Rudy Simone was born in upstate New York and lived in Europe, Asia and California. She is an accomplished author, Asperger’s consultant, a jazz singer and stand-up comedian. She now lives in San Francisco and she also has Asperger’s. A diagnosis she only received when she was in her 40’s. By then she had walked out on jobs, apartments, friendships, and relationships and had haunting memories of being bullied and never fitting in. This book is based on her own experiences and the experiences of over fifty adults with Asperger’s  from around the world.

• Polyester Prisons, Neck-Tie Nooses, and High-Heeled Hell

• A Little R&R Goes a Long Way: Ritual and Routine

The author has a wonderful way of explaining things. Here is how Simone explains to a person with Asperger’s how to get their point across to a non-spectrum person: “If you shoot your words like an arrow (directness) at their recipient, that person will likely recoil from them. If you gift wrap your words (tact), the recipient will be more likely to want to accept your package (the point you want to make) and take it in.”

Simone addresses many controversial questions, one being her chapter: To Tell or Not to Tell, That Is the Question. She presents many arguments for and against disclosing that one has Asperger’s. Among the many different perspectives given, Lewis is quoted as saying: “It is best to let them know what it is so they don’t guess the worst. The vacuum of not being able to insert a label means others place it. …The term Asperger’s displaces ‘crazy’. Preemptive strike—fill the vacuum before someone fills it for you…”

• “People with Asperger’s possess a diligent, perfectionist attention to detail; these two factors will ensure that as long as your AS employee knows what you want or need, you can trust them to do the job right.”

• “The Aspergian ability to focus on tasks for a long period of time without supervision or incentive is legendary.”

•   “Yet those with Asperger’s possess some extremely useful, important, creative, and marketable skills that employers are missing out on.”

Parents and educators can now read about the challenges Aspergians meet in the workplace, as apposed to the generation who grew up without diagnoses and guidelines. They are better equipped to point their child/student with Asperger’s in the right direction when choosing a field of education leading to a satisfying career.

In the section Finding the Perfect Job for YOU- The Personal Job Map, Simone states,“One way to optimize success is to choose one (career) that works with your strengths and interests and which doesn’t involve too many of your shortcomings.”