Book Review: Calling All Minds by Temple Grandin, Ph.D.

I finished Calling All Minds: How To Think and Create Like an Inventor by Temple Grandin, Ph.D. earlier this week. It’s a relatively new book, as it just came out in May of 2018. It’s marketed towards kids, but I enjoyed it. It teaches children the history of patents and inventions and encourages them to create their own inventions. There are ideas and instructions for creating a variety of projects such as kites, a kaleidoscope, or an Ames room. I think this book would make a great gift for an elementary school classroom or perhaps a child 12 and under. A child could find some interesting ideas they could use for science fair projects in this book.

As much as I enjoyed Calling All Minds, I was also interested in learning more about its author. You see, Dr. Grandin a leading authority on the humane treatment of livestock. She is also a leading authority on autism. She holds a bachelor’s degree in human psychology, a master’s in animal science, and a doctoral degree in animal science. She’s written many books and contributed to countless magazines and journals with regards to animal husbandry and autism in children. She’s worked as a college professor and taught at conferences across America. In 2010, Time magazine listed her as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

And yes, Dr. Temple Grandin is autistic.

There’s a movie out about her life that came out in 2010 called Temple Grandin based on Dr. Grandin’s book, Emergence. The acting is a bit awkward in spots, and I’m not sure how closely it follows the book, but I enjoyed it. I think it gives the general public a better understanding of what it’s like to live with autism or to be on the spectrum. If you’re interested in watching it, Temple Grandin is currently included with Amazon Prime.

I look forward to reading more books by Dr. Grandin and I certainly recommend this one!

xo Juli