The Journal of Best Practices Book Review

"L A U N D R Y. Late one night I wrote the word in large, sloppy capitals in my journal, then underlined it twice. Beside it, I wrote: Better to fold and put away than to take only what you need from the dryer."
                                                                                                              -David Finch

You may read that and think, "Okaaaaay? What's your point? What's so life-moving about that? Well, for the author, David Finch, it is/was a life-changing point for him.

David Finch was married for 5 years with 2 children before finding out that he had the high-functioning autistic disorder, Asperger Syndrome. You may imagine that this was devastating news for him and his wife, Kristen, but actually he saw it as a relief.

Asperger's is a high-functioning form of autism. There has been more research on the topic currently to help children and adults with this syndrome. At the time for David Finch, however, Aspergers was not as big of a hot topic as it is today.

So, he developed a journal of best practices, which he turned into the book, "The Journal of Best Practices: A Memoir of Marriage, Asperger Syndrome, and One Man's Quest to Be a Better Husband." As he lived his daily life he would jot down philosophies on post-it notes, cards, napkins and eventually into this journal. It helped him process and understand "proper" social behaviors, such as putting away the laundry instead of taking out only what you need from the dryer or don't change the radio when your wife is singing along to the song.

Personally, this book made me laugh out loud. David Finch is a hilarious and fantastic writer who really gives the reader insight on what it is like for someone with Asperger Syndrome. Not only that but it is inspiring to everyone to work hard for a happy marriage and for those who you love. Many professionals have taken interest in his book including NPR.

Finch Family

Even though I enjoyed the book, I do know that most people tended to take sides with him or his wife. Some people thought he

was a terrible husband and others thought she was a terrible wife. But here's the thing; it takes A LOT of courage for David Finch to share such personal stories, and it is written from his perspective not his wife's. So, it is easy to judge his marriage dynamic, but keep in mind that you still are not seeing the full perspective of what it is like to be in their shoes. Enjoy the book for what it is, and try not to judge or think what would I have done. Enjoy his humor, his care, and his knowledge. I luckily was able to see him give a speech about his book, and it was very fun to see him in person! Even his wife and children were there. He had such a fun personality and voice, and luckily he narrates the audiobook version of his book so if you'd like to hear his personality I would recommend that. It was a fun and great read!

Considering my past couple posts on swimsuit season and beginning to run I thought it'd be a great time for "The Body Book" by Cameron Diaz which was recently published with a fun health edge for April's Read. "

Happy Reading!