Strange Son

Two Mothers, Two Sons, and the Quest to Unlock the Hidden World of Autism

By: Portia Iversen

Narrated by: Jane Kaczmarek

Strange Son is the dramatic story (part memoir, part groundbreaking science) of how the author learned to communicate with her severely autistic son through meeting Soma Mukhopadhyay, a poor, single mother from Bangalore, India, whose own son, Tito, is a genius who is also severely autistic. In their quest to help their sons, and using Soma's unorthodox methods, they made discoveries that challenge widespread theories about autism and even surpass research in the nation's leading neuroscience labs.©2006 Portia Iversen (P)2006 Simon and Schuster Inc. All rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"Portia Iversen has used her eyes and ears to pierce the seemingly impenetrable armor of the autism puzzle, and Strange Son reflects the genius of her ability to observe and to listen, filing away in remarkable detail the life experiences of two boys who carry with them the essential clues for understanding the underlying disturbances in brain architecture and function that result in autism." (Pat Levitt, Ph.D., director of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center For Research on Human Development)

AWESOME!!

What a wonderfully inspiring book. I'd highly recommend it to anyone who wants to know more about autism, or simply struggles with it in their own life. I found this fascinating!!

Read this!

Enjoyed it! A must read for anyone who has a family member who is autistic.

Meh.

Would you listen to Strange Son again? Why?

No. The author had a 'know it all' attitude, despite constantly admitting she doesn't understand how the other Mother in the book is able to teach non-verbal autistic kids to write. The whole book can be summarized like this: I know how to use this method better than the poor woman from outside the USA does. I don't know what the method is, but I think she should change it. She thinks these kids can learn even more but I don't think so. I have formed a charity so I have tons of money to use, as long as we do it my way. I told her my way is better over and over and over but she just left. Now I have to try to figure out how she does it so I can be in control. Me. Me. Meeeeeee.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Strange Son?

The thousand times the author mentions 'her' ideas came from another woman, then she proceeds to bash the other woman.

Which scene was your favorite?

When the other woman gets fed up and leaves.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I REALLY wish there was a book by Tito and/or his Mom.

Any additional comments?

Most other books on Autism are better.

must read

Where does Strange Son rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Great book regarding a parents perspective on autism and what a parent will go through to help their child.

Very Informative

If you enjoy books about how the mind works, you will enjoy this book. Imagine this: a mind that can both see and talk, but can't do both at the same time. That is what this author is battling with..the complications of the autistic mind that are beyond belief. This book gives true meaning to the expression: "There, but by the grace of God go I".

Great Book great story

Touching and informative