Review of Unexpected Lessons From Professor Higgins

[Aarshee Sharma]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Unexpected Lessons From Professor Higgins" by Patti Smith.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Unexpected Lessons from Professor Higgins by Patti Smith is a must read for anyone who wants to smile through the length of an entire book. Smith uses this book to bring the readers closer to understanding people with Down syndrome with all their idiosyncrasies. She draws from the overflowing well of unconditional love of Professor Higgins and gives the reader a taste of it. It not only talks about a medical condition and people's life with it, but also kindly jolts the reader's understanding of what 'success' means. This book encourages one to measure life in terms of happiness and not just tangible results.


Lessons from Professor Higgins continue to improve his mother's interactions with humanity. The diagnosis of Trisomy 21 is a discovery that completely changes his mother's life. At first, the shock of her "perfect child" being subject to such an incurable fate was the hardest thing to accept. But with time, knowledge and patience she realizes that love and acceptance pave the way to extraordinary happiness.


Chris or Professor Higgins is the perfect person to have a book written about him as he truly is the main character of his story. He enriches the lives of everyone around him. His three sisters and two brothers wholeheartedly agree that he is the glue of the family. He inspires the readers to adopt his superpower of quickly forgiving and loving unconditionally. The book shows a new perspective of life that is slow paced but leaps ahead in the richness of human interaction.


Smith has a unique way of writing that keeps the reader engaged at all times. Her wit and humor make the reader giggle and shed a tear from one page to the next. I love the 'hee-hee', the 'Dennis ' years and the ways in which people communicate with him using pictures and drawings. This book leaves you with a deep sense of hopefulness for an inclusive humanity.


I found this book to be a fast paced read.It is very informative and pleasant to read. There is nothing one could dislike in this book. It really deserves a 5/5 rating.

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Unexpected Lessons From Professor Higgins
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