Donna Williams was born in Australia in 1963. She was assessed at age two as psychotic, labelled disturbed and tested for deafness throughout childhood before being diagnosed as autistic in 1990. Today she is an internationally best-selling author with nine published books, an artist, singer-songwriter and emerging screenwriter. One of the most well-known people with autism in the world, Donna is a renowned international public speaker, a qualified teacher and has worked as an autism consultant since 1995. Yenn Purkis is an autistic and non-binary advocate, author and presenter. Yenn has a Masters degree in Fine Art from RMIT University. Yenn has given a presentation for TEDx Canberra and has been a frequent keynote presenter at autism and disability events for several years. Yenn has a number of awards, including the 2016 ACT Volunteer of the Year award and a number of other awards for community leadership including being nominated for the Australian of the Year award in 2017. Yenn has worked full-time for the Australian Public Service since 2007. They have facilitated a support group for autistic women and gender diverse folks in Canberra since 2011. Yenn has featured in media interviews for many years and was one of four autistic adults featured in the ABC TV documentary Alone in a Crowded Room. Yenn lives in Canberra, Australia.

This is a well written and remarkable account of the life story of Jeanette Purkis, who has Asperger Syndrome.The book gives lots of examples of Jeanette's survival mechanism - to play whatever role was expected of her . Her inability to communicate her feelings and the reasons for her actions led to frequent misunderstandings. Not knowing the `rules' of relationships also resulted in Jeanette being used by others. It was quite compelling reading, with Jeanette's life unfolding like a novel. Overall, I would recommend this book to professionals and parents or carers of those with Asperger Syndrome. Teenagers and adults with autistic spectrum disorders may also find it helpful to read Jeanette's journey towards finding a 'different kind of normal .

• 1. Being in the world but not of it. 2. Searching for the rules. 3. Learning which way is left. 4. Acting, independently. 5. Becoming the enemy. 6. Losing friends and gaining contacts. 7. Watching the end of the world. 8. Dying and surviving. 9. Educating the mad. 10. Forgetting the script.

Donna Williams was born in Australia in 1963. She was assessed at age two as psychotic, labelled disturbed and tested for deafness throughout childhood before being diagnosed as autistic in 1990. Today she is an internationally best-selling author with nine published books, an artist, singer-songwriter and emerging screenwriter. One of the most well-known people with autism in the world, Donna is a renowned international public speaker, a qualified teacher and has worked as an autism consultant since 1995. Yenn Purkis is an autistic and non-binary advocate, author and presenter. Yenn has a Masters degree in Fine Art from RMIT University. Yenn has given a presentation for TEDx Canberra and has been a frequent keynote presenter at autism and disability events for several years. Yenn has a number of awards, including the 2016 ACT Volunteer of the Year award and a number of other awards for community leadership including being nominated for the Australian of the Year award in 2017. Yenn has worked full-time for the Australian Public Service since 2007. They have facilitated a support group for autistic women and gender diverse folks in Canberra since 2011. Yenn has featured in media interviews for many years and was one of four autistic adults featured in the ABC TV documentary Alone in a Crowded Room. Yenn lives in Canberra, Australia.

This is a well written and remarkable account of the life story of Jeanette Purkis, who has Asperger Syndrome.The book gives lots of examples of Jeanette's survival mechanism - to play whatever role was expected of her . Her inability to communicate her feelings and the reasons for her actions led to frequent misunderstandings. Not knowing the `rules' of relationships also resulted in Jeanette being used by others. It was quite compelling reading, with Jeanette's life unfolding like a novel. Overall, I would recommend this book to professionals and parents or carers of those with Asperger Syndrome. Teenagers and adults with autistic spectrum disorders may also find it helpful to read Jeanette's journey towards finding a 'different kind of normal .

• 1. Being in the world but not of it. 2. Searching for the rules. 3. Learning which way is left. 4. Acting, independently. 5. Becoming the enemy. 6. Losing friends and gaining contacts. 7. Watching the end of the world. 8. Dying and surviving. 9. Educating the mad. 10. Forgetting the script.