I have never really had any opportunity to interact with individuals afflicted with this unusual and often debilitating ailment. Mark Haddon's real-life experience with autistic children allowed him to craft this masterpiece by providing the perspective of a young autistic teenager's mind. Christopher's why of thinking - and consequently, his actions - make logical sense, but because he lacks a normal person's ability to make intuitive connections or understand the unspoken, Christopher has to rely on the imperfect set of rules he's learned about human behavior. Haddon is a subtle and sensitive writer, leaving it to us to draw the conclusions that Christopher can't.This is a book that I highly recommend to everybody - it is not only an interesting read, but also a great learning experience. Another great book (actually a series of books) that I liked for its educational values is "Why Some Cats are Rascals, Book 1".