Book 172: The Journal of Best Practices: A Memoir of Marriage, Asperger Syndrome, and One Man's Quest to Be a Better Husband by David Finch (Audiobook read by the Author)

In his memoir The Journal of Best Practices, author David Finch gives his readers a firsthand account of someone who struggled for years to understand himself, his quirks, and how these quirks impact those around him. Finch's story of self-realization began when his wife Kristen walked him through a test to determine if he could have Asperger Syndrome. After all signs pointed to "yes," he decided to get an official diagnosis.

In this book, Finch described his life before and after his diagnosis. At the time of his diagnosis, he felt his marriage was failing and that he was losing not just his wife but his best friend. His diagnosis made him better understand he wasn't just an asshole, but he was a person who acted a certain way because of a condition. Finch took notes in his notebook to give himself prompts to improve his behavior and his relationship with his [sainted] wife and his kids, hence the title The Journal of Best Practices. Whenever he learned something new about himself or about his wife and kids, he wrote it down. He developed a new awareness of his own behaviors, his wife's patience and understanding, and how his Asperger Syndrome was impacting his children. People with Asperger's are not known for their introspective abilities, and Finch's wife Kristen was responsible in a large part for helping him discover himself.

If you've ever known or lived with someone who has Asperger's, you might want to pick up this book to better understand that person. If you suspect someone has Asperger's and isn't aware of it, you might also want to share this book with them.

My friend Honey sent me a copy of this book from Audible, which I was able to listen to for free. The audio version of the book was read by the author, which really brought the whole thing home for me. I would definitely recommend it.

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