It's extremely rare for me to give a book (or anything else, for that matter) a five star rating. Nothing is perfect, after all. However, Far from the Tree treats such an important topic (the necessity of, not just acknowledging and accepting difference, but learning to love it), I have no choice. As I write this, I'm reminded of the cliched promises on old movie posters: "You'll laugh! You'll Cry!". Reading this volume, I did both—often. At times, I found myself at the kitchen table in the wee hours of the morning, chuckling, guffawing, sniffling and/or sobbing. The emotional impact of Far from the Tree is stunning.

Monumental? Yes. Intimidating? Definitely. Worthwhile? Absolutely. Andrew Solomon's "Far From The Tree" represents the culmination of a decade's worth of research and writing. The author interviewed hundreds of families for his book and, in 12 chapters filled with inspiring but harrowing stories, he tells of these families' struggles with autism, deafness, schizophrenia, dwarfism and more. Children with these conditions are "apples that have fallen elsewhere — some a couple of orchards away, some on the other side of the world." Solomon also explores the lives of prodigies, "freaks" of another sort who feel as isolated, mystified and petrified as those with disabilities. Ultimately, he approaches each subject in a profoundly personal way, interweaving his own story of growing up gay, dyslexic and suicidal. He calls for a redefinition of difference, arguing in favour of vulnerability and empathy over ignorance and disgust. He values self-acceptance over fitting in and offers startling, inspiring revelations within a stunning work of scholarship.

An extremely well advanced tome with lots of information of various aspects of diverse experiences of parents who have or are going through children with: deafness, dwarfism, dwon syndrome, autism, schizophrenia, multiple severe disabilities, prodigies, children of rape, children who become criminals, transgender. Each chapter can be read alone, notes ate the end. Schjizophrenia was my interest, and the promotion of cognitive behavior theory fits my experience in dealing with this divergence, which may very well be a disease of 'not having ones mind active' (CBT). http://www.amazon.com/Far-From-Tree-Children-Identity/product-reviews/0743236718/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt/180-9657080-7769410?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1 _______________________ http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2013/02/28/psychiatric-disorders.html

A very comprehensive, and moving, account of what it's like to be a parent to various types of exceptional children. Full of personal stories as well as the medical and moral issues associated with various conditions.