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Songs of the Gorilla Nation: My Journey Through Autism
In this elegant and thought-provoking memoir, Dawn Prince-Hughes traces her personal growth from undiagnosed autism to the moment, as a young woman, when she entered the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle and became immediately fascinated with the gorillas. By observing them and, later, working with them, Prince-Hughes was finally able to emerge from her solitude and connect to living beings in a way she had never previously experienced.
More than a story of autism, Songs of the Gorilla Nation is a poignant, beautifully written exploration of the rich landscape of human emotion and the ways we learn to love.
More than a story of autism, Songs of the Gorilla Nation is a poignant, beautifully written exploration of the rich landscape of human emotion and the ways we learn to love.
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
45 people are currently reading
2831 people want to read
About the author
Dawn Prince-Hughes
14 books18 followersDawn Prince-Hughes is an American anthropologist, primatologist, and ethologist who received her M.A. and PhD in interdisciplinary anthropology from the Universität Herisau in Switzerland. In 2000 she was appointed an adjunct professor at Western Washington University. She is the executive chair of ApeNet Inc., has served as the executive director of the Institute for Cognitive Archaeological Research[citation needed] and is associated with the Jane Goodall Institute.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 145 reviews
November 12, 2012
I grew up knowing I was different, but, thanks to my classmates, my extent of understanding of myself was that I was a "freak." In eighth grade, I was diagnosed with Aspergers, but never really understood any of what that meant. In eleventh grade, I discovered this book in my school library. For the first time in my life, I finally understood who I was and WHY I was different. [return]Though we'll never meet, and you'll probably never read these words, thank you Dawn for helping me feel not so alone in the world.
November 16, 2014
I found it almost impossible to review this book straight away, because there aspects of it I strongly dislike and aspects that I find very valuable.
I think it is an important book: It gives a great glimpse into one person’s reality of coming of age with undefined high functioning autism. Most importantly, it describes a strategy for overcoming autistic isolation. Not a cure but a way to kick start the positive feedback loop of social relationships that social learning requires in order to happen.
Dawn is a gifted writer, and the book has brilliant passages and good integrity. Its structure is meaningful, organised into 3 sections:
Part 1. Dawn’s childhood and youth history growing up with undiagnosed autism, knowing something is wrong with her socially, but unable to figure out what it is. She is severely bullied and drops out of school, becomes homeless and hungry, and later finds a way to make a living as an erotic dancer. The roots of her passion for primates is her childhood fascination with ancient humans; and that fascination runs through her life story as a sub-surface theme waiting to unfold.
Part 2: Dawn discovers the gorillas. She is lucky and gets a job in the zoo, and gets more and more involved with the gorilla family. They become her family, and she learns social skills by observing and interacting with them
Part 3: Dawn’s life post-zoo, with the social skills she learned from the gorillas. She establishes a family, works through relationship problems, discovers the name of her condition and gets a diagnosis, gets on meds, and makes her special interest into her study direction and career.
Out of the “autism memoirs” I have read, this is the one I relate strongest with on a personal level, it made a strong impression and very much came “under my skin”; so it was uncomfortable yet fascinating to read. Despite differences in personality, life style and sexual orientation (and my lack of fascination with gorillas), the core theme really strikes a note with me:
1. Youth as a time of stumbling through life randomly, frantically, alien, always aware something is terribly socially amiss yet not able to pinpoint the key error.
2. Learning social skills from animals as a turning point that creates a “before” and “after” social timeline.
Observing the social dynamics of the gorilla group and building relationships with them, gave Dawn the basic social infrastructure she needed to begin to make sense of human sociality and learn from that too – creating the crucial positive feedback loop she had been lacking, kick starting her social development.
In my own life, group dynamics began to make sense when I worked with pigs (for seven years), although that wasn’t a fixed group but many groups that were slowly replaced by new groups over time.
My first real close, trusting, stable, deep long term friendship was with my old dog. She passed away many years ago but I am still using some of her “tricks” – social attitudes and habits, in social interactions and relations with people; especially in my marriage.
Just like Dawn describes it with the gorillas, my bond with the dog was a safe base for learning social relationship skills and pick up attitudes I could use to connect with people – and then the relations with people gave social insights and enabled me to pick up more social insights and skills, which gave more social opportunities et.c. – the crucial positive social feedback loop gradually gained a foothold and developed its own permanent, positive inertia.
That is why the book is important. People rarely point this out, but social insights and habits required for interacting and relating with people can be learned from observing and relating with social animals, as an easier (or even just possible) starting point. Relationship skills are somewhat universal: the attitude and behaviours your dog uses to connect with you and build unique emotional bonds, is similar to what you need to connect and bond with people (in a modified version).
That’s the core point of what I want to say, but other aspects of the book hit home too – like the attachment to places more than to people, and the traumatic dislocation and alienation caused by moving from a childhood home, having one’s roots pulled up. And of course the passion for animals (although in my case not particularly primates).
As I said initially, there are also aspects of the book I found hard to bear and strongly distasteful. The worst is the sentimentalism and idealisation of the gorillas. I hate when Dawn calls the gorillas for “people”, and humans for “human people”. Essentially she insists on re-categorising gorillas as a type of ancient humans; and projects her special interest for ancient humanity onto the gorillas. I find that re-categorisation wrong on many levels, none of which denies that gorillas have personalities and social relations and social group dynamics, just like people do. However, so do many other animals… That makes them relatable, but not human. Dawn does explain why she tries to include the gorillas in humanity; I see her views but didn’t like to be force-fed them semantically.
That said, overall I think this is an important, strong, beautifully written book with strong integrity, and despite finding some aspects of it repulsive, I’ll absolute recommend it as a great source of insight and inspiration for social self-help.
I also appreciate very much that Dawn doesn’t generalise herself and try to speak on behalf of all autistics; she doesn’t “We” herself but emphasises that this is her version of it, and that it is both unique and overlaps with some others peoples’ experiences of living with autism, but not all.
I think it is an important book: It gives a great glimpse into one person’s reality of coming of age with undefined high functioning autism. Most importantly, it describes a strategy for overcoming autistic isolation. Not a cure but a way to kick start the positive feedback loop of social relationships that social learning requires in order to happen.
Dawn is a gifted writer, and the book has brilliant passages and good integrity. Its structure is meaningful, organised into 3 sections:
Part 1. Dawn’s childhood and youth history growing up with undiagnosed autism, knowing something is wrong with her socially, but unable to figure out what it is. She is severely bullied and drops out of school, becomes homeless and hungry, and later finds a way to make a living as an erotic dancer. The roots of her passion for primates is her childhood fascination with ancient humans; and that fascination runs through her life story as a sub-surface theme waiting to unfold.
Part 2: Dawn discovers the gorillas. She is lucky and gets a job in the zoo, and gets more and more involved with the gorilla family. They become her family, and she learns social skills by observing and interacting with them
Part 3: Dawn’s life post-zoo, with the social skills she learned from the gorillas. She establishes a family, works through relationship problems, discovers the name of her condition and gets a diagnosis, gets on meds, and makes her special interest into her study direction and career.
Out of the “autism memoirs” I have read, this is the one I relate strongest with on a personal level, it made a strong impression and very much came “under my skin”; so it was uncomfortable yet fascinating to read. Despite differences in personality, life style and sexual orientation (and my lack of fascination with gorillas), the core theme really strikes a note with me:
1. Youth as a time of stumbling through life randomly, frantically, alien, always aware something is terribly socially amiss yet not able to pinpoint the key error.
2. Learning social skills from animals as a turning point that creates a “before” and “after” social timeline.
Observing the social dynamics of the gorilla group and building relationships with them, gave Dawn the basic social infrastructure she needed to begin to make sense of human sociality and learn from that too – creating the crucial positive feedback loop she had been lacking, kick starting her social development.
In my own life, group dynamics began to make sense when I worked with pigs (for seven years), although that wasn’t a fixed group but many groups that were slowly replaced by new groups over time.
My first real close, trusting, stable, deep long term friendship was with my old dog. She passed away many years ago but I am still using some of her “tricks” – social attitudes and habits, in social interactions and relations with people; especially in my marriage.
Just like Dawn describes it with the gorillas, my bond with the dog was a safe base for learning social relationship skills and pick up attitudes I could use to connect with people – and then the relations with people gave social insights and enabled me to pick up more social insights and skills, which gave more social opportunities et.c. – the crucial positive social feedback loop gradually gained a foothold and developed its own permanent, positive inertia.
That is why the book is important. People rarely point this out, but social insights and habits required for interacting and relating with people can be learned from observing and relating with social animals, as an easier (or even just possible) starting point. Relationship skills are somewhat universal: the attitude and behaviours your dog uses to connect with you and build unique emotional bonds, is similar to what you need to connect and bond with people (in a modified version).
That’s the core point of what I want to say, but other aspects of the book hit home too – like the attachment to places more than to people, and the traumatic dislocation and alienation caused by moving from a childhood home, having one’s roots pulled up. And of course the passion for animals (although in my case not particularly primates).
As I said initially, there are also aspects of the book I found hard to bear and strongly distasteful. The worst is the sentimentalism and idealisation of the gorillas. I hate when Dawn calls the gorillas for “people”, and humans for “human people”. Essentially she insists on re-categorising gorillas as a type of ancient humans; and projects her special interest for ancient humanity onto the gorillas. I find that re-categorisation wrong on many levels, none of which denies that gorillas have personalities and social relations and social group dynamics, just like people do. However, so do many other animals… That makes them relatable, but not human. Dawn does explain why she tries to include the gorillas in humanity; I see her views but didn’t like to be force-fed them semantically.
That said, overall I think this is an important, strong, beautifully written book with strong integrity, and despite finding some aspects of it repulsive, I’ll absolute recommend it as a great source of insight and inspiration for social self-help.
I also appreciate very much that Dawn doesn’t generalise herself and try to speak on behalf of all autistics; she doesn’t “We” herself but emphasises that this is her version of it, and that it is both unique and overlaps with some others peoples’ experiences of living with autism, but not all.
May 7, 2009
I found this book really remarkable. Dawn Prince-Hughes has a form of autism called Asperger's Syndrome, which is a less noticeable form of autism. You might know someone with Asperger's and merely think they are eccentric or sometimes uncommunicative, and barely sociable, fascinating in their detailed interest in something or other descriptions that can describe peculiarities.
She is a wonderful writer, and even if you don't think you are interested in autism, if you like memoir's, I very highly recommend this book.
I have read other books on Asperger's written by authors who have it, but because of Dawn Prince-Hughes' close observation of gorillas and her ability to truly understand them and communicate with them, she is able to clarify many aspects of Asperger's that "neurotypical" people just simply cannot grasp. One reason neurotypicals cannot grasp and empathize with people with Asperger's is that those who have it don't experience the world the way we do and often can become adept at imitating neurotypicals much of the time. When they don't we think they are "being difficult" in some way they really could control. Not so.
It is really sad that the people with Asperger's and the neurotypicals cannot just sit down and listen and talk. After reading this book, I strongly believe that people who put labels on others in an attempt to describe them, or call them various things which mean mentally off are really missing out in developing human understanding and wisdom.
She is a wonderful writer, and even if you don't think you are interested in autism, if you like memoir's, I very highly recommend this book.
I have read other books on Asperger's written by authors who have it, but because of Dawn Prince-Hughes' close observation of gorillas and her ability to truly understand them and communicate with them, she is able to clarify many aspects of Asperger's that "neurotypical" people just simply cannot grasp. One reason neurotypicals cannot grasp and empathize with people with Asperger's is that those who have it don't experience the world the way we do and often can become adept at imitating neurotypicals much of the time. When they don't we think they are "being difficult" in some way they really could control. Not so.
It is really sad that the people with Asperger's and the neurotypicals cannot just sit down and listen and talk. After reading this book, I strongly believe that people who put labels on others in an attempt to describe them, or call them various things which mean mentally off are really missing out in developing human understanding and wisdom.
June 23, 2007
I couldn't put this book down. The author of the book and main character, Dawn Prince-Hughes, describes her experience of growing up autistic, which is an amazing mind-opener for those who have never experienced it. It is through observing gorillas at a zoo that she finally begins to understand human connection. This is a beautiful story about Prince-Hughes's life, and it has allowed me to understand autism more and accept it as simply a different way of being in the world.
November 20, 2013
This book was beautiful and so very meaningful to me. If you don't understand or have experience with autism, you may find the writing style a bit difficult to follow, but the author's voice and experiences are so worth any effort you may put in to understand her.
April 21, 2013
While traveling to Arizona a while back I read Songs of the Gorilla Nation: My Journey Through Autism by Dawn Prince-Hughes, Ph.D. As the secondary title indicates, this is a first-hand account of autism. The author offers a vivid and insightful account of Asperger's Syndrome.
She was diagnosed rather late in her life, after a childhood punctuated by misunderstanding and isolation. Fortunately, she was able to learn about human socialization and relationships through her keen observation of gorilla communities. She writes, "This is a book about autism. Specifically, it is about my autism, which is both like and unlike other people's autism. But just as much, it is a story about how I emerged from the darkness of it into the beauty of it. It is about how I moved full circle from being a wild thing out of context as a child, to being a wild thing in context with a family of gorillas, who taught me how to be civilized. They taught me the beauty of being wild and gentle together and as one."
While there are many excellent texts about Asperger's Syndrome and autism, this was the first book I read that described it from the inside. Dr. Prince-Hughes is eloquent in her poetry and prose. She describes confusion, rage, fear, and joyful discovery in a way that touches the readers heart and understanding. Instead of lists of characteristics or clinical observations, this book placed the experience into context.
My understanding has certainly been expanded by this book. I am hopeful that it will change my acceptance of the more "annoying" behaviors often associated with Asperger's. It is harder to remain annoyed when I remember that the strong need for repetition exhibited by persons with Asperger's can be the result of panic. Dr. Prince-Hughes had this to say, "Most autistic people need order and ritual and will find ways to make order where they feel chaos. So much stimulation streams in, rushing into one's body without ever being processed: the filters that other people have simply aren't there. Swimming through the din of the fractured and the unexpected, one feels as if one were drowning in an ocean without predictability, without markers, without a shore. It is like being blinded in the brightness of a keener sight."
There are also examples of wonderful and intricate coping mechanisms. She used a formula to get along with people in the workplace. This included talking about her skills a third of the time, talking with colleagues about how their interests merged for a third of the time, and talking about current events and "softened" opinions about them a third of the time. This had to be approached consciously. She also counted seconds to know hoe long to look into another person's eyes and when to look away. Each of these required deliberate practice and application.
This book is a great source of information, but is also an incredibly engaging autobiography. Dr. Prince-Hughes has a wonderful command of language. Consider this self description, "I am an individual. I am different, for reasons germane to the phenomenon of autism and reasons mundane. All that is in between and at both ends have made my life. Within these pages, an archeology cleared of dust and fear, I talk about this life. It is the archaeology of a culture of one."
She was diagnosed rather late in her life, after a childhood punctuated by misunderstanding and isolation. Fortunately, she was able to learn about human socialization and relationships through her keen observation of gorilla communities. She writes, "This is a book about autism. Specifically, it is about my autism, which is both like and unlike other people's autism. But just as much, it is a story about how I emerged from the darkness of it into the beauty of it. It is about how I moved full circle from being a wild thing out of context as a child, to being a wild thing in context with a family of gorillas, who taught me how to be civilized. They taught me the beauty of being wild and gentle together and as one."
While there are many excellent texts about Asperger's Syndrome and autism, this was the first book I read that described it from the inside. Dr. Prince-Hughes is eloquent in her poetry and prose. She describes confusion, rage, fear, and joyful discovery in a way that touches the readers heart and understanding. Instead of lists of characteristics or clinical observations, this book placed the experience into context.
My understanding has certainly been expanded by this book. I am hopeful that it will change my acceptance of the more "annoying" behaviors often associated with Asperger's. It is harder to remain annoyed when I remember that the strong need for repetition exhibited by persons with Asperger's can be the result of panic. Dr. Prince-Hughes had this to say, "Most autistic people need order and ritual and will find ways to make order where they feel chaos. So much stimulation streams in, rushing into one's body without ever being processed: the filters that other people have simply aren't there. Swimming through the din of the fractured and the unexpected, one feels as if one were drowning in an ocean without predictability, without markers, without a shore. It is like being blinded in the brightness of a keener sight."
There are also examples of wonderful and intricate coping mechanisms. She used a formula to get along with people in the workplace. This included talking about her skills a third of the time, talking with colleagues about how their interests merged for a third of the time, and talking about current events and "softened" opinions about them a third of the time. This had to be approached consciously. She also counted seconds to know hoe long to look into another person's eyes and when to look away. Each of these required deliberate practice and application.
This book is a great source of information, but is also an incredibly engaging autobiography. Dr. Prince-Hughes has a wonderful command of language. Consider this self description, "I am an individual. I am different, for reasons germane to the phenomenon of autism and reasons mundane. All that is in between and at both ends have made my life. Within these pages, an archeology cleared of dust and fear, I talk about this life. It is the archaeology of a culture of one."
October 10, 2017
This was a book that had two intersecting themes: the author's experience with Asperger's and her experience with and subsequent research about gorillas. Her observations of gorillas in a zoo helped her learn to relate to those around her, human and otherwise, and to better understand her own unconventional orientation toward living. To me, some of her difficulties were not only with her autistic orientation, but with the poor way it was handled. Certainly, not as much was known at the time she was growing up, but her experiences in school were truly horrendous and then her family's response after she left school at sixteen was, to me , incomprehensible. Would you just turn your troubled sixteen-year-old loose and let her fend for herself? I would not. So, the author had some pretty desolate years, including being homeless and working as an exotic dancer. In her telling, observing and later working with the gorillas turned her life around. It's interesting that she could closely observe the gorillas in a way that would not be socially acceptable with humans, and her observations were really fascinating. For me personally, I was probably more interested in what she had to say about gorilla life. I felt sad, as did she, that these sensitive creatures had to live imprisoned. As I mused on the meanings of what the author had to say, a couple of insights struck me. One, all of us humans are on a "spectrum" of sorts. In this country, "normal" is being an extrovert. If you at all are overwhelmed by too much interaction with other people, as many introverts are, you will have to come up with some coping mechanisms. Perhaps it is only in the extremity of the coping reactions that a person tips over into what is then considered a disability. In other words, we have a rather narrow understanding of "normal". Two, when we believe that humans are the superior creature on this planet, we are kidding ourselves. In the variety of experience of life, whether from a person on the autism spectrum, or from a non-human fellow creature, there is so very much we don't know. Perhaps a humble acceptance of our limitations and an openness to alternative experiences of life make for the best approach.
November 14, 2013
Song of the Gorilla Nation by Dawn Prince-Hughes is not just about what is like to be a person with Asperger’s Syndrome whose disability led to her become a homeless street kid whose falling in love with gorillas freed her soul so that she could become a university instructor of anthropology, a loving spouse, and a mom. That alone would make it a fascinating read. It is a meditation about personhood, including parenthood, about valuing uniqueness and not letting ourselves exile and exploit fellow salient creatures, including our own children, because we don’t understand their “song.”
“The components of prejudices—such as the way we are trained to see bodies of other species as different and inferior, and our belief that they are not as smart or as evolved as we are—are changed at different rates as human people become used to the idea that their assumptions could be wrong. The by-products of these prejudices—using other species for profit or believing that they need human people to keep from damaging themselves or others—could take generations to overcome. [Yet] “apes fulfill all the criteria that currently define personhood: self-awareness; comprehension of past, present, and future; the ability to understand complex rules and their consequences on emotional levels; the ability to choose to risk those consequences; a capacity for empathy; and the ability to think abstractly.”
“The gorillas have given me strength to see that if I am to be effective in bettering the planet [by advocating for the rights of apes to personhood], my responsibility outweighs my discomfort.” If only every person on this planet would take this as a creed for living: MY RESPONSIBILITY OUTWEIGHS MY DISCOMFORT.
“I have read about the relationship between Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan. Perhaps in defying normal boundaries love can create us in its own image.”
“The components of prejudices—such as the way we are trained to see bodies of other species as different and inferior, and our belief that they are not as smart or as evolved as we are—are changed at different rates as human people become used to the idea that their assumptions could be wrong. The by-products of these prejudices—using other species for profit or believing that they need human people to keep from damaging themselves or others—could take generations to overcome. [Yet] “apes fulfill all the criteria that currently define personhood: self-awareness; comprehension of past, present, and future; the ability to understand complex rules and their consequences on emotional levels; the ability to choose to risk those consequences; a capacity for empathy; and the ability to think abstractly.”
“The gorillas have given me strength to see that if I am to be effective in bettering the planet [by advocating for the rights of apes to personhood], my responsibility outweighs my discomfort.” If only every person on this planet would take this as a creed for living: MY RESPONSIBILITY OUTWEIGHS MY DISCOMFORT.
“I have read about the relationship between Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan. Perhaps in defying normal boundaries love can create us in its own image.”
July 23, 2010
Wow. This is quite a book. The author has a remarkable tale to tell and she tells is beautifully. It is a story of growing up with undiagnosed autism (Asberger's Syndrome), of finding herself, of her work with apes. But it is so much more than that. She is a poet and wrote prolifically in her journals from an early age. She shares many poems in the course of telling her story. She is a survivor. She used the positive attributes of her autism to cope with the pain and confusion it caused as she struggled to learn how to get by in world. She is a deep soul. Integral to everything is her inate desire to relieve suffering. And that's before we even get to the apes. Her observations of these wonderful beings is rich and enlightening. I am really quited awed by her talents and her life.
October 5, 2008
Songs of the Gorilla Nation is a must-read for anyone who thinks they *know* what autism is, or who thinks there is a clear dividing line between human and animal. It's the story of Dawn Prince-Hughes's journey "from the darkness of autism into (its) beauty," with a group of gorillas helping her along the way. It's fascinating to see Prince-Hughes explain why she was able to have meaningful interactions with the gorillas at a time when she couldn't yet handle human contact. Her testimony here is a valuable addition to the growing body of autism literature written by autistic people themselves.
July 16, 2010
This is a really cool view into the mind of an autistic woman. I love that she gives you a new perspective on the thought processes of someone with Asperger's Syndrome than what you hear about in the media. I also loved her relationship with the gorillas and I definitely think of them differently now.
I happened upon this book when I was desperate for something to read while on vacation because the books I was finding in hostels were totally lame and the one I brought just wasn't capturing my attention. I probably would have never read this if it hadn't been in a used book section of some random coffee shop in Costa Rica, but I am really glad it was!
I happened upon this book when I was desperate for something to read while on vacation because the books I was finding in hostels were totally lame and the one I brought just wasn't capturing my attention. I probably would have never read this if it hadn't been in a used book section of some random coffee shop in Costa Rica, but I am really glad it was!
March 10, 2016
FABULOUS, incredible must-read for anyone who knows someone who has a family member or friend on the Autism spectrum, is interested in conservation of endangered animals, or spirituality. Dr. Prince-Hughes writes an eloquent, honest memoir that puts to rest the idea that ASD folks are "different, stupid, weird, or wrong" and brings hope for a better future in which our society treats each other with dignity and respect.
I could not put this book down. I've learned so much and am forever grateful for finding this little gem. If I could give it 10 stars, I would. Thank you, Dr. Prince-Hughes.
I could not put this book down. I've learned so much and am forever grateful for finding this little gem. If I could give it 10 stars, I would. Thank you, Dr. Prince-Hughes.
June 4, 2018
דון פרינס־יוז מספרת את סיפורה כאוטיסטית (לא ברור מהספר באיזו רמה) שלא הצליחה לתפקד חברתית במשך שנים רבות עד שיצרה קשר עם להקת גורילות בגן החיות והשתקמה.
לא הצלחתי לסיים. צורת החשיבה והכתיבה של המחברת מאוד לא נורמטיבית וקשה להבין אותה. היא חוזרת הרבה על כך שזו התנהגות של גורילות .
אבל עדיין קשה לקרוא את הספר.
ספרים אחרים על אוטיזם (אפילו אם נכתבו בידי אוטיסטים) לא מוזרים כל כך ונראה שזה משהו ייחודי לה.
לא הצלחתי לסיים. צורת החשיבה והכתיבה של המחברת מאוד לא נורמטיבית וקשה להבין אותה. היא חוזרת הרבה על כך שזו התנהגות של גורילות .
אבל עדיין קשה לקרוא את הספר.
ספרים אחרים על אוטיזם (אפילו אם נכתבו בידי אוטיסטים) לא מוזרים כל כך ונראה שזה משהו ייחודי לה.
July 6, 2024
This is a book about autism. Specifically, it is about my autism, which is both like and unlike other people's autism. But just as much, it is a story about how I emerged from the darkness of it into the beauty of it. It is about how I moved full circle from being a wild thing out of context as a child, to being a wild thing in context with a family of gorillas, who taught me how to be civilized. They taught me the beauty of being wild and gentle together and as one.
So much of what Prince-Hughes writes here reminds me of my own personal theory of autism: while many stuck in a eugenicist mindset will try to propose that autism is the next phase of human evolution, I believe the opposite. I believe that an autistic brain is probably closer to what all human brains were like when homo sapiens first appeared, prior to the social specialization that took place over the last ~100,000 (give or take 50,000) years. You could say that we are wild humans, living in a type of captivity created by and for those who are tame.
Many perfectly good memoirs simply tell the author's story. The better ones tell a larger story, and this is one of those. It tells a story of humanity and personhood, of being kept captive and seen as less than simply for being other. It's a story that many, even those who are not autistic or invested in the understanding that non-humans can be people, will be able to draw meaning from.
So much of what Prince-Hughes writes here reminds me of my own personal theory of autism: while many stuck in a eugenicist mindset will try to propose that autism is the next phase of human evolution, I believe the opposite. I believe that an autistic brain is probably closer to what all human brains were like when homo sapiens first appeared, prior to the social specialization that took place over the last ~100,000 (give or take 50,000) years. You could say that we are wild humans, living in a type of captivity created by and for those who are tame.
Many perfectly good memoirs simply tell the author's story. The better ones tell a larger story, and this is one of those. It tells a story of humanity and personhood, of being kept captive and seen as less than simply for being other. It's a story that many, even those who are not autistic or invested in the understanding that non-humans can be people, will be able to draw meaning from.
July 10, 2017
I heard about this several years ago: I spoke to my friend about autism, and she suggested this book as she knows I have an interest in great apes as well, and this book combines the two subjects. I did not seek it out until just now: I wish I had read it sooner.
Prince-Hughes writes a lot about captive gorillas and their rights to personhood. I love reading about her close observation of the gorillas, the unique insight they gave her into her self, and how she developed such strong relationships with them. She talks about how the way autistic people naturally look at others, such as sideways and without close contact, are the same as how gorillas connect with one another, and when she spent time with them, she felt for the first time like she could connect with someone.
She has lovely descriptions of the gorillas’ individual personalities and their ways of being. I really like how she draws wisdom from them and talks about how they are different from people but that does not mean they are not intellectual thinking beings who deserve rights. This is something I have always felt. The book is not perfect: I think some of Prince-Hughes’ arguments are racist, and I also think she falls into an ableist trap of considering herself and other autistic people of having a closer relationship with nature and a special wisdom that sets them apart from others.
But the book was profoundly moving and important for me. I still vacillate on whether or not I have the symptoms of autism, but there were moments in this book that made me cry because they put into words things I have felt for a long time, and I felt a huge kinship with Prince-Hughes, especially when she described herself as a child. Her experiences and confusion are so similar to my own, and I felt less alone when I read her feelings. It was also very overwhelming because it brought back the bullying and injustice I had experienced, and I felt angry that this happens to so many children.
There are also moments I think we can all relate to: for example she describes being at a playground with her small son and how when another parent talks to her she has to have the same conversation following the same script every time, and she’s thinks if she had to do it again she’ll die. I've been there!
Like I said, this book is not perfect, but I would definitely rate it 5-stars because it is so moving for me personally, about such an important subject, and so evocative and beautifully written.
Prince-Hughes writes a lot about captive gorillas and their rights to personhood. I love reading about her close observation of the gorillas, the unique insight they gave her into her self, and how she developed such strong relationships with them. She talks about how the way autistic people naturally look at others, such as sideways and without close contact, are the same as how gorillas connect with one another, and when she spent time with them, she felt for the first time like she could connect with someone.
She has lovely descriptions of the gorillas’ individual personalities and their ways of being. I really like how she draws wisdom from them and talks about how they are different from people but that does not mean they are not intellectual thinking beings who deserve rights. This is something I have always felt. The book is not perfect: I think some of Prince-Hughes’ arguments are racist, and I also think she falls into an ableist trap of considering herself and other autistic people of having a closer relationship with nature and a special wisdom that sets them apart from others.
But the book was profoundly moving and important for me. I still vacillate on whether or not I have the symptoms of autism, but there were moments in this book that made me cry because they put into words things I have felt for a long time, and I felt a huge kinship with Prince-Hughes, especially when she described herself as a child. Her experiences and confusion are so similar to my own, and I felt less alone when I read her feelings. It was also very overwhelming because it brought back the bullying and injustice I had experienced, and I felt angry that this happens to so many children.
There are also moments I think we can all relate to: for example she describes being at a playground with her small son and how when another parent talks to her she has to have the same conversation following the same script every time, and she’s thinks if she had to do it again she’ll die. I've been there!
Like I said, this book is not perfect, but I would definitely rate it 5-stars because it is so moving for me personally, about such an important subject, and so evocative and beautifully written.
January 16, 2008
This was an interesting memoir - on one hand, it was an story of the author coming to terms with her autism through her work with gorillas, and feeling more comfortable in the way she interacts with people. She makes a good argument for people with autism seeing the world differently, and not in a way that needs to be "fixed".
The second half of the book seems to concentrate much more on Dawn's work with the gorilla "nation", as she terms it (she refers to the "gorilla man", the "chimpanzee woman"), the intelligence of these creatures, and her dream that one day one of these may walk up to the Supreme Court and say, "I want to be free." She compares our thinking about other primate's intelligence, and the way we use them in experiments, to the way our culture once thought about slavery and slaves. It's a comparison I was uncomfortable with - comparing the horrors we inflicted on our own species, with the way we treat other primates.
While other primates are certainly intelligent creatures, I cannot think of them, as the author does, as men and women, and wonder to myself whether they have to right to raise children in captivity. Songs of the Gorilla Nation was an interesting insight into primate activism (if that's the right term), but being at the end of the book it stuck in my head more than the author's reflections on her autism - although really, the two subjects are so tightly intertwined in the book that it is difficult to consider them separately. Dawn experiences such a passionate awakening of self while working with gorillas that I can understand why she feels so strongly about their rights and freedoms.
The second half of the book seems to concentrate much more on Dawn's work with the gorilla "nation", as she terms it (she refers to the "gorilla man", the "chimpanzee woman"), the intelligence of these creatures, and her dream that one day one of these may walk up to the Supreme Court and say, "I want to be free." She compares our thinking about other primate's intelligence, and the way we use them in experiments, to the way our culture once thought about slavery and slaves. It's a comparison I was uncomfortable with - comparing the horrors we inflicted on our own species, with the way we treat other primates.
While other primates are certainly intelligent creatures, I cannot think of them, as the author does, as men and women, and wonder to myself whether they have to right to raise children in captivity. Songs of the Gorilla Nation was an interesting insight into primate activism (if that's the right term), but being at the end of the book it stuck in my head more than the author's reflections on her autism - although really, the two subjects are so tightly intertwined in the book that it is difficult to consider them separately. Dawn experiences such a passionate awakening of self while working with gorillas that I can understand why she feels so strongly about their rights and freedoms.
November 19, 2015
An odd, wonderful book. Dr. Prince-Hughes' journey from childhood through her eventual success as a primate researcher is at times painful as she documents bullying and assaults from her teachers and classmates, substance abuse, homelessness, and experience in the sex trade. It is difficult to read as an obviously talented and intelligent individual is so misused by those who do not understand her and those she does not understand
Her experience with watching gorillas in the zoo started her on the long path to self-recognition and an eventual diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome (now classed as an Autism Spectrum Disorder). Her meticulous attention to the social mores of her gorillas taught her how to be around humans.
This biography is not always linear--we hear about the gorillas before we meet them in her chronology; we know about her diagnosis long before the story takes us there.
I was struck by the amazing amount of energy Dr. Prince-Hughes must expend just to function in our neurotypical world--counting beats while deciding how long to maintain eye contact; practicing her "rule of threes" in an interview (1/3 talk about herself , 1/3 about the field, and 1/3 about the other person).
The narrative is interspersed with her poetry illustrating revelations at critical life events. She also features an old Quaker hymn, which is one of my favorites: How can I keep from singing.
A short read, not an easy read, but a worthwhile read.
Her experience with watching gorillas in the zoo started her on the long path to self-recognition and an eventual diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome (now classed as an Autism Spectrum Disorder). Her meticulous attention to the social mores of her gorillas taught her how to be around humans.
This biography is not always linear--we hear about the gorillas before we meet them in her chronology; we know about her diagnosis long before the story takes us there.
I was struck by the amazing amount of energy Dr. Prince-Hughes must expend just to function in our neurotypical world--counting beats while deciding how long to maintain eye contact; practicing her "rule of threes" in an interview (1/3 talk about herself , 1/3 about the field, and 1/3 about the other person).
The narrative is interspersed with her poetry illustrating revelations at critical life events. She also features an old Quaker hymn, which is one of my favorites: How can I keep from singing.
A short read, not an easy read, but a worthwhile read.
September 20, 2008
This book was mildly interesting, but very slow and just wasn't keeping my attention. And to be fair I started reading the Twilight series half way through this book and then just couldn't get back into it, it couldn't compete with how awesome and intense the Twilight series was and so I gave it one more shot after those 4 books and then just gave up. Sadly I never actually finished reading it. I work with autistic children daily so I thought this would be an interesting book, but being that it was summer break from my job I also needed a break from autism. (I'm not trying to sound insensitive, but it's just the reality of it). I wasn't in the mood I for it I guess. I suppose if you don't know much about autism it would be an intersting insight into it, but a better book in my opinion for that is "Look Me In the Eye: My Life with Asperger's," by John Elder Robinson. Great book!
June 17, 2012
This is the story of journey from childhood to adulthood, however it has a detailed and insightful biography of a lady with Asperger's Syndrome. I was gripped by this book as I have worked with children and have known adults who have Asperger's. it is a very frank and interesting story of Dawn Hughs who describes actions, thoughts and experiences that recognise of the people I have worked with. Her passion and understanding for gorillas alone is a fascinating read and to add to that the insight into her disposition makes for a read that I highly recommend.
April 21, 2013
3.31.13 I love this book so much. I have a client, an adult woman with autism, and her biggest desire is to find her people and to connect with them in ways meaningful to her. She even made it one of her ISP goals. This book is making me feel so much heartache and joy simultaneously, and some lightbulbs are going off for me as well. I am grateful for Dawn Prince-Hughes for writing this book. I also acknowledge her message that this is her autism story and am striving to not make inaccurate generalizations.
March 31, 2013
Not diagnosed with Asberger's Syndrome until her late 30s, the author had a childhood that was often painful -- but also sensitive to beauty. She left school and family at 16 and spent years wandering the country, often living on the streets. She landed in Seattle and, while working as an exotic dancer, began visiting the Woodland Park Zoo, eventually getting a job there. Her bonds with the gorillas opened her up to relationships with a primate species that had always baffled her: humans. A well-written memoir of an unusual life.
May 19, 2016
I really, really enjoyed this book, but wanted to leave a note for any autistic people who might be thinking about reading it that it contains 'disorder'/pathology paradigm descriptions of what it means to be autistic, including functioning labels. Most of this is concentrated in one section near the beginning of the book.
September 19, 2018
This book was an autobiography - the author is herself autistic. Her descriptions of the gorillas and their society and how they helped her was very interesting. She did a good job of describing how their non-verbal communication could appeal to someone with her condition and how she could learn from their social skills.
July 14, 2022
A beautiful, moving story by an adult autistic woman, giving great insight into how autistics feel and learn. Autistics are still often misunderstood as having no empathy or feelings, or as being totally unaware of their surroundings. This is changing over time as more autistics speak out for themselves and non-autistics learn the nonverbal and often subtle ways autistics communicate. These first-person narratives explaining different autistic experiences will eventually eliminate scam artists like Son Rise, Autism Speaks and the subjection of autistic children to Applied Behavior Analysis. Recommended for autistics and non-autistics of all ages, particularly women.
December 10, 2014
This is an interesting autobiography of a woman with Asperger's Syndrome, and how her relationship with gorillas eased her acceptance into human society. Asperger's was only classified as a dis-ability in 1994 and so we have the situation of people like Susan Boyle who were not classified until three years ago. That is they lived for 51 years, aware that something was dreadfully wrong with them, but they did not know what it was, nor did anyone else.
Autistic people are often described as "on the spectrum", meaning that there is a large range of symptoms. Asperger's Syndrome usually refers to high-functioning autism. These people are often skilled in certain intellectual subjects, geeky, have extraordinary memories, and excel with maths. Mozart, Jane Austen, and Paul Cezanne are commonly known to have had Asperger's Syndrome.
Dawn was in this predicament. From the time she was a young child she knew she was different in many ways. She was unable to communicate with other people; yet she was able to understand some complex subjects such as anthropology and philosophy, but not sure how to find her way home, did not recognise people she saw regularly, was afraid of sounds, confused if interrupted when doing something, distracted by bright lights, and when stressed had panic attacks.
From her earliest schooldays, Dawn was the butt of jokes and vindictiveness from teachers and classmates. She was treated like a rebellious idiot because she found it difficult to conform to the norms of others, difficult to relate to people, difficult to understand some things that were simple to everyone else.
She ran away from home at 14 and lived on the streets in squats, drinking and doing drugs. As she got older, she worked as an erotic dancer in strip clubs. Even here she was misunderstood, she often wore heavy leather clothes, even when dancing, which led other dancers to believe she was into S & M. In fact the leather was to give her body a sensation of touch, a tactile feeling that let her feel who she was.
Dawn's sexuality was blurred; like many Asperger people, they are confused about who they are, what they are, and how they relate to other people. It is known that there is a strong hereditary link with autism, and this becomes absolutely clear when she describes her parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, grandparents - all of whom exhibited various aspects of autism.
In the second part of the book, she tells how she began to go to the zoo to watch the animals. It was the gorillas that attracted her attention and she spent hours, days, weeks, and eventually years, watching them, taking notes on their actions and movements, and in particular how they communicated with each other.
It was during this long process, spread over some years, that she began to learn about herself by watching and understanding the gorillas. She came to empathise with the way they were deprived of their real lives, locked in a prison. Although the zoo she attended was one of the best, people walked past the gorillas and mocked them, yelled insults, laughed, or tormented them.
We understand that chimpanzees and gorillas are the smartest of animals, the most human-like. But we know very little about their social life. Dawn examined this, keeping meticulous notes about how they communicated with sounds, movement and actions. She saw the sadness and the crying of the gorillas when one of them died. She learned how they played games, chasing and hiding in the bushes. She watched them as they avoided rain and mud, how they used tools, how they lived in an artificial environment -- if they were human we would say a prison. It was just as much a prison to them as it would be to us.
And by her observations and understanding of the gorillas, Dawn learnt to communicate with humans. She copied the movements and actions of the gorillas, she pondered on what they did, how they expressed facial emotions. Her research has been valuable towards the understanding of primates, for herself it led to a Phd.
At one point in the book, Dawn describes a situation where one of the older gorillas is ill and refuses to get up for food. Some of the younger gorillas throw sticks at her. The public watching these events, said it was because they callously want to drive the sick gorilla away. In fact the other gorillas were quite concerned that the sick gorilla would not get up and eat. None of the gorillas would eat while she lay on the ground. Eventually, a stick hit the sick gorilla, and she did get up, and went with the others to eat. Yet the onlookers assumed they were indifferent to the sickness of one of the group.
The book, fairly short at 220 pages, describes her journey through autism, and the lives and actions of the gorillas. They are not the stereotypes we are shown in movies, but more human than we could possible imagine. It is just that too often we see gorillas under threat in the wild, or confined in zoos, their family group torn apart, and so we misunderstand what they mean by their actions.
An interesting auto-biography presenting a different view of gorillas, leading us to a greater understanding of our relationship with animals.
Reading enhances life, and life enhances reading!
You can find more book reviews and author stories on READING + LIFE.
www.read-all-night.blogspot.com.au
Autistic people are often described as "on the spectrum", meaning that there is a large range of symptoms. Asperger's Syndrome usually refers to high-functioning autism. These people are often skilled in certain intellectual subjects, geeky, have extraordinary memories, and excel with maths. Mozart, Jane Austen, and Paul Cezanne are commonly known to have had Asperger's Syndrome.
Dawn was in this predicament. From the time she was a young child she knew she was different in many ways. She was unable to communicate with other people; yet she was able to understand some complex subjects such as anthropology and philosophy, but not sure how to find her way home, did not recognise people she saw regularly, was afraid of sounds, confused if interrupted when doing something, distracted by bright lights, and when stressed had panic attacks.
From her earliest schooldays, Dawn was the butt of jokes and vindictiveness from teachers and classmates. She was treated like a rebellious idiot because she found it difficult to conform to the norms of others, difficult to relate to people, difficult to understand some things that were simple to everyone else.
She ran away from home at 14 and lived on the streets in squats, drinking and doing drugs. As she got older, she worked as an erotic dancer in strip clubs. Even here she was misunderstood, she often wore heavy leather clothes, even when dancing, which led other dancers to believe she was into S & M. In fact the leather was to give her body a sensation of touch, a tactile feeling that let her feel who she was.
Dawn's sexuality was blurred; like many Asperger people, they are confused about who they are, what they are, and how they relate to other people. It is known that there is a strong hereditary link with autism, and this becomes absolutely clear when she describes her parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, grandparents - all of whom exhibited various aspects of autism.
In the second part of the book, she tells how she began to go to the zoo to watch the animals. It was the gorillas that attracted her attention and she spent hours, days, weeks, and eventually years, watching them, taking notes on their actions and movements, and in particular how they communicated with each other.
It was during this long process, spread over some years, that she began to learn about herself by watching and understanding the gorillas. She came to empathise with the way they were deprived of their real lives, locked in a prison. Although the zoo she attended was one of the best, people walked past the gorillas and mocked them, yelled insults, laughed, or tormented them.
We understand that chimpanzees and gorillas are the smartest of animals, the most human-like. But we know very little about their social life. Dawn examined this, keeping meticulous notes about how they communicated with sounds, movement and actions. She saw the sadness and the crying of the gorillas when one of them died. She learned how they played games, chasing and hiding in the bushes. She watched them as they avoided rain and mud, how they used tools, how they lived in an artificial environment -- if they were human we would say a prison. It was just as much a prison to them as it would be to us.
And by her observations and understanding of the gorillas, Dawn learnt to communicate with humans. She copied the movements and actions of the gorillas, she pondered on what they did, how they expressed facial emotions. Her research has been valuable towards the understanding of primates, for herself it led to a Phd.
At one point in the book, Dawn describes a situation where one of the older gorillas is ill and refuses to get up for food. Some of the younger gorillas throw sticks at her. The public watching these events, said it was because they callously want to drive the sick gorilla away. In fact the other gorillas were quite concerned that the sick gorilla would not get up and eat. None of the gorillas would eat while she lay on the ground. Eventually, a stick hit the sick gorilla, and she did get up, and went with the others to eat. Yet the onlookers assumed they were indifferent to the sickness of one of the group.
The book, fairly short at 220 pages, describes her journey through autism, and the lives and actions of the gorillas. They are not the stereotypes we are shown in movies, but more human than we could possible imagine. It is just that too often we see gorillas under threat in the wild, or confined in zoos, their family group torn apart, and so we misunderstand what they mean by their actions.
An interesting auto-biography presenting a different view of gorillas, leading us to a greater understanding of our relationship with animals.
Reading enhances life, and life enhances reading!
You can find more book reviews and author stories on READING + LIFE.
www.read-all-night.blogspot.com.au
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June 9, 2022A fascinating memoir about how studying the interactions of gorillas offered a lifeline to the author.
July 22, 2017
I had this book on my shelf for a while after my dad lent it to me so it was nice to finally cross it off. It wasn't bad. My mom is an EA so she works with those with disabilities etc so I've always considered myself having an understanding on those who have Autism which I find can be an entitled position to be in. But this work gave a good insight into what it is like to have Autism. Went against the stereotypes and my beliefs around Autism and what they are capable of namely the exotic dancer career and then settling down with a partner and child. I feel she had a bit of a pretentious view at times about her way of looking at the world but then again maybe my neurotypical approach is me being pretentious. I think the three sections could have been made into three separate books because there wasn't enough time to explore either. Her life, the experience with the gorilla's and what we should do next. I lost track of her life when she saw the gorilla's because I wondered what happened at the club and all those relationships with her friends there. Her relationship with her mom and her sister who I kept forgetting she had because she was so rarely mentioned. At the end when she talked about the issues her family faced it felt like an after thought because I never got those impressions in the first section when she talked about growing up. The organization could have been worked on in that sense because I found it hard to follow what she was talking about. With that said it wasn't a bad read but a light one that I don't think I was overly invested in or would read again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 17, 2016
Dawn Prince-Hughes’ incredible life story is a tragic one despite ending well. Without the support from her family and educators, she almost was lost forever and doomed to homelessness and sexual exploitation. As detractors have noted, yes this book wanders a bit, it deals with very uncomfortable issues, and is too detailed in many places. Likewise, she fails to explain much about her home life and many years are lost in the narrative but that is what our memories are like and it is what the author remembers and is willing to share. Her emotions are so brilliantly conveyed that people unfamiliar with Autism and particularly Aspergers will find this book eye opening. For me, Prince-Hughes’ early life is extremely tragic, how can we as a society risk losing these brilliant minds due to our intolerance for eccentricity? How do we provide a safe place for people when they aren’t capable of supporting or caring for themselves? Why do people find it acceptable to be such bullies? As someone who is an introvert with mild Aspergers and sensory sensitivity, I am reminded of the book “Quiet; The Power of Introverts in a World that can’t Stop Talking” by Susan Cain. Why are loud gregarious extroverts the only acceptable model in American society?
June 21, 2017
the topics and themes of book really hit close to home as a monkey lover and cousin to an autistic. The life that Austitic Dr. Hughes gave me a ton of hope for the future of my cousin. He has been told he is incapable his whole life, hopefully, its not too late to change that.
Interesting revelations from the Songs of a Gorilla Nation:
young inexperienced females feel discomfort around the proximity of a mate, not knowing what to do and eventually walking away or acting brashly. autistics contemplate suicide when the chaos of change becomes too much and they would rather concentrate on a stone or committ suicide.
skinny, playful -> handsome, cocky
standing up exposes your chest and stomach, leaving you vulnerable
the intense, raw power of being taken over and losing control is overwhleming and gratifying to the subject.
Interesting revelations from the Songs of a Gorilla Nation:
young inexperienced females feel discomfort around the proximity of a mate, not knowing what to do and eventually walking away or acting brashly. autistics contemplate suicide when the chaos of change becomes too much and they would rather concentrate on a stone or committ suicide.
skinny, playful -> handsome, cocky
standing up exposes your chest and stomach, leaving you vulnerable
the intense, raw power of being taken over and losing control is overwhleming and gratifying to the subject.
May 14, 2017
A life with a neurological "difference" can be so isolating, which is why the author's discovery of an ability to connect with the gorillas at the Woodland Park Zoo in Tacoma made such a difference in her life. Her work there has led to some spectacular insights about autism, anthrolopology, and gender identification. I love that she makes it clear that she is writing her own experience with autism, not a handbook on autism spectrum disorders. She makes a strong case for ending slavery of primates and giving them the respect they deserve as she describes her own appreciation for the positive aspects of seeing the world in a more "primitive way."
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