Rating: 
Summary: An Enlightening, Informative, Well-Written True Story
Review: In her inspiring memoir, Dr. Dawn Prince-Hughes, the gifted
primatologist who happens to have Asperger's syndrome, has given us an account of her passage from an isolated, private world to the world of people. As the fascinating, sometimes poignant narrative reveals, the author's journey was not without its rough times and I found msyelf wanting to hold her hand and cheer her on as she struggled to overcome the barriers to growing up that she encountered. Prince-Hughes' story is invaluable for its glimpse of autism from within.
Her social migrations took her to the zoo, where she learned about and befriended gorillas. She became so adept at observing their behavior, including their social overtures and responses, that she went on to study anthropology at university.
As suggested by the title of her book, which speaks of a "nation" of gorillas, the author reconstructs the primate world wherein people and gorillas are subsumed emotionally, socially, and spiritually under the same rubric.
Readers of this book will learn to value human differences. Instead of becoming alarmed by them, to believe autists can neither be helped nor help themselves, we learn to appreciate human variation and to value the original, surprising, and inventive ideas and perspectives of autistic people.
Rating:
Summary: If Your Child Has Aspergers, Read This & Check A Mirror
Review: Like the author herself, my exploration of Asperger's Syndrome began because someone suggested that my son had it when he was just over two-years old. Dawn Prince-Hughes had a child within her family who had been diagnosed, and this revelation caused her to eventually seek her own diagnosis. While I long suspected that my husband might have AS, little did I know that seeing Prince-Hughes on television for 30 seconds would be like looking at myself in a mirror; nor did I expect that reading this book would result in many other instances of self-recognition.
In a quote from one of my son's favorite movies, "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree," and if you have a child who has AS or another autistic spectrum disorder, you need to reevaluate the way you yourself relate to the world. In my own case, I feel that meeting Dawn Prince-Hughes through this book is like meeting a lost twin sister.
The major thesis that Prince-Hughes drives home is that far from being devoid of emotion, she is full of more emotional depth than most people ever dream of. Although she has at times been unable to communicate her emotions to others, she has felt the highs and lows of life deeply. Her observations of gorillas and other facets of nature are stunning, and her way of weaving her poetic images into a factual narrative is entrancing.
Contrary to what one critic above wrote, Prince-Hughes is a gifted writer. Her manner of expressing herself is a vital part of her gift, the very great gift that she is giving to AS people, gorilla people and all of life by telling her story.
Rating:
Summary: Three books
Review: There are three books that you must read if you're interested in Asperger, DID, or any of the host of other syndromes affecting children (and adults). These are: FREAKS, GEEKS, AND THE ASPERGER SYNDROME, Jackson McCrae's THE BARK OF THE DOGWOOD, and SONGS OF THE GORILLA NATION. Of the three, "SONGS" is by far the best, it being a disturbing and ultimately uplifting story. Not to take anything away from the other two books, both of which are great reads, but "Songs" moved me to tears, literally. Don't feel that you have to know someone who's "different" to read this book--you don't. It stands on its own for what it is--a great read.
Rating:
Summary: passionate, moving, sad, and uplifting
Review: There is a quote from George Eliot's Middlemarch, which for me really sums up this book: "If we had a keen vision and feeling of all ordinary human life, it would be like hearing the grass grow and the squirrel's heart beat, and we should die of that roar which lies on the other side of silence." When I read that, I realized that is how Dawn Prince Hughes has lived her entire life. Reading this book shows you what it is like to live with autism, Asperger's Syndrome in particular, and tells the story of how Dawn learned to cope, and even be happy, by observing a family of gorillas. If you are interested in the way the human brain works, and in the relationships between humans and animals, and about love and how it can save us all, you will truly love this book. To top it all off, Prince Hughes writes like a poet, and the immediacy of her prose makes reading this book a truly unique and special experience. Can't recommend this highly enough.
Rating: 
Summary: Crossing Over
Review: There's no doubt in my mind that this is an important book however odd. It has touched me deeply although there are many things in here that I don't understand. With all due respect to the author's incredible journey, she is in reality a very different kind of human being and I have trouble placing her in my experience.Of course there are things I can relate to here, but much of it reads like science fiction.I have trouble with the reality she is describing and often "how" she is describing, her use of language is quizzical and sometimes puzzling,it is also disturbing and unsettling, but that is precisely why the book is so important. It has an alien quality and that makes sense to me but it's a hard book to "like", although you respect it, if that makes any sense at all.
Rating:
Summary: captivating
Review: This book is fascinating, moving and very informative for anybody who is interested in autism and in animals. Since I am both, I enjoyed it immensely. It's comparable with Temple Grandin's 'Thinking in Pictures' with whom Dawn Prince-Hughes shares many deep insights and experiences. She writes beautifully, and her experiences are worth contemplating because they are far reaching and important. Reading this book strengthened my conviction that many people with autism have insights that could benefit us all, and deserve to be listened to carefully, and with great respect. This book is a must for everybody remotely interested in autism or primates, but I should wish it to reach as many readers, especially anthropologists! as possible.
Rating:
Summary: Songs of the Gorilla Nation
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: A wondrous book
Review: What a wondrous book! I felt like I was getting a bonus- learning in depth about autism (which I expected) -and learning about the complex world of gorillas -which was a fascinating surprise. In the midst of learning, I laughed out loud and later grieved along with the author when her beloved primate friend Congo died.If anyone still doubts that people on the autistic spectrum are capable of humor, empathy, and a rich emotional life, this book should put the idea to rest. While she was frequently unable to express her innner world due to fear, being immobilized by overstimulation, lack of skills that she would later learn, or personal depths she would later develop, Dawn Prince-Hughes in fact draws us in with precisely those qualities. The author was diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome in her thirties. She gives us detailed insight into what it means to be on the autistic spectrum - what it means in terms of processing information, enduring ignorance of teachers and classmates, finding a place in the world, and learning to love. Dawn dropped out of high school after she was no longer able to suffer the abuse and humiliation. She was already drinking to quell her anxiety and frustration. She had no money,no job, and no home. She ended up homeless and later in the unlikely world of erotic dancing, where once again, she just didn't fit the mold. I could only imagine the befuddlement and disappointment of men as they watched this new dancer in body paint imitating wild animal movements and sounds! Dawn found her spiritual home in the presence of gorillas at her local zoo. Sitting quietly for hours on end, she made connections with the primates that were unlike those she had ever achieved with people. She began to access emotions and to experience relationships of mutual understanding and reciprocal communication. Reading her descriptions of the worlds of Congo, Nina, Pete, Zuri, Alafia, and the others, I found my views of gorillas and other primates tested and expanded. The implications of her work and observations are immense. This is an inspiring and thought provoking book. It challenges typical descriptions of autism and it challenges typical descriptions of primates. Read it, enjoy it, and be enlightened.
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