Naoki Higashida

The No. 1 Sunday Times and internationally bestselling account of life as a child with autism, now a documentary film Winner of Best Documentary and Best Sound in the British Independent Film Awards 2021. 'It will stretch your vision of what it is to be human' Andrew Solomon, The TimesWhat is it like to have autism? How can we know what a person - especially a child - with autism is thinking and feeling? This groundbreaking book, written by Naoki Higashida when he was only thirteen, provides some answers. Severely autistic and non-verbal, Naoki learnt to communicate by using a 'cardboard keyboard' - and what he has to say gives a rare insight into an autistically-wired mind. He explains behaviour he's aware can be baffling such as why he likes to jump and why some people with autism dislike being touched; he describes how he perceives and navigates the world, sharing his thoughts and feelings about time, life, beauty and nature; and he offers an unforgettable short story. Proving that people with autism do not lack imagination, humour or empathy, THE REASON I JUMP made a major impact on its publication in English. Widely praised, it was an immediate No. 1 Sunday Times bestseller as well as a New York Times bestseller and has since been published in over thirty languages.In 2020, a documentary film based on the book received its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. Directed by Jerry Rothwell, produced by Jeremy Dear, Stevie Lee and Al Morrow, and funded by Vulcan Productions and the British Film Institute, it won the festival's Audience Award for World Cinema Documentary, then further awards at the Vancouver, Denver and Valladolid International Film Festivals before its global release in 2021.The book includes eleven original illustrations inspired by Naoki's words, by the artistic duo Kai and Sunny.

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

Following his ground-breaking international bestseller THE REASON I JUMP, written when he was only thirteen, Naoki Higashida offers equally illuminating and practical insights into autism from his current perspective as a young man.

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

"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 BYNPR - 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

Cuando, con trece a os, Naoki Higashida empez a comunicarse a trav s de una parrilla de ideogramas dise ada por su madre, estaba haciendo historia. Nunca antes un ni o aquejado de un grado de autismo tan severo hab a conseguido expresarse. Naoki consigue traducir su experiencia a un lenguaje comprensible para cualquier lector a trav s de preguntas como: por qu los autistas habl is tan alto y tan raro?; por qu os gusta poner vuestros coches de juguete en fila?; por qu salt is? Sus respuestas son optimistas y transmiten alegr a de vivir, ternura y, sobre todo, nos presentan a alguien admirable de quien hay mucho que aprender. «Naoki nos hace de gu a por su mundo, que puede ser tan extra o al nuestro como la distancia que hay entre un neoyorquino y un habitante del Amazonas: salimos de nuestra realidad y nos damos cuenta de que hay realidades muy diferentes dependiendo de c mo tus sentidos los perciben. Miguel Gallardo, autor de Mar a y yo ENGLISH DESCRIPTION "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." 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 No. 1 Sunday Times and internationally bestselling account of life as a child with autism, now an award-winning documentary film.

Bevægende og fuldkommen unik bog skrevet af en 13-årig japansk autistisk dreng, der har taget den vestlige verden med storm og toppet de engelske og amerikanske bestsellerlister. Hvorfor hopper du? Hvorfor gør du ikke det, du får besked på? Er det sandt, at I ikke bryder jer om at blive rørt ved? Kunne du tænke dig at være ’normal’? Det er bare en lille håndfuld af de spørgsmål, som den autistiske dreng Naoki Higashida giver svar på. I små, fine kapitler kommer han omkring en lang række fællestræk for mennesker med autisme og giver dermed læseren et enestående indblik i det autistiske barns tankeverden. Mest bemærkelsesværdigt er måske den livsvisdom, fantasi, humor og empati, som lyser ud af hver en sætning. Den engelske forfatter David Mitchell, der med sin japanske kone har oversat bogen til engelsk og udbredt den i Vesten, har skrevet et bevægende forord, hvori han bl.a. skriver: »Det var, som om vores egen søn for første gang talte til os og forklarede os, hvad der foregår inde i hans hoved. « Pressen skriver: »Den er brillant.« ****** - Femina »"Derfor hopper jeg" er et blik på, hvad mennesket er for en størrelse. Og et kærligt og meget velkomment bud på, hvordan vi burde være. Læs bogen, så vil I forstå. Også hvorfor, han hopper.« ***** - Nordjyske Stiftstidende »Denne bog giver svar på spørgsmål, du ikke vidste, du havde, og den lukker op for en grundviden om, at autisme ikke på nogen måde udelukker intellekt, poesi, kærlighed, nærvær og omsorg, men derimod kan sætte helt andre krøllede sammenhænge sammen, end vi i vores lineære verden er vant til. Den er ganske enkelt brillant. « ****** - Q »Hvis du vil have pudset dine øjne og renset hjertet for is og sten, bør du læse denne lille bog. (...) Den er enkel, klog og oplysende.« - Kristeligt Dagblad

"Alle har et hjerte som kan beveges av noe" - Naoki Higashida Aldri før har du lest en bok som Hvorfor hopper jeg. Den er skrevet av Naoki, en utrolig smart, sjarmerende og reflektert 13 år gammel autistisk gutt. Med sine egne ord gir han et krystallklart bilde av hvordan han oppfatter tid, sted, skjønnhet, følelser og natur, og forklarer den ofte uforståelige oppførselen til mennesker med autisme. Uanstrengt og kompromissløst, deler han også sitt unike syn på livet. Hans innsikter er så lysende, annerledes og kraftfulle, at man aldri ser på verden på samme måte igjen. Denne livsforandrende boken beviser forbi all tvil, at mennesker med en autistisk diagnose ikke på noen måte mangler humoristisk sans, fantasi eller empati. Naokis bok har berørt en hel verden og gått til topps på bestselgerlistene i land etter land. Den bergtar leseren, og som eneste bok av sitt slag, har den samtidig en skjønnhet, sannhet og enkelhet, som gjør den til en perfekt gave å dele med andre. BOKEN SOM BEVEGER EN HEL VERDEN! "Du kan ikke bedømme en person ut fra utseendet. Men når du lærer den andres indre å kjenne, kan dere begge komme så mye nærmere hverandre. Fra ditt perspektiv må autismens verden virke som et virkelig mystisk sted. Så vær så snull og ta deg tid til å høre på det jeg har å si. Og ha en fin reise gjennom vår verden". Naoki.

"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 BYNPR - 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