The Boy Who Felt Too Much: How a Renowned Neuroscientist and His Son Changed Our View of Autism Forever

by Lorenz Wagner, Leon Dische Becker (Translator)

An International Bestseller, the Story behind Henry Markram’s Breakthrough Theory about Autism, and How a Family’s Unconditional Love Led to a Scientific Paradigm Shift

Henry Markram is the Elon Musk of neuroscience, the man behind the billion-dollar Blue Brain Project to build a supercomputer model of the brain. He has set the goal of decoding all disturbances of the mind within a generation. This quest is personal for him. The driving force behind his grand ambition has been his son Kai, who has autism. Raising Kai made Henry Markram question all that he thought he knew about neuroscience, and then inspired his groundbreaking research that would upend the conventional wisdom about autism, expressed in his now-famous theory of Intense World Syndrome. 

When Kai was first diagnosed, his father consulted studies and experts. He knew as much about the human brain as almost anyone but still felt as helpless as any parent confronted with this condition in his child. What’s more, the scientific consensus that autism was a deficit of empathy didn’t mesh with Markram’s experience of his son. He became convinced that the disorder, which has seen a 657 percent increase in diagnoses over the past decade, was fundamentally misunderstood. Bringing his world-class research to bear on the problem, he devised a radical new theory of the People like Kai don’t feel too little; they feel too much. Their senses are too delicate for this world.

Genres: Nonfiction, Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Biography, Psychology, Science, Memoir, Mental Health

264 pages, Hardcover

First published September 21, 2018

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating Yet Complicated. I seem to be the first Autistic person to be reading this book, at least from reading the available English language reviews on Goodreads after finishing the book yet prior to writing my own review.

Overall, the story is about Henry Markam, his relationship with his son Kai, and how that led to one of the most revolutionary "discoveries" in modern neuroscience: Intense World.

I personally refuse to call this a "theory" because it is fact - a fact which pretty well any Autistic Adult that can communicate can tell anyone who asks. And through this section of the book, roughly the first 2/3 of the text, this is a SHOUT FROM THE ROOFTOPS level AMAZING book. SOOO many times I wanted to literally go to skyscrapers and shout to the world "READ THIS BOOK AND UNDERSTAND ME AND MY PEOPLE!!!!!". And even with this being something like book 135 or so on the year for me, those level of reactions are indeed rare.

But then we realize that Markram isn't just trying to *understand* Autistics. He wants to "cure" us. Which is genocide. The text tries to couch this and make Markram and his second wife (and research partner) seem more benevolent, but at the end of the day their research is focused on the eradication of my people.

Along these veins, the recommendations the Markrams make about how Autistic children are to be treated is horrible bordering on monstrous - they want a world devoid of any stimuli other than carefully screened, carefully controlled ones, as they believe that to do otherwise is to "trigger" the development of Autism in young children.

I'm not a neuroscientist, but neither am I neurotypical. I may not be able to point to the exact chemical processes within my brain the way the Markrams can, but I can explain what I understand to be happening within my own skull better than most of my fellow Autistics (though there are some far better than even myself at this).

So I have to say, regarding the back 1/3 or so of this book, to take it with about a boulder of salt. The relationsip aspects amongst the Markrams seem genuine, and the overall goals of creating a legitimate simulation of the mammalian - and specifically human - brain are commendable and needed. But the post-Intense World proscriptions on how parents should raise their children? Take it about as you would any random stranger offering you advice - do some independent research before you commit to an action, and in this particular case... *ask an Autistic adult*, or better yet: several of us.

Overall a highly recommended yet ultimately flawed book, the front 2/3 of it are simply too good not to recommend the book as a whole.

[Justine · Rating 1 out of 5]

This should be marketed as a memoir and not some groundbreaking information. Because it's not. Although it's great this basic information is being shared...It doesn't take a neuroscientist or research to figure out that us autistic people are highly sensitive and not under sensitive. (This is a better descriptor for the neurotypical community.) Honestly it's extremely pitiful that one needs to be an "Elon Musk" neuroscientist to figure this out. This is like telling the world that dogs have souls too! Simply ask a few of us and you'll find that out really quick. This is not some groundbreaking discovery...

It's actually pretty ridiculous when neurotypical people think we're under sensitive with no empathy. We may struggle to understand neurotypical people sometimes, but neurotypical people struggle to understand us, if not more so than we struggle to understand them! Autistic people understand other autistics better than they understand neurotypicals because we understand each other's processing better. Just like neurotypicals with neurotypicals. That doesn't make us unempathetic because we understand people similar to us more than we understand people not similar to us. And at the same time it's neurotypical people who have caused the most harm and trauma to the autistic community.

It's laughable that you do massive studies to understand us and force treatments to control us, yet you call us unempathetic. Personally, I'm a deep, deep empath. A highly sensitive person who feels too much of and for others. I find most other people in this world to be very cruel, unkind, and don't think of others.There's truly nothing greater that I live for than to share any amount of kindness with others. It doesn't take a lot to be kind to each other and our differences. In my opinion, the neurotypical community could learn a lot from the autistic community about life and love. Instead we have another neurotypical making profit off of autistic struggles and over something that is so basic and obvious it does not need to be made so complex. But nobody ever listens to us when we have something to say because obviously we have no insight for ourselves and only neurotypical research can expose the truth...that is sarcasm.

We're capable of all sorts of things, which really shouldn't be a surprise, even if they come with their added struggles. I started outplaying my dad in chess at a young age, I'm amazing at puzzles, and have oddly good skills for carnival-type games. I would have been deemed "popular" in high school and have been referred to often as "attractive". I'm a lifelong athlete who played rugby in college. A proud nerd, interested and curious about so much. I have a bachelor's degree in Biology from SFSU and love research. It did take me 7 years to finish...my mom died, moved from CT to CA, volunteered for a year of AmeriCorps with Habitat for Humanity, transferred schools several times, and yes had many struggles along the way, but eventually got into graduate school for Occupational Therapy before falling ill with Lyme disease and subsequent issues. What they teach in OT school about autism is also laughable...and per usual, I was strongly ostracized and bullied by some of my neurotypical classmates. Such kind, empathetic people neurotypicals are...more sarcasm. The way doctors, therapists, parents, teachers, and society treat and misunderstand autistic people, or any person who is neurodiverse, really should bring a lot of deep shame and guilt to people.

We do have our struggles, each unique, but none of us are limited to our weaknesses only. I still have massive meltdowns, struggle socially, am overwhelmed by most things, have sensory sensitivities, and have held little paid employment. And I would be homeless or dead if it were not for the kindness and generosity that others have shown me.

If we all thought the same, felt the same, and acted the same this world would be such a boring place with no growth, change, or hope for better days.

I personally feel autism is one of the greatest blessings I've ever been given. There are so many great and unique qualities about me that I pertain to being autistic. I experience life partly as a wise, old soul and partly as a free-spirited, naive child. There is so much beauty and uniqueness to be seen through the autistic lens. If only the world could find a way to be a little kinder...and please stop trying to change us.

[Julie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Was all prepared to love this book but it turned into a pure hate read for me. Maybe it's partly the fault of the translation? The tone/ expression of the book was odd. Still, even if it was poorly translated into English from the original German, the father in this book, the "renowned neuroscientist Henry Markram ", is a complete tool.

It's all ME ME ME when it comes to Henry. There is very little about his daily life with his autistic son because - surprise! - he stopped living with his son when his son was 6 years old. I kept thinking, I wish I was reading a book about Kai's mother, the person who actually raised him. Henry leaves his wife and 3 children for Kamila, his sexy blonde twenty-something grad student. Kamila seems to really loathe Kai, even though her job is researching autism. Every interaction between them is about Kai having a meltdown and Kamila yanking him by the ear or nose (is this some German thing?). Henry and Kamila have two kids, Henry's family 2.0. They see Kai only on holidays because they live in Switzerland and Kai and his mom and one sister move to Israel after the divorce.

Henry and Kamila parlay Kai's existence into a career, starting a research institute all about finding the cause for autism. They experiment on poor little mice, torturing them. I felt like the point of this book was to function as an advertisement for Henry's company. I wondered if it was written so he could sell it at talks he gives.

Prior to the divorce, Henry and his wife moved a lot, to several different countries and also took lots and lots of adventure type vacations. Basically dragged their three young kids around, rationalizing it as giving them exciting experiences. Later on, Henry says he regrets this, now that he understands Kai's sensory issues and his need for routine. Of course, Henry still does whatever he wants and only considers Kai's needs when it suits him. There are several stories in the book about how Henry still doesn't get it, since he rarely spends time with Kai and does not understand that his own behavior needs to change in order to support Kai.

There is a sad story about Kai having a meltdown alone on a plane and being banned from an airline. Yes, he was flying alone at 14 from South Africa to Switzerland. I googled the nonstop flight length - it's not in the book. 11 hours! Henry was going to fly with Kai but then a work thing came up so he decided to back to Switzerland early. Henry and Kai were in South Africa visiting Henry's family. Instead of telling work he can't be there (he is the head of the research company so he totally could have said that) or having Kai fly back with him, Henry decides it would be easier for him to make that flight alone and leave Kai to finish up the visit. UGH. Surprise surprise, things go wrong, Kai flips out and is kicked off the flight.

There are other stories like this. I wasn't clear on the point of including these stories. Was it to show that Kai's behaviors were different? That he had meltdowns? What I got out of them was that Henry was self-absorbed and not used to being around Kai. There is another story about a vacation in Venice and Henry promises Kai they will eat spaghetti with meat sauce. Henry & Kamila then proceed to take Kai to a vegetarian restaurant where - surprise! - there is no meat sauce. Seriously? How hard is it to look up a restaurant online? Why would you not google best place to get spaghetti with meat sauce? So Kai gets upset. Then there is another story about Henry buying Kai an occulus headset and not setting it up prior to giving it to Kai. Of course there are problems setting it up and Kai has a meltdown. Kai is a teenager. Henry has had years to figure this out but since he is not the hands on parent, he does not know how to deal with Kai.

Henry makes a lot of sweeping pronouncements about autism that are applicable to Kai but not to all autistic people. Apparently Henry has never heard the phrase "If you have met one autistic person, then you have met one autistic person." Honestly, such a bad and disappointing book.

[Makati · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kind of confusing, I suppose this one's not the kind of book one should listen to as an audiobook - unfortunately.

[McYang · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

I think this is an important story to tell, it needs to be shared because as the parent of an autistic child who reads everything she can get her hands on, I have never heard of Intense World Syndrome, and quite frankly it's spot on and worth exploration. I also feel it's the quickest way to make a good parent feel like a failure, but that is where the research comes in so, eventually, along with an early diagnosis, parents can be trained/coached in how to raise their child in the most helpful way possible within their means.

To the book, however, I cannot recommend anyone pick up a copy and slog through. I understand this is a translation from a German publication in 2018, and I sincerely hope it's the translation that failed because I cannot imagine people flocking to a bookseller to purchase this book. It's hard to explain, but it reads like the script of an info-mercial. You know what I'm talking about - the 30 minute commercial on a Saturday afternoon where a "host" interviews the inventor of some kitchen gadget or supplement that will - no doubt - change your dang life. It's full of cheesey jokes, insincere banter, and - the most important bit - big time compliments, if not straight up worship for the inventor, who bashfully quips, "I just want to make people's lives better, and if I can that's all the thanks I need."

BS

The text is full of cliff hanger sentences pulled straight from reality TV, pointless interview dialogues that provide nothing to the story, descriptions about how wealthy this guy is in a very inappropriate way (threatening a waiter with a scene if he doesn't provide a pepperoni pizza to his teenage son in a 5 star vegan restaurant in Italy, which he does, poor guy), and shares very little about the process, plans for the future, real life applications... you know, the stuff I'm reading the book for. And so often, "he did it for Kai!" This is years and years of research by a guy who does not live with his autistic son, but rather dumped him on to his ex-wife in Israel with two other children while he romped off to Switzerland to play research with his attractive research assistant who he eventually married. Yet his rush to cure is son is palpable. And then to include two chapters making a case that autism is a mutation that will work in humanity's favor by producing geniuses once we can turn off the noise, that's a false expectation for desperate families and no evidence is provided.

I read this book cover to cover for my kid - I read a lot of stuff, some of it ridiculous, some of it extraordinary. This kept me on the edge of my seat wading through crap for a big payout that never came.

Bottom line: there are well written articles online about this guy and his discoveries. The New Yorker could have written an excellent extended article on the subject. It did not deserve an entire book and I don't anticipate it will sell or receive good reviews if it is, indeed, published state-side.

[Rach Denholm · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was advertised as "An extraordinary story of noted neuroscientists seeing the world through the eyes of their ASD son and then helping change the way autism is seen and treated far and wide." Published in 2019, I thought I was going to discover groundbreaking research, rather, I read about research that was conducted during the past decade and is well known. I was disappointed from that perspective but somebody who doesn't have an interest in and understanding of autism wouldn't be bothered by what was a major downfall for me.
The story is so typical of what we know of many families with a child on the autism spectrum. Neuroscient Henry's colleagues, family, and friends have trouble accepting Kai's behaviour, and educational institutions have difficulty catering for Kai's specific educational needs. It was interesting that even with the level of knowledge and understanding that Kai's parents have, they eventually separate, as do many parents with a child on the spectrum. They made what they perceived in hindsight to be some major errors of judgement when making decisions around Kai. Every child on the spectrum is different and theres no right and wrong answers and this establishes and supports that theory, whilst outlining some definite frameworks for support.
I found the writing style a little stilted. Wagner may be one of Europe's most prominent profile writers but this story would have been better written by a journalist or author with more compassion.

The research aspect of the book is fascinating and well explained, but the story of Kai and his family could have been more thoughtfully presented.

Some of my highlights:

"A team of research scientists and doctors from Boston and Cleveland worked with autistic children and found that, even in moments of calm, their brains process 42 percent more information than the brains of normal children. This, they concluded, is what prompted their social withdrawal."

[Amy Turner · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found the style distracting. I thought it was over-emotional and fragmented. The author goes on and on about the importance of the neouroscientist's "discovery" that autistics "feel too much" but many books that I have read on the subject stress overstimulation.

[Buchdoktor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anat und Henry Markram bekommen einen Sohn, der die Geduld seiner Umgebung auf eine harte Probe stellen wird. Kai braucht eine strenge Routine, von der nicht abgewichen werden darf. Er reagiert höchst empfindlich auf äußere Reize, spricht für sein Alter zu schlecht und wirkt trotz großen Bewegungsdrangs motorisch ungeschickt. Schon frühzeitig beobachtet seine Mutter, dass Kai anders in die Welt blickt als ihre anderen Kinder, er scheint nur aus dem Augenwinkel zu sehen. Wie vor ihnen viele andere Eltern behinderter Kinder auch fühlen die Markrams sich von den Ärzten nicht ernst genommen. Sie werden beruhigt und keiner der Experten beschäftigt sich mit dem Gesamtbild aus Kais ungewöhnlichen Verhaltenszügen. Doch im Unterschied zu jenen Eltern ist Henry Markram selbst Neurowissenschaftler, den das Schicksal seines Sohnes zu verstärkter Forschungstätigkeit antreibt. Auch wenn seine Eltern auf ihrer Farm in Südafrika nicht nachvollziehen konnten, warum ihr Sohn forschen will statt Kranke zu heilen, führt Markrams Tätigkeit ihn von den USA über Israel schließlich nach Lausanne in der Schweiz. Für ein Kind mit autistischen Zügen wie Kai muss das ständige Neubeginnen in wechselnder Umgebung und immer wieder anderen Sprachen Chaos pur gewesen sein. Anat Markram macht dem schließlich ein Ende und geht mit Kai nach Israel, wo von der Weltöffentlichkeit bisher wenig beachtet, die Inklusion Behinderter erstaunlich weit fortgeschritten ist. Henry stürzt sich indes in seine Forschung und geht eine zweite Ehe ein, in der zwei weitere Töchter geboren werden.

Als Laie auf dem Gebiet und Mutter mit Interesse an der kindlichen Entwicklung finde ich, dass der Autor – oder der porträtierte Wissenschaftler? – schon zu Beginn des Buches blinde Flecken zeigen, die sie nicht oder erst spät untersuchen. Als Kai noch im Kindergartenalter ist, reist die Familie mit den Kindern in mehrere asiatische Länder. Dort kommt es u. a. zu gefährlichen Szenen durch Kais Impulsivität, es wird jedoch Ende der 90er bereits deutlich, dass Kai in anderer Umgebung und Kultur erstaunlich gut zurechtkommen kann. Hier hätte sich doch jedes Elternpaar gefragt, was machen die Thailänder anders als wir und wie weit sind wir Eltern und unsere Kultur Teil von Kais Problemen. Hermann Schulz hat diesen Zusammenhang bereits vor 20 Jahren in seinem leicht lesbaren Roman "Iskender" dargestellt. Apropos Elternpaar, die Dominanz des Wissenschaftlervaters hätte Wagner in seiner Betrachtung durchaus kritischer hinterfragen dürfen.

Zu Beginn des Buches ist bereits klar, dass Kais Eltern aus verschiedenen Kulturen stammen und in mehreren Ländern leben. Dass Wagner Henry Markrams besondere Kindheit auf einer abgelegenen Farm in Südafrika erst am Ende des Buches thematisiert, wundert mich jedoch. Die Entdeckung autistischer Züge bei Eltern und Angehörigen autistischer Patienten ist ja nun wirklich nicht neu. Wurde Makram sich dessen wirklich erst 13 Jahre nach Kais Geburt bewusst – oder setzt Wagner die Entdeckung aus dramaturgischen Gründen erst spät ein?

Im Reportage-Stil schreibt Lorenz Wagner eine Art leicht lesbare Homestory eines weltbekannten Neurowissenschaftlers, eine Geschichte, die sich nicht immer entscheiden kann, ob sie dem Wissenschaftlervater huldigt oder über den Sohn Kai schreibt. Wagner kann zweifellos populärwissenschaftlich schreiben. Seine Passagen über das menschliche Gehirn finde ich überraschend gelungen, gerade weil mich erzählende Sachtexte sonst selten überzeugen können. Zum Thema Autismus bringt sein Buch kaum Neues; da seit Silbermans "Geniale Störung" Irrwege der Autismus-Forschung breiten Leserschichten bekannt sind. Hier hätte mich gern eine Vertiefung interessiert, welche Details aus der amerikanischen Autismus-Community Markram bekannt waren und welche nicht. Hoch anzurechnen ist Lorenz Wagner allerdings, dass er die Irrwege verdeutlicht, die durch zu frühe Diagnosen und Zuschreibungen entstehen, bevor die Probleme eines besonderen Kinds umfassend beobachtet und dokumentiert sind.

[Zulugoat · Rating 1 out of 5]

wow, just wow...
full disclosure, I made it midway to Chapter 6 of Part III (way way way too far) before jumping into SUPERSPEED SKIM mode...

I thought I had read some of the worst books out there, but every now and then, I am hit with a brick in the face by something just so dreadful, that you want to say: "there are just no words to describe how shitty this, is", though you actually KNOW that there are words to do so, except that none of them can even euphemismically be used in a polite manner.

Here we are faced with toilet paper level stuff.

I am in my early 40s and I have read my fair share of books, this is the first one I go through that manages to discuss a serious topic, without listing ANY, and I mean, ANY, source, note, biography or anything... Keep in mind, the main topic here is Autism, yes, Autism, but hey, who am I to ask for scientific mumbo jumbo like notes...

The passage below taken from Part III, near the end of Chapter 4 entitled Counterintuitive, beautifully captures what I am talking about

"A team of research scientists and doctors from Boston and Cleveland worked with autistic children and found that, even in moments of calm, their brains process 42 percent more information than the brains of normal children. This, they concluded, is what prompted their social withdrawal. One of the professors wrote an e-mail to the Markrams after the release of the study. “Unfortunately, when we wrote the study, we didn’t know how much it dovetails with your theory. Instead we interpreted our results in the classical framework: autism as a withdrawal into the self.”

so yeah, you read that right, no date, no name, no name of an institution, no note, no footnote, no NOTHING... it is basically like this throughout the book... it's nothing short of infuriating... (and very convenient if one is looking to avoid any questions about any of the facts in the book... you just cannot find a date, name, or anything to pin on him)... He MIGHT have done some research here, but then he would be the first author in HISTORY who is SOOO humble to decide not to show the encyclopedic notes used... VERY UNLIKELY... what is more likely, you ask?... author spent one afternoon at the Biergarten churning this out.

Really feel bad for Henry Markram, his son Kai, all the serious scientists alluded to in this book as well as everyone affected by this serious dreadful disease, BUT this is just not the way to do them any justice... it is really really embarrassing...

It reads like Danielle Steele - of romance novel fame - deciding to write a romantic comedy on autism, and this would be her first draft, written as a joke while passed out, drunk on her toilet bowl

Seriously?... you have GOT to be kidding me... OMG!... I need a quadruple whiskey after this

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5 Sterne - eine sehr unterhaltsame und lehrende Lektüre.
Autismus war schon immer ein für mich spannendes Thema, dass nur umso spannender wurde als ich beruflich mit einen Autisten zusammenarbeiten musste und dabei mir meinen eigenen autistischen Zügen bewusst wurde.
Diese Buch und Henry Markrams Forschung räumt mit vielen in der Gesellschaft verankerten Vorurteilen auf. Ich habe das Buch sehr genossen und habe viel über mich selbst, aber auch über meine Umwelt gelernt. Es ist interessant die Welt nun aus einem anderen Blickwinkel zu sehen.
Nur mit Sorge blicke ich auf die Entwicklung zukünftiger Generationen. Wie früh muss Autismus erkannt werden, um die Überreizung in den ersten 6 Lebensjahren zu vermeiden? Müsste man nicht beinahe schon zur Vorsicht und Vermeidung alle Kinder vor einer Überreizung beschützen?
Ich weiß, ich hatte Glück, einfach weil ich in der Zeit geboren wurde, in der ich nun einmal aufwuchs. Ich bin glücklich, dass ich mein Leben in einem beinahe eignislosen Dorf beginn. Ich will mir gar nicht vorstellen, wie ich wäre, wenn ich mit der heutigen Überreizung konfrontiert gewesen wäre.

Ich werde noch lange über dieses Buch nachdenken, dass - nebenbei erwähnt - sehr schön geschrieben ist. Nicht zu wissenschaftlich, aber auch nicht zu persönlich. Der perfekte Mix in schöner Wortwahl niedergeschrieben.

[Cristie Underwood]

As someone that works with autistic students, I found this book to be a great read. So many people look at those with a diagnosis as only being autistic versus focusing on the strengths of their personalities. The author was very honest in the struggles that Kai's father had when he was diagnosed. As a top neuroscientist, he was even having a hard time with finding information to help his son. This book was very inspirational.

[Isaac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastisch, lehrreich, viele aha Erlebnisse. Gute Basis um sich mit diesen thema zu befassen.

[Jodi · Rating 5 out of 5]

An easy and insightful read
Combines questions and answers both by scientists and families who experience autism daily

[yellowdog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Es gibt im Unterhaltungsfernsehen/Kino viele Klischees über Autisten, die offensichtlich der Realität nicht genügen. Das Buch „Der Junge, der zu viel fühlte“ ist mit das erste, was ich über Autismus lese, dass die emotionale Lage der Betroffenen deutlich macht.Und es enthält auch noch relativ neue Erkenntnisse.
Basierend auf seiner Reportage über Henry Markram und seinen autistischen Sohn Kai gestaltet Lorenz Wagner dieses Buch. Man lernt Henry und Kai und Kamilla gut kennen, sie sind sympathisch und man muss froh sein, dass sie sich haben.

Das Verdienstvolle an dem Buch ist die Form, wie das vermittelt wird. Es ist ein biographisches Buch, aber teilweise auch erzählerisch ausgestaltet. Zudem werden die Figuren respektvoll und liebevoll behandelt.

Autismus hat viele Ausprägungen, die Diagnose ist nicht einfach.
Wenn man bedenkt, wie wenig über Autismus früher bekannt war bzw. wie viel Fehlbeurteilungen es darüber gab, kann man hoffen, das neue Erkenntnisstände die Einschätzung der Gesellschaft weiter verändern werden.
Ein lehrreiches Buch, das Menschen vorstellt, die man nicht so schnell vergisst.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this really interesting as a primary (elementary) teacher to read.

It discusses the latest research into autism using non-scientist friendly language. It challenges the stereotypes of what autism ‘always’ looks like & how we can help make people with autism more comfortable.

It is not they who lack empathy but us.

It challenges the idea that they have a neurological deficit and show that actually they have the opposite. Over-stimulated brains & many things are ‘hyper’ rather than ‘hypo’ meaning medications like Ritalin do the opposite of what many of them need.

It’s definitely an interesting perspective & I’d love to read more about the developments & how we can encourage calm rich environments in our schools and homes.

[Effy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was compelling and compassionate. I feel as though it gave a good insight into Henry Markram, his relationship with his son, and how he developed the Intense World Theory. It didn't get too bogged-down in the science but there were some technical terms. This book feels as though it could work as an introduction into one area of contemporary neuroscience but may not have the niche appeal with those already familiar with the subject matter. I enjoyed learning more about autism and understanding Kai's world.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

[Sara Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

It opened up my eyes into the development of intense world syndrome theory of autism- and therefore increased my understanding of the theory.
It gave me strategies that I will take away as a therapist.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is groundbreaking material, which I have not heard too much about. I wonder if it has not been received too well in the communities. It makes sense that autistic people are over sensitive as opposed to under. And I don't see much of the therapy being explained, but you can go to their webpages for that, I believe. Yet another journey with devoted parents and a different ending, because we're all different

[Bookwanderer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eine herzerwärmende Lektüre die nicht nur die wissenschaftliche Seite von Autismus beleuchtet, sondern auch Einblick in die persönlichen Kämpfe und Erfolge des Familienlebens bietet.
Wagner schafft es komplexe Bilder vielzaliger wissenschaftlicher Experimente gut verständlich und einprägsam zu erklären, und diese fließend in die persönliche Geschichte der Markrams einzubinden.

[Kat M · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a touching story, I really enjoyed reading it. There were times where the translation was a bit of but it didn't bother me, and there are some strange sentences. I still enjoyed the read.

[Peter Tempelhof · Rating 5 out of 5]

Using story-telling to make inaccessible ideas accessible, i found this book gave me a fairly deep understanding of the debates surrounding autism. The style is surprisingly literary in places, but that’s a feature not a bug. Thoughtful, good read.

[Claire Mars · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars! Excellent book! Highly recommend.

[Scott Lines · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having no experience with autismthe author was able to provide insight into the roles parents play and the difficulties they face, while also giving insight into the condition itself.

[LynnB · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting story of how our understanding of autism was flipped.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so enlightening! It really makes you think about autism and the way we support and treat this population in our society. Provides a totally new perspective to how we view the brain. A must read!!

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent history about the work of Henry Markram in developing the idea of the Intense World Theory of Autism. Highly recommended book about life with a child with autism, and about the process of research in the field!

[Gusta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mooi boek! Tikje Amerikaans alhoewel het geen Amerikaans boek is. Het geeft weer meer duidelijkheid hoe het is om autistisch te zijn en hoe het helpt als ouders heel snel weten dat hun kind dat is..

[Rachel]

My daughter has autism. I thought this book helped me learn more about autism and other people who have it.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75
Hatte manchmal etwas Probleme mit dem Schreibstil. Fand das Buch allerdings sehr informativ und ein tolles Porträt über eine super Familie. Ich hoffe, Kai geht es heute gut!

[Jill Leavy-Steele · Rating 5 out of 5]

So heartwarming. So informative. So enthralling. I loved this book. Definitely going on my "Reread" list.