Population: One: Autism, Adversity and the Will to Succeed

by Tyler McNamer

Welcome to the world of Tyler McNamer, author of Population: One: Autism, Adversity and the Will to Succeed. Tyler named his book Population: One because he lives in his own world where his is the only resident. Yet, he knows that when individuals come together and learn from each other, they can form entire galaxies. Tyler's autism provides him with a unique perspective when viewing the world. He hopes his readers will "switch eyes" with him for a short time because only by seeing things from another's perspective can we come to understand and care about each other.

Genres: Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography Memoir, Autobiography

205 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

In his eighteen years, Tyler Allan McNamer has been faced with many challenges, including being diagnosed as autistic. He always knew he was different from the other kids in school and different in how he saw the universe. Regardless, Tyler has embraced his differences and overcome his challenges. Tylers unique vision and leadership have made an impact on hundreds of kids and teachers from elementary to high school. He may be a little strange and different, but his intelligence, desire to help people, and his goal to write a book at such a young age have made him rise to the top. Tyler’s dream is to be a hero. At an early age, he said, “The best kind of freedom is the freedom to do good. It is what makes heroes.” Tyler believes that anyone can be a hero or heroine when that person has the freedom to do good. He wrote this book to show what he meant.

Tyler’s autism provides him with a unique perspective when viewing the world, so unique that he wrote this book as a senior in high school to share his thoughts, feelings, and views, but more importantly, to inspire others to overcome their own obstacles. Tyler hopes his readers will switch eyes with him for a short time because only by seeing things from anothers perspective can we come to understand and care about each other.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

By reading this book, you accept an invitation into Tyler's world, that of a teenager with autism. He shares stories and reflections on family, school, classmates, leadership, music, imagination, and life. He writes with clarity and candor. I learned a lot from "switching eyes" with Tyler and what I learned will make me a better educator and a more compassionate human being.

[Linds · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of essays written by a high functioning autistic teenager. His thought process can be counter intuitive to me and it helps me understand my son a little bit better.

[Michelle Munk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very inspirational!!

I have a 14 year old son with Autism. I saw this book posted on Facebook and bought it immediately. I love Tyler's positive attitude and his views on the world. I know that autism effects people differently. I did see similar views that my son has. The book gave me another perspective of how my son sees things. I took so much from this book in helping my own son and myself with the positives of life. Thank You Tyler for writing such an inspiring book!

[Timothy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was interested in this book because my youngest son is on the Autistic Spectrum. I like to hear stories of anyone who excels beyond the expectations of those around them. This is a book written from a perspective of an older child/young adult and the writing style reflects that. If your interested in reading a Autobiography of a young man you overcame obstacles. Mostly limits placed on him from the outside world. Then read this book.

[Max Hanawalt · Rating 1 out of 5]

Teenagers shouldn’t write autobiographical pieces. This book could have been renamed boomer in the making. He was judgmental and extremely self absorbed. He also switches between bitter and positive.

The positive is he suggests teachers and others shouldn’t talk down to an autistic person and he shines a dull light on bullying.

Don’t waste your time on this book there are much better books on autism.

[Beth Reynolds Winters · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is uniquely written and very thought provoking. It gave me a view of just how differently all of us, autistic or not view life.

[Leiloni Schulz]

"The kids in my school, however, want the newer stuff like the electronic iPad and all that 'i' stuff. If I were to rename the product, I would call it 'i-solation.'"

[Fabienne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not exactly what it was described as.

There was an awful lot of judgement in it for my tastes.

[Heidi Lynn’s BookReviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, I want to thank Tyler McNamer for providing me with this book so I could bring you this review.

Tyler McNamer’s Population: One Autism, Adversity, and the Will to Succeed is a must-read book! I have read many books on Autism in the past. However, none of them have impressed me or touched me the way Tyler’s did. Tyler is Nineteen years old, sharing his childhood, and how he viewed the world and the challenges that came up. I commend him so much for opening up and sharing himself with us. He is one incredible young man. It was an honor to read and review this book!

I have read many dedications but this one touched me and hit home the most. Tyler dedicates this book to all those who are different, unique and terrific. (I was born different and unique as I have congenital Hemidystrophy and Scoliosis). He says just imagine if we were all the same? It wouldn’t be any fun would it? Thank you, Tyler, for making me smile and realizing that!

Tyler is very thankful in his acknowledgements and lists everyone individually. It is incredibly sweet and you can’t help smile at all the love and support he has gotten from so many people. He is truly blessed to have so many wonderful people in his life by his side.

Kudos has to be given to Fusion Creative Works for their amazing job on the front cover! It is beautiful with Tyler standing on the beach with a beautiful sunset in the background. It is breathtaking! Great job!

What I love about Tyler is he is so genuine, everything he Is saying is from his heart, he is upbeat and so motivating. He has his ups and downs in life but he has come out stronger in the end. He is truly inspiring!

In this book Tyler educates you on Autism and what it is. He shares what it is like to live with the unique ability of having autism, you will learn to focus on your blessings and not be discouraged on your challenges.

Tyler speaks at schools and organizations all over the country about leadership, change, bullying, embracing change, accepting diversity and balancing your life. You will find these chapters in the book.

Tyler taught me a lot in this book. One thing being that Mormor is Swedish for mother’s mother. That is his Grandmother.

Tyler also impressed me that he stood up for what he believed in and wrote an article for his school newspaper on fixing dances at BHS! This took a lot of guts saying that he was there to dance and not have it be like a night club with rap music and dirty dancing. I agree with you Tyler who can dance to that and at a teenage dance you shouldn’t be dirty dancing! I commend you for speaking up! That was an amazing article you wrote!

Tyler, I totally agree that Take On Me by A-ha was a an awesome music video and song!! It was one of my favorites growing up!! Still is today!

Tyler shared with us a chapter about his Mom and then a separate one about his father. Previous in the book he discusses his feelings on their divorce and how it affected him.

Tyler has incredible gift for writing not only the stories of his past but of the school articles he wrote too.

[Sully Wiles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sullivan Wiles
Population One
BOOK REVIEW


We came to read this book because it just stood out because of the cover and the three words Autism, Adversity, and the Will to succeed. I think those were really powerful words that stood out because They explain by itself, what people with autism feel and I think all those words stood out but in my opinion The will to succeed stood out more because if you have that and there is Adversity you can defeat it and if you have autism it won't matter.

The book is full of short stories that take place in a person with autism. And how he overcomes the challenges in his life.

I could never stay up until 2 am reading this book or any book for any matter I usually read from 3 to 5 times a school week. But I don’t think this can make a difference if I liked the book or not because I loved it.

I Like how he doesn't get all mushy and sad he usually stays light hearted but will get deep if it is an important topic like bullying, I liked the theme of the book being autism because it is important for people to know about autism because people have it and may not know it because if you say something offensive around the wrong person you could get in trouble. The writing style I absolutely loved because it is super inspiring.

There are no flaws, Flawless!! Because he gives great description on how he feels in great detail.

My favorite thing was when the book ended with a super inspiring chapter he talks about how he has a name and how he wants to know all his fans names.

I will have to give it a four and a half star. It was greatly written and it made sense and it also is in great detail and not this long big book full of letters at the size of font 2. I really enjoyed it. Keep on writing you have a great talent. I think you might have found it.

[Wren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tyler is an 18-year-old boy with autism with the goal to write a book before high school graduation. In this book he shares his journey learning to accept and make the most out of his autism diagnosis. Putting it in a positive light as a gift rather than a disability Tyler encourages others with autism and even those without to embrace the parts of themselves, they have previously viewed in a negative light. Through short stories from his life, he shares with the reader how he has overcome social influences, or anxieties to make the most of his time in high school. He pushes everyone to challenge themselves and not to put limits on themselves. While I find the content inspirational and the reasoning behind it all admirable, I felt this book overall was just okay. A lot of it reads more as just a journal of this looking back at his accomplishments and reflecting on his past. I do applaud his effort and his overall message to encourage others to define themselves on their terms. This is a book meant to encourage others to unlock their own potential and show strength in adversity.

[John Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tyler McNamer has written a book that I beleive is truely inciteful. He has given us a thorough look into the world as he sees it, but I think he has also, maybe unintentionally, shown us how he also misunderstands the world as most of us see it. Like when he talks about school spirit. When I was growing up and in school, we heard of school spirit, but that was just something the teachers and cheerleaders talked about at pep rallies. I don't remember a single friend who ever thought about it or talked about it beyond that. For McNamer, school spirit is a real thing, and it is immportant to him.

My eyes were opened to the mind of someone with autism and I think McNamer has written a wonderful book that I would hope many, many people will read. There are a couple of times where I think he was a little braggadocious or even arrogant, but I don't think he meant it that way. I think this was just an honest, open, description of his life and how he thinks.

This is a wonderful book. Read it!

[Bob Scheidegger]

I worked my entire life in the field of mental health without ever really having an opportunity to understand anything about autism. Recent life changes have forced me to explore this disorder and its effects.

Tyler, the author, has had to cope, since very early in his life, with the idea that everyone-- and I mean everyone, even parents and teachers, looks at him as different and abnormal. It is obvious that, inside his head, he can be as normal as any one of us. It is the translation of his thoughts to speech and action where it all changes. Tyler is helped by his relentlessly positive approach to his issues. It is apparent though, that it is difficult for him to communicate his needs.

Tyler's book would not be described as smooth, or even as well- written. His writing style, which consists of short, choppy chapters, probably is a realistic view of what its like to be Tyler.

[Faith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was recommened by my therapist and I thought it would be like all the other books I had read. But instead it truly was a point of view from someone who actually deals with the bad and good parts of autism. I love how the book puts autism in a postive light. There are so many great and relatable parts that define what autism is. This book truly made me feel not alone. I also finally understood that autism does not define who you are its just a part of your life. I recommend this book to anyone who is dealing with this diagnosis and struggling to not let it control their life. This book truly does let you see autism in a way you would never habe thought possible.

[Will]

The narration was in very disjointed, stream of consciousness sentences that seemed only loosely connected to each other. The part of the book I read was completely self-centered and always cast Tyler as either a victim or a hero in a world where he was the only character and everyone else was reduced to props. For example, he never mentions getting support from anyone during several instances of bullying, which may be true, but I suspect isn't the case considering that he had enough support to write and publish a book.

[Micki Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first learned about Tyler when someone sent me a video of him speaking at a school about living with autism. He doesn’t let his autism hold him back. In this book you get to see the mind of someone that sees the world a bit different than others. His book is both positive and inspiring. People on the spectrum are just like everyone else, they have dreams, goals, sadness, happiness, loneliness and desires that are the same as their peers. Those living with autism might struggle a bit more to reach their goals, but never underestimate them because they just might surprise you!

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I decided to read this book because I know some wonderful, youngsters who have Autism. I really didn't know what to expect where it was written by this young man but was very impressed. For him to open himself up to give me more insight into just how life is for those like him was a true gift for me. I hope many more people take the time to read Tyler's book. It is inspirational for sure. Great job Tyler McNamer!!

[Tonya Jakubowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very sweet and inspiring book. I have a son with autism and I enjoyed reading this young man’s thoughts on life, purpose, goals, bullies...
I bought this book for my son but wanted to read it first. I think my son will enjoy the short chapters and straight forward writing. I can’t wait for him to read it.

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave this book 4 stars because it is a well written book by an autistic 19 year old, however, I was a bit disappointed because I expected something different. I am, however, not sure what I did expect. Probably something that wasn’t quite so well written and more of what he actually “feels” on the inside Orin his brain.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Technically, this book is not a "young-adult" book in the sense that only young adults are the target audience. It is a young adult book because it was written by a young adult, in fact an autistic adolescent. It is a charming book because of his enthusiasm because of how he has learned to handle his autism and share with others how autism has affected his life.

[Karen Charnigo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was interesting. A book written by a young man with autism while still in high school. I can see his high energy, positivity, and leadership skills which I would have to say results from the positive experiences with his family. Good job Mom and Dad. Taylor, you use your mind and your gifts well! I look forward to see what will be next on your agenda.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tyler McNamer is an 18 year old who has high functioning autism. This is an inspirational account of his life presented in a series of essays. I read this book because my niece’s daughter has autism and I’m interested in the subject. What I liked best about the book was his honest thoughts about being bullied, being different from everyone else and how having autism is like having a special gift.

[Raederle Phoenix · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sadly the least useful book I've read in my research into neurodiversity. It makes me glad that I didn't publish a book in high school because it admittedly wouldn't have been much better. Tyler is too young yet to know what actually makes him different so this is just a stream-of-consciousness about more-or-less nothing.

[Celia Guinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love someone on the spectrum or want to get to know about it from a firsthand perspective, this book is terrific! Tyler did an amazing job narrating his audiobook. It's a collection of essays covering several different topics, some light ( ice cream clubs) some heavy ( coping with divorce) and everything in between. Oh, and he was 16 when he published this. 😮👏👏

[April eclecticbookworm · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a high functioning Autistic teen’s view of the world. It was a bit repetitive and included speeches he made at different times in school but overall slightly interesting and could be considered as inspirational.

[Melissa Byerly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a heartwarming read told in the actual words of the author. Having spent a great deal of time with autistic children, this is a book that is both inspiring and thought provoking. His unique way of viewing the world makes you take a closer look at everything, even the smallest detail.

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was not what I was expecting, I was hoping to use the perspective to help with my students. Overall though it was a good story although some native. You're looking to educate yourself on autism this could be a good intro book.

[MaryAnn Quellos]

This is a good book written of how life is for an Autistic child growing up. My grand daughter went thru almost everything he has at this point in her life. It is so hard for them socially. The harder they try the worse it is for them.

[Whitney Paige Rosenbaum · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a mom of a child on the Autism Spectrum, this was such a treat! It was great to both see/hear things from Tyler’s perspective but also to see him live out his dream of telling his story! Passing this on to a fellow Autism mom!

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting you man. He has a very powerful look at life as I'm sure he has had to overcome many negative people he has encountered. He has come to grips with his differences and sees the world in a very clear and positive perspective. I wish him well in all that he does.