Now Read This: �Fall Down 7 Times Get Up 8: A young man�s voice from the silence of autism,� by Naoki Higashida

First, I must confess: I rarely read memoirs. They are often about events or people I find uninteresting, and I would have easily passed by this book if not for its title. However, �Fall Down 7 Times Get Up 8� is one of the greatest nonfiction books I have read. This memoir is a collection of essays, poems and a short story, all written by Naoki Higashida, a 24-year-old man diagnosed with severe autism. As a nonverbal autistic, Naoki is unable to hold a conversation and finds it difficult to accomplish many tasks most people consider routine. In his collection of essays, Naoki shares his struggles with the things others see as commonplace, such as thanking his mother or conveying his emotions.

This collection is split into eight sections, and each one contains essays discussing a different aspect of his life, including time management, school experiences, family relationships and his struggles with communication. Each essay recounts Naoki�s experiences with the world, as well as his reflections on them. He writes, �There�s no need to feel any shame just because your �fullest� and �best� look different from those of others.� His uniquely hopeful outlook on life makes this book both thought-provoking and relatable to a wide range of readers as he strives to convey the mindset of people with autism and inspires readers to see those with autism in a new way, one focusing on patience and understanding.

I recommend this book for readers of all ages, because it is a quick and easy read with a positive message that is not only enlightening, but also motivational. If you are interested in books similar to this, you might try Naoki Higashida�s first book, �The Reason I Jump,� available as an e-book on the Overdrive or Libby apps. �The Reason I Jump� is a question-and-answer book showing the way an autistic mind perceives the world and responds to various situations. Another book you may find interesting is Temple Grandin�s autobiography, �Thinking in Pictures,� available as a print book at the library. In her autobiography, Grandin writes about her life and experiences as both a scientist and a person with autism.