Review by Gikonyo Caroline -- That Place of Knowledge

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Gikonyo Caroline
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Review by Gikonyo Caroline -- That Place of Knowledge

Post by Gikonyo Caroline »

[Following is a volunteer review of "That Place of Knowledge" by Philip Alan Shalka.]
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4 out of 4 stars
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Can a fifteen year old autistic boy be himself, and enjoy being different in a world of constant comparisons and competition, fueled by the desperation to fit in and be like someone else? Can he survive and thrive in a world that wants to put him in a 'box' of where not much is expected of a child with autism? Can Philip achieve his dream of chaging his world with his ideas, with his uniqueness just like his role model Albert Einstein?

This is a brief narrative that features Philip, a fifteen year old boy with autism and his service dog , sabre. That Place of Knowledge is authored by Philip Alan Shalka as he takes us through his very imaginative and creative mind as he constantly takes a back seat and allows his dog Sabre to do the narration. Philip meets his role model Aristotle, who is an ancient greek philosopher ,albeit imaginatively,and they have a deep conversation about knowledge, happiness, loving and accepting yourself , accepting and loving others even though they are different from you. These are the major themes in this book.

As the deep conversations between Philip and Aristotle take place albeit imaginatively I too like Sabre, take a seat, listen in, and pick many lessons which are to be happy is to know and love yourself, to be happy is to be satisfied and content with who you are and what you have so that the opinion of others doesn't have to become your reality, because you and I cannot control people's perception of us.

I love the imaginative way that Philip narrates this story, including Sabre's abilities to narrate,to listen in on conversations, to instinctively perceive Philip's feelings and thoughts. Perhaps this is symbolic of the friendship between man and his best friend, communicating that dogs are most times more loyal and better listeners than our fellow humans. The creative imaginative way in which the book is narrated rubberstamps and underscores his major theme which is we are all unique and therefore different from all the rest of humanity and we should love and accept our uniqueness.

The only thing I didn't like is that the book is too short. My thirst for knowledge was left unquenched.

To all of us and especially to children with autism I hope that you get to discover the undeniable truth that you are unique, so you must accomplish what you can in your own way and that you might not be understood by others and the world you live in but this does not limit who you are!
Therefore I highly recommend this book to all children with autism , their parents and guardians , caregivers as well as anybody struggling with an identity crisis, sacrificing their uniqueness on the altar of public approval and acceptance in an attempt to be loved and understood by the world. As they say you "Be yourself, everybody else is taken!"

I unreservedly rate this book a 4 out of 4 stars for the imaginative way it is narrated , and by a child with autism, nonetheless and for challenging us all to love and accept our uniqueness. The world needs you brand of 'be-u-tiful'

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That Place of Knowledge
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HouseOfAtticus
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Post by HouseOfAtticus »

This sounds like a wonderful book. I myself am intrigued by the central idea. Thank you for writing this.
Gikonyo Caroline
Posts: 214
Joined: 07 Jul 2017, 06:30
Currently Reading: Big Things Have Small Beginnings
Bookshelf Size: 351
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-gikonyo-caroline.html
Latest Review: Concealment by Rose Edmunds

Post by Gikonyo Caroline »

Thank you HouseofAtticus , for your feedback !
yes it is so grab a copy, let it challenge you to love and accept yourself. For we are born an original , without rival , so lets be and do our brands of be-u-tiful
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