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Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 300
EAN num: 9781400082155
ISBN number: 1400082153
Label: Three Rivers Press
Manufacturer: Three Rivers Press
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 240
Printing Date: March 22, 2005
Publishing house: Three Rivers Press
Release Date: March 22, 2005
Sale Popularity Level: 113931
Studio: Three Rivers Press
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Product Description:
In this elegant and thought-provoking memoir, Dawn Prince-Hughes traces her personal growth from undiagnosed autism to the moment, as a young woman, when she entered the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle and became immediately fascinated with the gorillas. By observing them and, later, working with them, Prince-Hughes was finally able to emerge from her solitude and connect to living beings in a way she had never previously experienced.
More than a story of autism, Songs of the Gorilla Nation is a poignant, beautifully written exploration of the rich landscape of human emotion and the ways we learn to love.
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Rated by buyers 
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Brilliantly written from the real life perspective of a woman with Aspergers, Songs of a Gorilla Nation, is inspirational and profound. Bravely the author opens her mind and soul to her reader, revealing world that can wondrous, complex, painful, and perplexing but is always profoundly human. Although it is at times shockingly honest, this book is a gift for adults longing to gain a real-life, tactile grasp of what it is like to live with and have Aspergers. It is also an eloquent testament to the intelligence, humanity, and achievement that is possible for such uniquely challenged individuals. However, as it is a memoir, it should never be taken as a complete picture of the disorder, as the expression and experience of Autism or Aspergers varies widely.
Rated by buyers 
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I just finished reading "Songs of the Gorilla Nation", by Dawn Prince-Huges. I found it very interesting, (especially the parts about the gorillas), but also very disturbing.
Dawn is about my age, so we share having grown up with Asperger's Syndrome in a time when autism, and especially AS, weren't really recognized---especially in women---and it's subsequent late diagnosis. I guess I found it disturbing because of the many parallels in our lives, and the bad memories they brought up for me.
She mentions feeling guilty about being envious of her relative who was just diagnosed with AS, because of all the slack people cut him, and all the help he is getting. I also have a newly diagnosed nephew, and I can totally sympathize with her jealousy. If I had gotten 1/10th the understanding and help that he gets, well...who knows how much pain I might have been spared?
I also liked her point about how hard she works to act "normal", and how frustrating it is for her because people don't believe her when she says she's autistic. They think she's making excuses for being abrupt or uncaring or the million other things "normal" people accuse us of. Sort of a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation.
I REALLY sympathized when she spoke of how she has been criticized for her
perseveration, as I have run into that a lot.
I liked the book and I recommend it with some provisos: If you are on the spectrum, it may bring up bad stuff for some of you---especially if you're a woman. It's a little patchy -she skips around a bit and leaves out some background info that I would have found interesting/helpful. The insights into the gorilla mind are absolutely fascinating, and very sad.
A good read if you can handle it---I'm still having fallout.
Rated by buyers -
This is the autobiography of a woman who not only overcame the challenges posed by autism but also came to terms with her lesbianism and embraced both things as part of her life.
Growing up different - autistic AND gay - in a small town was dreadful, and she left at 16. Her description of the extra difficulties faced by a homeless autistic was frightening, but she managed to climb out of that hole anyway.
I would have liked to have read more details about her college life and how she managed to earn a Ph.D., largely by correspondence, from a Swiss university.
She now lives in the Pacific Northwest with her life partner and their son, borne by the partner from an anonymous sperm donor who was likely as colorful as they are.
Rated by buyers -
This is not just another autistic auto-biography. In talking about her life the author is also talking about her work with and her experiences of Gorillas, and what she has learned from them, creating as a result a thoughtful and intelligent book not just about one person but about what it is to be autistic and what it is to be human.
Rated by buyers -
I thought the title was a metaphor, but it was actually quite literal. This book provides a fascinating view of the life and coping strategies of a "high-achieving autistic." It also provides insight into the lives and societies of gorillas. This book could be enjoyed for either reason. One of the best patient autobiographies I have read.
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