APRIL 2022 - AudioFile
Political journalist Eric Garcia, who is on the autism spectrum, interviewed others with this condition so he could join them in speaking for themselves instead of passively tolerating the judgments and misunderstandings of typical media coverage. He delivers what could be called a manifesto with sincerity that is pleasing enough to make his limited phrasing range a nonissue. His commitment to changing our culture’s view of autism is audible. Garcia points out that autism’s pattern of communication deficits and restricted social interactivity is now recognized as a developmental disability, not a mental illness. His powerful message is that people with autism do not need fixing and are not less deserving of respect than others. They merely need support to ensure that their needs are met within social and administrative systems that were not designed for them. T.W. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
05/10/2021
“When it comes to dispelling myths, I’m beginning with myself,” writes Garcia, a journalist who is on the autism spectrum, in his thoughtful debut. Aiming to show what it’s like “to be autistic across America,” Garcia puts his own experience against “the larger context of autism’s narrative.” He profiles a wide array of people with autism (and some without): for example, Julia Bascom, executive director of the Autism Self Advocacy Network, describes how many employers mistakenly assume autistic people will thrive in STEM jobs. University of Texas graduate Cal Montgomery, meanwhile, recounts his experience being institutionalized and writes of how difficult it is to find “appropriate housing for autistic people.” Garcia also covers gender and race disparities that plague those with autism: there is a “perception that autism is a white condition,” he writes, and, as a result, “Black and brown people on the spectrum are overlooked.” Garcia’s strength is his ability to potently mix policy analysis (he covers the pros and cons of Medicaid’s Home and Community-Based Services Waivers, for example), reporting, and personal experience. This powerful account is packed with insight. (Aug.)
From the Publisher
"We're Not Broken is a lyrical mix of myth-busting, memoir, history, field interviews, and straight-up advice on how to better understand the autism spectrum, how to talk about it, and why it impacts every one of us." — NPR
“Outstanding…Garcia’s book uses rich storytelling and insightful reporting to uncover not only the long history of how autistic people have been mistreated but also how they continue to be ignored…'We’re Not Broken' is exactly the book we need to lead the way in changing the autism conversation. It belongs on the shelf next to ‘NeuroTribes’ as essential reading on autism and neurodiversity.” — Washington Post
"We're Not Broken is a landmark book at a crucial moment in history, when autistic people are finally being recognized as the ultimate authority on their own lives. Surveying the whole autism landscape - from federal policy to intimate relationships - with heart, insight, and wit, Garcia's book will inspire generations of people on the spectrum to realize their fullest potential." — - Steve Silberman, New York Times best-selling author of NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity
"A bold and progressive exploration of autism in America today, We’re Not Broken is an instant classic. Whether it’s demystifying policy or profiling the next generation of autistic leaders, Garcia’s story is guided by a simple principle: let autistic people articulate their own needs. In that way, to read this book is to listen to them.” — - Ron Fournier, New York Times best-selling author and journalist
“Eric Michael Garcia has written a powerful and immensely clarifying book. We're Not Broken is more than a book about politics, autism and disability. It is an essential meditation on the many ways of being human." — - Zachary D. Carter, New York Times best-selling author of The Price of Peace: Money, Democracy, and the Life of John Maynard Keynes
“In this groundbreaking and important book, reporter Eric Garcia uses in-depth interviews, media reports, and the most up-to-date scientific research to write a new narrative about autism. Turning his investigative skills inward, he plumbs his own life as an autistic person to tell the definitive story of how such a common condition came to be so misunderstood. We're Not Broken is essential, humane, and necessarily provocative reading.” — - Jill Filipovic, author of Ok, Boomer, Let’s Talk: How My Generation Got Left Behind
"Garcia’s strength is his ability to potently mix policy analysis (he covers the pros and cons of Medicaid’s Home and Community-Based Services Waivers, for example), reporting, and personal experience. This powerful account is packed with insight." — Publishers Weekly
Jill Filipovic
In this groundbreaking and important book, reporter Eric Garcia uses in-depth interviews, media reports, and the most up-to-date scientific research to write a new narrative about autism. Turning his investigative skills inward, he plumbs his own life as an autistic person to tell the definitive story of how such a common condition came to be so misunderstood. We're Not Broken is essential, humane, and necessarily provocative reading.
Zachary D. Carter
Eric Michael Garcia has written a powerful and immensely clarifying book. We're Not Broken is more than a book about politics, autism and disability. It is an essential meditation on the many ways of being human."
NPR
"We're Not Broken is a lyrical mix of myth-busting, memoir, history, field interviews, and straight-up advice on how to better understand the autism spectrum, how to talk about it, and why it impacts every one of us."
Steve Silberman
"We're Not Broken is a landmark book at a crucial moment in history, when autistic people are finally being recognized as the ultimate authority on their own lives. Surveying the whole autism landscape - from federal policy to intimate relationships - with heart, insight, and wit, Garcia's book will inspire generations of people on the spectrum to realize their fullest potential."
Ron Fournier
"A bold and progressive exploration of autism in America today, We’re Not Broken is an instant classic. Whether it’s demystifying policy or profiling the next generation of autistic leaders, Garcia’s story is guided by a simple principle: let autistic people articulate their own needs. In that way, to read this book is to listen to them.
Washington Post
Outstanding…Garcia’s book uses rich storytelling and insightful reporting to uncover not only the long history of how autistic people have been mistreated but also how they continue to be ignored…'We’re Not Broken' is exactly the book we need to lead the way in changing the autism conversation. It belongs on the shelf next to ‘NeuroTribes’ as essential reading on autism and neurodiversity.
Washington Post
Outstanding…Garcia’s book uses rich storytelling and insightful reporting to uncover not only the long history of how autistic people have been mistreated but also how they continue to be ignored…'We’re Not Broken' is exactly the book we need to lead the way in changing the autism conversation. It belongs on the shelf next to ‘NeuroTribes’ as essential reading on autism and neurodiversity.
APRIL 2022 - AudioFile
Political journalist Eric Garcia, who is on the autism spectrum, interviewed others with this condition so he could join them in speaking for themselves instead of passively tolerating the judgments and misunderstandings of typical media coverage. He delivers what could be called a manifesto with sincerity that is pleasing enough to make his limited phrasing range a nonissue. His commitment to changing our culture’s view of autism is audible. Garcia points out that autism’s pattern of communication deficits and restricted social interactivity is now recognized as a developmental disability, not a mental illness. His powerful message is that people with autism do not need fixing and are not less deserving of respect than others. They merely need support to ensure that their needs are met within social and administrative systems that were not designed for them. T.W. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2021-06-01
In his first book, a journalist on the autism spectrum combines memoir and a wide-ranging critique of how America is failing autistic children and adults.
Noting that autism advocacy has become a minefield of conflicting views, Garcia plunges into the fray with two broad but blunt messages for the families and friends of people with autism. First, “stop trying to cure autistic people and instead help autistic people live fulfilling lives.” Second, include autistic adults in policymaking decisions that affect them. Drawing on his experiences as a millennial third-generation American of Mexican ancestry and on sources ranging from the TV show The Good Doctor to journals like Molecular Autism, Garcia explains why he believes attitudes or policies must improve in seven areas of society that are rife with myths or misimpressions: work, housing, education, health care, relationships, gender, and race. At times, the author overgeneralizes and repeats or appears to contradict himself: He faults the media’s “single-minded focus on autistic men” but says that for years Temple Grandin “was perhaps the most famous autistic woman in the world” and that today, Greta Thunberg is “perhaps the most famous autistic person in the world.” But the media have given both women far more attention than most autistic men. Nonetheless, Garcia makes solid points when he recalls his personal challenges with dating and work or demystifies government programs, such as Medicaid’s Home- and Community-based Services waivers (which has such a heavy backlog of applicants that in New Mexico, people have waited 13 years to enroll). The author also chronicles his interviews with experts such as Julia Bascom, executive director of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, and autistic adults who are Black, LGBTQ+, and married and single. Although he documents his sources clearly, there are sure to be readers who disagree with some of his arguments. Given that the issue is such a “battleground,” that’s to be expected.
A well-researched survey of autism that will spark debates among autistic people and their allies.
