Rating: 
Summary: Just this side of Normal
Review: I was just a little disappointed with this book. I expected tosee more about how it affected the entire family (the brother Ben andthe Father who just disappeared from the rest of the book).
Rating: 
Summary: I believe JUST THIS SIDE OF NORMAL will be a classic.
Review: It is a beautifully told story, one that's hard to put down once begun. Although I don't have an autistic child, I was deeply moved by this book. It is personal, intimate, and loving and will touch a lot of hearts whether or not they have a disabled family member.
Rating:
Summary: Totally Absorbing and Beautifully Written
Review: Just This Side of Normal is so compelling that you find you must read it all in one sitting, and then go back and read it again. The book's organization, vignettes which are loosely chronological, keeps the pace lively. A powerful story about love and struggle, it's told with tenderness, humor, and great courage.
Rating:
Summary: A heartfelt memoir with much to teach
Review: Many books are available that talk about the medical side of autism, but "Just This Side of Normal" puts it in perspective, as seen through the eyes of a devoted parent trying to understand her child's world. Elizabeth Gerlach's insights open up a window through which the reader can see not just the disorder, but the child. Highly recommended for parents, professionals, and others who want to understand people with autism more fully.
Rating:
Summary: An Absolute Gem of a Book
Review: With this book, JUST THIS SIDE OF NORMAL, Elizabeth King Gerlach has balanced her already highly respected reputation as an author (see her ESSENTAL research book: AUTISM TREATMENT GUIDE--and buy it too! ), with a more personal but no less valuable contribution to the field of literature on autism. Autism, the disorder confounding to doctors, educational professionals and parents alike, deserves to be confronted and thought about in a variety of ways. In this book, Ms. Gerlach takes her own experiences as the mother of an autistic child and expands our understanding, in a very personal way, of the trials, the confusions, and the small triumphs that confront a parent of an exceptional child like her son, Nicky. You will not put this book down until you have read it cover to cover, I guarantee it. I have lent out this book so many times over it's absurd! Each time I have been stunned by the profound reactions of the people I have leant it to, whether they are special ed. teachers, just friends, professional writers such as Ms Gerlach herself, or parents of autistic children, like me. It reaches everyone. Ms. Gerlach's love of nature, life, and her child shine through on every page. Get this book. You will not regret it. It is beautifully honest and you will be moved. Absolutely one of my favorites in my personal library of books on autism. best wishes, Jean
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