Naoki Higashida

A short book by an autistic Japanese boy, describing what it is like to be autistic. It's pretty interesting, as obviously he doesn't know what it's like to not be autistic. The book is structured as brief questions about autism (presumably those that Naoki has been asked a lot), followed by answers, of about a page. Interspersed are Naoki's short stories, some of which are really beautiful. A touching - perhaps moving - courage, openess and humanity pervades the book. This is a quick, fascinating read, which left me feeling a huge amount of sympathy and admiration for Naoki, and, I hope, a good bit more understanding of the experience of autism. Recommended.… (altro)

"Everybody has a heart that can be touched by something."

"The Reason I Jump", written by Naoki Higashida and translated by David Mitchell (author of Cloud Atlas) and his wife is short in length but each word is purposeful. What is remarkable is that Naoki was only 13 when he wrote the book and he struggles in writing sentences out himself relying heavily on an 'Alphabet Grid', a laminated print out of a keyboard, that allows him to point out each letter to form his words to those around him.

The book takes the form of a Q&A session in which he covers virtually every element of life; sights, sounds, scents and memories, and concludes with a short story that he wrote himself. There are some 58 questions and despite the vast array that the narrator uses to interview Naoki, his answers become largely repetitive pointing to the single simple message that he is trying to relay.

In the book Naoki describes himself as a prisoner of his own body and suggests that he might be better off if the people around him were more understanding of his way of life. I picked this book up because my job means dealing with the public and I have a couple of friends whose sons have the condition. Whilst I realise that this is only one person's experience of autism I came away feeling that I had been given a glimpse into an unknown hidden world. I also hope that I have gained some added respect for those individuals living with the condition and will endeavour to be more patient and understanding to anyone who might be struggling in the future; that after all is what the author is really asking for. I would recommend this book to everyone but especially to those who have public facing occupations.… (altro)