Book Description
Once a well-known Anglican clergyman, Newman left his living in the 1840's, recanted his former criticism of the Roman Catholic Church and entered the priesthood. Framing his Apologia in reply to a grave and gratuitous slander made by Charles Kingsley, Newman produced one of the masterpieces of spiritual writing: honest, passionate, scrupulous and moving, this work is also a highly accomplished prose paradigm.
Customer Reviews:
Read slowly.......2007-03-21
Cardinal Newman's journey from Anglicanism to the Roman Catholic Church cannot be told better than in his own words. Yet, in his own words, one must read slowly to get the style firmly in mind. Once done, the light of his words shines poetically and clearly. He is a man of great ability and devotion and worthy of hearing no matter how one feels about Anglicanism or Catholicism. A very economical value, too, as books go for the value of his words.
Cardinal Newman's classic defense of himself and his faith.......2006-11-11
This is an excellent defense of why one prominent Anglican intellectual and clergyman became a Catholic. Cardinal Newman gives a detailed account of his life through excerpting letters and other writings of his journey from the High-church Anglican Tractarian movement at Oxford, to a withdrawal from public life at a quiet parsonage, to final reception into the Catholic Church. Cardinal Newman gives his whole thought process and method of discovery that the fullness of the faith was only in the Catholic Church and why his longed for Via Media of Anglicanism existed only in his head. While written in the dry English style of the day, it is still an enjoyable read and a classic among conversion stories and apologetics.
Beautifully Written.......2005-10-10
It is interesting to note that John Henry Cardinal Newman's Apologia Pro Vita Sua is as well regarded for its literary value
as for its theological depth. Perhaps the greatest modern figure in Roman Catholic/Anglican relations, this is Cardinal Newman's personal account of his conversion to Catholicism.
A moving, beautifully written work.
Apologize For Nothing; Explain Everything.......2004-06-03
"Apologia Pro Vita Sua" is John Henry Cardinal Newman's explanation of his religious views and actions from 1833 to the time of his writing in 1864. In order to understand this work, it must be understood that "Apologia" is translated more precisely as an explanation, rather than as an apology. Newman apologizes for nothing. He explains everything.
John Henry Cardinal Newman was a major British religious figure of the Nineteenth Century. A prominent Anglican priest, leader of the Oxford Movement and proponent of the "Via Media", Newman's conversion to Catholicism created many hard feelings among his Anglican friends.
This book was written as an answer to specific charges brought against him by particular people at various times. Much of the book involves references to actions and words of those with whom he collaborated, corresponded or met. At times it is difficult to maintain interest in charge-counter charges which make up much of the book. Although some of the charge-counter charges seem of little import today, I cannot say that the book ever becomes boring.
In some sections, particularly in his footnotes, Newman explains theological issues, although that is not the main thrust of the work.
This book gave me a deeper understanding of Newman individually and of the religious environment in England during his time than I had had previously. This book reveals the Anglican Church as a "Big Tent", so to speak, including a "High Church" which valued hierarchy and formal liturgy and a "Low Church" which more resembled the Methodist and other Protestant churches.
Newman viewed the Anglican Church as a branch of Catholicism in England. He was troubled by various steps taken by the Anglican Church, particularly the establishment of a Bishop in Jerusalem. Newman's position was that there were virtually no Anglicans in Jerusalem and that the plan for the bishop to have authority over Protestants, a group with which Newman did not identify, was unjustified. If the Anglican Church was a branch of the Catholic Church in England, what business did it have establishing a bishop in Jerusalem, a non-British territory, as a cooperative venture with German Protestants? He regarded this attempt to use the Anglican Church to promote British prestige and national interests as another unjustified interference of politics in ecclesiastical matters.
I had always thought that Newman's conversion and rise in the Catholic hierarchy were unusual. In this book I learned that Newman was one of several Anglican clergymen who converted to Catholicism around his time, including another who became a Cardinal. The Catholic hierarchy was restored in England during Newman's day so his rapid rise may not have been as surprising as it would have been under more stable circumstances.
One might think that Newman's conversion from the Church of England to the Church of Rome and his subsequent treatment by some Englishmen may have dampened his patriotic enthusiasm. Nothing could be further from the truth. Newman's status as a proud Englishman remains obvious throughout this book.
In summation, this book is readable, interesting and gives the reader a taste of history and theology. I recommend it for anyone interested in Newman in particular and the history of the Church in general.
Apologize For Nothing; Explain Everything.......2004-06-03
"Apologia Pro Vita Sua" is John Henry Cardinal Newman's explanation of his religious views and actions from 1833 to the time of his writing in 1864. In order to understand this work, it must be understood that "Apologia" is translated more precisely as an explanation, rather than as an apology. Newman apologizes for nothing. He explains everything.
John Henry Cardinal Newman was a major British religious figure of the Nineteenth Century. A prominent Anglican priest, leader of the Oxford Movement and proponent of the "Via Media", Newman's conversion to Catholicism created many hard feelings among his Anglican friends.
This book was written as an answer to specific charges brought against him by particular people at various times. Much of the book involves references to actions and words of those with whom he collaborated, corresponded or met. At times it is difficult to maintain interest in charge-counter charges which make up much of the book. Although some of the charge-counter charges seem of little import today, I cannot say that the book ever becomes boring.
In some sections, particularly in his footnotes, Newman explains theological issues, although that is not the main thrust of the work.
This book gave me a deeper understanding of Newman individually and of the religious environment in England during his time than I had had previously. This book reveals the Anglican Church as a "Big Tent", so to speak, including a "High Church" which valued hierarchy and formal liturgy and a "Low Church" which more resembled the Methodist and other Protestant churches.
Newman viewed the Anglican Church as a branch of Catholicism in England. He was troubled by various steps taken by the Anglican Church, particularly the establishment of a Bishop in Jerusalem. Newman's position was that there were virtually no Anglicans in Jerusalem and that the plan for the bishop to have authority over Protestants, a group with which Newman did not identify, was unjustified. If the Anglican Church was a branch of the Catholic Church in England, what business did it have establishing a bishop in Jerusalem, a non-British territory, as a cooperative venture with German Protestants? He regarded this attempt to use the Anglican Church to promote British prestige and national interests as another unjustified interference of politics in ecclesiastical matters.
I had always thought that Newman's conversion and rise in the Catholic hierarchy were unusual. In this book I learned that Newman was one of several Anglican clergymen who converted to Catholicism around his time, including another who became a Cardinal. The Catholic hierarchy was restored in England during Newman's day so his rapid rise may not have been as surprising as it would have been under more stable circumstances.
One might think that Newman's conversion from the Church of England to the Church of Rome and his subsequent treatment by some Englishmen may have dampened his patriotic enthusiasm. Nothing could be further from the truth. Newman's status as a proud Englishman remains obvious throughout this book.
In summation, this book is readable, interesting and gives the reader a taste of history and theology. I recommend it for anyone interested in Newman in particular and the history of the Church in general.
Product Description
Detailed Description
Exploring Creation with Biology 2nd Edition is a high school, college preparatory multimedia biology course. It is not a supplement. It is a full course! It runs in Internet Explorer, which makes it very easy to use.
The course looks just like a website. There is a navigation frame to the left which allows you to choose any module and any section of the course. The content of that portion of the course will then appear on the right-hand frame. There are animations and videos throughout the course, which make the material fun and interesting. Technical words are also pronounced for the student.
There are hands-on experiments throughout the CD so that the student can have a true laboratory-based biology course.
There are study guides and tests for every module in the course, and the answers are provided as well. Located on a separate CD that is included with the course, these materials can be printed out so that the student can use them and the parent/teacher can grade them.
System requirements:
Pentium processor 66 MHz; Windows 98 or higher; 64 MB RAM; 195 MB HD; Mouse; Sound card; CD-ROM drive.
This course can also be run on Mac OSX and higher, although there is no technical support provided.
Customer Reviews:
A Great Argument for the Classics.......2007-10-15
This book is a tremendous resource not only for some history of education, but it intelligently explains the importance of Greek and Latin as well. Simmons could have spent a little more time, in my opinion, exploring some of the arguments against learning the classics, such as the (perhaps justifiable) fear of polluting young minds with "pagan" philosophy and racy tales. He does seem to think Greek and Latin exercises will enable children to rightly discern between the proverbial baby and the bathwater, which they undoubtedly will to a point. One cannot help but notice that Simmons has, however, given too high a place to these languages. They are important to learn, but they are not the pinnacle he makes them out to be. He over-sells in my estimation. That said, it is a great book and I would recommend it to anyone.
Climbing Parnassus, a bit too Herculean.......2007-08-24
Wonderful book. Well written. One of the best apologies for Latin and Greek (and being a Latin teacher I have read not a few).
The only reason it is only four stars is that the labor is too difficult (for mortals like myself). Simmons falls, I believe, into the Erasmian (and Kantian) error that the pains of the labor are the measure of the greatness. I have two words: Mozart and Shakespeare. The Muses give their gifts to whom they will. Erasmus' error is corrected by Josef Pieper in "Leisure. .", and although T.S.Eliot wrote the introduction to that book, he may have fallen somewhat into the same error. Nevertheless, it is an admirable error.
This brings me to the second point. No one will undertake such an enterprise. In the wide searches I've done in looking at various institutions, I have found none that come close to preparing one for climbing to Parnassus. Moreover, his model is very English in bent. There was another model on the main Continent that was far more felicitous, namely the Jesuits'. In the medieval tradition, they began teaching the young to speak Latin naturally. It is the answer that Dorothy Sayers was seeking for in her essay complaining how she studied Latin 20 years and never learned it. Moreover, the English method is the very method that likely killed Homer (though I have yet to read that book) and, I have some time maintained, killed the study of Latin (and Greek).
My suggestion is to speak Latin, starting as young as possible. The closest method is Oerberg, whom my own sixth grade students thoroughly enjoy.
That said, it is a wonderful book, a delight to read. I think students, starting in 3rd grade, should study Latin at least three hours a day (by speaking and reading, of course). When they have long mastered the idiom, then they can move on to the complexities of Cicero and the beauty of Virgil. For now, I am satisfied teaching Oerberg to sixth graders since most people think me crazy if I suggest we do away with (or lessen the part of) mind-numbing "subjects" to make way for a real training of the "animal having speech" (logos), as Aristotle defines it. To evolve from a mere chatterbox to an "animal having reason" (logos), requires difficult training. Nevertheless, even the most strenuous exercise, done the right way and to greatest effect, can be delightful.
Why the Classical Languages Matter.......2007-06-28
Simmons' book answers that nagging question, Is there really any reason to study Latin besides improving one's SAT scores? The answer is a resounding yes. This in-depth look at what traditional classical education meant and contributed for centuries is particularly useful for homeschooling families as a counterpoint to the more popular "neoclassical" approaches of Susan Wise Bauer, the Bluedorns, Doug Wilson/Logos School, Veritas Press, etc. In fact, by the end of the book, the nagging question has changed: Can any curriculum not based on the classical languages really be called classical at all? Highly recommended reading. Another top pick: Andrew Campbell's The Latin-Centered Curriculum, which is as practical (even including a scope-and-sequence component) as Climbing Parnassus is historical and theoretical.
Another mewling conservative.......2006-11-03
Another mewling conservative decrying the present state of American education and calling for a return of the Greek and Latin classics. All the usual suspects are included: Bill Clinton, multiculturalism, etc. It's less a call for a return to the basics than a whining political screed and written with all the Asiatic tinsel of a Bill Buckley, who wrote the foreword and gave the book his blessing. There is much good being done in public education, and the classics are not being ignored. It's just that education--and a classical education at that--is no longer the exclusive right of a privileged caste, which is what really bothers these people.
A must-read for teachers and students.......2006-01-14
This book is profoundly inspiring, and an invaluable resource for those who desire to learn and those who desire to teach. Teachers would do well to heed Simmons' advice:
"Any lower school aspiring to help the intelligent children to be their best, to allow the smart to rise and reach heights undreamt of, will give full credit to those children for possessing minds capapble of great things. Children are to be sympathized with and respected, not coddled, nor are they to be humored. Their roads aren't always to be made smooth."
Simmons warns us that the ascent of Parnassus is not easy, but is so very worthwhile. He provided me with a glimpse of what I missed out on by not being Classically educated, and left me with a determination to ensure that my child IS Classically educated.
Customer Reviews:
One subject all year?.......2006-08-08
OK, I was sceptical! Everywhere I turned people were raving about the Jeannie Fulbright science books, but I just didn't get it. How could you spend an entire year studying just ONE thing?? What a waste of time! Wouldn't we get bored? Finally, I gave in to the peer preasure and ordered Zoology 1 thinking that if the books were THAT good, we could at least give them a try- for a month or two. Well, they ARE that good! and my whole outlook has changed. There is more than enough information for an entire year of study! There is just NO WAY we could get through it any faster. And what facinating information it is! I already learned a few things just by paging through it and my children (who have gotten a few glimpses of the beautiful pictures) are so excited to start. There are plenty of fun experiments (very important in this hands-on family) but they are not too complicted or time consuming (also very important) and the necessary supplies are inexpensive and easy to come by. And each book comes with a password so you can access the course website where there is EVEN MORE information! How cool is that? I am now a firm believer and can't wait to study ALL of these wonderful books.
Mrs. Fulbright Does It Again.......2006-07-18
This is the third book in the Exploring Creation series for the elementary level that Mrs. Fulbright has written. They continue to get better & better! I found the Astronomy book soon after it came out (the first one written) & I have not even thought of switching from this curriculum! Written in the order of creation, Exploring Creation with Zoology 1: Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day discusses all the creates that the Lord created first - birds, insects, bats, & flying reptiles.
As with the previous two books (Astronomy & Botany), Zoology 1 is written in a wonderful style that draws the reader (and listeners) in. My children love to sit & listen to me read them science (ages 9 & 5 - boys too!!). The experiments are easy to do (a huge must for me!) & the notebooking activities are wonderful in helping my children create not only wonderful notebooks to preserve their work, but keepsakes that they will enjoy looking at in later years.
Mrs. Fulbright has a wonderful grasp of the science behind it all, the words to express it so all understand, and the gift to connect all back to our wonderful Creator God.
Five stars is too low of a rating!.......2006-07-18
We appreciate Mrs. Fulbright giving due credit to God, the Maker of heaven and earth.
Our boys four years and almost six absolutely love this book! They listen attentively to the text and move 100 miles an hour when it's time for an experiment.
Science is now our eldest son's favorite subject. We are now looking at the world through completely different lenses.
Thusfar, we have had a delightful time going on the scavenger hunt, examining insects, and performing the glider experiment.
As for me, I read ahead for fun at bedtime to myself.
Thank you for sharing your expertise and passion for God's creatures with us.
This book is awesome!.......2006-07-17
I am 9 years old. This book is about birds, insects, flying reptiles and bats. I liked this alot more than the other things we did for science in the past. I am amazed at the things birds can do. I am exited about doing the next book.
Four year old says, "Great!".......2006-07-17
I thought the pictures in this book were great. I like to look at them on my own. I liked the peacock picture best. This book was interesting. I enjoyed making my nature notebook. I also enjoyed watching birds and learning to make homemade suet with my mom. We built a birdhouse and since then I have built lots of other things because I enjoy building now. That's not all....we got a peacock feather and I like looking at it! I also liked the part about putting bugs in a relaxer and sticking pins in them. It's sad to put pins in bugs, but it is also great because it is a good way to learn about bugs.
Average customer rating:
- Definitive Classical Text
|
Opera: Volume I: Euthyphro, Apologia Socratis, Crito, Phaedo, Cratylus, Sophista, Politicus, Theaetetus (Oxford Classical Texts)
Plato
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
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Plato: Apology
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Phaedo (Oxford World's Classics)
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All The Greek Verbs (Greek Language)
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An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon: Founded upon the 7th ed. of Liddell and Scott's Greek-English Lexicon. 1889.
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Plato: Timaeus, Critias, Cleitophon, Menexenus, Epistles (Loeb Classical Library No. 234)
ASIN: 0198145691 |
Book Description
Plato is one of the key ancient authors studied by both classicists and philosophers. This volume contains the first eight of Plato's works in the traditional order which appears in most of the manuscripts. The first four, Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, ahd Phaedo are grouped by their dramatic settings concerned with the death of Socrates. The Apology and Crito display Socrates' philosophical mission. The Euthyphro discusses piety; the Phaedo proves the immortality of the soul by appeal to Plato's Theory of Forms. The second group of dialogues represent Plato's later work and are grouped according to his own indications; The Cratylus discusses language, the Thaetetus knowledge, the Sophist being and negation, and the Politicus statesmanship. This new edition offers much additional information on the preservation of Plato's text. All primary manuscripts have been checked and in most casesx freshly cololated. Papyrus fragments recently made available that were unknown to previous editors have been in several cases re-examined and their evidence reported, whilst no less important has been the search for previously unreported quotations of Plato in later Greek writers, facilitated by new editions of Neoplatonic writers. All textual problems have been thought through afresh.
Customer Reviews:
Definitive Classical Text.......2003-12-05
These Oxford editions are the definitive Greek texts for Plato's entire body of work. They are the culmination of a vast tradition of scholarly erudition. They include not only a fine edition of the texts, but also an extensive critical apparatus in the footnotes in which alternate readings adopted by other editors are listed. In effect, in this edition, you get the whole history of all other editions of Plato.
Oxford is in the process of putting out a new set of re-edited Plato's. These represent the latest trends in scholarly thought on Plato. However they do not represent any new discoveries--they are only a new set of editorial decisions by a new editor, but the same old material. The new set look quite good so far, but the older edition (By John Burnet, or Ioannes Burnet in Latin) are not rendered obsolete or out of date by this one. My personal preference is for the older Burnet edition.
Book Description
In Memorabilia or Memoirs of Socrates and in Oeconomicus, a dialogue about household management, we see the philosopher through Xenophon's eyes. Here, and in the accompanying Symposium we also obtain insight on life in Athens. The volume concludes with Xenophon's Apology, an interesting complement to Plato's account of Socrates' defense at his trial. Ostensibly an account of a dinner party in the summer of 421
BCE, Xenophon's Symposium is a vibrant picture of an Athenian evening of quiet entertainment and conversation. Among the guests Socrates is the central figure, and--as in Plato's Symposium--love is the main subject of debate. But the style here is more relaxed and less artful than in Plato's philosophical dialogue, yielding an engaging portrait of Socrates and of Athenian social life.
Average customer rating:
- A beautifully haunting book
- Moving text, fine illustrations
- A very beautiful book, beautifully illustrated.
- A Great Idea For A Book
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Apologia
Barry Lopez
Manufacturer: University of Georgia Press
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Binding: Hardcover
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Resistance
ASIN: 0820320048 |
Customer Reviews:
A beautifully haunting book.......2007-03-14
The images in this book, along with the text, create a very beautiful but sad image of life on the highway, for man and animal. I had never heard of Barry Lopez before learning about this book, but his experiences really struck a cord deep within me. When I am on the road and see a dead animal, I always say a quick few words of respect for it. I plan on reading more of Mr. Lopez's books in the future.
Moving text, fine illustrations.......2000-06-12
Despite having lived with a variety of pets over the years, from tropical fish to canines (a dog and two cats currently), I do not believe I can say I have a great feeling for animals, especially wild ones. I think the one time I really connected emotionally with them -- at least in my mind -- was when an acid trip kept me up all night in the Oregon high desert and, walking down a dusty road at dawn, I noticed small creatures scurry out of my way and felt their stinging reproach: Your species has already overrun the planet, they seemed to say to me; can't you let us have this one quiet time of the day to ourselves?
Robin Eschner, a California artist, has executed woodcut prints to accompany an essay by nature writer Barry Lopez regarding his thoughts and actions in response to ... road killed animals.
If you've never read Lopez's wonderful nature writing, travel essays, or fiction, get moving! This book might not be such a good introduction, despite the author's customary elegant, rich but ever-precise prose. (For a fine and easily digested survey of his work, try the recent collection _About This Life: Journeys on the Threshold of Memory_, and for Lopez full out and leisurely, go for _Arctic Dreams_.)
The subject matter of _Apologia_ is perhaps a bit in-your-face, though Eschner's tasteful and evocative artwork never is. The pictures cast long, stark shadows, but are never creepy, disgusting, or manipulative.
If you have a strong feeling for animals, at least some ambivalence about the domination of the American landscape by the combustion-engine carriage, and the price the former pay for unsought violent encounters with the latter -- or if you know someone who feels that way -- this thin, coffee-table-style volume would be a lovely and appropriate purchase.
And if you ever get the chance to see Lopez speak or read from his work, GO! He is a truly sensitive and moral man, and a magnificent writer.
A very beautiful book, beautifully illustrated........1998-11-15
I can not drive by a dead animal on the side of the road without thinking of Ms. Eschner's woodcuts. Thank you.
A Great Idea For A Book.......1998-10-01
Barry Lopez is great. He loves the outdoors so much that he makes us love the outdoors. And the woodcut illustrations makes this a book that stays with you long after you've read it.
Product Description
Detailed Description
This CD is designed to be used with the high school human anatomy and physiology textbook, The Human Body: Fearfully and Wonderfully Made! It contains many multimedia features that cannot be included in a print textbook. They include:
Videos of experiments that the student could not do at home:
In this CD, you will find several videos of interesting experiments that require equipment which cannot be used in the home. These experiments include things like a human cadaver dissection and an examination of a human brain with its spinal cord attached.
Videos of a teacher pointing out anatomical features on plastic models:
Since the three-dimensional nature of human anatomy can be lost in textbook illustrations, these videos help the student better visualize what human anatomy really looks like.
Pronunciations of the words with which the student is unfamiliar:
The technical words that the student has probably never heard before are pronounced on this CD.
System Requirements
This CD is fully tested and technical support is available for the following operating systems: Windows 98, ME, NT 4.0 (SP 3 or higher), 2000 Professional, XP Home Edition, XP Professional.
Minimum System Requirements:
A 486 with a 66 MHz processor (Pentium processor recommended), RAM: 32 MB (Windows NT 4.0), 64 MB (Windows 2000), 195 MB of free disk space, Mouse, Sound Card, Video and sound compression (part of your Windows installation), CD-ROM drive.
Although technical support is not provided for Macintosh and Linux operating systems, this course can be run on Mac OSX and higher, Virtual PC 5.0 and higher, and Linux running KDE or Gnome.
Includes 2 CDs.
Average customer rating:
- An important representation of a particular subgroup
- Quest For Treasure - A Real Find!
- Linda Newland/parent and spouse of a ASPIE
- Linda Newland/parent and spouse of a ASPIE
- Linda Newland/parent and spouse of a ASPIE
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Discovering My Autism: Apologia Pro Vita Sua (with Apologies to Cardinal Mewman)
Edgar Schneider
Manufacturer: JESSICA KINGSLEY PUBLISHERS
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Pretending To Be Normal: Living with Asperger's Syndrome
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Health o Meter HDC100-01 "Grow with Me" Teddy Bear Scale for Babies and Toddlers
ASIN: 1853027243 |
Book Description
This is an autobiographical account of high- functioning autism, by someone who was quite late in discovering that about himself. The author spent the better part of his life looking for the right size round hole for himself. Since that discovery, he has been digging his own square hole.
Customer Reviews:
An important representation of a particular subgroup.......2006-05-11
Edgar's book is written in small digestible chunks although this is more a book of essays than a flowing narrative. His essays, from a social philosophical stance are interesting, often punctuated with a wry if not cynical wit and his intelligence is clearly quite piercing. I most certainly agree with his comparison of people on the spectrum to cats and, myself, write of 'cat people' in our majority 'dog-person' world and its 'dog-person' social structures.
I'd have preferred, however, to read this as Edgar writing about his own perceptions and experiences without his presumption that his experiences and perceptions define all people's autism (referring to 'all autistics').
The autism field is an evolving field and authors on the spectrum don't need to all be psychologists (it'd be boring and one color if we all were) but do need to have extensive and broad experience of people across the entire spectrum when making generalisations. When they make these presumptions it can detract from the very interesting and valid points they have to make about their own system of functioning and perhaps the applicability this has to those in their particular but significant subgroup.
Having worked with around 600 people on the spectrum over 8 years in the capacity of a qualified teacher diagnosed with autism working as a consultant, I found that Edgar's experiences and perceptions held well for a percentage of those people but not any majority. In this respect his book will certainly inform anyone looking to understand children who fit the 'Mr Spock' mold in which they rely primarily on intellect not sensing and navigate their social world without emotion.
However, even given that stereotype, it can be misapplied to a range of people who actually don't fit it. For example, those with face blindness may consistent react in an emotionally flat manner because even familiar people appear as strangers. Those with severe Scotopic Sensitivity can have such fragmented visual perception they are unable to cohesively process facial expression or body language and so may also fail to respond emotionally yet this is no actual reflection on their capacity to feel emotionally for others. Those with Central Auditory Processing Disorder may fail to get enough consistent meaning from speech to be moved by what others say or only have good enough receptive processing to grasp language on a purely literal level and again this does not equate with being socially emotionless. Those who lack a multi-track capacity to simultaneously process a sense of self and a sense of other may also struggle severely to adapt empathically to the actions and utterances of others and again this is no reflection on their capacity to feel emotions on a social level even though, in the moment, these may fail consistently to be expressed. And there are certain dyspraxias that can limit some people's capacity to connect emotion to their own facial expression or body language and these people, if non-verbal and unable to type are constantly wrongly assumed to be socially emotionless. Those with acute OCD or Tourette's tics may be so harried by their impulse control disorders they have little time to do social-emotional processing and their compulsive disorders can easily be mistaken for lack of empathy. The same can be said of those with depression unable to care about their impact on others any more than they are able to care about themselves or those with bipolar who in manic states lack such a degree of impulse control they may be seen as unempathic. None of these is the same as social emotionlessness and all can and do occur in significant percentages of people on the autistic spectrum with these things labelled part of their 'autism'.
So we have to very very careful when assuming all of these people fit the social emotionlessness of the 'Mr Spock' mold. Just because someone diagnosed with HFA or Asperger's assumes these people are all 'like them' doesn't mean that they, like any onlooker, isn't failing to go beyond the surface behaviors and surface appearances and dare to find that there's a far greater diversity in there than they imagined.
In my experience, however, the Mr Spock stereotype may be more representative of those at the Asperger's and HFA end of the spectrum as many other people with autism are reactionary and physical more than logical, relying on the mapping of pattern, theme and feel and and struggle to hold complex mental ideas and juggle them in their heads yet can be of equal (but usually unrecognised) intelligence to those who fit the Mr Spock mould Edgar (and Temple Grandin) represent well.
Many of the artworks, eloquent poetry and writings of non-verbal people with autism (who have proven the independence of their typing) express a reality far different to this, often one of not of the purely intellectual connection Edgar writes of, but deep emotional connection to others that has, until typing, been unable to be expressed so Edgar's work has to be understood in that context. Given a significant number of people with autism are now being found to have co-morbid bipolar as part of their autism, it is equally hard to imagine Edgar's model strongly applies to these people.
When Edgar casts those with the solitary personality trait (the extreme of which is Schizoid Personality Disorder, which is associated with Social Phobia and fear of emotion and intimacy)out of the autistic circle as he sees it, he also overlooks the fact that this is a natural personality trait that may well be more common in people on the spectrum than he envisions or is comfortable with. Just because he doesn't fit that group, doesn't instantly mean those in that group are not as 'purely autistic' as him. Under extreme chronic stress, as is such with severe processing disorders, it isn't surprising a percentage of people with autism who do have the solitary or avoidant personality traits actually will be socially phobic, have acute social anxiety disorders and fit the Schizoid or Avoidant Personality Disorder criteria and yet be just as autistic as those, like Edgar and Temple Grandin (as he liberally quotes her as being 'like him'), who do not.
I'd have like him to compare this 'social emotionlessness' by which he defines autism with this same widely studied deficit in psychopaths. Whilst a given percentage of brain scans (and certainly not a majority) of those with autism have been found to show damage or atrophy in the areas associated with processing emotion, the majority of psychopaths who underwent the same types of brain scans showed this too. This is not in any way to say people on the autistic spectrum are psychopaths, but this social emotionlessness does add up to one having a choice to intellectually choose to care, or not and the motivation to choose one way or the other may have much to do with which personality traits someone inherits.
Someone with the social emotionlessness Edgar writes of could inherit traits that drive extreme morality (and Edgar clearly highly values his strongly developed and unquestionable morality) in which case they will likely never behave like psychopaths. But others may inherit the self-confident/narcissistic and adventurous/antisocial traits in which case they may well be at far greater risk of psychopathy even if they are on the autistic spectrum. The cases of mass murderers Martin Bryant and Thomas Hamilton come to mind, both of whom have been considered to be 'on the spectrum'. This is not to say someone like Edgar could EVER be 'like that' but this may come down to which collection of personality traits differed as the social emotionlessness seems unavoidably comparable. Similar could be said of the work of Jeanette Purkis (Aspie author of Finding A Different Kind of Normal) who faced this same issue of social emotionlessness without Edgar's natural morality. After years of imprisonment, she came to an awareness of making a choice based on logically not wanting to be on the receiving end of her own types of behaviors.
Psychopathy is not unheard of in individuals on the spectrum, as the work of Dennis Debault informs us. This is where the purist stance of 'all people with autism are X, Y, or Z' falls down because whilst the autisms of all people on the spectrum are
like 'fruit salads', the ingredients of those fruit salads can be simple or complex and can differ so dramatically under the label. A significant percentage of people on the spectrum will NOT have Edgar's social emotionlessness.
Nevertheless, what Edgar writes is quite representative of a significant number of adult men on the autistic spectrum who may go on to live independently and marry. In this regard I would certainly recommend this book to those in this group and their partners as an excellent resource in understanding expectations and the limitations of counseling based on non-autistic assumptions of the person with autism needing to 'work on their emotions'.
... Donna Williams
autistic author of 9 books in the field of autism.
Quest For Treasure - A Real Find!.......2006-01-19
This is one of the best autobiographies in re the autism/Asperger's (a/A) spectrum I have ever read. Schneider, who is plainly a gifted man shatters the myth that people with autism are unable to think abstractly. A scholar in the humanities and in his own condition, Schneider draws upon a myriad of resources to support his findings. His background in mathematics and extensive knowledge and research of matters scientific is on a scholarly plane.
Still, Schneider is very inclusive in his writings. He compliments his readers' intelligence by sharing his knowledge; at no time does he deviate from plain speech.
Schneider discusses the paradoxical aspects of autism. One tired myth is that people with autism lack emotion. That is just not true. Autism is a sensori-neurobiological condition that affects sensory processing and communication to varying degrees. It is a chiefly sensory condition and for many people on the spectrum, emotions can be frightening and overwhelming. Many people compensate by displaying a "poker face" rather than give rise to the intensity of their own emotions and responses to stimuli. That is very common among the a/A population.
Show me a person on the a/A spectrum who doesn't hate surprises and having to cope with having things sprung on them and I'll show you a bulldog that flies. For many people with autism, surprises can be very threatening and not knowing what the desired response to same is can make for some tricky social navigation.
However, not all autistics have a limited display of emotion, just as not all autistics think in pictures. Broad generalizations can be very misleading, but I don't get the sense of that with this book.
Autism IS a continuum - its spectrum partner, Asperger's Syndrome is also considered by some to be a form of high functioning autism (HFA). Whether or not Asperger's is HFA, the fact remains that Asperger's IS a form of autism and for any individual on the a/A spectrum, there will be overlapping behaviors and sensory reactions.
Schneider probes into the neurotypical (NT) world with brilliance and logic. He is also very funny and many of his trenchant observations are quite witty. While some may find his risque humor offensive, it can be interpreted as being all in fun and not meant to be taken seriously.
This is a book for everyone, especially people on the a/A spectrum. Many people with Asperger's, will feel a bond with Schneider. He is the voice of reason and explanation; he is the professor with the a/A curriculum. This book is moving; funny; serious; intense; gritty; strong and brilliant. Parts of it might even make you cry. Many parts are uproariously funny. It is a book that will be loved, treasured and savored. Readers will find themselves thinking about this book and author long after they have turned the last page.
Linda Newland/parent and spouse of a ASPIE.......2002-12-22
I am a mother of a 15 year old ASPIE married to a AS spouse. This is probably one of the 'best" books I have read coming from a parent and a adult married to a AS spouse.
Edgar makes me think and pause and yet think again. He is articulate with superior communication skills. His analogy to having AS or being married to someone that is blind is food for thought for all of us living in a non spectrum world. He has a quick wit and cuts to the chase. If you want to know, "HOW" AS can affect someone that has it or is involved in a in a mixed marriage, relationship or friendship without knowing it, this books is a "must" read.
Linda Newland/parent and spouse of a ASPIE.......2002-12-22
I am a mother of a 15 year old ASPIE married to a AS spouse. This is probably one of the 'best" books I have read coming from a parent and a adult married to a AS spouse.
Edgar makes me think and pause and yet think again. He is articulate with superior communication skills. His analogy to having AS or being married to someone that is blind is food for thought for all of us living in a non spectrum world. He has a quick wit and cuts to the chase. If you want to know, "HOW" AS can affect someone that has it or is involved in a in a mixed marriage, relationship or friendship without knowing it, this books is a "must" read.
Linda Newland/parent and spouse of a ASPIE.......2002-12-22
I am a mother of a 15 year old ASPIE married to a AS spouse. This is probably one of the 'best" books I have read coming from a adult married to a AS spouse.
Edgar makes me think and pause and yet think again. He is articulate with superior communication skills. His analogy to having AS or being married to someone that is blind is food for thought for all of us living in a non spectrum world. He has a quick wit and cuts to the chase. If you want to know, "HOW" AS can affect someone that has it or is involved in a in a mixed marriage, relationship or friendship without knowing it, this books is a "must" read.
Books:
- Arctic Wings: Birds of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
- Arts of Vietnam (Temporis Collection)
- Better Basics for the Home: Simple Solutions for Less Toxic Living
- Better Trout Habitat: A Guide To Stream Restoration And Management
- Better Trout Habitat: A Guide To Stream Restoration And Management
- Biodiesel: Growing A New Energy Economy
- Business: Its Legal, Ethical, and Global Environment
- Casino Gambling For Dummies (For Dummies (Sports & Hobbies))
- Chase's Calendar of Events 2007 w/CD ROM (Chase's Calendar of Events)
- Chemical Fate And Transport In The Environment
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Best Damn Garage in Town: My Life & Adventures
- Your Hands Can Heal You: Pranic Healing Energy Remedies to Boost Vitality and Speed Recovery from Co
- The Slynx
- The World Is Flat
- The Right Thing To Do: Basic Readings in Moral Philosophy
- Zapp! The Lightning of Empowerment: How to Improve Productivity, Quality, and Employee Satisfaction
- Walden
- Miller's: American Quilts: How to Compare & Value
- What's Happening to Home: Balancing Work, Life and Refuge in the Information Age
- Hear the Bugles Calling: My Three Wars As a Combat Infantryman
Essay On Devel Of Christian Doctrine: Theology (Notre Dame Series in the Great Books, No 4)
Jesus of Nazareth
The Idea of a University: Defined and Illustrated in Nine Discourses Delivered to the Catholics of Dublin in Occasional Lectures and Essays Addressed to ... the (Notre Dame Series in the Great Books)
An Essay in Aid of a Grammar Of Assent
Orthodoxy
