Has anyone read any good books on autism/aspergers by people living with it themselves/ not books by professionals? Books by parents about their children? I have read freaks,geeks and asperger syndrome, great book, know any others?

Animals In Translation by Temple Grandin is an excellent book. As I am an animal lover myself, I found this book very interesting.

One book not specifically about Asperger Syndrome, but one I think describes the struggles of a person with AS well is Rogeer Bannister's autobiography, The Four Minute Mile. He describes his childhood and teen years and his struggles when growing up. He describes a lot of issues faced by people with Asperger's. He did things, for the most part, alone, had insterests unusual for a teenager, and was very shy and studious and got teased as a result by peers who didn't work hard. He liked running because it was something he could do on his own. He was sickly as a child, suffering from nervous headaches.

It may be a stretch to say Roger Bannister actually had Asperger's, but a lot of the traits were there. I think his unique traits helped him excel both academically and athletically and to become an accomplished adult.

Another good book by Temple Grandin is Emergence:Labeled Autistic. She talks in depth about her life from a toddler until adulthood. Very interesting!

I've only read a couple by professionals, but Temple Grandin is awesome. She is as much of an inspiration to me as Kay Redfield Jamison is. Both have taken their disorders and incorporated them into their job in order to succeed. Temple Grandin used the skills of her high-functioning autism to make new inventions related to her "special interest," and Jamison is one of the leading researchers of bipolar disorders, since she has bipolar I herself. :angel:
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Temple Grandin also has a book called, "Thinking In Pictures." I would love to read all of her work. She uses something called "a squeeze box," that she built for cattle, to destress herself. Sounds like a good idea.

Donna Williams is also a good author. The Luke Jackson book sounds fascinating, too.

There is a book called "Let Me Hear Your Voice" written by Catherine Maurice. It's written by a mother of two children on the spectrum.

The mother goes through a variety of different methods to help her children, but the majority of the book is on ABA. I personally didn't like the book due to the fact that it said that her children were "cured", which I think is an unreasonable thing to state. As a teacher of ABA myself, we don't look to "cure" autism, but rather to decrease the unwanted behaviors, and increase desired behaviors.

If you don't mind not taking the book too much to heart, I think its a good book to read, if only to be able to relate with another parent's struggles of raising a child on the spectrum.

I agree. The term "cured" implies that the person is defective, not that the specific behaviors may be hindering a person's progress. There are many accomplished people who have Asperger's traits, and to "cure" them might make them less accomplished in their particular fields. People such as Temple Grandin and perhaps Roger Bannister are able to do what they do because of their unique "atypical" traits.