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Born Lucky: A Dedicated Father, A Grateful Son, and My Journey with Autism
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
In a world quick to label, judge, and box in people, one father and son stood firm and refused to be defined by an autism diagnosis.
If you’re channel surfing and happen upon Leland Vittert during his nightly national cable show on NewsNation, he comes off as a poised journalist prying nuggets from guests. If you watched him for years as an anchor at Fox News Channel, you saw him on the battlefields of the Middle East, the anchor desk, and the White House North Lawn. No one, including friends and co-workers, has ever known his full life story and how miraculous it was to get to that point.
Leland was a socially awkward boy who didn’t speak for years, and when he finally did, teachers and leaders declared him “weird.” His unique behavior and inability to connect with his peers made him a frequent target for bullying and exclusion. In one particularly harsh moment, a school principal bluntly told his parents, “The people here think Leland is pretty weird. I guess I do, too.” Those words felt like being shot with an arrow, as his parents sat in stunned silence, grappling with their own fears and uncertainties for their son’s future.
From a young age, Leland showed signs of being Autistic, a term rarely used at the time, struggling with social cues, communication, and behavioral norms that came naturally to other kids. The diagnosis didn't deter his father, Mark. He knew the world wouldn't change for Leland, so he quit his job and began changing Leland for the world. He became a full-time parent-coach, training Leland and teaching him the skills he needed to navigate in society. Simple concepts like eye contact, understanding humor, and instilling motivations had to be taught painstakingly. From hundreds of pushups at age 7 to toughen him against bullies, to coaching him through complex social interactions, Mark’s relentless dedication changed the trajectory of Leland’s life.
Born Lucky offers an intimate look into their inspiring journey. Leland lays bare his experiences of the crushing bullying during middle and high school, the sting of rejection continuing into college, and his ultimate transformation into an esteemed journalist. But above all, this book is a love letter from a grateful son, who despite his diagnosis, trusted his father and defied all odds.
It offers hope to every parent and every child who is grappling with their own unique challenges, to be inspired to break labels, tear down the walls that society builds, and create a better future.
In a world quick to label, judge, and box in people, one father and son stood firm and refused to be defined by an autism diagnosis.
If you’re channel surfing and happen upon Leland Vittert during his nightly national cable show on NewsNation, he comes off as a poised journalist prying nuggets from guests. If you watched him for years as an anchor at Fox News Channel, you saw him on the battlefields of the Middle East, the anchor desk, and the White House North Lawn. No one, including friends and co-workers, has ever known his full life story and how miraculous it was to get to that point.
Leland was a socially awkward boy who didn’t speak for years, and when he finally did, teachers and leaders declared him “weird.” His unique behavior and inability to connect with his peers made him a frequent target for bullying and exclusion. In one particularly harsh moment, a school principal bluntly told his parents, “The people here think Leland is pretty weird. I guess I do, too.” Those words felt like being shot with an arrow, as his parents sat in stunned silence, grappling with their own fears and uncertainties for their son’s future.
From a young age, Leland showed signs of being Autistic, a term rarely used at the time, struggling with social cues, communication, and behavioral norms that came naturally to other kids. The diagnosis didn't deter his father, Mark. He knew the world wouldn't change for Leland, so he quit his job and began changing Leland for the world. He became a full-time parent-coach, training Leland and teaching him the skills he needed to navigate in society. Simple concepts like eye contact, understanding humor, and instilling motivations had to be taught painstakingly. From hundreds of pushups at age 7 to toughen him against bullies, to coaching him through complex social interactions, Mark’s relentless dedication changed the trajectory of Leland’s life.
Born Lucky offers an intimate look into their inspiring journey. Leland lays bare his experiences of the crushing bullying during middle and high school, the sting of rejection continuing into college, and his ultimate transformation into an esteemed journalist. But above all, this book is a love letter from a grateful son, who despite his diagnosis, trusted his father and defied all odds.
It offers hope to every parent and every child who is grappling with their own unique challenges, to be inspired to break labels, tear down the walls that society builds, and create a better future.
272 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 30, 2025
486 people are currently reading
2205 people want to read
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November 6, 2025
Am I the only person in America horrified by this guy's story? It has been sold as an inspiring tale of a father who quits everything to raise his autistic son. But the truth is much different.
The author isn't diagnosed autistic because the parents refused to take their son to a professional to figure out what's wrong with him! At one point he takes a school exam that shows aspects of what was then called retardation, but Vittert was still sent to school to do all the normal things the rest of us do with one big exception--the parents are rich. So they make him attend rich kid schools in segregated St. Louis and enroll him in expensive activities. But as he clearly states here, private schools are much worse environments for bullying than are public schools. He's mocked, abused, and threatened everywhere he goes, but mom and dad force him to stay or move him around to worse situations. Their philosophy is that it will toughen him up for the real adult world as long as his dad is always there at the end of the school day to "put Leland back together again." Wow.
This is what the author considers good parenting? Forcing him to deal with bullies, literally not having one friend, and encountering 13 years of daily "war" from teachers and other students instead of placing him in a safe setting or finding professionals who will help him with his mental disabilities?
The kid is in third grade when he's allowed to learn how to fly planes solo! First, what parent would allow that, especially with a child that has little common sense? And second, who could afford that other than a rich man who quit his career before he turned forty and sold off his company to become a millionaire? While the elderly flight instructor is good for the kid, it all seems too adult for such a young age.
A few years later, as he's entering high school, they send him alone to a three-week British Columbia mountain backpacking camp where there's no toilet paper and the kids live in nature. Toss in a few uber-bullies there that threaten to kill the boy, and you have to wonder why the crying teen hears these comforting words from his father he phones thousands of miles away: "You don't want to quit things." Classy.
While the father's devotion to his son is admirable, the attempt to get Leland to be independent during the day at school was offset by his total emotional dependence on dad at home. Just as his brain was split between borderline genius and mildly mentally handicapped, a similar dichotomy occurs with his parents encouraging his independent intellectual growth at a young age while emotionally binding themselves together so that he never had the chance to blossom socially.
While the writer's story is somewhat inspirational, it's not for the reasons listed in the book. The guy survived bad parents who insisted that a child they never wanted should start acting like an adult at age seven. Vittert was trained well for adulthood but not for childhood, and he suffered all of his school years because of parents that didn't want to deal head-on with his mental disabilities. This is a textbook example of how supposedly good intentions ("we're preparing him for the tough adult real world") are greatly flawed by being based in adult immaturity, though there are some things the current clingy helicopter-style world could learn from just leaving kids alone and not overreacting if they test on the spectrum.
And while the father is idolized here, the statue created of him has giant clay feet. Leland doesn't want to investigate that side of his dad much (there are MANY unanswered questions about what the man did with his time and money) beyond concluding that his dad also "was on the spectrum" in a small way. The father was not just the son's "best friend," he was the boy's only friend because they raised him to not be social. There are no stories of the parents doing anything to integrate the child among peers (like having playdates or inviting schoolkids for parties), only increasing his dependency on the adult world (summers in Michigan where hundreds of famous and wealthy adult pals are his only visitors). So the dad isn't a hero, but rather a selfish man-child who quits working at a young age, gets bored, and makes decisions to keep his clueless boy attached to him long into adulthood.
Let me make this clear--I was originally thrilled to hear that a father cared for his son so much that he'd commit to spending time with him. Then I discovered the truth on the pages, which was the parents often failed to provide what the boy truly needed to be a successful child. They turned him into a self-centered know-it-all adult-acting student who would threaten teachers and school administrators, then go hide out at home with ego-stroking mom and dad. His lack of respect for others, and blaming it on all the bullies in his life, is the result of bad parenting. So as nice as it is to see rare conservative values communicated in a memoir, they come with a major lack of self-awareness and a falsification of the world around him. For a supposed "journalist" that's unacceptable.
Some of this just made me mad, especially that the author is spinning it positive when many of the facts he presents are terrifyingly negative for a child. He certainly was hovered over by his rich clingy parents, but that overprotection is not always good.
His late teen years and early times in the media business show him to be a rebellious, disrespectful colleague who concludes that "insecure people have always been threatened by me." Huh? You mean all those professionals with years of experience who don't want to put up with the self-centered arrogance that your parents allowed you to grow up with? Often when he was told rules or boundaries he'd write, "I didn't care." While some may see this as the brave fight of a privileged but repressed autistic young adult, if I were his boss he would have been tossed out of the business. Vittert's book certainly isn't a good representation of "fair and balanced" Fox News, though he seems to think it's a positive that how his parents raised him prepared him for time in the war zone!
While he may have turned out to be a functional contributing citizen, due to his very dysfunctional family he was just lucky to have survived into adulthood.
The author isn't diagnosed autistic because the parents refused to take their son to a professional to figure out what's wrong with him! At one point he takes a school exam that shows aspects of what was then called retardation, but Vittert was still sent to school to do all the normal things the rest of us do with one big exception--the parents are rich. So they make him attend rich kid schools in segregated St. Louis and enroll him in expensive activities. But as he clearly states here, private schools are much worse environments for bullying than are public schools. He's mocked, abused, and threatened everywhere he goes, but mom and dad force him to stay or move him around to worse situations. Their philosophy is that it will toughen him up for the real adult world as long as his dad is always there at the end of the school day to "put Leland back together again." Wow.
This is what the author considers good parenting? Forcing him to deal with bullies, literally not having one friend, and encountering 13 years of daily "war" from teachers and other students instead of placing him in a safe setting or finding professionals who will help him with his mental disabilities?
The kid is in third grade when he's allowed to learn how to fly planes solo! First, what parent would allow that, especially with a child that has little common sense? And second, who could afford that other than a rich man who quit his career before he turned forty and sold off his company to become a millionaire? While the elderly flight instructor is good for the kid, it all seems too adult for such a young age.
A few years later, as he's entering high school, they send him alone to a three-week British Columbia mountain backpacking camp where there's no toilet paper and the kids live in nature. Toss in a few uber-bullies there that threaten to kill the boy, and you have to wonder why the crying teen hears these comforting words from his father he phones thousands of miles away: "You don't want to quit things." Classy.
While the father's devotion to his son is admirable, the attempt to get Leland to be independent during the day at school was offset by his total emotional dependence on dad at home. Just as his brain was split between borderline genius and mildly mentally handicapped, a similar dichotomy occurs with his parents encouraging his independent intellectual growth at a young age while emotionally binding themselves together so that he never had the chance to blossom socially.
While the writer's story is somewhat inspirational, it's not for the reasons listed in the book. The guy survived bad parents who insisted that a child they never wanted should start acting like an adult at age seven. Vittert was trained well for adulthood but not for childhood, and he suffered all of his school years because of parents that didn't want to deal head-on with his mental disabilities. This is a textbook example of how supposedly good intentions ("we're preparing him for the tough adult real world") are greatly flawed by being based in adult immaturity, though there are some things the current clingy helicopter-style world could learn from just leaving kids alone and not overreacting if they test on the spectrum.
And while the father is idolized here, the statue created of him has giant clay feet. Leland doesn't want to investigate that side of his dad much (there are MANY unanswered questions about what the man did with his time and money) beyond concluding that his dad also "was on the spectrum" in a small way. The father was not just the son's "best friend," he was the boy's only friend because they raised him to not be social. There are no stories of the parents doing anything to integrate the child among peers (like having playdates or inviting schoolkids for parties), only increasing his dependency on the adult world (summers in Michigan where hundreds of famous and wealthy adult pals are his only visitors). So the dad isn't a hero, but rather a selfish man-child who quits working at a young age, gets bored, and makes decisions to keep his clueless boy attached to him long into adulthood.
Let me make this clear--I was originally thrilled to hear that a father cared for his son so much that he'd commit to spending time with him. Then I discovered the truth on the pages, which was the parents often failed to provide what the boy truly needed to be a successful child. They turned him into a self-centered know-it-all adult-acting student who would threaten teachers and school administrators, then go hide out at home with ego-stroking mom and dad. His lack of respect for others, and blaming it on all the bullies in his life, is the result of bad parenting. So as nice as it is to see rare conservative values communicated in a memoir, they come with a major lack of self-awareness and a falsification of the world around him. For a supposed "journalist" that's unacceptable.
Some of this just made me mad, especially that the author is spinning it positive when many of the facts he presents are terrifyingly negative for a child. He certainly was hovered over by his rich clingy parents, but that overprotection is not always good.
His late teen years and early times in the media business show him to be a rebellious, disrespectful colleague who concludes that "insecure people have always been threatened by me." Huh? You mean all those professionals with years of experience who don't want to put up with the self-centered arrogance that your parents allowed you to grow up with? Often when he was told rules or boundaries he'd write, "I didn't care." While some may see this as the brave fight of a privileged but repressed autistic young adult, if I were his boss he would have been tossed out of the business. Vittert's book certainly isn't a good representation of "fair and balanced" Fox News, though he seems to think it's a positive that how his parents raised him prepared him for time in the war zone!
While he may have turned out to be a functional contributing citizen, due to his very dysfunctional family he was just lucky to have survived into adulthood.
January 3, 2026
This book is honest and sincere about a very painful challenging, life. It served it's intended purpose. To give hope. For me it did. In so many ways.
September 20, 2025
This is such an amazing book about an amazing person. I am going to give it to my sons and their children so they can benefit from it too.
This is not just a story about a news anchor personality. It is a story about perseverance, difficult years, and courage to wake up every day to fight battles over and over again. It is about a father who refused to give up on his son because of the way a label could have defined him. He taught his son guidelines and principles that would get him through the challenging days that most certainly would lie ahead of him, and come out on the other side a man of integrity, honor, and values, which would serve him well throughout his life.
I have been watching Leland Vittert since his Fox News days and have been impressed with his demeanor, straightforwardness, and impartiality.
Thank you to Harper Horizon and LibraryThing.com for the copy of this book. I will treasure it and give it to family members, knowing it will bless them. As long as they give it back!
This is not just a story about a news anchor personality. It is a story about perseverance, difficult years, and courage to wake up every day to fight battles over and over again. It is about a father who refused to give up on his son because of the way a label could have defined him. He taught his son guidelines and principles that would get him through the challenging days that most certainly would lie ahead of him, and come out on the other side a man of integrity, honor, and values, which would serve him well throughout his life.
I have been watching Leland Vittert since his Fox News days and have been impressed with his demeanor, straightforwardness, and impartiality.
Thank you to Harper Horizon and LibraryThing.com for the copy of this book. I will treasure it and give it to family members, knowing it will bless them. As long as they give it back!
November 11, 2025
I was introduced to this book a few days ago when Ben Shapiro had the author, Leland Vittert, as a guest on his show. I went in expecting a self help book on how to address the challenges of autism in children. Instead, what I found was an autobiography about how Vittert himself confronted the obstacles he faced from his “disability.”
So this isn’t a guide about autism or how to manage it..... It’s a memoir, raw, personal, and entirely centered on his own life. Vittert walks us through three generations, his grandfather, his father, and himself, tracing how each shaped the man he became. He describes his upbringing, his school years, and his eventual career as a reporter and news anchor.
Socially, he never fit in.... anywhere or with anyone. According to the memoir, he was bullied constantly and stood on the outside looking in through most of his childhood and adolescence. The problem wasn’t lack of effort, it was his inability to read the room, to catch social cues the way everyone else could.
Yet despite all of that, he managed to succeed in a world where social navigation is everything. The book’s emotional core is his relationship with his father, the man who would, time after time, “pick up the broken pieces” and help him rebuild. His father believed one hard truth: the world would not adapt to his son’s struggles.. his son had to adapt to the world.
That father and son dynamic drives the entire story. It’s what gives the book its weight. You can feel the gratitude, the discipline, the resilience forged through relentless repetition and failure.
Overall, it’s an easy read... straightforward, cleanly written, and relatable. It’s not a textbook or a manual....it’s simply one man’s story. But inside that story are universal lessons, about perseverance, accountability, and the stubborn refusal to let your limitations define you.
A pretty good book, all things considered..... and worth reading for anyone who wants a reminder that overcoming the odds isn’t about luck, it’s about grit, guidance, and getting back up every single time you fall.
So this isn’t a guide about autism or how to manage it..... It’s a memoir, raw, personal, and entirely centered on his own life. Vittert walks us through three generations, his grandfather, his father, and himself, tracing how each shaped the man he became. He describes his upbringing, his school years, and his eventual career as a reporter and news anchor.
Socially, he never fit in.... anywhere or with anyone. According to the memoir, he was bullied constantly and stood on the outside looking in through most of his childhood and adolescence. The problem wasn’t lack of effort, it was his inability to read the room, to catch social cues the way everyone else could.
Yet despite all of that, he managed to succeed in a world where social navigation is everything. The book’s emotional core is his relationship with his father, the man who would, time after time, “pick up the broken pieces” and help him rebuild. His father believed one hard truth: the world would not adapt to his son’s struggles.. his son had to adapt to the world.
That father and son dynamic drives the entire story. It’s what gives the book its weight. You can feel the gratitude, the discipline, the resilience forged through relentless repetition and failure.
Overall, it’s an easy read... straightforward, cleanly written, and relatable. It’s not a textbook or a manual....it’s simply one man’s story. But inside that story are universal lessons, about perseverance, accountability, and the stubborn refusal to let your limitations define you.
A pretty good book, all things considered..... and worth reading for anyone who wants a reminder that overcoming the odds isn’t about luck, it’s about grit, guidance, and getting back up every single time you fall.
October 2, 2025
Born Lucky, Leland Vitert
I wish I could give this book 10 stars. I wish I could gift it to everyone I know. It is such an honest appraisal of someone who has succeeded against all odds because of his unrelenting effort, his dedication to principles, his ability to reach out and ask for help when necessary, and his recognition of his own shortcomings refusing to let them defeat him, that it is one of the most inspiring books I have read. Trying to fit into a world with demands and expectations that are difficult for you, because you march to a different drummer, requires character and a determination never to quit once a goal has been set. Leland Vittert embodies those ideas and has set a series of goals for himself that have led him down a path to victory. Leland Vittert tells the story of how he was truly born lucky, and the doctor actually named him, but his life was not going to be an easy one. On the day of his birth, no one could have known that, nor could they have known how driven and successful he would eventually become, overcoming all odds and roadblocks placed before him. The world did not adjust to Leland. He adjusted to the demands of the world with the help of his father who guided him and was always there for him when needed.
Leland Vittert is on the autism spectrum, but in 1982, when he was born, there was no spectrum. Today, perhaps, he would be diagnosed as having Aspergers. When his strange behavior began to be noticed, he was tested and diagnosed as having an extremely high intelligence quotient, but the oddest and lowest recorded emotional quotient along-side it. His parents were told he would really have to struggle in life, because he would not be successful regarding social interaction. They refused to label him or request special treatment. Apparently, Leland’s dad was probably also on the autism spectrum, but only mildly, and therefore, he understood the challenges his son would face. He encouraged Leland to set goals and never quit, because if he quit, those who didn’t believe in him would win. That became Leland’s path. Neither his parents, his sister, nor Leland ever ignored his shortcomings, they just refused to let them hold him back. They knew he could not be cured, but his dad taught him to adapt to the world in spite of them. The world would not adjust to Leland, so he would have to adjust to the demands of the world.
He was bullied by his peers because he was different and socially inept, but his family buoyed his spirit when he was crushed by the world, defending his efforts and encouraging him to continue. I found it terribly disappointing to read about how the children and the authorities treated him. When he was bullied in school, the adults often supported the bully and punished him. As a result, Leland was a lonely child, but he rose above it and ignored the bullies and even the competition that resented his hard work, later on, by always looking ahead to the future and the accomplishment of the new goals he set for himself. Unfortunately, only a few people ever stepped up to the plate to support or protect him, but Leland appreciated them and has never forgotten those people. He remembers and names many of them in the book.
Leland set what others might consider impossible goals, but he achieved them, and finally he even became a war correspondent facing danger bravely. Today he is the anchor on his own program on News Nation. It is a program that presents the truth about whatever subject he covers. He will not sacrifice his principles by lying or not covering a subject accurately. He is neither left nor right. He is a breath of fresh air. Even when threatened, he doesn’t compromise his principles. He would not distort his reporting to satisfy the system. He would deal with the consequences. Perhaps it is the autism that allows him to see things more clearly than most people, but he takes things literally and will not abide dishonesty. He readily admits that he still has to struggle to understand social cues and sometimes he fails, but he goes on, always going forward, never looking backward. His life experiences are varied and interesting. He has witnessed and reported on many news events as he rose in his career. He brings all those life experiences to the book.
Dealing with differences does not mean ignoring them and pretending they are either not there or are normal when they are not, it means adjusting to the system so that you, no matter how “weird�� you are, can thrive within it. Leland learned to deal with his loneliness and rejection with resilience. He didn’t have to like being friendless, but he had to live with it and keep trying to make friends. He had to learn to live in the real world. This book is an honest reveal about what it is like to live with being different in a world that does not want you, that looks the other way or mocks you. The book exposes Leland’s warts and his strengths with total clarity. He does not hide his own shortcomings. He acknowledges the help he received. He is grateful for that support. He is still trying to navigate the world. He relies on the few people he loves and that love him. They guide him. Perhaps the world would not be so troubled today if the young were taught to adapt to life rather than expecting life to adapt to them and their demands.
Readers, buy this book! It is an amazing revelation about how Leland and others like him were and still are mistreated by the system. Imagine how much they might be able to accomplish if the system and the labels were ignored and there were no bullies, but instead there were adults who set a better example to follow, one of compassion and respect for the rights of others.
I wish I could give this book 10 stars. I wish I could gift it to everyone I know. It is such an honest appraisal of someone who has succeeded against all odds because of his unrelenting effort, his dedication to principles, his ability to reach out and ask for help when necessary, and his recognition of his own shortcomings refusing to let them defeat him, that it is one of the most inspiring books I have read. Trying to fit into a world with demands and expectations that are difficult for you, because you march to a different drummer, requires character and a determination never to quit once a goal has been set. Leland Vittert embodies those ideas and has set a series of goals for himself that have led him down a path to victory. Leland Vittert tells the story of how he was truly born lucky, and the doctor actually named him, but his life was not going to be an easy one. On the day of his birth, no one could have known that, nor could they have known how driven and successful he would eventually become, overcoming all odds and roadblocks placed before him. The world did not adjust to Leland. He adjusted to the demands of the world with the help of his father who guided him and was always there for him when needed.
Leland Vittert is on the autism spectrum, but in 1982, when he was born, there was no spectrum. Today, perhaps, he would be diagnosed as having Aspergers. When his strange behavior began to be noticed, he was tested and diagnosed as having an extremely high intelligence quotient, but the oddest and lowest recorded emotional quotient along-side it. His parents were told he would really have to struggle in life, because he would not be successful regarding social interaction. They refused to label him or request special treatment. Apparently, Leland’s dad was probably also on the autism spectrum, but only mildly, and therefore, he understood the challenges his son would face. He encouraged Leland to set goals and never quit, because if he quit, those who didn’t believe in him would win. That became Leland’s path. Neither his parents, his sister, nor Leland ever ignored his shortcomings, they just refused to let them hold him back. They knew he could not be cured, but his dad taught him to adapt to the world in spite of them. The world would not adjust to Leland, so he would have to adjust to the demands of the world.
He was bullied by his peers because he was different and socially inept, but his family buoyed his spirit when he was crushed by the world, defending his efforts and encouraging him to continue. I found it terribly disappointing to read about how the children and the authorities treated him. When he was bullied in school, the adults often supported the bully and punished him. As a result, Leland was a lonely child, but he rose above it and ignored the bullies and even the competition that resented his hard work, later on, by always looking ahead to the future and the accomplishment of the new goals he set for himself. Unfortunately, only a few people ever stepped up to the plate to support or protect him, but Leland appreciated them and has never forgotten those people. He remembers and names many of them in the book.
Leland set what others might consider impossible goals, but he achieved them, and finally he even became a war correspondent facing danger bravely. Today he is the anchor on his own program on News Nation. It is a program that presents the truth about whatever subject he covers. He will not sacrifice his principles by lying or not covering a subject accurately. He is neither left nor right. He is a breath of fresh air. Even when threatened, he doesn’t compromise his principles. He would not distort his reporting to satisfy the system. He would deal with the consequences. Perhaps it is the autism that allows him to see things more clearly than most people, but he takes things literally and will not abide dishonesty. He readily admits that he still has to struggle to understand social cues and sometimes he fails, but he goes on, always going forward, never looking backward. His life experiences are varied and interesting. He has witnessed and reported on many news events as he rose in his career. He brings all those life experiences to the book.
Dealing with differences does not mean ignoring them and pretending they are either not there or are normal when they are not, it means adjusting to the system so that you, no matter how “weird�� you are, can thrive within it. Leland learned to deal with his loneliness and rejection with resilience. He didn’t have to like being friendless, but he had to live with it and keep trying to make friends. He had to learn to live in the real world. This book is an honest reveal about what it is like to live with being different in a world that does not want you, that looks the other way or mocks you. The book exposes Leland’s warts and his strengths with total clarity. He does not hide his own shortcomings. He acknowledges the help he received. He is grateful for that support. He is still trying to navigate the world. He relies on the few people he loves and that love him. They guide him. Perhaps the world would not be so troubled today if the young were taught to adapt to life rather than expecting life to adapt to them and their demands.
Readers, buy this book! It is an amazing revelation about how Leland and others like him were and still are mistreated by the system. Imagine how much they might be able to accomplish if the system and the labels were ignored and there were no bullies, but instead there were adults who set a better example to follow, one of compassion and respect for the rights of others.
January 3, 2026
A Refreshing, No-Nonsense Take on Autism: My Review of Born Lucky by Leland Vittert
I first discovered Leland Vittert and his memoir Born Lucky when he appeared on Michael Knowles' show, followed by interviews on Megyn Kelly's podcast and (as other reviews mention) with Ben Shapiro. As a 21-year-old with both autism and dyslexia-who spent grades 7 through 12 in a school for students with learning disabilities-this book resonated deeply with me.
What I loved most is how Vittert portrays the real
struggles of autism without turning it into a pity-seeking self-help story, unlike so many books in the genre. Many reviewers criticize his father's decision not to discose Leland's diagnosis early on. I disagree strongly: knowing about a disability too soon can become a crutch, fostering laziness or a victim mentality-especially in environments surrounded by others with similar challenges. It creates a cycle where people compete to "out-victim" each other, deriving self-worth from their struggles rather than overcoming them. From my own experience, labels don't always help; at best, they're neutral, and at worst, they trap you in self-pity.
Vittert also nails the reality of accommodations like IEPs. Sure, extra time on tests or late assignments might help in school (if you choose to use them— and sometimes you shouldn't), but the real world doesn't offer those crutches. As someone who graduated from a special-needs school in 2023, l've seen classmates struggle in the workforce because they relied too heavily on being "coddled" academically. Those who used their diagnosis as an excuse often fared the worst.
On bullying, Vittert debunks the myth that expensive private schools eliminate it. Having attended public schools, high-end private ones, and everything in between, I can confirm he's spot-on: bullying persists everywhere. Public schools often feel indifferent (funded by taxes, staff treat everyone equally poorly), but private schools can be worse when wealthy parents wield influence. Vittert shares a heartbreaking story from gym class where a student shoved him, he shoved back in self-defense, and the principal lied to protect the bully's rich family—despite a teacher witnessing the truth. His parents could barely afford the tuition, yet sacrificed for a "better" environment that still failed him. It's one of many raw truths in the book.
Amid the heavy topics, Vittert balances it with hilarious lighthearted anecdotes. My favorite: in college, he used a fake ID to buy massive quantities of alcohol at Costco in Chicago for resale. Flagged by staff, he followed the manager to the office, handed over the phony ID (claiming he was 25 from New Jersey), and improvised wildly when the manager recognized the town. Somehow, he walked out scot-free—| laughed out loud reading it.
Above all, the book shines as a tribute to Vittert's incredibly supportive parents, who poured endless time and sacrifice into him. His achievements are remarkable: the youngest person to fly solo to Europe at age 11 (handling nearly everything himself), becoming a news anchor in his 20s, working at Fox News and NewsNation, drawing inspiration from Rush Limbaugh, and bravely covering dangerous stories in the Middle East and during the BLM riots-nearly losing his life multiple times but never quitting.
If you're seeking a heartfelt, educational memoir that mixes tough realities with humor and inspiration
—without wallowing in victimhood-| highly recommend Born Lucky. It's a standout in the autism genre.
I first discovered Leland Vittert and his memoir Born Lucky when he appeared on Michael Knowles' show, followed by interviews on Megyn Kelly's podcast and (as other reviews mention) with Ben Shapiro. As a 21-year-old with both autism and dyslexia-who spent grades 7 through 12 in a school for students with learning disabilities-this book resonated deeply with me.
What I loved most is how Vittert portrays the real
struggles of autism without turning it into a pity-seeking self-help story, unlike so many books in the genre. Many reviewers criticize his father's decision not to discose Leland's diagnosis early on. I disagree strongly: knowing about a disability too soon can become a crutch, fostering laziness or a victim mentality-especially in environments surrounded by others with similar challenges. It creates a cycle where people compete to "out-victim" each other, deriving self-worth from their struggles rather than overcoming them. From my own experience, labels don't always help; at best, they're neutral, and at worst, they trap you in self-pity.
Vittert also nails the reality of accommodations like IEPs. Sure, extra time on tests or late assignments might help in school (if you choose to use them— and sometimes you shouldn't), but the real world doesn't offer those crutches. As someone who graduated from a special-needs school in 2023, l've seen classmates struggle in the workforce because they relied too heavily on being "coddled" academically. Those who used their diagnosis as an excuse often fared the worst.
On bullying, Vittert debunks the myth that expensive private schools eliminate it. Having attended public schools, high-end private ones, and everything in between, I can confirm he's spot-on: bullying persists everywhere. Public schools often feel indifferent (funded by taxes, staff treat everyone equally poorly), but private schools can be worse when wealthy parents wield influence. Vittert shares a heartbreaking story from gym class where a student shoved him, he shoved back in self-defense, and the principal lied to protect the bully's rich family—despite a teacher witnessing the truth. His parents could barely afford the tuition, yet sacrificed for a "better" environment that still failed him. It's one of many raw truths in the book.
Amid the heavy topics, Vittert balances it with hilarious lighthearted anecdotes. My favorite: in college, he used a fake ID to buy massive quantities of alcohol at Costco in Chicago for resale. Flagged by staff, he followed the manager to the office, handed over the phony ID (claiming he was 25 from New Jersey), and improvised wildly when the manager recognized the town. Somehow, he walked out scot-free—| laughed out loud reading it.
Above all, the book shines as a tribute to Vittert's incredibly supportive parents, who poured endless time and sacrifice into him. His achievements are remarkable: the youngest person to fly solo to Europe at age 11 (handling nearly everything himself), becoming a news anchor in his 20s, working at Fox News and NewsNation, drawing inspiration from Rush Limbaugh, and bravely covering dangerous stories in the Middle East and during the BLM riots-nearly losing his life multiple times but never quitting.
If you're seeking a heartfelt, educational memoir that mixes tough realities with humor and inspiration
—without wallowing in victimhood-| highly recommend Born Lucky. It's a standout in the autism genre.
October 12, 2025
I really enjoyed listening to this as an audiobook. I’m very selective about what I spend my Audible credits on and this was an immediate no-brainer. I’m glad I purchased it!
The author is incredibly humble and vulnerable. I love his work ethic and resilience. It was so inspirational.
As a parent, I connected with Leland’s father. I respect his choice to not “label” his son (although, he never denied his son’s challenges) and his decision to continue pushing for and advocating for his son in ways outside of traditional classroom supports like an IEP or utilization of community supports. In fact, his dad touches on this in the afterword. He says perhaps he could have utilized these supports, and things would have been easier. He isn’t sure. He just did what he felt he needed to do. He rallied for his son tirelessly and served for the most part as his life coach. I loved his simple approach to parenting a differently-wired child. His parenting may seem old-fashioned to most, but it really resonated with me. I love learning from older generations and how they approached problems back then that we still face today. There is so much wisdom there that should not be overlooked.
The author is incredibly humble and vulnerable. I love his work ethic and resilience. It was so inspirational.
As a parent, I connected with Leland’s father. I respect his choice to not “label” his son (although, he never denied his son’s challenges) and his decision to continue pushing for and advocating for his son in ways outside of traditional classroom supports like an IEP or utilization of community supports. In fact, his dad touches on this in the afterword. He says perhaps he could have utilized these supports, and things would have been easier. He isn’t sure. He just did what he felt he needed to do. He rallied for his son tirelessly and served for the most part as his life coach. I loved his simple approach to parenting a differently-wired child. His parenting may seem old-fashioned to most, but it really resonated with me. I love learning from older generations and how they approached problems back then that we still face today. There is so much wisdom there that should not be overlooked.
January 14, 2026
I have some big feelings about this book.
To start, it's just not a good book. It's repetitive and heavy handed and sometimes simply muddled storytelling. A memoir needn't necessarily be a pleasant read - real life is rarely pleasant - and this read is not at all pleasant, but neither does it evoke an enriching experience of a life. But is it a memoir? There's a moment toward the beginning when Vittert writes, "Almost every parenting book is written from the parent's perspective, never the child's." Is he... attempting to write a parenting book rather than a memoir here? Quite possibly, based on his unrelenting repetition of what he seems to think is the lesson for other parents: "[Dad] believed the world wasn't going to change for me, so I had to learn to adapt to the world" (7). The heavy hand of prescriptive morality throughout. So, it's not a good memoir; how is it as a parenting prescription?
On the one hand, it is a book about precisely how NOT to parent. But it is simultaneously a near-perfect case study of how parenting plays out according to the neuroscience: "neurons that fire together wire together" (e.g., Daniel Siegel's The Whole-Brain Child) - what our children experience as their brains wire together permanent connections literally shapes their brains and defines their understanding and experience of the world. Vittert reports a childhood and adolescence steeped in cruelty from the outside world, with unmet needs and disconnection from his emotional reality from his parents, and we watch as he grows into a man who identifies as endlessly persecuted by bullies, sees an enemy in every workplace, bullies others and calls it self-defense or self-advocacy, and experiences relationship as others serving his goals without mention of reciprocal connection. His father doesn't help him develop his abilities to problem-solve, but instead gives him one and only one strategy to cope with anything: brute force. Brute force to dominate and sweep aside other people but also to eradicate his own nature and intrinsic self. Which, from what Vittert reports, is precisely the spirit in which his father was raised as well; the legacy continues through generations. Vittert has met his set external goals of career "success", yes, "To [Dad], life was defined by the goals you chased" (63), but at least for me, that is not the sole definition of the life of success I hope for my child.
Vittert repeatedly says that he couldn't thrive in his career until he had learned to be "himself". But in every other breath he says that he couldn't be himself and survive in the "real world." He recalls an early girlfriend telling him he is more like his father than his father is. And that encapsulates the horror and the tragedy to me. "Dad decided to shape me his way" (11). This child who thought in black-and-white and was not naturally attuned to social cues was berated and bullied into becoming a copy of his father and grandfather, without the supportive guidance that might have deepened his capacity for connection and nuance.
Educators and connected parents accommodate children - disabled or not - not to coddle them or to make anything easy for them but to connect on a human level with their individual needs and thus provide them a base of strength from which they can build the skills they need to navigate the wide (and, yes, often unfriendly) world toward whichever goals they value.
In the end, it seems like he believes there are enemies everywhere, still experiences no reciprocal human relationships, acknowledges "character" only in those who assent to his unalterable values. (It recalls to me Jane Hirshfield's wonderful line, "Think assailable thoughts, or be lonely.") Unrelenting persistence toward ambitious external goals can be taught to our children, Vittert drum-beats throughout, but so can the strength and openness needed to simultaneously pursue human connection toward the goal of a fulfilling and truly successful life.
To start, it's just not a good book. It's repetitive and heavy handed and sometimes simply muddled storytelling. A memoir needn't necessarily be a pleasant read - real life is rarely pleasant - and this read is not at all pleasant, but neither does it evoke an enriching experience of a life. But is it a memoir? There's a moment toward the beginning when Vittert writes, "Almost every parenting book is written from the parent's perspective, never the child's." Is he... attempting to write a parenting book rather than a memoir here? Quite possibly, based on his unrelenting repetition of what he seems to think is the lesson for other parents: "[Dad] believed the world wasn't going to change for me, so I had to learn to adapt to the world" (7). The heavy hand of prescriptive morality throughout. So, it's not a good memoir; how is it as a parenting prescription?
On the one hand, it is a book about precisely how NOT to parent. But it is simultaneously a near-perfect case study of how parenting plays out according to the neuroscience: "neurons that fire together wire together" (e.g., Daniel Siegel's The Whole-Brain Child) - what our children experience as their brains wire together permanent connections literally shapes their brains and defines their understanding and experience of the world. Vittert reports a childhood and adolescence steeped in cruelty from the outside world, with unmet needs and disconnection from his emotional reality from his parents, and we watch as he grows into a man who identifies as endlessly persecuted by bullies, sees an enemy in every workplace, bullies others and calls it self-defense or self-advocacy, and experiences relationship as others serving his goals without mention of reciprocal connection. His father doesn't help him develop his abilities to problem-solve, but instead gives him one and only one strategy to cope with anything: brute force. Brute force to dominate and sweep aside other people but also to eradicate his own nature and intrinsic self. Which, from what Vittert reports, is precisely the spirit in which his father was raised as well; the legacy continues through generations. Vittert has met his set external goals of career "success", yes, "To [Dad], life was defined by the goals you chased" (63), but at least for me, that is not the sole definition of the life of success I hope for my child.
Vittert repeatedly says that he couldn't thrive in his career until he had learned to be "himself". But in every other breath he says that he couldn't be himself and survive in the "real world." He recalls an early girlfriend telling him he is more like his father than his father is. And that encapsulates the horror and the tragedy to me. "Dad decided to shape me his way" (11). This child who thought in black-and-white and was not naturally attuned to social cues was berated and bullied into becoming a copy of his father and grandfather, without the supportive guidance that might have deepened his capacity for connection and nuance.
Educators and connected parents accommodate children - disabled or not - not to coddle them or to make anything easy for them but to connect on a human level with their individual needs and thus provide them a base of strength from which they can build the skills they need to navigate the wide (and, yes, often unfriendly) world toward whichever goals they value.
In the end, it seems like he believes there are enemies everywhere, still experiences no reciprocal human relationships, acknowledges "character" only in those who assent to his unalterable values. (It recalls to me Jane Hirshfield's wonderful line, "Think assailable thoughts, or be lonely.") Unrelenting persistence toward ambitious external goals can be taught to our children, Vittert drum-beats throughout, but so can the strength and openness needed to simultaneously pursue human connection toward the goal of a fulfilling and truly successful life.
January 4, 2026
This autobiography is at its best during the latter half when he is giving an inside view to his career in tv journalism, especially his time as a foreign correspondent in war torn areas. His younger years are sometimes hard to read due to all the bullying and loneliness he suffered, but softened due to the dedication and love of his dad and all of his triumphs. I did find it strange that his mom and sister were barely mentioned and that seems like a missed opportunity.
January 21, 2026
Loved this story. The father’s dedication to his son is admirable.
January 3, 2026
Couldn’t put this book down. Incredible ❤️
November 23, 2025
Quite interesting to see how differently this man’s story would’ve turned out had he grown up in today’s world versus in the 1980s and 90s. It was a fascinating look at how he overcame and managed some of the challenges of being on the spectrum, and how his father really shaped how he would handle the myriad challenges his son would face. I’m positive their approach would be objectionable to most people today.
December 23, 2025
Incredible story of love and dedication a father has for his son and who never gave up believing in him! Amazing story! Thank you, Leland Vittert for sharing this!
January 3, 2026
Tone-deaf
Harmful
Self-indulgent
Entitled
Arrogant
Harmful
Self-indulgent
Entitled
Arrogant
October 23, 2025
I just saw this author interviewed on Morning Joe and was intrigued with his story. What a great story it is. This is a book that educators, parents and anyone who is interested in opening their eyes and hearts to the challenges and joys of Autism. A must read!
November 5, 2025
Born Lucky was such an encouraging read — I cried twice! As a parent, it reminded me how much love and resilience shape our children’s stories. It’s heartfelt, hopeful, and full of moments that stay with you long after you’ve finished. I’m so glad I picked this one up.
November 6, 2025
That was such a great book! Thank you so much Leland!! You will help so many people ❤️
January 24, 2026
I’m sure my OT background made me love this book even more, but I feel like it would reach a wide audience. I listened to the audio read by Lucky and loved it. A beautiful story about the power of having people who believe in you and push you, despite challenges.
February 3, 2026
An entertaining and engaging book about the author's struggles to achieve success. His discussion of things in St. Louis and northern Michigan resonated with me. For anyone who is a father or is going to be a father someday, I highly recommend this book. The audio version read by the author is a great way to read this book.
January 6, 2026
I really enjoyed reading about Vittert's life. I didn't always agree with some of the choices his parents made, but I found it very inspiring and encouraging! This book left me with a sense of hope as a mom!
November 16, 2025
Loved this. A must read for any parent of a child with special needs - or any parent, really. I loved hearing how Vittert’s parents parented him and learning about his journalism career.
December 25, 2025
Very special book, loved the father son relationship and an interesting, valuable approach to raising a child who is wired differently
October 17, 2025
I have watched Leland Vittert on News Nation the past several years but did not know his backstory until reading this book. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and share my thoughts and views. His story is inspiring and no matter what your political views are he leads with honesty and truth. It was heartbreaking to read how teachers and administrators treated him growing up and how they allowed bullying behaviors to continue. Through these experiences his father never left his side and picked up the pieces every time some one broke him done. Part memoir and part ode to his father, this is a book worth reading.
January 1, 2026
Excellent and inspiring. He defeated the odds against him.
January 29, 2026
I really like this book about an autistic child who was brought up to adapt to the world he was living in, instead of having the world adapt to his disability. It showed such deep love of parents who figured out what was best for their son by facing the harsh realities of life head on. Very courageous and yet makes common sense which isn’t the “world” view.
November 29, 2025
3.5 / 5 ⭐️
Inspiring story of resilience, endurance and building character through adversity. I wish I had read it in high school or middle school when it would have shed a helpful perspective on my own struggles to fit in, or better yet, eyes to see others who were made fun of or friendless around me. There were many memorable one-liners by his dad repetitively woven through the years to steer him towards a strong character of honesty and resiliency. Things like— The qualities that are being made fun of in high school will make you successful as an adult.
My main caution is just that this is one man’s story and experiences and is not meant to be a blueprint to blanket translate towards another person with autism or in different circumstances or abilities (also whose parents aren’t millionaires and paying for private lessons to fly airplanes as a child). It was also a little troubling that they allowed him to be exposed to so much bullying to seemingly toughen him up without hardly any support from adults at school. Because of that, he seemed to became emotionally dependent (handicapped?) on his dad to an unhealthy degree which he never grew out of as an adult.
Inspiring story of resilience, endurance and building character through adversity. I wish I had read it in high school or middle school when it would have shed a helpful perspective on my own struggles to fit in, or better yet, eyes to see others who were made fun of or friendless around me. There were many memorable one-liners by his dad repetitively woven through the years to steer him towards a strong character of honesty and resiliency. Things like— The qualities that are being made fun of in high school will make you successful as an adult.
My main caution is just that this is one man’s story and experiences and is not meant to be a blueprint to blanket translate towards another person with autism or in different circumstances or abilities (also whose parents aren’t millionaires and paying for private lessons to fly airplanes as a child). It was also a little troubling that they allowed him to be exposed to so much bullying to seemingly toughen him up without hardly any support from adults at school. Because of that, he seemed to became emotionally dependent (handicapped?) on his dad to an unhealthy degree which he never grew out of as an adult.
December 30, 2025
This year my husband and I started watching NewsNation, mainly for Chris Cuomo's show. Right after Cuomo there is a show called On Balance with Leland Vittert. So of course we started watching that too.
I was not familiar with Vittert or his journalistic career. But I remember thinking, ok, this guy is a bit different. He talks a LOT and oh I hate it when journalists interrupt! And he has some great experience on the ground during wartime, as evidenced by his advertised newsletter, War Notes. Ok, this guy must be pretty on it.
Then I learned he had written a book, and honestly, I thought, " Oh here we go again in Bill O'Reilly style, hawking his book as the best ever written". But, when I heard the book was not about opinion, and about experience - LIFE experience - and that his experience included autism - well, that changed the narrative.
My husband gave me this book for Christmas (major points!!). I of course received several other books for the holidays, but THIS is the book I fell into first. It has been touted as a beacon of hope to parents with special children more than a Woe Is Me tale, and I definitely agree. Most of what Leland writes is presented pretty factually, and he is not in the business of naming names except for those who helped him, not those who bullied him. His parents gave him lots of tough love, keeping him in school throughout the bullying and never asking for accommodations for him nor giving him a label. But they, and especially his Dad, also NEVER gave up on Leland, and NEVER showed any disappointment in him, only support. Lots of support and time and listening, to prepare him for the real world. If only all kids had that level of support!
His story is an important one. Some people diss it because his dad was rich and had contacts that helped Leland. But, this is what happened. It is what it is, and Leland's singular focus to succeed is amazing. This is Leland's story, and the star is the support he got from his dad. A great read with anecdotes from his time in Libya, his rise in journalism, how he even got to journalism, his struggle to make friends, and even how he met his wife (they got married this summer!). Highly recommend!
I was not familiar with Vittert or his journalistic career. But I remember thinking, ok, this guy is a bit different. He talks a LOT and oh I hate it when journalists interrupt! And he has some great experience on the ground during wartime, as evidenced by his advertised newsletter, War Notes. Ok, this guy must be pretty on it.
Then I learned he had written a book, and honestly, I thought, " Oh here we go again in Bill O'Reilly style, hawking his book as the best ever written". But, when I heard the book was not about opinion, and about experience - LIFE experience - and that his experience included autism - well, that changed the narrative.
My husband gave me this book for Christmas (major points!!). I of course received several other books for the holidays, but THIS is the book I fell into first. It has been touted as a beacon of hope to parents with special children more than a Woe Is Me tale, and I definitely agree. Most of what Leland writes is presented pretty factually, and he is not in the business of naming names except for those who helped him, not those who bullied him. His parents gave him lots of tough love, keeping him in school throughout the bullying and never asking for accommodations for him nor giving him a label. But they, and especially his Dad, also NEVER gave up on Leland, and NEVER showed any disappointment in him, only support. Lots of support and time and listening, to prepare him for the real world. If only all kids had that level of support!
His story is an important one. Some people diss it because his dad was rich and had contacts that helped Leland. But, this is what happened. It is what it is, and Leland's singular focus to succeed is amazing. This is Leland's story, and the star is the support he got from his dad. A great read with anecdotes from his time in Libya, his rise in journalism, how he even got to journalism, his struggle to make friends, and even how he met his wife (they got married this summer!). Highly recommend!
January 28, 2026
I am not sure how I found this book. I am sure glad I did. What a wonderful story. I listened to the audiobook narrator by the author who I must say I did not know before this reading. His story is important and compelling for everyone, but especially parents with special needs children.
November 6, 2025
An interesting and heartwarming story of Leland Vittert, who is born with autism. An amazing family who challenges him and supports him as he battles bullies in school, teachers and society to be “normal”.
His father’s love and dedication to him is heroic and Leland’s determination to succeed is admirable. He tells an amazing story, full of accomplishments most of us could never even think of attaining.
Job well done to both Leland and his father.
His father’s love and dedication to him is heroic and Leland’s determination to succeed is admirable. He tells an amazing story, full of accomplishments most of us could never even think of attaining.
Job well done to both Leland and his father.
November 22, 2025
As a mom of two children on the spectrum, especially with one that’s more profound, this book gives me hope. It gives me insight into what might go through my children’s minds. This book also makes me upset about how my husband’s family went about his autism because not only was he diagnosed in high school, but they gave up easily and told him he won’t get a family, job, drive a car, and several other things due to his autism. Now he’s a husband and father of two with his dream job as a science teacher. All because he set his mind to continue his dreams no matter what his family said or did. This book gives me hope that I’m doing the right things to help my children have a great future. I highly recommend this book and will be getting it when I can to give it to family members that I feel like this will benefit from reading it.
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