I had high hopes for this book but I struggled with it. I found it hard going, and struggled to finish it.

I thought this book would be more interesting, but it seemed to drag out too much to hold my interested. I quit my reading after a chapter or two.

Being that I look up to Dr. Grandin and have met her several times, read her book and listened to her talks, I found that this shows you the life of a celebrity a yes, though they say she's famous for her cattle handling and her positive tactics on autism, this book goes to show you that she's human just like the rest of us and rather doesn't let the label of fame get to her head. Rather, she seems to be more of a regular person who would you find in your community who not only is good at solving problems but someone who you could sit and have coffee and have a good laugh or a good cry with. Finally, forget that's she's autistic!

As a mom of a girl on the spectrum, I have learned a lot from Temple. I appreciate her candid honesty about everything she does and says.

Love the stories told from the inspirational and fascinating childhood . Naughty indeed how did you get away with some of these things? Makes my playground memories fade into insignificance.

Temple Grandin is a remarkable woman who has given readers insights not only to how the mind of someone with autism works, but also how some animals respond to stimuli. In this book, Lesko offers us stories about Grandin's life and while I enjoyed reading about them, I can't help but wonder if they would have felt more immediate in audiobook form.

Temple Grandin has played an important role in the understanding of the autistic spectrum. She was the first person to really speak out about how it felt to be autistic - albeit high functioning. Her work over the years has been important in enabling understanding. I also believe her work in the American Cattle Industry has been invaluable!
This is a book of tales about Temple told by a close friend. It provides insights which are invaluable to anyone living or working with someone on the autistic spectrum. Obviously they may also be of interest to people on the spectrum themselves! They are also fascinating for anyone with an interest in people who are slightly out of the box!
I found that I enjoyed this book by dipping in and out of it. One chunk could be read at a time.
I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley.

Temple Grandin is, and has been, a hero of mine. Part of my admiration for her is for her accomplishments and speeches on behalf of the autism community. This biggest part though? Her determination and sense of humor. That woman is an inspiration in so many senses of the word!~ When I go into meeting for my sons IEP or find myself explaining for the millionth time why my son IS normal, his brain is just uniquely wired I keep Temple Grandins accomplishments and attitude in the back of my mind. Stories I Tell My Friends was a funny, beautiful look into her life and I enjoyed the visit immensely.

I am all about learning about Temple Grandin. It probably is because I am so heavily involved in the lives of kids on the spectrum, but I never feel like I can get enough information about it. Temple has of course written her own books, but it was a nice reprieve getting to read such a light-hearted account of this amazing woman. An added plus is that Anita is also on the spectrum, so she was able to add in her own thoughts and "notes" on Temple's stories. Great read! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book as an ARC.

Since Temple writes such wonderful books of her own, I'm unclear on why someone else needs to write a book about Temple's own stories. I find it intrusive when the author tries to share her own stories - it's not a book about you, it's supposed to be a book about Temple, yet the author insists on stepping into the spotlight through the entire book to share her own stories & insert how well she knows Temple. This would have been a much better book if the author had stuck strictly to the subject - Temple and left herself out of it.

Temple Grandin is an accomplished, remarkable, and inspiring person. Her books, her work, her advocacy, and, most popularly, the HBO movie about her life, have provided hope and inspiration beyond measure for people with autism and their families. One of her greatest admirers is Anita Lesko, who was diagnosed with autism as an adult and whose life experiences have much in common with Grandin's. Over a series of interviews, Lesko gathered stories from Grandin and has published them in Temple Grandin: The Stories I Tell My Friends.



Lesko allows the Grandin to speak in her own voice. The bulk of the book is simply Grandin speaking while the tape recorder rolls. The insights into Grandin's life and personality are invaluable. She reminisces about her childhood, education, and work history. Lesko reveals Grandin's huge generosity and philanthropy. (Fun fact: Grandin pays all of her graduate students' tuition bills! Talk about a cool scholarship!) If you have heard Grandin speak or seen the movie about her, you will picture her quirky style of presenting herself as you read.



Given the unedited feel and rough assembly of the stories in The Stories I Tell My Friends, the book should be primarily viewed as a valuable primary source book, not as any sort of well-researched biography or coherent narrative. This makes the book a little painful to read. Lesko took the liberty of inserting her own remarks and autobiographical material, which, as valuable as it is for Lesko, detracts from the primary focus: Temple Grandin.



So pick up this book and appreciate it for what it is: a chance to see a personal side of Grandin that may not come through in a formal biography. What a remarkable and interesting person.





Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

A fascinating read...does not have to be read cover to cover but can be dipped into, depending on the situation you nay be seeking insight on. A well written collection which can provide a window into a sometimes frustrating world for those not on the spectrum trying to understand the thinking of those who are.

Awesome book that speaks to the tremendous work that Temple has done

This book is a must-read for anyone interested in Temple or autism. However, this is not the usual book about or by Temple Grandin, so don’t go into this expecting the same level of professional writing as her other books. Temple did not write this book, but it is still very useful and of interest to anyone interested in Temple or autism. Anita Lesko takes recorded conversations with Temple and lots of Temple’s friends and basically transcribes them with comments in between.

I’ve read many of Temple’s books and I’ve heard her speak in person. My daughter is autistic, Temple Grandin is one of our heroes, and I still thought the intrusive, amateurish, sometimes gushing narration almost derailed this book. It’s a shame because Anita Lesko has some good information to add to the canon. In addition, the book starts with random childhood memories of pranks and non-autism-specific incidents. Once you get beyond that, the stories are much more interesting and become even more so as the book progresses. By the end of the book, the stories are simply fascinating and offer a lot of insights into Temple and autism from those who know Temple best. If anything, by the time I got to the end of the book, I just wanted it to continue with more reminisces from her students and colleagues.

To clarify: I mention the quality of the editing because I want folks to know that you absolutely ought to disregard it and continue reading the book, rather than stopping as some might do not knowing the value of the content. I feel so strongly about the value of this book that I bought a copy even though I received this ebook of it through the publisher on NetGalley.

Pros: Lots of good stories about and insights from and about Temple and autism. I’d have liked to have seen even more. It’s very much worth working through the slower parts to get to the meat of this book, which is irreplaceable - adult stories and testimonies from Temple’s mentors, co-workers, friends, and students that relate to her life-driving principles and autism.

Cons: It is obvious that Anita, who has autism, did not have the benefit of a professional editor and that’s a major disservice to her and her subject because it’s the gushy amateurish interjections that almost ruin this book. In addition, the book starts out very slowly with mostly generic geeky childhood reminisces, which slow the book to a crawl before it really takes off

Highly recommended for those interested in autism or Temple Grandin with the caveats above.

I received this book as an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) from the publisher through NetGalley. My opinions are my own.

I was deeply disappointed in this book and won't be reviewing it on my blog, as I prefer to feature books I can recommend. The prose was gushy and insubstantial. A reader would be much better off reading one of the titles Grandin herself wrote.

Excellent book! Anyone who has a family member, friend, or just wants to know more about living with autism should read this book. It is witty and insightful. I will absolutely recommend this to others. It gives the reader a glimpse into the mind of someone living and thriving on the spectrum.