An affecting memoir of life as a boy who didn&rsquo;t know he had Asperger&rsquo;s syndrome until he became a man. <br><br>In 1997, Tim Page won the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism for his work as the chief classical music critic of <i>The Washington Post</i>, work that the Pulitzer board called &ldquo;lucid and illuminating.&rdquo; Three years later, at the age of 45, he was diagnosed with Asperger&rsquo;s syndrome&ndash;an autistic disorder characterized by often superior intellectual abilities but also by obsessive behavior, ineffective communication, and social awkwardness. <br><br>In a personal chronicle that is by turns hilarious and heartbreaking, Page revisits his early days through the prism of newfound clarity. Here is the tale of a boy who could blithely recite the names and dates of all the United States&rsquo; presidents and their wives in order (backward upon request), yet lacked the coordination to participate in the simplest childhood games. It is the story of a child who memorized vast portions of the <i>World Book Encyclopedia</i> simply by skimming through its volumes, but was unable to pass elementary school math and science. And it is the triumphant account of a disadvantaged boy who grew into a high-functioning, highly successful adult&mdash;perhaps not <i>despite</i> his Asperger&rsquo;s but <i>because</i> of it, as Page believes. For in the end, it was his all-consuming love of music that emerged as something around which to construct a life and a prodigious career. <br><br>In graceful prose, Page recounts the eccentric behavior that withstood glucose-tolerance tests, anti-seizure medications, and sessions with the school psychiatrist, but which above all, eluded his own understanding. A poignant portrait of a lifelong search for answers, <i>Parallel Play</i> provides a unique perspective on Asperger&rsquo;s and the well of creativity that can spring forth as a result of the condition.