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Five Films to Fall In Love With: Sir Peter Ustinov

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This is a book blog, why tf are we talking about movies and…who?

Because it’s Valentine’s Day and love reigns and our eternal MCM is Sir Peter Ustinov, so what better time—book blog or not—to write a little love letter to bae?

The five films below are our favorites out of SPU’s enormous body of work (would’ve been six, but apparently Hammersmith is Out isn’t on DVD or any streaming service, lame.) But first, a mini-miniature biography as told by our own intrepid (*cough* boy crazy *cough*) librarian Host:

“Sir Peter Ustinov, born April 16th, 1921 lived a full life as a writer, actor, director, soldier, polyglot, humanitarian, comedian, lover, father, son, perfect, holy, sovereign, Oscar winner, author, documentarian, special envoy to the United Nations, president of the World Federalist Movement, university Chancellor, EGOT in my heart because he was robbed at the 1958 Tony’s twice-over for Romanoff and Juliet, novelist, and composer who will one day Ghost-and-Mrs.-Muir me if I keep the faith. And I will always keep the faith. He passed from this life on March 28th, 2004.”

Wow. Thanks for that. Good job, Host, well done. No one’s going to top that so here are the movies in reverse chronological order:

 

Evil Under The Sun (1982)

We have nothing but love and the utmost respect for every actor that has sank his teeth into the role of Hercule Poirot, one of the best detectives in literature, but hands down Sir Peter is the best. Evil Under The Sun is the best of his turns and such an entertaining, romp-y vacation of a movie with one of the best casts in a Agatha Christie adaptation ever. Roddy McDowell and Diana Rigg have so much fun, they’re a joy to watch as are all the rest.

 

Hot Millions (1968)

The best romantic comedy caper movie you’ve never seen. A little bit of How to Steal A Million, a little bit of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and a whole lot of Maggie Smith loving life. Bob Newhart gets in on the fun, too. And grand fun it is.

 

Blackbeard’s Ghost (1968)

What is says on the tin. For better or worse, Blackbeard has become a romanticized figure in pop culture, and it’s always a good time when he turns up.  (even when he’s foul—looking at you Pirates of the Caribbean 4.) Scoff if you will, but there are some classic plot elements here that are well done. Vengeful ex-wife witch whose spell can only be broken by a good deed? Who hasn’t been there? Also, peep the sets and fan favorites Richard Deacon and Herbie Faye.

 

The Comedians (1967) 

Graham Greene reportedly regretted penning the adaptation of his work himself, but there’s so much that’s great about The Comedians you don’t have to work too hard to get past the (admittedly many) not-great elements. Set in Haiti, the movie was filmed in Benin for safety reasons related to political terrorism and you see much of the beauty of the West African coast. It’s nauseating to see the incredible performances by black actors in this movie (as in all movies of this time) knowing that that talent has been hidden, ignored, downplayed, and silenced for nearly one hundred years in film. (Polite reminder to put your consumer dollars in the pockets of black and POC artists and entertainers. Think what the world would look like if our grandparents had done so.)

 

The Sundowners (1960)

Last but by no means least is The Sundowners. Notorious SPU is one of four main characters in a deeply moving family drama, and despite being the funny man pours out a complex and poignant performance against the backdrop of rugged Australia in a time of change. One of Robert Mitchum and Deborah Kerr’s best in our opinion, too.

 

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Thanks for taking this very sentimental journey with us, off topic but from the heart as it is. We always want to hear from you!

  • Have you seen any of these movies?
  • Do you have a favorite silly Disney movie or Agatha Christie adaptation to recommend?
  • What do you think is the worst accent ever attempted in a movie?

 

 

CYMRU AM BYTH – 9 Books On the Country of Wales

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CYMRU AM BYTH – 9 Books on the Country of Wales

If you aren’t hype for the incredible, incomparably bizarre and badass-since-before-the-onset-of-human-history country of Wales already, then sign on and buckle up because Cymru is d o p e.

“The Land of Literature and Song” is something we’d just kind of made up this week and carried around in our hearts during book selection, but the loving label is—of course—completely unoriginal in the extreme: hopefully the proud and fearless people of Wales would enjoy our well-intentioned ignorance and would be down for being celebrated in those categories (we kind of wish this was a rugby blog, not going to lie, but alas.)

Three regular-person-friendly histories, two cookbooks (omg there are exactly zero Welsh recipes that aren’t fucking heaven), three classic bar-setting works of fiction, and one modern novel (spoiler alert: queer protagonist yesssss #heroine #boss)

((strong recommendation: check out Pride Cymru at https://www.pridecymru.co.uk/ and https://twitter.com/PrideCymru #lit #goals))

 

Gadewch i ni fynd!

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A History of Wales by John Davies

What’s so monster about this broad BROAD survey of Welsh history is two fold: that the author, historian John Davies, was a Welshman himself and a gifted teacher directly commissioned to write this comprehensive history AND that the original work was in Welsh and only translated into English later. This history book is the real deal and a perfect place to start a unit study.

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A Concise History of Wales by Geraint H. Jenkins

Clearly the work of a history professor (in the best way, make no mistake) Professor Jenkins covers a huge amount of territory (pun intended) in a small amount of pages. A Concise History is a great fit for ambitious travelers seeking a good overview to better understand and appreciate Cymru and also a great fit for more casual readers.

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The Welsh Kings: Warriors, Warlords and Princes by Kari Maund

There’s nothing we could say about this excellent piece of historical work that packs the punch of this summary: “This work revives the memory of the native leaders of the country from a time before the title ‘Prince of Wales’ became an honorary trinket in the gift of a foreign ruler. These men are restored to their rightful place amongst the past rulers of the island of Britain.” Maund has built a stellar history, it’s DA IAWN

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The Welsh Cake Cookbook by Gilli Davies and Huw Jones

We grew up eating potato cakes and salmon cakes so you can imagine the ecstasy of finding this joyful book FILLED with every variation of Welsh Cakes known to man. Lavender? Hazelnut? Yes please!

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A Taste of Wales by Annette Yates

The enourmously talented Annette Yates pulled together a beautiful survey of classic Welsh recipes, and there’s something delicious for everyone to enjoy. Ms. Yates, we discovered, is also a craftsman of fine jewelry! Rude to be so talented. Hmph. (Annette Yates Jewellery <3 <3 <3)

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The Journey Through Wales and The Description of Wales by Gerald of Wales

Gerald of Wales did NOT come to play—he wrote 17 books in Latin in his long life and this one is so special because it’s a time capsule of real Welsh folk living real lives in the Medieval period so influenced by their legacies. Also a hell of an OG travel guide.

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How Green Was My Valley by Richard Llewellyn

How Green Was My Valley is magnificent. Before reading it, we had never, ever ever ever heard a negative word said, only dozens and dozens of glowing, raving reviews. Moving, honest, humbling. On and on. And every lover is completely right and then some. You’ll hold this story close to you for the rest of your days.

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The Collected Poems of Dylan Thomas: The Original Edition

The one. The only. You don’t need to hear it from us. Hear him in this collection compiled by the man himself.

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Poppy Jenkins by Clare Ashton

Author Clare Ashton is a heroin herself, bringing to mind wandering-wondering-multi-field greats like Hedy Lamarr (full first name Hedwig) and Bea Arthur (if you didn’t know Bea Arthur was a Marine, Google it. BAMF.) Lesbian Romance borne out in Wales penned by a Welsh lesbian? YES PLEASE. See also: After Mrs. Hamilton and Pennance.

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The world has been gifted with so many people who have dedicated their lives to exploring, preserving, and sharing the incredible history and talents of Wales and the Welsh. We are beyond grateful and hope you’ll use some of these books as a resource to start your own exploration!

 

Rhannu, rhannu! Share, share!

  •  Do you have a favorite story, song, experience, or book about Wales?
  •  Do you want to visit one day?
  •  Also! There’s an incredible welsh language magazine published monthly called Barn that is so great! Check it out, especially if you’re interested in or working on language learning. https://barn.cymru/

 

 

Brain Love – 8 Reads on Neuroscience

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Brain Love – 8 Essential Reads on Neuroscience

We all have brains and we all want to make them strong, active, and wide open. Here are some of the best of the best books on neuroscience, our senses, neurodiveristy, health care for your brain, and how to use your mind to max out your life experience.

We’ve read and been enhanced by every book on this list and recommend them whole heatedly. But remember: we here at I Read Therefore are NOT doctors, scientists, mental health care providers, nutritionists, or sociologists.

Use this post and our work on it as one of many available stepping stones to start learning how to love, protect, and use your brain. Check with a doctor, scientist, mental health care provider, and/or nutritionist before you make any changes to your life, diet, lifestyle, or your way of approaching the world around you.

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How the Mind Works – Steven Pinker

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Thinking Fast and Slow – Daniel Kahneman

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The Language Instinct – Steven Pinker

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Brain Maker – David Perlmutter, MD

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The World Beyond Your Head

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Deep Play – Diane Ackerman

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A Natural History of the Senses – Diane Ackerman

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A Mind Apart: Travels in a Neurodiverse World – Susanne Antonetta

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Thank you for reading along with us! Have you read any of these books? And what did you think?

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Coming Attractions – Our Most Anticipated Book Releases – I

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We’ve read and loved these amazing books coming in the summer, fall and winter of 2018 and recommend them with full certainty you’ll love them, too (or hate them because the loathsome characters and circumstances were SO well-written that you want to give the author(s) a giant hug for their perfectly executed creative works, and then punch them in the nose for what their devastating masterpieces put you through. ALL THE FEELS.)

Host Note/Transparency Statement/Additional Disclaimer: All of these books were provided free of charge from the publisher for bloggers, bookstagrammers, librarians, and industry professionals to read and review. There is no financial or other compensation in either direction—one is not obligated to discuss, recommend, or publicize the books and criticism or polite silence is welcomed and respected. All of the new releases featured were read and loved by the actual human readers here, and we’re sharing and recommending them sincerely in good faith as excellent reads in this blog’s capacity as a reading resource. Thank you for your trust and passion for literature. Now go forth and delight in these stunners!

 

 

Ohio: A Novel by Stephen Markley

Raise your hand if multi-perspective novels set in iconic American wastelands, with interwoven narratives competing for most gaunt and raw knuckled, and hurt people hurting people to infinity until high school mistakes ripple out to coat the entire wounded world keep you up all night and begging and dreading the wretched end of the stories and your reading experience.

*RAISES HAND FASTER THAN THE SPEED OF LIGHT*

Ohio takes no prisoners. Our children and grandchildren are going to be reading this one.

Five stars.

 

The Comedown by Rebekah Frumkin

Ms. Frumkin did NOT come to play. Every page of this multi-generational, blast-of-lightening debut novel is loaded with so much detail, so much nuance, so much enormous plot that you’re fully immersed by the middle of chapter one.

(Spoiler-Free, Gentle Warning: for those in substance recovery, please note that there’s constant description and realistic portrayal of active addiction in the book that got pretty tough to read for one of our team members working the steps.)

 

The Lion’s Binding Oath and Other Stories by Ahmed Ismail Yusuf

This is a powerful book that we cannot recommend strongly enough. Ahmed Ismail Yusuf has given the world a gift, that when opened reveals more gifts, and inside each of those gifts, ever more. The short stories of The Lion’s Binding Oath contain all that is good and should be cherished and protected, and all that is evil and should never be forgotten or ignored. Family, history, culture, art; cruelty, hunger, hate, war.

 

This Body’s Not Big Enough for Both of Us by Edgar Cantero

This is a wackadoodle romp that’s campy, trope-y, dorky, and alllllllmost begins to consider the idea of threatening some moments of insight, poignancy, or universal theme of meaning. It doesn’t. At all. Don’t read it thinking it will because it won’t. SO FUNNY.

 

Feared by Lisa Scottoline

Block out the next few weekends on your calendar. Take a giant nosedive into this series. You can thank us later. Twisty, turn-y, thrill-y, with our favorite eternal question/tagline of 2018:

Is it better to be loved, or feared…

 

Meet Me at the Museum by Anne Youngson

You gon’ cry. Your mama gon’ cry. Just get a leg up and start crying now and when this hits your shelf you’ll be primed and ready. Written in correspondence style like 84, Charring Cross Road this is the charmer to end all charmers. Gorgeous novel, and like other recent five star read White Houses, Youngson’s debut features and celebrates characters outside of the 18-24 year old demographic.

 

The Devil’s Half Mile by Paddy Hirsch

Paddy Hirsch’s debut novel is about violent crime and financial disaster in New York City in 1799, with an edge-of-your-seat plot and stellar, brilliant character creation + historical accuracy/detail. Wonderful dialogue and the classic themes we know and love: murder, fraud, lust, greed, more murder, and then some fraud. Joking aside, this is an EXCELLENT thriller, but please note that it is, again, about violent crime and financial disaster in 18th century NYC.

 

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

2018 is the year of the magical debuts, because Delia Owens has written a novel that we don’t deserve but desperately need. We were reminded of Rachel Carson’s descriptive power; the rhythm of Gullah live-storytelling; the surge and draw of life as a recluse. The book’s gonna make you cry some more but also going to make you blush and also make you wanna get in a fist fight with ten dudes twice your size and WIN. So grateful for this novel.

 

Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman

You don’t need us to tell you to read this book. Read it. Read. It.

 

Thank you for reading along with us! What’s your favorite read of 2018 so far?

19 Vital Books by Asian and Pacific Islander Writers

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In May, the United States observes Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, recognizing and celebrating the history and culture of our fellow Americans past and present “with origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, or the Pacific Islands.”1

This article is humbly dedicated with the utmost gratitude and respect to the memory of US Navy Fireman Second Class Telesforo de la Crux Trinidad, Medal of Honor recipient from the Philippines:

“For extraordinary heroism in the line of his profession at the time of the boiler explosion on board the U.S.S. San Diego, 21 January 1915. Trinidad was driven out of fireroom No. 2 by the explosion, but at once returned and picked up R.E. Daly, fireman, second class, whom he saw to be injured, and proceeded to bring him out. While coming into No. 4 fireroom, Trinidad was just in time to catch the explosion in No. 3 fireroom, but without consideration for his own safety, passed Daly on and then assisted in rescuing another injured man from No. 3 fireroom. Trinidad was himself burned about the face by the blast from the explosion in No. 3 fireroom.”2

We are proud and pleased to highlight and recommend the following works by Asian and Pacific Islander authors:

 

The Shark Dialogues – Kiana Davenport

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Sacred Vows – U Sam Oeur

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Shame – Salman Rushdie

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The Gangster We Are All Looking For – Thi Dien Thuy Le

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Pachinko – Min Jin Lee

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The Ghost Bride – Yangsze Choo

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Half A Life – V. S. Naipaul

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Once Removed – Mako Yoshikawa

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My Urohos – Emelihter Kihleng

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Sons for the Return Home – Albert Wendt

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Interpreter of Maladies – Jhumpa Lahiri

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A Little Life – Hanya Yanagihara

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Ilustrado – Miguel Syjuco

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Muna Madan – Laxmi Prasad Devkota

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Wild Ginger – Anchee Min

 

Warlight – Michael Ondaatje

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The Land of Five Towers – Ahmad Fuadi

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The Glass Palace – Amitav Ghosh

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Jasmine Nights – S. P. Somtow

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Fun and free ways to participate in Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month:

1) Pick a country and see how many books your local library has from its authors. Signal boost your newfound favorite authors to your friends.

2) Stream music (new and old!) from the country or culture you’re learning about (Spotify, Pandora, etc.)

3) Search Pinterest to find bloggers and professional chefs that teach the cooking style and food traditions of their cultures and try a recipe. Even if you don’t like the final product you are 100% guaranteed to learn something fantastic.

(Note: we have zero chill about the amazing mega-soothing spice blend garam masala and the vivid crimson masterpiece of flavor that is Korean red pepper flakes that are staples in their respective nations of origin–and without the generosity of Asian American peers sharing their knowledge and experiences in person and online we’d never have had the joy of savoring either seasoning! Be sure to sincerely thank and, where applicable, give credit to any individuals or organizations that provide resources and/or time to you as you learn and explore. Bloggers, cultural centers, authors, speakers, friends, relatives, advocacy groups, historical societies, etc.)

 

Share your ideas and traditions with us via comment or email!

Thank you for reading!

1. [Princeton]↩

2. [CMOHS]↩

Collection of Reviews – Spring of 2018 – #1

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We are so proud to be posting our very first collection of reviews. We want to hear any and all of your thoughts, as always! Please comment or email us. Thank you!

 

White Houses – Amy Bloom

“If you’re a queer woman you cannot go another day without reading this book.

What Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe did for budding, unsure, closeted lesbians in the 90s, White Houses does for the bold, unapologetic, aging queer women those girls have grown to be: Bloom gives a voice. Bloom represents.

The story woven ripped my guts out one slow-burning shred at a time. Throughout the entire novel, I felt myself imagining that perhaps Eleanor Roosevelt lived her whole life mistaking a tickle in her throat—“Pollen, maybe…a need for a cup of tea?”—for what was in fact a desperate need to fall to her knees and scream. That’s what I wanted to do for both she and Hick: scream and pound the floor until all their barriers crumbled. But that’s a reader’s dramatic interference—the reality remembered, recorded and enhanced doesn’t need the fury of a modern eye. The reality of a long and winding thirty year relationship told in the resigned but love-strong, blunt and dry voice of a plain old regular women about her plain old regular true love—the 28th First Lady of the United States of America—is enough. So much more than enough.”

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Eat Dairy Free – Alisa Fleming

“If you’re climbing the mountain of sustainable, ethical, whole and simple eating, this is an excellent cookbook for you.

Elements that make Ms. Fleming’s dairy-free resource special include:

+ Full menus. It’s inspiring and fun to see full day’s worth of delicious food laid out in easy to follow groupings.

+ Idiot-proof explanations of substitutions and healthy cooking staples that are often overwhelming in the grocery store aisles. Sorghum flour? Nutritional yeast? Fear not: they are delicious and easy to incorporate.

+ Variation options included in recipes so you don’t have to experiment quite so much to customize to your tastes and needs. Gluten-free options, vegan options, high protein options etc.

+ many more unique and useful features!

Don’t miss the Carrot Cake Breakfast Shake, Cream of Portobello Soup, Mushroom Pesto Pizza, and Oatmeal Apple Pie Cookies”

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Come to the Rocks – Christin Haws

“Take a couple of hours and disappear into this sweet, cozy, queer-mermaid-vengeance-murder-true love tale.

The author’s vivid descriptions of the nature and power of the sea and shore are rivaled only by the deft exploration of the effect of psychological abuse on the mind of the victim—and the certain deterioration of the abuser’s boundaries into physical violence and worse.

If I were to offer one respectful suggestion: the book warns of sexually explicit content, but there is none (disappointing for we lovers of sexually explicit content.) Perhaps the disclaimer is unnecessary? Or could be replaced by a warning for the one burst of extreme swearing/profanity?”

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Fifteen Things They Forgot to Tell You About Autism – Debby Elley

“It shouldn’t be rare and/or profound that a book on building happy, healthy lives for the autistic children in your care be written by people ACTUALLY PARENTING autistic children, but here we are. May this shining, brilliant, hilarious book of raw hope mark the changing of the tide.

This book is hysterically funny but I also cried twice during the introduction. And several times after. And not at the poignant bits necessarily, but at the clarity of perspective, and the firm and simple definitions that would be so easily accessed and understood by even the most uninitiated (if you or your loved ones are on the spectrum you know how desperately important this is) and once even at a chapter heading: “Communication is What Happens While You’re Waiting for Speech.” Imagine a world where we all understood this, NNT or not.

I wrote several versions of “the author’s voice is both humble and bold” or “a mother’s ferocity and patience shines through” etc etc, but my honest impression is that Ms. Elley is the kind of hero-poet that would beat your ass if needed but also be moved to tender tears by a cheesy song at a karaoke bar. Anyone that reads this book and claims that don’t want to be her best friend is lying.

Not a memoir, except for the parts where it is. Not a point-by-point how-to manual, except for the parts where it is. There is not a single person on planet earth that could read this book and not come out smarter and better equipped to be kind, more compassionate, and inclusive of the autistic children and adults in the world around them. Read it, read it to or adapt it for your neurotypical or neurodivergent kids. Buy a copy for your willfully ignorant family members and any group you’re a part of that needs a foundation to understand the reality of life as or life with a person with autism.”