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To Siri with Love: A Mother, her Autistic Son, and the Kindness of Machines
To Siri with Love A Mother her Autistic Son and the Kindness of Machines Author:Judith Newman From the author of the viral New York Times piece ?To Siri with Love? comes a collection of touching and hilarious true stories about a thirteen-year-old autistic boy and his intimate relationship with Apple?s automated personal assistant, Siri.When Judith Newman?s story about her autistic son Gus?s relationship with Apple?s intelligent personal... more » assistant, Siri, was published in The New York Times, she never imagined just how big a reaction it would receive. She expected a few kudos from friends, maybe a letter or two from parents of kids with autism. Instead, the story went viral. It was the most-viewed, most-emailed, most-tweeted NYT piece for more than a week. The story was translated into dozens of languages, and Judith received letters from all over the world. Sometimes people would tell Judith about their kids; sometimes, those with autism themselves would write. And Gus told anyone who?d listen: ?I?m a movie star.?
To Siri with Love builds on the New York Times piece, providing a raw, humorous and honest glimpse into the Newman family. It explores the ways that raising a child with autism irrevocably changes what is considered ?normal? family behaviour, often for the better. Brilliantly structured around a range of emotional experiences, beginning with despair and ending with hope, the book is equal parts absurd and touching, with chapters exploring delusion, embarrassment, joy, pride and love. Each is revealed through a story?like the time Gus was kicked out of kindergarten for falling madly in love with a beautiful, anxious classmate and taking her own troubles painfully to heart. Or the way that Gus insists on getting naked during all meals?whether at home or not?because he doesn?t want to get his clothes dirty. To Siri with Love is not a grim portrait of a troubled child, nor is it an instruction manual for dealing with children on the autism spectrum. Rather, it is the funny and touching story of a real family, brutally honest down to the last detail, who are unafraid to explore all the scary and infuriating aspects of having a child with disabilities.« less