Excellent near-future SF: Lou Arrendale is a specialist, and an expert at his job. He's also autistic. When his company presents Lou and his co-workers with the choice to take an experimental "cure" or lose their jobs, Lou must come to terms with who he is and what he wants for his future.

2003 Nebula Award winner. Here's the author's website about it which includes her essay about autism.

Other copies on my BookCrossing shelf: 11359231 • 14956690

Headed out in the Medicine Chest Bookbox III - happy reading!

I'm claiming this from the Medicine Chest bookbox. Sounds like an intriguing subject, and I've enjoyed Moon's writing - most notably in her epic Deed of Paksenarrion.

Later: Very good story, just barely on the edge of SF, with its side references to medical and societal changes due to enhanced technology. (One of these is key to the main plot, too, as Lou compares the proposed medical treatment that may "fix" his autism with another treatment used to modify the brain of a convicted criminal.) Much of the story simply lets us get to know Lou and his friends and co-workers, with glimpses of the world they live in and the forces that are being brought to bear against them. I loved the fact that Lou's hobby was fencing - something he could do with "normals", which gave some idea of where he was on the "functioning" scale.

The story took some time to get to the big decision-making point, but when it did, I really felt the difficulty of the choice.

I'm adding this book to the Otherworldly bookbox, which will be on its way to its next stop on Monday. Hope someone enjoys the book!

I pulled this from the Otherworldly book box.

I'm putting this up in the category of best book read this year. I thought the author did a fantastic job of capturing the struggles with society and the difference in thinking that a high functioning autistic spectrum person would go through daily.

I really felt Lou's struggle as he is faced with the decision to take part in an experimental treatment to "fix" his autism and become normal.

Left propped up on the North Lion's Paw by the front entrance.