Manly While Stimming
"Society tells men that they must carry themselves with bravado; defines them by whether they can successfully seduce women and then later turn them into wives; measures their worth by the type of job they have and how much money they make; and expects them to have a chiseled physique, fix things around the house, and cheer for their favorite sports team. Conforming to this notion of the "masculine ideal" is all but impossible for any man. But as journalist Eric Garcia, who is autistic, knows first-hand, it is even less realistic for autistic men. Difficulties reading social cues, lack-of eye-contact, and self-stimulatory behaviors (aka stimming) get in the way of courtship and dating, engaging in traditional male bonding rituals, and projecting confidence and bravado in social settings. Combined with our society's deep-seated prejudice against autistic people, it is not difficult to imagine what the consequences of all this are for autistic men's self-image, and mental health. With Manly While Stimming, Garcia opens up about his own struggles with never feeling "man enough"-and how he has been able to overcome them. A personal, prescriptive, and ultimately hopeful book, Manly While Stimming urge autistic men to resist pressures to conform, and imagines a world where men of all types are more comfortable and confident in their own manhood"-- Provided by publisher.