Table of Contents
Introduction vii
Part 1 Two Perspectives on Social Thinking 1
My World is What I Do by Temple Grandin 3
A Different Perspective on Social Awareness by Sean Barron 67
Part 2 Two Minds: Two Paths 95
How the Autistic Way of Thinking Affects Social Understanding 97
Interlude 129
Part 3 The Ten Unwritten Rules of Social Relationships 137
The Rules 139
Rule #1 Rules Are Not Absolute; They Are Situation-Based and People-Based 141
Rule #2 Not Everything That Happens Is Equally Important in the Grand Scheme of Things 169
Rule #3 Everyone in the World Makes Mistakes; It Doesn't Have to Ruin Your Day 191
Rule #4 Honesty Is Different Than Diplomacy 221
Rule #5 Being Polite Is Appropriate in Any Situation 245
Rule #6 Not Everyone Who Is Nice to Me Is My Friend 269
Rule #7 People Act Differently in Public Than They Do in Private 303
Rule #8 Know When You're Turning People Off 325
Rule #9 "Fitting In" Is Often Tied to Looking and Sounding Like You Fit In 351
Rule #10 People Are Responsible for Their Own Behaviors 377
Temple's epilogue 419
Sean's Epilogue 421
References 423