(An affecting memoir of life as a boy who didn?t know he had Asperger's syndrome until he became a man.

In 1997, Tim Page won the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism for his work as the chief classical music critic of The Washington Post, work that the Pulitzer board called ?lucid and illuminating.? Three years later, at the age of 45, he was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome?an autistic disorder characterized by often superior intellectual abilities but also by obsessive behavior, ineffective communication, and social awkwardness.

In a personal chronicle that is by turns hilarious and heartbreaking, Page revisits his early days through the prism of newfound clarity. Here is the tale of a boy who could blithely recite the names and dates of all the United States? presidents and their wives in order (backward upon request), yet lacked the coordination to participate in the simplest childhood games. It is the story of a child who memorized vast portions of the World Book Encyclopedia simply by skimming through its volumes, but was unable to pass elementary school math and science. And it is the triumphant account of a disadvantaged boy who grew into a high-functioning, highly successful adult?perhaps not despite his Asperger's but because of it, as Page believes. For in the end, it was his all-consuming love of music that emerged as something around which to construct a life and a prodigious career.

In graceful prose, Page recounts the eccentric behavior that withstood glucose-tolerance tests, anti-seizure medications, and sessions with the school psychiatrist, but which above all, eluded his own understanding. A poignant portrait of a lifelong search for answers, Parallel Play provides a unique perspective on Asperger's and the well of creativity that can spring forth as a result of the condition.

Amazon Exclusive: John Elder Robison Reviews Parallel Play

John Elder Robison is a writer, speaker, and advocate. He is the author of Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's. Read Robinson's exclusive Amazon guest review of Parallel Play:

The first time I saw Tim Page, I felt a sense of familiarity. He was obviously smart but shy, socially awkward, with a different cadence to his voice. There was an undefined, instinctive "something" that told me Tim was a fellow Aspergian. I feel different and excluded from much human company, but people like Tim are an exception. They are my people. They are me.

Tim says he's lived life as an outsider, and that's exactly how I feel too. As a result, even though I?ve grown up to find commercial success, happiness often eludes me. Within minutes of meeting Tim, it was clear he felt the same. Neurotypical people try to welcome us into their world, but Asperger's blinds us to the olive branches of friendship they proffer. They even shake the leaves in front of our faces, but we just gaze, impassive and oblivious. People assume we?ve rejected them, but in truth we want their friendship and acceptance with every fiber of our being. That's the heartbreak of it.

Tim's story illustrates that reality with clear and moving prose. Even when he's been with people, much of his life has been spent alone. He was always smart, but like me, I wonder what it's been for. His book shows that genius has its benefits but it's not a formula for happiness or even general life success. You?ll wonder if his extraordinary abilities are a cause or a result of his isolation. Or are they just more facets of a unique mind?

Anyone with an interest in Asperger's and the complexity of the human mind will be fascinated by Parallel Play. It will leave you with much to think about.--John Elder Robison

(Photo � Rick Colson)

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