David Mitchell

Naoki Higashida

A rare and important insight into the mind of an autistic child, in his own words. Translated by and with a moving introduction from the award-winning author of CLOUD ATLAS, David Mitchell.

One Boy's Voice from the Silence of Autism

The Reason I Jump

The No. 1 Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller. 'It will stretch your vision of what it is to be human' Andrew Solomon, The Times Written by Naoki Higashida when he was only thirteen, this remarkable book provides a rare insight into the often baffling behaviour of autistic children. Using a question and answer format, Naoki explains things like why he talks loudly or repeats the same questions, what causes him to have panic attacks, and why he likes to jump. He also shows the way he thinks and feels about his world - other people, nature, time and beauty, and himself. Abundantly proving that people with autism do possess imagination, humour and empathy, he also makes clear how badly they need our compassion, patience and understanding. David Mitchell and his wife have translated Naoki's book so that it might help others dealing with autism and generally illuminate a little-understood condition. It gives us an exceptional chance to enter the mind of another and see the world from a strange and fascinating perspective. The book also features eleven original illustrations, inspired by Naoki's words, by the artistic duo Kai and Sunny.

one boy's voice from the silence of autism

The Reason I Jump: one boy's voice from the silence of autism

"Naoki Higashida wrote The Reason I Jump as a 13-year-old boy. Now, he shares his thoughts and experiences as a 24-year old young man with severe autism. In short, powerful chapters, he explores education, identity, family, society and personal growth. He also allows readers to experience profound moments we take for granted, like the thought-steps necessary for him to register that it's raining outside. Introduced by award-winning author David Mitchell (co-translator with his wife, KA Yoshida), this book is part memoir, part critique of a world that sees disabilities ahead of disabled people. It is a self-portrait-in-progress of a young man who happens to have autism, and who wants to help us understand it better"--

Fall Down Seven Times, Get Up Eight

From the author of the bestselling The Reason I Jump, an extraordinary self-portrait of a young adult with autism “Essential reading for parents and teachers of those with autism who remain nonverbal.”—Temple Grandin Naoki Higashida was only thirteen when he wrote The Reason I Jump, a revelatory account of autism from the inside by a nonverbal Japanese child, which became an international success. Now, in Fall Down 7 Times Get Up 8, he shares his thoughts and experiences as a young man living each day with severe autism. In short, powerful chapters, Higashida explores school memories, family relationships, the exhilaration of travel, and the difficulties of speech. He also allows readers to experience profound moments we take for granted, like the thought-steps necessary for him to register that it’s raining outside. Acutely aware of how strange his behavior can appear to others, he aims throughout to foster a better understanding of autism and to encourage society to see people with disabilities as people, not as problems. With an introduction by the bestselling novelist David Mitchell, Fall Down 7 Times Get Up 8 also includes a dreamlike short story Higashida wrote especially for the U.S. edition. Both moving and of practical use, this book opens a window into the mind of an inspiring young man who meets every challenge with tenacity and good humor. However often he falls down, he always gets back up. Praise for Fall Down 7 Times Get Up 8 “[Naoki Higashida’s] success as a writer now transcends his diagnosis. . . . His relative isolation—with words as his primary connection to the outside world—has allowed him to fully develop the powers of observation that are necessary for good writing, and he has developed rich, deep perspectives on ideas that many take for granted. . . . The diversity of Higashida’s writing, in both subject and style, fits together like a jigsaw puzzle of life put in place with humor and thoughtfulness.”—The Japan Times “Profound insights about what the struggle of living with autism is really like . . . Once again, the invitation to step inside Higashida’s mind is irresistible.”—London Evening Standard “Naoki Higashida’s lyrical and heartfelt account of his condition is a gift to anyone involved with the same challenges. . . . Higashida shows a delicate regard for the difficulties his condition creates . . . and is adept at explaining his experiences in language that makes sense to neurotypicals.”—The Guardian

A Young Man's Voice from the Silence of Autism

Fall Down 7 Times Get Up 8

“One of the most remarkable books I’ve ever read. It’s truly moving, eye-opening, incredibly vivid.”—Jon Stewart, The Daily Show NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR • The Wall Street Journal • Bloomberg Business • Bookish FINALIST FOR THE BOOKS FOR A BETTER LIFE FIRST BOOK AWARD • NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER You’ve never read a book like The Reason I Jump. Written by Naoki Higashida, a very smart, very self-aware, and very charming thirteen-year-old boy with autism, it is a one-of-a-kind memoir that demonstrates how an autistic mind thinks, feels, perceives, and responds in ways few of us can imagine. Parents and family members who never thought they could get inside the head of their autistic loved one at last have a way to break through to the curious, subtle, and complex life within. Using an alphabet grid to painstakingly construct words, sentences, and thoughts that he is unable to speak out loud, Naoki answers even the most delicate questions that people want to know. Questions such as: “Why do people with autism talk so loudly and weirdly?” “Why do you line up your toy cars and blocks?” “Why don’t you make eye contact when you’re talking?” and “What’s the reason you jump?” (Naoki’s answer: “When I’m jumping, it’s as if my feelings are going upward to the sky.”) With disarming honesty and a generous heart, Naoki shares his unique point of view on not only autism but life itself. His insights—into the mystery of words, the wonders of laughter, and the elusiveness of memory—are so startling, so strange, and so powerful that you will never look at the world the same way again. In his introduction, bestselling novelist David Mitchell writes that Naoki’s words allowed him to feel, for the first time, as if his own autistic child was explaining what was happening in his mind. “It is no exaggeration to say that The Reason I Jump allowed me to round a corner in our relationship.” This translation was a labor of love by David and his wife, KA Yoshida, so they’d be able to share that feeling with friends, the wider autism community, and beyond. Naoki’s book, in its beauty, truthfulness, and simplicity, is a gift to be shared. Praise for The Reason I Jump “This is an intimate book, one that brings readers right into an autistic mind.”—Chicago Tribune (Editor’s Choice) “Amazing times a million.”—Whoopi Goldberg, People “The Reason I Jump is a Rosetta stone. . . . This book takes about ninety minutes to read, and it will stretch your vision of what it is to be human.”—Andrew Solomon, The Times (U.K.) “Extraordinary, moving, and jeweled with epiphanies.”—The Boston Globe “Small but profound . . . [Higashida’s] startling, moving insights offer a rare look inside the autistic mind.”—Parade

The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism

Ein autistischer Junge erklärt seine Welt

Warum ich euch nicht in die Augen schauen kann

A story never before told and a memoir to help change our understanding of the world around us, 13-year-old Naoki Higashida's astonishing, empathetic book takes us into the mind of a boy with severe autism. With an introduction by David Mitchell, author of the global phenomenon, Cloud Atlas, and translated by his wife, KA Yoshida. Naoki Higashida was only a middle-schooler when he began to write The Reason I Jump. Autistic and with very low verbal fluency, Naoki used an alphabet grid to painstakingly spell out his answers to the questions he imagines others most often wonder about him: why do you talk so loud? Is it true you hate being touched? Would you like to be normal? The result is an inspiring, attitude-transforming book that will be embraced by anyone interested in understanding their fellow human beings, and by parents, caregivers, teachers, and friends of autistic children. Naoki examines issues as diverse and complex as self-harm, perceptions of time and beauty, and the challenges of communication, and in doing so, discredits the popular belief that autistic people are anti-social loners who lack empathy. This book is mesmerizing proof that inside an autistic body is a mind as subtle, curious, and caring as anyone else's.

The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-year-old Boy with Autism

Een autistische jongeman vertelt in de vorm van vraag en antwoord over zijn aandoening en gevoelens.

de eigen stem van een 13-jarige jongen met autisme

Waarom ik soms op en neer spring / druk 1

One of the Best Books of the Year by NPR, you've never read a book like The Reason I Jump. "It is no exaggeration to say that The Reason I Jump allowed me to round a corner in our relationship." This translation was a labor of love by David and his wife, Yoshida, so they'd be able to share that feeling with the autism community. Naoki's book is a gift to be shared.

La Razon Por La Que Salto

Prečo skáčem

"Las respuestas de Naoki tumban algunas de nuestras creencias, como que el autismo conlleva necesariamente la imposibilidad de entender a los demás y el rechazo a la compañía. Una bella historia de esperanza y éxito." Corrirere della Sera "Las respuestas de Naoki tumban algunas de nuestras creencias, como que el autismo conlleva necesariamente la imposibilidad de entender a los demás y el rechazo a la compañía. Una bella historia de esperanza y éxito." Corrirere della Sera. Cuando, con trece años, Naoki Higashida empezó a comunicarse a través de una tabla de ideogramas diseñada por su madre, estaba haciendo historia. Nunca antes un niño aquejado de un grado de autismo tan severo había conseguido transmitir, comunicarse. Si bien las condiciones del espectro autista nunca son exactamente iguales en dos personas, sí que comparten un rasgo: en mayor o menor medida, afectan su capacidad de comunicación e interrelación con los demás. Naoki consigue traducir su experiencia a un lenguaje comprensible para cualquier lector a través de preguntas como: ¿por qué los autistas hablan tan alto y tan raro?; ¿por qué les gusta poner coches de juguete en fila y ordenar todas las piezas de construcción?; ¿por qué saltan? Sus respuestas son optimistas y transmiten alegría de vivir, ternura y, sobre todo, nos presentan a alguien admirable de quien hay mucho que aprender.

La razón por la que salto

A follow-up to its bestselling predecessor, The Reason I Jump opens an extraordinary, rare window into the mind and world of an autistic, non-verbal person--now coping with a young man's life. Naoki Higashida wrote The Reason I Jump as a 13-year-old boy with severe autism, giving us all insight into a world never before open to us. Now he shares his thoughts and experiences as a 24-year-old. Based on his hugely succesful blogs in Japan, he gives us, in short powerful chapters, his moving, beautiful insights into life, identity, education, his family, our society, and personal growth. He allows readers to experience profound moments we take for granted, like the thought-steps necessary for him to register that it's raining outside. Introduced by award-winning author David Mitchell (co-translator with his wife KA Yoshida), this book is part memoir, part critique of a world that sees disabilities ahead of the individual, part self-portrait-in-progress of a young man who happens to have autism and wants to help us understand his world better.

the inner voice of a thirteen-year-old boy with autism

The reason I jump

The Sunday Times bestseller Naoki Higashida met international success with THE REASON I JUMP, a revelatory account of life as a thirteen-year-old with non-verbal autism. Now he offers an equally illuminating insight into autism from his perspective as a young adult. In concise, engaging pieces, he shares his thoughts and feelings on a broad menu of topics ranging from school experiences to family relationships, the exhilaration of travel to the difficulties of speech. Aware of how mystifying his behaviour can appear to others, Higashida describes the effect on him of such commonplace things as a sudden change of plan, or the mental steps he has to take simply to register that it's raining. Throughout, his aim is to foster a better understanding of autism and to encourage those with disabilities to be seen as people, not as problems. With an introduction by David Mitchell, Fall Down Seven Times, Get Up Eight includes a dreamlike short story Higashida wrote for this edition. Both moving and of practical use, the book opens a window into the mind of an inspiring young man who meets the challenges of autism with tenacity and good humour. However often he falls down, he always gets back up.

Fall Down 7 Times, Get Up 8

Warum guckst du uns nicht in die Augen? Warum bist du so gern allein? Warum magst du nicht meine Hand halten? Warum rastest du aus? Dies sind nur einige der vielen Fragen, die Eltern eines autistischen Kindes umtreiben. In diesem Buch finden sie Antworten. Naoki Higashida, ein japanischer Junge und selbst schwer autistisch, nimmt den Leser mit in seine Welt, erklärt, was in ihm vorgeht – und löst mit seinen Antworten das bequeme Klischee auf, Menschen mit Autismus hätten keine Gefühle.

Ο David Mitchell (Ντέιβιντ Μίτσελ), ο συγγραφέας του Cloud Atlas και του Χίλια φθινόπωρα του Γιάκομπ ντε Ζουτ μεταξύ άλλων, μαζί με τη σύζυγό του ανακάλυψε και σύστησε στο διεθνές κοινό μεταφράζοντας από τα ιαπωνικά το βιβλίο του Naoki Higashida (Ναόκι Χιγκασίντα), ενός αυτιστικού αγοριού με μεγάλο ταλέντο στη γραφή. Αξίζει να σημειωθεί πως ο Ντέιβιντ Μίτσελ έχει επίσης ένα παιδί με αυτισμό. Απόσπασμα από την εισαγωγή του: «Μια μέρα η γυναίκα μου έλαβε ένα αξιοπρόσεκτο βιβλίο που είχε παραγγείλει από την Ιαπωνία, με τον τίτλοThe reason I jump. Ο συγγραφέας του, ο Ναόκι Χιγκασίντα, είναι γεννημένος το 1992 και ήταν ακόμη στο γυμνάσιο όταν εκδόθηκε το βιβλίο. Ο αυτισμός του Ναόκι είναι τόσο σοβαρός που καθιστά την προφορική επικοινωνία σχεδόν αδύνατη, ακόμη και τώρα. Όμως, χάρη σε μια φιλόδοξη δασκάλα και στη δική του επιμονή, έμαθε να σχηματίζει λέξεις κατευθείαν σε έναν πίνακα με το αλφάβητο. Ο ιαπωνικός πίνακας της αλφαβήτου περιλαμβάνει τα σαράντα βασικά συλλαβικά γράμματα χιραγκάνα, και το αγγλικό αντίστοιχό του είναι ένα αντίγραφο του πληκτρολογίου QWERTY, σχεδιασμένου σε ένα χαρτόνι και πλαστικοποιημένου. Ο Ναόκι επικοινωνεί δείχνοντας τα γράμματα σε αυτούς τους πίνακες ώστε να σχηματίσει λέξεις, τις οποίες γράφει ένας βοηθός δίπλα του. Οι λέξεις αυτές φτιάχνουν προτάσεις, παραγράφους και ολόκληρα βιβλία. Τα «έξτρα» στο πλάι των πινάκων αυτών περιλαμβάνουν αριθμούς, στοιχεία στίξης, και τις λέξεις «Τελείωσα», «Ναι» και «Όχι». (Παρόλο που ο Ναόκι μπορεί να γράψει και να ενημερώνει το μπλογκ του απευθείας στον υπολογιστή μέσω του πληκτρολογίου, προτιμά τον λιγότερο τεχνολογικά αναπτυγμένο πίνακα της αλφαβήτου, μια που τον βοηθάει να συγκεντρωθεί). Ακόμη και στο δημοτικό σχολείο η μέθοδος αυτή του επέτρεψε να επικοινωνεί με τους άλλους, και να συνθέτει ποιήματα και βιβλία με ιστορίες, αλλά οι εξηγήσεις του σχετικά με το γιατί τα παιδιά με αυτισμό κάνουν αυτά που κάνουν ήταν, πραγματικά, οι απαντήσεις που περιμέναμε. Γραμμένο από έναν συγγραφέα που βρισκόταν με το ένα πόδι ακόμη στην παιδική ηλικία, και του οποίου ο αυτισμός ήταν τουλάχιστον εξίσου δύσκολος και επηρέαζε τη ζωή του όπως και του γιου μας, το βιβλίο αυτό ήταν μια θεόσταλτη αποκάλυψη. Νιώσαμε σαν να μας μιλούσε ο γιος μας για πρώτη φορά για όσα συνέβαιναν στο μυαλό του, μέσω των λέξεων του Ναόκι».

Naoki Higashida

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