My initial response:

I just finished The Feather Thief, and as someone closely related to several people (including some of my children) with what is formerly known as Asperger's Disorder, I really want to talk about it and the role it played in the book.

I pegged Edwin early on and suspected him of the disorder, even before it was brought up in his trial. I bemoaned the fact that because he was homeschooled, his disorder went under the radar, and help he could have received as a child wasn't available to him (nothing against homeschooling, but I've learned a lot in extensive autism research and also what therapies and interventions are available in the public education setting, so I have a lot of knowledge of the benefits and aids in this aspect). When it came up in the trial, I'll admit I was actually hoping that Edwin wouldn't serve time. I was hoping instead he'd receive therapy, which doesn't look like it happened. In Edwin's case, even after reading the author's interview, although the author does not agree, I feel justice was served to an extent.

I disagree in the author's dismissal of Edwin's diagnosis. The author may have made a study of the heist, a study of the fly tying community, and a study of what he could find out about Edwin, he has not made a lifetime of study of autism/Asperger's. Just because a person doesn't make eye contact, and one can make friends, and keep a steady romantic relationship for three years, does not mean that that person cannot have Asperger's. There is so much more involved. I suspect Edwin's lack of guilt and lack of acknowledgement of the social moral breech of his crime is clearly consistent with his Asperger's diagnosis. He is brilliant, and probably has a genius level IQ. He's been allowed to spend a lifetime devoted to two narrow interests, obsessively even. These alone are consistent with the diagnosis.

One of my children barely met the criteria due to the fact that he had obtained the skill to be adaptable. He learned to look at people in the eye. He learned to respond to social cues. By the time he was diagnosed, it was clear that his higher IQ allowed him to adapt and "read people," although it didn't come naturally. To someone who hadn't met him before, there was no evidence of Asperger's. But when professionals who were trained in diagnosis dug deeper, even in a short amount of time, it was there.

Maybe because of my personal experience, I could connect and sympathize with Edwin a bit. I don't understand his motives. I know that he was wrong in his actions, and I agree that his justifications were wrong. I see that he acknowledges his crime while at the same time absolving himself of guilt, and I can see the paradox there, yet understand it at the same time. Being personally acquainted daily with someone who doesn't take full responsibility when he's wrong (he seriously can't admit it even at the same time as he acknowledges it on another level—it's crazy), I can see how the diagnosis fits and plays a big part in Edwin's profile (as a criminal, as a patient, as a personality, etc.). He could pull off "faking it" while at the same time having it, perhaps avoiding the overall stigma of labeling himself long-term. Self-respecting the diagnosis, while using it when it serves his purposes, is also consistent with the disorder and a high IQ which allows one to manipulate and reframe things easily.

I'd love to hear your thoughts. Please keep in mind that I agree that the theft was absolutely morally wrong, and that it was a huge loss to the scientific community. At the same time I struggle with the author's attempts to discredit and malign Edwin, albeit at times objectively. There is a dichotomy here that I find interesting to examine. Is Edwin the villain? Or is he a product of his upbringing and his disorder? Is he both? Can we overlook his behavior because of his disorder?

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I also don't want to discredit the author's extensive work and research. I think he did an impressive job. But his quickness to dismiss the diagnosis really ruffled my feathers, so to speak. (Okay, bad pun aside; it rubbed me the wrong way because it was personal in a way. I'm used to consistently advocating for my child while at the same time trying not to excuse his behavior when it's not appropriate.)

The Feather Thief - Likewise Book Reviews

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