Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
To Siri with Love
To Siri with Love: A Mother, her Autistic Son, and the Kindness of Machines | Judith Newman
9 posts | 9 read | 4 to read
From the author of the viral New York Times op-ed column "To Siri with Love" comes a collection of touching, hilarious, and illuminating stories about life with a thirteen-year-old boy with autism that hold insights and revelations for us all. When Judith Newman shared the story of how Apples electronic personal assistant, Siri, helped Gus, her son who has autism, she received widespread media attention and an outpouring of affection from readers around the world. Basking in the afterglow of media attention, Gus told anyone who would listen, "Im a movie star." Judiths story of her son and his bond with Siri was an unusual tribute to technology. While many worry that our electronic gadgets are dumbing us down, she revealed how they can give voice to others, including children with autism like Gusa boy who has trouble looking people in the eye, hops when hes happy, and connects with inanimate objects on an empathetic level. To Siri with Love is a collection of funny, poignant, and uplifting stories about living with an extraordinary child who has helped a parent see and experience the world differently. From the charming (Gus weeping with sympathy over the buses that would lie unused while the bus drivers were on strike) to the painful (paying $22,000 for a behaviorist in Manhattan to teach Gus to use a urinal) to the humorous (Guss insistence on getting naked during all meals, whether at home or not, because he does not want to get his clothes dirty) to the profound (how an automated "assistant" helped a boy learn how to communicate with the rest of the world), the stories in To Siri with Love open our eyes to the magic and challenges of a life beyond the ordinary.
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
review
Abby2
Pickpick

I enjoyed this story of Newman‘s life with her autistic son. She‘s funny and realistic.

quote
maximoffs
post image

GondorGirl This is unbelievably horrible. 6y
maximoffs @GondorGirl Absolutely and completely. 6y
cajunsyd @maximoffs I am interested in the passport Litsy challenge 2018 and I was told that you are the one to notify. What do I need to do? Thanks!! 6y
63 likes1 stack add3 comments
quote
maximoffs
post image

More info on why we need to #BoycottSiri

cobwebmoth The more I see about this, the more horrified I am. 6y
JamieArc I looked it up on GoodReads, and was happy to see nearly every review called her out on being a terrible human. 6y
TK421 This is terrible. I wonder how certain things get published. 6y
Blueberry OMG!!! 6y
49 likes4 comments
review
maximoffs
Panpan

The autistic community is calling for a boycott on this book, because the author actually says when her son turns 18 she will demand to get power of attorney from him and have him get a vasectomy because autistic people shouldn‘t have kids.

As someone who is autistic, I find this disgusting, and hope you‘ll support the boycott.

tournevis It is disgusting. *boggle* 6y
laurieluna What?! 😱 that's disgusting. 6y
maximoffs @tournevis @miralunasbooknook yeah it‘s terrible. She does other really horrible things too. I just can‘t. 6y
See All 28 Comments
JSW That‘s so dehumanizing. Awful! 6y
kylienoele WTF?? 6y
CoffeeCatsBooks It‘s shocking to me that people in this day and age think this way. 😢 6y
kendrastephaniekaryn I'm a special ed teacher and this breaks my heart. 6y
TheKidUpstairs What the actual duck?!?! (Okay, that was supposed to be fuck, but my autocorrect keeps changing it, and I kind of like it) That is so backwards and upsetting to me. How about helping your child to live his best life, instead of taking away his power and choice? Horrid. 6y
PenguinInFlight WTF, indeed. I can‘t even begin to wrap my mind around that mentality. 💔😢 6y
MisterWhitaker Wow. I'm definitely on board with boycotting. That's terrible! 6y
theshrinkette Hella bailed and posted on GR about it too. This is such a trash book. 6y
DGRachel That‘s horrific! 6y
maximoffs @JSW @kylienoele ITS TERRIBLE she literally says it‘s not fair to any woman he sleeps with since he can‘t be a father but then goes on to say she can‘t imagine anyone wanting to sleep with him 😳 6y
maximoffs @CoffeeCatsBooks you wouldn‘t believe how often I‘ve experienced it! It‘s sad 6y
maximoffs @kendrastephaniekaryn Right? It‘s horrendous. 6y
maximoffs @TheKidUpstairs exactly. She classifies her son as high functioning too which, even though I‘m not a fan of those labels, wouldn‘t that insinuate that he might actually have an idea for what he wants in his future? And be able to be a capable parent? 6y
lauren.lerner The author is also being super problematic on Twitter, blocking actually autistic folks who call her out while using infantilizing language. I will absolutely be boycotting this one. 6y
maximoffs @PenguinInFlight @MisterWhitaker yeah it‘s absolutely terrible. I‘ve been trying to bring attention to it 6y
maximoffs @theshrinkette FOR REAL and thanks for doing that. @DGRachel yeah totally terrible. @lauren.lerner yep. I actually tweeted her just asking for clarification and she never responded and probably blocked me. 6y
lauren.lerner She‘s a perfect example of why people hate “autism mommies”. 6y
maximoffs @lauren.lerner yep. The ones who make the diagnosis about them. I can‘t STAND IT 6y
lauren.lerner It‘s sick, really. And I feel so terrible for their kids!! 6y
OrangeMooseReads This woman is absolutely disgusting 6y
Velvetfur Oh my goodness! I can't believe what I'm reading! Tell you what, it's not just the autistic community that will be boycotting this trash, I will be too. Who the hell does this creature think she is? She, and her ilk, is everything that's wrong with the world today, makes me sick 👿 6y
MeganAnn This is horrible! How can she treat her own son like that? 😡😡😡 6y
EllieDottie Wow!! That is so horrible!! 6y
oddandbookish That‘s HORRIBLE 6y
obviateit That's awful! 6y
67 likes1 stack add28 comments
blurb
MatchlessMarie
post image

CW ableism, eugenics.
https://twitter.com/amythestschaber/status/935631501986639872
Ok. I usually don‘t get ragey on here because it‘s one of the nicest places on the internet, but I just can‘t keep quiet about this. I am giving you the gift of shortening your TBR even if just by 1 ableist volume. Check out the link for all the details including but not limited to forced sterilization of autistic males. #BoycottToSiri #ableistAF

review
RLW
Pickpick

As enjoyable as I'd hoped. Newman shares her family's story with real heart and often LOL humor.

quote
CoffeeK8
post image

"the progress of human civilization flourishes with profound oddity and the ability to fixate on a problem". A wonderful odd yet true interpretation of humanity.

blurb
CoffeeK8
post image

Great trip to the library!

Megabooks 👍🏻👍🏻 7y
27 likes1 comment
blurb
Betty
post image

Saw this article in People magazine and immediately ordered the book. I've taught deaf students on the spectrum or with aspergers.

Reviewsbylola As a mother of a 5 year old on the spectrum, I'm always looking for books like this. Stacked! 7y
44 likes2 stack adds1 comment