Can't seem to read books on autism

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I've had multiple books about autism recommended to me over the years, but I've largely avoided them. The first one recommended to me here on WP was Silberman's Neurotribes. I saw that it was a $30, 500+ page doorstop and immediately decided not to read it. It sounded crazy boring, too. Temple Grandin was also recommended to me. I started reading Thinking in Pictures and found that it was dull and (for some inexplicable reason) depressing. I got about a fifth to a quarter of the way through and haven't touched it since.

Tony Atwood is the only author I've been able to read, though it's still hard for me to deal with. I just generally get upset by books about autism, but Atwood at least provides useful, practical information and doesn't seem to spend much time going on about how autism is just so awesome! Which makes things more appealing to me, because it really isn't!

I don't know why I find nearly any writing on the topic so off-putting, but I'd like to read more on the subject without worrying about knocking stuff at the wall when I chuck books at it in frustration. Maybe someone can recommend me some different books?

I have a hard time reading books generally, and autism books are no exception. I think the root of the problem is probably that it's difficult for me to turn printed words into thoughts - I seem able to do that quite easily if it's just a short paragraph or two, but with a whole book I soon get tired, and just seeing the size of the job ahead daunts me. And the physical strain of holding a book open for a long time is quite taxing - books always tend to snap shut so I have to put my thumb between the open pages so it doesn't, and the whole thing is just too cumbersome to bother with.

A further problem is that after working hard reading a section of a book, I find it's told me nothing of any value. It's either something I already knew, or I just don't see any benefit from knowing it, or I find it hard to believe it's anything more than somebody's personal opinion. Once that's happened a few times, something inside me decides that the returns aren't worth the effort, and I get an overwhelming urge to give up. That clashes with my strong tendency to see a job through once I've started, and I end up feeling very uncomfortable. I usually finish the book but it can be a very unpleasant experience and I often feel no better off for my efforts.

I'm afraid I can't recommend any autism books. I've hardly read any. I prefer to find out what I want to know on the Web.

@ToughDiamond: I like reading, just not on this subject. It's frustrating and depressing.

I read thinking in pictures and skipped the cow chapter which was super boring.
That is the only autism book I read.
I find most autism autobiographies boring.
The more the author tries to blow up their weirdness, the less interested I am.
Sometimes, they take something normal and blow up its weirdness to make themselves seem weirder.
Attwood's books are boring to me, they are just descriptions of autistic children mostly.
I don't relate to Attwood's descriptions usually.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-rea ... 1115218514
I've only read the sample but you might like this one.

Tony Atwood's books are very engaging; he takes a realistic approach and isn't afraid of confronting negative things. 'The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome' is particularly good.

Actually I enjoyed 'Neurotribes'. It's not burdened with autobiographies, and the fact that Steve Silberman is gay gives him an outsider's view. He has personal experience of discrimination. The chapters about Hans Asperger are very moving.

Although it's also long, you might take a look at 'Far from the Tree', by Andrew Solomon, which is about difference. It has chapters about autism, schizophrenia, prodigies, Down's Syndrome, dwarves, the deaf and several other groups who are all marginalised and outcast in some way. Solomon is also gay, which again means he has great insight into what it means to be 'Other'.

I liked a book Tony Attwood wrote with a slew of autistic authors, named "Been There, Done That, Try This."

https://www.amazon.com/Been-There-Done-That-This/dp/1849059640/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Focusing on Aspergers/ASD, it's made up of several different contributors personal experiences and advice on coping with various aspects of life on the spectrum.

I found it an interesting, easy read that gave a lot of insight.

My parents had a few, I never read any. Too close to home I guess, conjures up too many bad thoughts plus most aren't that relatable. I dunno I am more interested in self help now but it also is just a reminder. I have one called 'Pretending to be Normal", tried one page and just couldn't do it.

I used to read whole books, but then came the Internet. I now seldom can even finish an article. I am convinced that Internet and the 24/7 news cycle have shortened my attention span.

But seriously, I do most if not all my reading on autism online.

Same here AJ pretty much word for word. I find it all off-putting. I think part of it is like deep down I feel like I'll be "opening a can of worms". But I really don't know.

Thanks everyone! I'll check some of this out.

I think biographies and inspirational stuff are probably just... right out. They don't work for me, if anything they're counterproductive. Nor am I interested in the "yay, neurodiversity!" stuff like Sibelius has. I've liked Atwood's work because I've found it to be practical and informative. Could be that Bea is on to something though, and maybe just reading a whole book isn't worth my time.