A Field Guide to Earthlings:- Unbelievable!! !

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I'm in the middle of reading A Field Guide to Earthlings: An autistic/Asperger view of neurotypical behavior. To me, I find it really difficult reading and I find myself rereading the same bit over and over just to try and get my head around it.

Now, I'm 47 years old and if this stuff is right, it's mind-blowing how I can get to such a ripe old age without knowing a lot of this stuff goes on. Some of it I have learned over time but some of it left me gobsmacked.

One thing I would like some opinions on is:

In the book, it states that NTs pad out the length of their speeches in order to allow time to fit in all of the nonverbal communication (which apparently makes up between 60% and 93% of total communication)

Do you think (or know) this is correct?

If you ask me A Field Guide to Earthlings: An autistic/Asperger view of neurotypical behavior is indeed one of the best available books on AS. It mirrored many of my conclusions and my way of thinking, and I was blown away that someone else seems to experience the world in the same way.

I found the book an easy read, but only because my special interests include linguistics and formal symbolic languages. The book will really appeal to what Temple Grandin refers to as pattern thinkers. It may be less accessible to verbal or photo-visual thinkers.

I've read many books on the topic from so-called AS experts and many first hand accounts. The one book from an expert that is worthwhile and reading is The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome by Tony Attwood. Otherwise I recommend to stick to first hand accounts.

Another fantastic fist hand account is Through the Eyes of Aliens by Jasmine Lee O'Neill.

I am a photo-visual thinker which may be why it's harder for me.

Thank you for letting me know Through the Eyes of Aliens is a good book. I actually own it but haven't read it yet. As with every Special Interest I get into, I go berserk buying and collecting books, data, paraphernalia etc.

Yes, AS has been a Special Interest of mine for about 3 years now. I have read Tony Attwood's Complete Guide. It was good but the Guide to Earthlings really shocked me. I didn't realise I knew so little about NT communication and I'm 47.

One book that I really liked was I Think I Might Be Autistic by Cynthia Kim.

It is correct. I never thought of it as padding (I am NT, probably BAP). To me, the non-verbal communication is an integral part of the conversation and is sometimes simultaneous but sometimes not. If you aren't seeing the non-verbal part, it will look like there are gaps or padding but it isn't experienced that way. This becomes a problem on the phone for my generation. It looks like younger people have solved that problem by never actually talking but instead texting and using emotions.

I have red the Field Guide and it is a very reliable and accurate book.

Is there an online version?

Is it downloadable for free anywhere - without diverse cleaners/uppers and other questionable programs? I did find a place, where I could open it as pdf., but I couldn´t read more than to page 90. I suppose, one has to pay to get to read the conclusion

Last edited by Jensen on 17 Oct 2014, 8:16 am, edited 1 time in total.

Likewise

It also took me four decades to roughly figure out how human societies operate. Over the last six years I have validated my observations with numerous people, neurotypical as well as aspies. You might enjoy this thread http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt262209.html on the role of autistic ignorance in human cultures.

There are also excellent books from authors who write about other aspects of human societies and cultures. Joseph Tainter has written a brilliant book on the collapse of complex societies in which he systematically analyses the forces that shape and destroy human societies. Noam Chomsky offers great observations on contemporary cultures and economic systems. Further references to interesting material are contained in the thread above. The more I read, the more I feel like an alien.

Thanks for the pointer!

That book literaly saved my life. [long story]

Not that I know any better, but I always thought that the nonverbal communications was involuntary and subconscious.


See this <click>.

As a note, there?s a thread <click> I started a year ago (see) which includes several insightful comments by members of the community.

I find it rather difficult to read and I would prefer a translation in danish, swedish or norwegian.
Do anyone know, if a translation has been made?