*****5 Stars!

“I wasn’t defective, I was different.”

First I would like to thank Jessica Kingsley Publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to read an arc of this book. I am honored to have been given the chance to read it and give an honest review.

This book was not only very beautifully written but also extremely uplifting, it was an absolute joy to read. Being a Neurodivergent adult I found this book to be very relatable and it is a book that I think everyone ought to read. Not only would it be helpful for other Neurodivergent individuals trying to learn and understand themselves, but it would also be extremely beneficial for Neurotypicals to read as well to help them better understand their fellow Neurodivergent loved ones and friends. Growing up there were a lot of things I didn’t quite understand about myself and I was left to assume it was just me who was struggling with things that everyone around me seemed to understand perfectly. Had I read this book growing up I would have been assured earlier on that it was not just me and there were other people who shared very similar issues and struggles.

The Asperkid’s (Secret) Book of Social Rules is highly detailed with beautiful art to help further explain the information within the book, which made it very interesting. Each page in this book was filled with positive messages and kind and understanding words. This book assures the reader that it is perfectly okay to be different and to embrace yourself for who you are, which is a message I think the world needs to receive. This is a book I would highly recommend!

This is a great book for anyone who is autistic, or knows someone who is. I wish this had existed when I was in school trying to navigate social situations and understand the rules that everyone around me seemed to already know. The Book fo Social Rules will also help neurotypicals better understand how their autistic children, friend, and acquaintances see and approach the world. Cook's book is a recipe for better understanding all around!.

I need to say straight off that I am a neurodivergent adult who, in their fifties, is only just being diagnosed as autistic.

We have not read the original version of this book, but then for 45 of my fifty years, I didn't know or understand I needed to. But then, if ten years ago I had, or been pointed to this, I would have been so much happier and more confident with my own self, and more importantly the world with me.

I have no doubt from all I have gleaned from the near 300 pages that this new edition will be incredibly useful for adults and youngsters alike.

It is written in a very easy to understand, logical format, and in no way is it patronising or read like a medical or clinical paper.

The book comprises 140 Need to know Rules in Bullet Points, that you can dip into and review as reminders. There follows 30 mini-chapters, each expanding on a selection of the Need-to-Knows which explain and translate the Neurotypical rules that we need to understand. Frankly, I was surprised how many I, in my mid-fifties, still needed help with an explanation of. The explanations include multiple examples, including many drawn from the authors own personal experience of being neurodivergent and bringing up a neurodivergent family.

Following those immensely helpful sections are some 'Stickies' that didn't need much explanation, but in the author's words '"...sure needed to be said." Hot on the heals of those, and rounding the book off are a series of fun 'Practice Sessions in comic strip style when the reader can practise everything they have learnt.

I am in awe of everything in this book. It is so comprehensive, so very insightful and unbelievable relevant to what those of us who are discovering they are on the spectrum — no matter the age.

And her's another thing; a really BIG thing. Having said how helpful this book will be to neurodivergent kids and adults, it will be immensely important to our family, co-workers and true friends.

Top marks for a great book, one that I will need to re-read as my life changes as I change with the understanding each page brings.