take-home message was that there are autistic elements in all of us, and very often they are our greatest qualities. Additionally, the concept of thinking without words is compelling.
The final two chapters of the book were truly captivating to me. She talks about geniuses and the autistic qualities displayed by people like Einstein and Feynman...more
The final two chapters of the book were truly captivating to me. She talks about geniuses and the autistic qualities displayed by people like Einstein and Feynman...more
A good book written by a well-known woman with autism, who has become a key authority in the cattle industry and also gives talks and writes upon the subject of autism. She covers many different topics related to the condition: growing up with autism, making use of your gifts and interests, how autistic people think differently, autism and the workplace, autism and biochemistry and medication, autism and relationships, autism and religion. She also talks about some famous people who had possibly...more
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A fascinating look at what its like to be autistic. Her mother was an amazing woman, no doubt, but she has a very valuable ability to interpret her inner life for the rest of us. I learned a great deal about the different ways of thinking that are not verbal--visual images, nonverbal sounds, patterns, match--and the problem of sensory overload that afflicts many autistic individuals. Her message of hope and her obvious passion for the lives of those who may be brilliant but need a great deal of...more
One of the theories about people on the autism spectrum is that they lack "theory of mind." Wikipedia defines that as: "the ability to attribute mental states—beliefs, intents, desires, pretending, knowledge, etc.—to oneself and others and to understand that others have beliefs, desires and intentions that are different from one's own." But the more I read about autism and spend time with children on the spectrum, the more I become convinced that we could as easily say that the world lacks the a...more
I really enjoyed this fascinating look at the mind of Temple Grandin, a woman with deeply visual thought processes who has designed one third of all livestock-handling facilities in the United States--and lives with autism. As a librarian, I felt a bit sentimental about Temple's stories of her high school mentor, a science teacher named Mr. Carlock, who taught her how to use the library. She writes, "The other teachers and professionals at the school wanted to discourage my weird interests and m...more
The way Temple Grandin writes and is able to express herself is so amazing. I have to admit, I especially enjoyed her movie as I felt it was so easy to understand what she was expressing watching her life in pictures!
I learned so much about what it was like for her to deal with having autism, plus how her mother and aunt dealt with her and her autism. Her mother really is her hero as she made sure her daughter received many opportunities that otherwise she would not have received. Her degree at...more
I learned so much about what it was like for her to deal with having autism, plus how her mother and aunt dealt with her and her autism. Her mother really is her hero as she made sure her daughter received many opportunities that otherwise she would not have received. Her degree at...more
What an inspiring human being! I never had considered autism/Asperger's traits to be potentially a genetic BENEFIT before. This book taught me so much about what it means to live with a Dx on the spectrum as well as how not all human beings think the same. I guess I'd never really thought about it much before but had assumed that everyone thinks the same way I do. I chalked my talents up to giftedness and my deficits up to just not being too smart in those areas like other people are. The book h...more
Oh, I love Temple Grandin. I didn't expect that I was going to. See, there's this boy - I'll call him Blake - who comes into the library with his mom every Wednesday. He gets some movies, and his mom gets the baby sign language DVDs, and he always gets a couple of science books. He waits patiently at the desk, and he's this picture of quivery anticipation when I walk up to help him, because he knows what he has to do. And he grins and he waves, awkwardly, a sort of half-wave, practiced over and...more
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This is an autobiography of Temple Grandin, a woman with autism. In it she describes how she thinks in pictures. She describes her mind as operating like 3-D computer programs - only much better! She believes that animals think in pictures and this is in part how she has come to designing animal handling (including slaughter) equipment.
I enjoyed reading the book and learning about how she and other autistics think. She explains well how baffling the world is to a person with autism, in terms of...more
I enjoyed reading the book and learning about how she and other autistics think. She explains well how baffling the world is to a person with autism, in terms of...more
The aspect of the book that stuck with me the most was her views on religion and death (probably because they are topics not often discussed in such a forthright manner). Since being married, I tend to think about death often and I felt a connection with the writer because her thoughts on death motivate her to work harder to make a difference in the present. I feel that way too and particularly think often about the legacy I'm leaving my children.
p. 199 "The possibility that a void exists afte...more
p. 199 "The possibility that a void exists afte...more
Something about this book rubs me, as a reader, the wrong way. Perhaps it is the way that the author presents ideas or feelings that she has experienced as a person who has autism as universally the case for all autistic people that makes her sound a bit more preachy or prescriptive than I like to hear from biographies. The personal bits of story-telling in this book is really interesting and well-written, but the other suggestive portions of her writing that talk about her ideas (forcefully and...more
Grandin is at her best when writing about her own life and work. Her insights into her talent for visual thinking are fascinating, and so is her description of her work process and the creativity of her inventions. Parents and caretakers of autistic children would likely benefit a great deal from her advice and explanations on how to communicate with their charges and loved ones. Her prose is simple, but often elegant and touching. The book falls down, though, in its attempt to describe and cont...more
amazon review:
Temple Grandin, Ph.D., is a gifted animal scientist who has designed one-third of all the livestock-handling facilities in the United States. She also lectures widely on autism--because Temple Grandin is autistic, a woman who thinks, feels, and experiences the world in ways that are incomprehensible to the rest of us.
In this unprecedented book, Grandin delivers a report from the country of autism. Writing from the dual perspectivies of a scientist and an autistic person, she tells...more
Temple Grandin, Ph.D., is a gifted animal scientist who has designed one-third of all the livestock-handling facilities in the United States. She also lectures widely on autism--because Temple Grandin is autistic, a woman who thinks, feels, and experiences the world in ways that are incomprehensible to the rest of us.
In this unprecedented book, Grandin delivers a report from the country of autism. Writing from the dual perspectivies of a scientist and an autistic person, she tells...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Autism and different brain modalities | 6 | 30 | Mar 24, 2013 01:33am |
Temple Grandin, Ph.D., didn't talk until she was three and a half years old, communicating her frustration instead by screaming, peeping, and humming. In 1950, she was diagnosed with autism and her parents were told she should be institutionalized. She tells her story of "groping her way from the far side of darkness" in her book Emergence: Labeled Autistic, a book which stunned the world because,...more
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“In an ideal world the scientist should find a method to prevent the most severe forms of autism but allow the milder forms to survive. After all, the really social people did not invent the first stone spear. It was probably invented by an Aspie who chipped away at rocks while the other people socialized around the campfire. Without autism traits we might still be living in caves.”
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54 people liked it
“But my favorite of Einstein's words on religion is "Science without religion is lame. Religion without science is blind." I like this because both science and religion are needed to answer life's great questions.”
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31 people liked it
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