"This is a story of two battles, a battle to keep out 'the world' and a battle to join it."
She inhabits a place of chaos, cacophony, and dancing... read full description
reviews
Dec 16, 2009
En
rated it: 
I read the Indonesia version.
Yang paling menakjubkan saya rasakan secara pribadi adalah kemampuannya bertahan dan mwujudkan cita-cita. Dalam keterbatasan yang luar biasa menyulitkan baik diri sendiri maupun orang lain, tapi Donna Williams bisa terus bergerak dan melakukan hal-hal yang dia inginan. Memperoleh pendidikan seperti orang lain, bekerja seperti orang lain dan hidup seperti orang lain, dnegan kemampuannya sendiri. Dan yang istimewa lagi...dia bisa berkeliling dunia bahkan dengan k More...
Yang paling menakjubkan saya rasakan secara pribadi adalah kemampuannya bertahan dan mwujudkan cita-cita. Dalam keterbatasan yang luar biasa menyulitkan baik diri sendiri maupun orang lain, tapi Donna Williams bisa terus bergerak dan melakukan hal-hal yang dia inginan. Memperoleh pendidikan seperti orang lain, bekerja seperti orang lain dan hidup seperti orang lain, dnegan kemampuannya sendiri. Dan yang istimewa lagi...dia bisa berkeliling dunia bahkan dengan k More...
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Aug 08, 2011
Iona
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This is quite a challenging book for me to review. It is an autobiographical account by an Australian girl called Donna who has "characters",as she terms them, named Carol and Willie.
Donna adopted the identity of these "characters" at times of need, Willie appeared to her when she was about two and "was no more than a pair of piercing green eyes whcih could only be seen in the darkness". Willie became the self Donna directed to the outside world, with his More...
Donna adopted the identity of these "characters" at times of need, Willie appeared to her when she was about two and "was no more than a pair of piercing green eyes whcih could only be seen in the darkness". Willie became the self Donna directed to the outside world, with his More...
Aug 21, 2009
Lelly
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Batinku sakit melihat kedua staf membombardir gadis kecil itu dengan tubuh mereka, napas mereka, bau mereka, tawa mereka, gerakan dan kebisingan mereka. Seperti orang gila, menggoyang-goyangkan mainan ular dan berbagai objek lain ke muka si gadis; seperti sepasang penyihir yang terlalu bersemangat dan berharap mampu menghancurkan pengaruh jahat autisme, seperti ahli bedah yang mengoperasi dengan alat-alat berkebun tanpa menggunakan obat bius. Dan gadis kecil itu berteriak: tubuhnya bergoyang-goy
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Jul 27, 2011
Readyourselfhealthy
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This book--along with Someone Somewhere--is difficult to get through. It chronicles the life of the author, starting with an abusive and horrible childhood that is at times, very difficult to get through. It is certainly not a typical account of autism, with the author being at least very high functioning. I was not sure at all reading the book if the author was autistic, but she definitely has her difficulties. What is insightful in the book is the explanation and description of sensory process
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Feb 25, 2011
Toni
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An amazing accomplishment, for sure. Detailed depiction from inside the head of a badly abused autistic child and adolescent. Her memory is amazing, too, I think. There are so many sad, painful, truly horrific stories here -- pretty depressing, actually -- though sometimes relieved by comic moments. (The buttonholer machine story did make me chuckle.) The photos looked -- to me -- like those of a normal child, though the author interprets them as "evidence" of her condition (which, I u
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Apr 06, 2011
Ilie
rated it:
Brava. Brava. Brava. A rare and believable look into the world of an autistic woman that found her way out of this daunting condition. Williams writes with unmistakable clarity and eloquence as she illuminates a rarely seen journey.
This is not to be surpassed by her next book [Somebody Somewhere:]. A must-read for anyone who is interested in the dynamic associations of perception and sensory processing conditions.
This is not to be surpassed by her next book [Somebody Somewhere:]. A must-read for anyone who is interested in the dynamic associations of perception and sensory processing conditions.
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Feb 04, 2010
Lynn
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I read this while I was researching my thesis, as a break - it stared out at me through the bookshelves - I tend to always sit at the same corner (the psychology corner). So I picked up this memoir and read the front page. It got me hooked, so I read on. It gave me a peek into the life of a terribly adorable autistic child. I somehow can identify with her - I know how to access the space between reality and non-reality.
I especially loved the pictures that used to illustrate the story More...
I especially loved the pictures that used to illustrate the story More...
Dec 14, 2010
Nanny
rated it:
Kisah perjuangan seorang gadis autis yang terlahir dari keluarga miskin dan hidup teraniaya. Menambah pengetahuan tentang anak autis., layak untuk dibaca oleh orang tua atau pendidik yang menangani autis.
"aku tidak tahu bagaimana menuntut untuk dipahami. Aku tersesat, terjebak dan aku sedang membuat pernyataan..Waktu itu usiaku 9 tahun dan aku hampir-hampir dikirim ke rumah sakit jiwa .."
"aku tidak tahu bagaimana menuntut untuk dipahami. Aku tersesat, terjebak dan aku sedang membuat pernyataan..Waktu itu usiaku 9 tahun dan aku hampir-hampir dikirim ke rumah sakit jiwa .."
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Jan 26, 2009
Barky
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Donna Williams wasn’t diagnosed with autism until she was in her mid-late twenties – and she self-diagnosed at that point and had already written her autobiography, which she then shared with a physician who told her that it should be published. She had a very rocky childhood with a mother and older brother who were at least verbally abusive (her mother was also occasionally physically abusive). Donna’s relationship with her father was better, but he remained aloof or distant. She spent some
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Nov 09, 2010
adllto
rated it:
I last read this book in 1994 when I returned home from Canada and just reread it over the last 3 days. It remains as starling as the day I first read it. The autobiography, dare I say it, the impossible autobiography of someone with autism is something special. I've learned that for those with autism the ability to communicate is almost a miracle in itself and yet they produce gifted and savants.
I must confess the vivid and slightly random style drew me into another way of thinking wh More...
I must confess the vivid and slightly random style drew me into another way of thinking wh More...
Jan 02, 2009
Dave
rated it:
Donna Williams' autobiographical novel is at once frightening and uplifting, heartwarming and bewildering. With rare clarity and prose that ranges from painfully stumbling to painfully elegant, she recounts her childhood and her journey from being a disembodied entity simultaneously cut off from the rest of the world and remorselessly battered by by her rebellious senses; to a functioning person, able to... well, write really captivating autobiographical novels- an uncommon triumph for someone s
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Feb 27, 2009
Lindsay
rated it:
Donna Williams definitely has a lot going on, but she tells her story beautifully and really does give you some insight into 'her world' and how someone on the autistic spectrum may experience reality. Her artful and touching story is an insightful account of a girl struggling to negotiate between two worlds and to develop an understanding of herself. While there are debates about how truly 'autistic' she is (as there are many other issues evident in her life, such as sever emotional and physic
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Jan 12, 2009
Merilee
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This book is interesting for me, because I work with students with autism. It was difficult to read at times, because the author has suffered a great deal of abuse throughout her life, and so it was heavy. But there were gems in there - answers to why she did the things I see my students doing, which were well worth the read.
If nothing else, the two sections after the conclusion of her story at the back, where she describes the meaning of her "language" and tips for int More...
If nothing else, the two sections after the conclusion of her story at the back, where she describes the meaning of her "language" and tips for int More...
Aug 01, 2011
Tracy
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I read this book when I was in college and loved it, so decided to give it a try again. It's basically the autobiography of a woman deemed "mad" when she was growing up and ends in her twenties when she finally comes to discover that she's actually autistic. The insight readers gain into autism is amazing. The back actually features a section that clarifies why Donna does specific
"behaviours" typical to autism. The story line itself isn't exactly riveting but it isn't at all More...
"behaviours" typical to autism. The story line itself isn't exactly riveting but it isn't at all More...
Feb 07, 2012
Rachel
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This was interesting, but it started to feel kind of repetitive by the end. It's certainly a valuable resource, in that it gives a view of autism from the inside out. However, it also brings home the point that autistic people are still unique individuals, since her experiences are not typical. Unfortunately for me, I don't think I gained a ton of perspective for the boy I work with at the school, since he doesn't have the problems with physical touch and human contact that Donna did. Still w
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Oct 04, 2010
Cheryl in CC NV
rated it:
Wow. Definitely recommended reading for therapists and teachers. Maybe not recommended so much for loving parents, because Donna Williams credits her mother's bad parenting for giving her (Donna) the strength to develop her own identity in the world. In that way it reminds me of Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's, written by John Elder Robison and influenced by his brother, Augusten Burroughs. Heartwrenching, heartwarming, and educational.
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Aug 28, 2011
Sweetdhee
rated it:
kisah luar biasa yang diceritakan dengan cara yang membosankan
Donna Williams merasa 'mati' saat ia berumur tiga tahun
Donna menjadi Willie saat dunia menyentuhnya, menyiksanya, meledeknya
Donna menjadi Carol saat ia ingin dunia menerimanya
Donna menjadi Donna saat ia sendiri
Ketidakadilan yang dialami Donna akan perlakuan ibunya, kakak dan adik lakilakinya
Ketidakberdayaan ayahnya untuk melindunginya dari kekejaman dunia
Donna berjuang
A More...
Donna Williams merasa 'mati' saat ia berumur tiga tahun
Donna menjadi Willie saat dunia menyentuhnya, menyiksanya, meledeknya
Donna menjadi Carol saat ia ingin dunia menerimanya
Donna menjadi Donna saat ia sendiri
Ketidakadilan yang dialami Donna akan perlakuan ibunya, kakak dan adik lakilakinya
Ketidakberdayaan ayahnya untuk melindunginya dari kekejaman dunia
Donna berjuang
A More...
Jan 27, 2009
Jennifer
rated it:
Another of many books I have read, because I have a child with autism. Ms. Williams' account is enlightening and heart breaking and a must read for any person working with or living with someone afflicted with autism. Her insights will enlighten and educate others about the complicated, mysterious affliction growing too rapidly in our country to ignore any longer.
Jul 30, 2008
megh
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Sad book about how a child with autism should not be raised. Way too depressing for me. And usually I find a certain comfort in depression, but this was to upsetting for me. Didn't finish it because I thought I wouldn't be able to handle another "Slap" written into the story. Made me want to break something.... maybe it wasn't the depressing-ness that bothered me....maybe I got too angry. Anyways, I wouldn't recommend this book to other parents of children with autism.
Maybe I wil More...
Maybe I wil More...
Apr 21, 2009
Mhill1228
rated it:
While interesting, it was hard to tell what part of the book was written due to the autism and what part was as a result of the child abuse she suffered. Still, some of the sensory things she described helped me to understand how people with autism experience the world in a dramatically different way from the rest of us.
Oct 14, 2011
Sandra
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This was a very insightful book; however, right after receiving an autism diagnosis on one of your children is not the best time to read it. I read this book about 12 years ago and some of her passages still come to mind when I wonder why my son acts like he does.
Jan 22, 2008
Kym
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This is a must read. Just to get a little look into the world of a person who is autistic is amazing. it certainly opened my eyes up a little more. i think every adult should read this, and teachers, special care teachers etc. certainly should ASAP.. this woman is amazing and has something to teach us all. who are we to say what is normal, maybe our normal is all wrong. I love books about the woring of the mind, as i find it so interesting, but this book went beyond the things i would normally r
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May 12, 2011
Katie Lynn
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Didn't love this book until the Afterword; that made the book for me. Keeping this one on my shelf and would recommend I re-read the Afterword on occasion.
Does EVERYONE read themselves in these types of books? Is that what the autism spectrum really is... everyone?
Does EVERYONE read themselves in these types of books? Is that what the autism spectrum really is... everyone?
Dec 23, 2008
Sian
rated it:
Sangat inspiratif, menguatkan untuk keluarga yang memiliki anak autistik. Bagi "orang luar", memberi pemahaman yang mudah-mudahan bisa membangkitkan semangat untuk peduli, toleran, dan melakukan sesuatu untuk membantu mereka dan keluarga.
Oct 02, 2010
Michèle
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I heard Peter Gzowski interview Ms. Williams when her book was published in 1992. The interview was spellbinding and I subsequently read the book. It is a book about courage, determination, despair and hope.
May 16, 2010
Rachel
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A book by a very high functioning woman with Autism. Very interesting. Definitely worth the read if you have any interest in Autism. It's a story of survival and success. Interesting and worthy of discussion.
Jul 17, 2008
Chassidy
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I enjoyed reading this book because it gives you a glimpse into one person's life, that could be anyone and everyone's battles. While it was often confusing going back in forth between her Willie personality, Carol personality and her true personality i feel like it captured the inner turmoils so well, for the reader. I learned how far we have come, and how far we have to go with autism and communication disorders. I thought she was very brave in taking off on her own and traveling to other cou
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Apr 14, 2009
Tom
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Great insight to the world of someone who suffers with mild to moderate Autism. It helped me understand some of the emotional effects and constraints of this mysterious disorder.
Apr 01, 2009
Jacqueline
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Great insight on autism. I wasn't sure how this book would be enjoyable (it's pretty bleak), but understanding the complexity of this disorder is the real benefit.
Jan 23, 2009
Debbie
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she is really brave, trying to figure out why she is so different,and not getting support from her family or finding people that understand her. she keeps trying.
