- Hardcover: 288 pages
- Publisher: Souvenir Press Ltd (Oct 21 2004)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0285637134
- ISBN-13: 978-0285637139
- Product Dimensions: 21.4 x 14.4 x 2.4 cm
- Shipping Weight: 422 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,237,109 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
In this affecting, thoughtful memoir, Prince-Hughes explores how working with gorillas helped her escape the feelings of isolation she encountered as a sufferer of Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism characterized by difficulties processing stimuli, sensory sensitivity and social awkwardness. Her description of the course of her condition is both delightfully quixotic and terribly sad. Prince-Hughes's addictions to the smells of purple irises and tin Band-Aid boxes seem harmless enough, but her inability to emotionally connect to other people has terrible consequences. In high school, she is beaten and harshly abused. Trying to cope, she develops a drinking problem, spends months homeless and takes a job as a strip club dancer to make ends meet. A lifeline comes after a trip to the zoo, where the author discovers gorillas and forms a bond with them that changes her life. These creatures see the world the same way Prince-Hughes does: "They didn't look at one another, and they did look at me, they looked at everything." She gets a low-level zoo job and decides to make a career out of studying gorillas. By quietly, calmly watching the gorillas interact, Prince-Hughes learns about emotions like love, anger, concern and humor-feelings she could never understand in the purely human world. The author's favorite gorilla, a 500-pounder named Congo, becomes more of a friend than a subject, at one point literally giving her a shoulder to cry on. Although Prince-Hughes goes on to earn a Ph.D. in anthropology, she still struggles with verbal and physical interactions. In print, however, she finds touching eloquence and clarity.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
This memoir tells how Prince-Hughes learned to manage her form of autism, Asperger's syndrome, by observing and interacting with gorillas. This "high-functioning" form of autism regularly goes unrecognized because sufferers are often gifted intellectually and learn numerous coping mechanisms. The author's accounts of her early childhood are intensely moving as she describes how she viewed her world and how she tried to deal with it. What makes this book unique is the author's discovery of the gorillas at Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo, and how she learned about personal relationships, the need for companionship, and the need for a group to belong to by watching them. Though she dropped out of school at 16, wanting to learn more about the gorillas helped her to find a focus and led to an eventual Ph.D. in anthropology. The reader will feel what the author is feeling, and her comparisons of herself with the gorillas she grew to love are fascinating. An excellent addition to any library's collection about autism, this will also resonate with all who understand the human-animal connection. Nancy Bent
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
heartwarming and enlightening,
By
This review is from: Songs of the Gorilla Nation: My Journey Through Autism (Hardcover)
'Songs of the Gorilla Nation' is an autobiography by Dawn Prince Hughes, an interdisciplinary anthropologist who has lived with the hardships of Asperger's Syndrome which is a unique version of autism.This is a very humane book and should hopefully open up the minds of many to be more empathetic to the plight of those experiencing autism & of diffierent species. Dawn always knew that she was different, unfortunately for her she never knew why she was different. She reveals her path to self-discovery. Dawn gives the impression that what are normally instinctive social norms, such as smiling at appropriate times, or knowing when to disagree or agree, are entirely learned behaviors on her behalf. What is obvious for the normal person, she has to intellectually grasp, and learn to correctly apply that knowledge. This fortunately offers her a unique way of looking at the world. Unlike others when she spends time and studies gorillas, Dawn sees not only the basics such as a silverback and a playful child, she can sense the individualities of each gorilla. She understands why a gorilla behaves a certain manner. She knows if the individual gorilla is being silly, threatening or displaying grief at the sickness of a family member. With this understanding of Gorillas, Dawn is then capable of applying that knowledge to human behavior, and her own behavior in general. With this application she learns to better handle herself in public and to expand her understanding of the human condition. Some of the other unique characteristics of this book involve how she views the world. One of the better explanations is that autism provides an overload of the senses. Most people have filters that block out unnecessary information. Our senses are better capable of focusing or disregarding some irrelevant sense, touch, sight, or smell. With autism we get the impression that Dawn cannot prevent all these senses from overloading her brain. Since we dont actively think about all of the filters that we do have it's difficult for most people to understand how she feels. This book should be mandatory reading for psychologists or anyone teaching. A lot of the problems Dawn encountered as a child could have been avoided if only some simple humanity and understanding had been applied. This is especially true when we read about how one of her teachers treated her. Hopefully this book will enlighten people on what autism is, and about the fact that apes and animals in general each have their own unique personalities.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A fantastic book,
By A Customer
This review is from: Songs of the Gorilla Nation: My Journey Through Autism (Hardcover)
Frankly, I didn't expect to be as touched by this book as I was. For some reason it simply blew me away. Let me start out by saying that I don't have, nor do I know anyone who is autistic or has Asperber Syndrome (I realize that the definitions are sketchy). That said, I still found this book riveting and above all, moving. Another reviewer recommended another book--a work of fiction really--dealing with a child who is autistic/Asperger/DID in some manner and I found that one equally riveting: "Bark of the Dogwood." It too was a great read, though very disturbing--not for the faint-hearted. But "Songs of the Gorilla Nation" just left me breathless. Thank God Dawn Prince-Hughes had the courage she did, not only to live her life, but to tell us about it in this highly unusual read.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Songs of the Gorilla Nation,
By A Customer
This review is from: Songs of the Gorilla Nation: My Journey Through Autism (Hardcover)
This deep thinking book is about a woman who has a form of autism, Asperger's Syndrome. The author combines anthropology, autism and study of gorillas into a finely tuned view of how an autistic person deals with their unique individuality. An excellent nonfiction book for anyone interested in autism.
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