The Reason I Jump

Written by Naoki Higashida, a very smart, very self-aware, and very charming thirteen-year-old boy with autism, this one-of-a-kind memoir demonstrates how an autistic mind thinks, feels, perceives, and responds in ways few of us can imagine. Parents and family members who never thought they could get inside the head of their autistic loved one at last have a way to break through to the curious, subtle, and complex life within.

Using an alphabet grid to painstakingly construct words, sentences, and thoughts that he is unable to speak out loud, Naoki answers even the most delicate questions that people want to know. Questions such as “Why do people with autism talk so loudly and weirdly?” “Why do you line up your toy cars and blocks?” “Why don’t you make eye contact when you’re talking?” and “What’s the reason you jump?” (Naoki’s “When I’m jumping, it’s as if my feelings are going upward to the sky.”) With disarming honesty and a generous heart, Naoki shares his unique point of view on not only autism but life itself. His insights — into the mystery of words, the wonders of laughter, and the elusiveness of memory — are so startling, so strange, and so powerful that you will never look at the world the same way again.

This translation was a labor of love by David and his wife, Ka Yoshida, so they could share that feeling with friends, the wider autism community, and beyond. Naoki’s book, in its beauty, truthfulness, and simplicity, is a gift to be shared.

You’ve never read a book like The Reason I Jump.

Endorsements

“One of the most remarkable books I’ve ever read. It’s truly moving, eye-opening, incredibly vivid.” — Jon Stewart, The Daily Show

Named one of the best books of the year by NPR, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg Business, and Bookish.

Finalist for the Books for a Better Life First Book Award. New York Times bestseller.

“This is an intimate book, one that brings readers right into an autistic mind.” — Chicago Tribune (Editor’s Choice)

“Amazing times a million.” — Whoopi Goldberg, People

“The Reason I Jump is a Rosetta stone... This book takes about ninety minutes to read, and it will stretch your vision of what it is to be human.” — Andrew Solomon, The Times (U.K.)

“Extraordinary, moving, and jeweled with epiphanies.” — The Boston Globe

“Small but profound... [Higashida’s] startling, moving insights offer a rare look inside the autistic mind.” — Parade

“It is no exaggeration to say that The Reason I Jump allowed me to round a corner in our relationship.” — David Mitchell