Preface Summary and Analysis

This is another short piece by someone who knows Temple Grandin, this time one of her former teachers, William Carlock. Along with others in the school, he tries to make sense of Temple's oddities and special abilities. Even though she can be irritating and strange, Carlock says, people enjoy her. Although he finds her questions and interests odd, they fascinate him. He also notices that she is clean but not concerned with grooming. He notes that Temple has become a unique person not by trying to "get rid of" autism, but by using her characteristics to become a true individual. She asks hard questions, and he likes to try to find the answers. She is unsocial but she is likable. She is good at things like carpentry, rocketry, and "lock picking." Carlock points out that although there are difficulties, there are...