Now "THIS" is the book I have been waiting for. As a dyslexic myself and the parent of at least one dyslexic (and gifted) child - this book is life changing, especially in terms of the educational outlook for my children. The Eides have done what so many "claim" to do in their books, but never really get there. They show clear, concrete, and proven advantages to the way the brain works for dyslexics, and shows why those advantages have "trade offs" when it comes to learning things such as reading, writing, and spelling. Basically, the way the dyslexic brain works, people with dyslexia tend to be much, much better than average in four particular areas - described as the M.I.N.D. areas. These cover things such as being able to see objects in 3D and manipulate them on ones mind (a great skill for Engineers, designers, builders, etc.), the ability to see advanced and complex connections between things (an amazing skill for systems engineers, entrepreneurs, psychologists, lawyers, etc.), amazing long term memory, etc. While these advantages are amazing, great, needed, and should be utilized to the best of ones ability - these advantages are there because the dyslexic brain is wired in such a way to support them. The down side is this wiring is the most inefficient way to learn the skills of reading, writing, and spelling. While those are true downsides, that doesn't mean dyslexic individuals can't learn to read, write, and spell - most do. The Eides just show a much better route to those skills.

Another BIG thing I love about this book is how they extensively cover accommodations (like speech-to-text software and digital books). In most dyslexic individuals, there will be a point in which one reaches diminishing returns in terms of reading, writing, and spelling - no matter how much intervention they won't get any better than that point. However, that doesn't mean their learning must stop - the proper accommodations will allow these individuals to reach their full potential in life. And surprisingly, the full potential of a dyslexic is actually more "successful" than a non-dyslexic. Dyslexic individuals are over represented in the top tiers among almost all professions - especially the sciences, engineering, and creative fields (writing, acting, art, music, etc.). Yes, dyslexics who struggle with reading and writing turn out to be amazing writers of everything from fiction to fantasy books (and I suppose one accommodation is hiring a good editor who can see past the spelling mistakes to the amazing content).

The last part of the book deals with the best ways of teaching reading, spelling, and writing to dyslexic individuals - from elementary to college to adults in the workplace. The advice and tips are amazing and I plan on incorporating many of them immediately into our homeschooling plans. They also cover proper accommodations depending on the skill and level of the individual. Another important point of this section is to also encourage the strengths of individuals with dyslexia. Again - there is going to be a point of diminishing returns in teaching reading and writing based skills - so also focus on those areas in which dyslexic individuals thrive.

Another area is the best educational options for gifted individuals. Now this will be the area many parents will struggle with. The truth is traditional school environments are NOT set up to accommodate dyslexic individuals. It isn't for lack of want, but many educational institutions just don't fully understand dyslexia for what it is, and what it isn't. As a result, the best fits for dyslexic students (at least for some time in their for educational years) might be special education classrooms (those that focus on education and not so much behavior I am assuming), schools that specialize in teaching dyslexic students, private schools that allow children to work at their own pace (think Sundry or Reggio or Montessori), and finally homeschooling.

The final chapter and another gem of this book is the resources section. It has websites and resources to cover the tips they described in the text.

A lot of thought and and research, and I believe passion and love went into this book. Again, it really will be a life changer for many individuals with dyslexia (heck, there is even a section that covers adult dyslexics in the workplace!)

This book gives specific references & examples to how and why the dyslexic brain processes the way it does. And presents it with its advantages and trade offs. At the end of the book the authors give specific reference and suggestions on what jobs may best suit each or combo of those processing styles (MIND), as well as reading, writing, thriving in high school & college, and so on.

For myslef, after reading this book, I felt like I finally got my 'get out jail free card'. It's like I was interviewed for the book along with these other amazing people who have created wonderful lives for themselves using the advantages of their dyslexic processing brains. I have yet to read a better book that so positively and specifically demonstrates exactly how I view and experience the world, as well as the struggles of explaining what that 'looks' like and why certain things 'just don't work for me'. Despite the typical struggle of school, I have always felt like being dyslexic WAS an advantage but didn't have the verbage to express why/how. Now with this fabulous book as reference, I have access to the comparatives needed to express it / the differences of processing styles. (An example, viewing things in 3D while non-dyslexic processing brains view things in 2D. And so on)

And the best part of this book, in my opinion, it presents 'being dyslexic' in a postiive light with the 'trade offs' being secondary, but also workable. All those years of hasty judgements, unkind/cruel words, and misunderstood diagnosis swept away after reading this book.

I've purchased two more copies. One for my wonderful Viiolin instructor and the other for a family member who's 5 year old son may also have the same Dyslexic Advantage.

With Gratitude to the Eide's for their work and interviews & to all other trailblazers assiting with bringing new light to the dyslexic processing mind.

UPDATED: 06 Sept 2015

As I mentioned towards the end of my review I purchased a copy for my Violin instructor. She's a saint by all terms as she's patiently worked with me for the past few months, using the info in this book, (as well as her own skill sets of - observation, listening to my feedback & adapting to my 'way' of understanding) - to help me create a 'sheet music' version of the songs I am learning because I can't read the music. The best way I can describe it is if someone were to have vertigo and then try and look at the sheet music. That, and I've asked around and looked on line. I've yet to find any info for/about sheet music for dyslexics. So we are establishing our own based on M. I. N. D. and her musical knowledge.

Instead of notes we created a format using colored paper and symbolism for bow strokes and finger position much like one would use a ledger for reading a Thomas Brother Map book. This works comfortably for me from my years of truck driving. I know each of us is different for the way our minds process but I have found this book such a great reference for adapting otherwise almost impossible ways of acheiving certain goals - like playing the violin.

Again with Gratitude, I submit this updated review.

During my time in school, I always had to go to speech classes, resources, which is help for the slower kids during elementary school, and during High School I failed English every year. Two of the years, the teacher allowed me to go on to the next grade, and one year, I had to do summer school. You needed a 50 to pass summer school, I got a 51, so mostly I am with the dumb kids, and I was still one of the dumbest. This created some terrible attitudes within me. Mostly, I had a attitude of not caring. Year after year, you feel like a failure. You cannot write well, you cannot spell anything, and your sentences are awful. Hence, you are treated like a below average kid. When you are treated like you are below average, you act like it. The sad reality for people with dyslexia is that you are far from below average in IQ. Mentally, you get what is happening, you just cannot communicate it on a piece of paper.

When I saw this book, I was interested in it because of my background. The book talks about some of the natural advantages that people like me have. Instead of focusing on our weaknesses, these authors studied to see where dyslexics excel. It is interesting, but people like me are gifted in narrative thinking, thinking outside of the box, systematic thinking. We have the ability to see the many moving pieces and create some sense of understanding and order. This is helpful in leadership. A strong percentage of CEO’s have dyslexia. Also, engineers are more like to be blessed with Dyslexia too. This book is an encouragement for people like me. As most of you know, even my blog has writing errors often. For years, I was treated like broken goods. It was nice to read a book that talked about areas that I have strength in.

If you have this, or have a child, this is an inspirational read, not in the traditional sense, but it will help you channel yourself, and your children. You can spend the rest of your life trying to fix something that is hard to fix, or you can go be successful in an area that you have a natural advantage in. Check this book out.

 The main thesis of the book as indicated in its title is to inform people of the strengths that dyslexic people have. This is covered well in the first half of the book. The title would be more accurate if it was, “Encyclopedic coverage of everything known about dyslexia including the strengths of  some of those who have it and how to deal with it in kindergarten, middle school, college, and in the workforce.”  As I read the latter parts of the book the word “filler” with a question mark came to mind.  For example, the guidance for a dyslexic student about to go to college is theoretically sound, but first, could be applied to any young person about to enter college, and second, is not very practical.  It would be nice but not likely that one could find and choose the professor they want for each class. The book was very long and not an easy read.  It lost me on several occasions with its complexity and use of acronyms.

The book has positives and negatives. A few follow:

Positives

1. Provides a real awakening, at least to me, to all of the aspects of dyslexia, most important being the strengths that such people have.

2. Provides an almost uncountable number of specific examples of successful and relatively famous people with dyslexia, such as author Ann Rice, financial wizard Charles Schwab, and billionaire Richard Branson, and presents some of their stories often in a fascinating way. Pointing out that “dyslexia is so common at MIT that it’s known locally as the MIT disease” is another example.

3. Describes the four key types of strengths that a dyslexic might have and what characteristics to be alert for in these strengths so they can be encouraged.

4. Very helpful in understanding some of the thinking and behaviors of dyslexics and has loads of tips on dealing with dyslexics.

5. Contains so much information about dyslexics over their lifetime that it could be a useful reference book to have on one’s shelf.

Negatives

1.    Too much off-topic as mentioned above.

2.    So much advice that it could be overwhelming for the normal working person trying to deal with someone who has dyslexia.

3.    The discussion of the four strengths some dyslexics might have, as summarized with the acronym MIND, is interesting and useful, but I never understood how one knows and how one can be tested to identify if these strengths exist.

In summary, if I had a dyslexic child, I would suggest reading Parts 1 and 2 of the book (about 16%) and then skimming Parts 3 through 6 until one has at least a hint of what strengths apply to my child. The remainder of the book I would use as reference material. 

This book is about how to see dyslexia as a forest, rather than as the trees or branches we are most familiar with: the humiliating branch of learning to read slowly, the embarrassing branch of illegible handwriting, the exasperating branch of never quite being able to recall a multiplication fact. When dyslexia is seen as a forest, it is, well -- breathtaking.

In the central section of the book, the Eides show that there are 4 broad patterns of strength in the dyslexic brain: Material thinking, helpful for engineers and others who need to visualize in 3-D; Interconnected thinking, great for seeing connections rather than simply facts in isolation; Narrative thinking, which is good not just for storytellers, and Dynamic thinking, a truly amazing skill to make predictions based on incomplete information. The 4 talents together spell: MIND. Yet those strengths are the flip side of the familiar, painful dyslexic challenges. The Eides devoted a chapter to each of the traits. First they discuss the strengths, then they move on to the trade-offs that come with each talent. Their discussions are clear, packed with information, and very logical. I learned a lot from this part of the book - and I knew a fair amount about dyslexia to begin with - but I needed to stop and think after each chapter. I found the logical and clear movement of their argument from strengths to challenges to be (again) breathtaking.

An introductory section of the book explores the neurological differences that underlie dyslexia, and includes fascinating summaries and discussions of recent research. The concluding section lists excellent resources for dyslexics, and will come in very handy to dyslexics and their families.

The Eides based this book on their broad knowledge of current research on dyslexia in various fields and countries, on their extensive clinical experience with dyslexics, but also on numerous fascinating interviews with dyslexics who figured out how to take advantage of their own talents. The result is an accessible and readable book. It is remarkable for its power of synthesis. _The Dyslexic Advantage_ paints a broad, flexible, yet very precise image of this vast forest, which only now we begin to see in its outlines.

This book does a thorough and well documented job of explaining both the special talents that often go with dyslexia and the challenges it creates for kids growing up in a school system dominated by English reading skills. Dyslexia is treated as a disability by traditional schools because it causes sometimes severe difficulties for students trying to learn to read and reading is at the center of most academic work in our schools. But it is really just a different pattern of brain development and function that produces a different set of advantages and disadvantages than those experienced by the majority. It is not chance that many of the most talented scientists, artists, engineers, and entrepreneurs in our society are dyslexic. The authors thoroughly explain both the strengths and weaknesses of this variation in brain wiring. They also offer realistic information and suggestions for making the most of each individual's talents and coping with their challenges. At the end of the book you'll find advice for selecting colleges and occupations to make the most of each person's abilities. This book is filled with both hope and lots of realistic information and practical advice.

Since reading this book, and Ron Davis's The Gift of Dyslexia, I've talked with a lot of struggling readers. Much of what I've learned from them corroborates the information and insights in this book and some of what I've learned from this book has been helpful to those kids. If you are, or know a struggling reader who you think might have dyslexia, PLEASE read this book, or find an audio-book version and listen, or get someone to read it to you.

We had no idea that this type of research was done and was very thankful to the authors for putting it in this book, which is a bit hard to get through because of all the terms used but other than that I was intrigued and couldn't put the book down until I got to the back where advice was given for parents of dyslexic children or students going to college, etc. since it didn't apply to us. What amazed me was the studies of the brain that show there are physical differences in the dyslexic brain which actually do give the person advantages over the non-dyslexic brain.

I ordered this book because I recently figured out that my husband of 4 years is dyslexic. He has gone all his life not being able to read well. No one he knows ever suggested that this was a possibility. He's 67 so back when he was in school they didn't know about this condition and figured he was just slow. He is 1/2 Native American and he figured it was because of the prejudiced teachers back then. They had all kinds of negative things to say about him so of course his self esteem was injured significantly. Although he excelled in science, art, wood shop, he didn't get a grip on math until later. When I was reading the book I thought... Wow! that's why he's so intelligent in areas of designing houses, carpentry, electronics, mechanics and just being a very handy guy to have around because he can fix anything. Even things like his type of humor, the way he always makes a play on words, his intrigue with the way things work and with new inventions are related to the way his brain is built. When I started to tell him about what the book was saying, his face just lite up and his self esteem has jumped up a mile. So if you are or know anyone with dyslexia, this is a must read (or have someone read it to you).

ultimately, this book is useful if you are dyslexic and want to know and understand how your "messed up" mind works. Reading it is tiresome as the author is not a good wordsmith nor can they say something simply briefly. Eventually points are made and clarified and the real-life examples are not relevant to be honest as they are all snapshots of the life and success of multimillionaires and highly successful people. how does that help me? how do i get from here to there? Supposedly the audio version is better, but I am not willing to give it a go.

Livre intéressant.

Cela m'a permis de comprendre et me rassurer de n'avoir jamais pu jouer d'un instrument de musique.

Une fois cette compréhension passé, le livre pourrait être réduit d'un tiers sans nuire au propos.

A des passages on se dit, c'est bon, on a compris.

Malgré tout un livre qui marque, même si l'on ne retient pas tout.

My partner is dyslexic and so is our son. Everyone who we talked to made this sad, sad face when it came to dyslexia, even the therapist. No one congratulated us.

This book - and I have to confess I am not even through it completely - already changed our lives. It changed how I see my kid, how I see his special talent "dyslexia" and it will continue to do so.

One of the opening statements is that if you found a telescope and you looked through it from the wrong end, what would you discover? An item that can make look things smaller. We never figured out to look through the other side of the telescope named "dyslexia". They authors do so and bring a lot of examples - not where this talent coincides with extraordinary people but where it correlates.

It is not a book about therapy or how to cope with a handicap. It's a book about a gift - with some adverse effects in our society and system.

You have a dyslexic kid? Congratulations!!!

I love the focus on the strengths inherent in Dyslexic minds. Like all minds, there are a range of possible strengths & challenges, but our education system puts too much emphasis on the challenges rather than on the strengths of dyslexic minds.

If you own, or guide a dyslexic mind - read this book.

If you scoff at the idea of schooling NOT focussing on dyslexic challenges...read this book.

Taking a strengths based approach to education is a defining concept of inclusive education, and the only way to see the person first, and not the disability.

Very clear, balancing research and technical information with real life cases.

Appropriate for all kind of public interested in understanding this topic and how to better proceed to face the challenges and develop the opportunities that dyslexia brings with it.

un punto di vista nuovo e vincente su un argomento di capitale importanza nel mondo dell'educazione (e non solo),

davvero interessante se non indispensabile sia per gli specialisti del settore,

sia per chi si trova per qualsiasi motivo a contatto con la dislessia