Twitch and Shout: A Touretter's Tale

In this straightforward chronicle of a life lived with Tourette's syndrome, first-time author Handler provides a memoir reminiscent of Temple Grandin's autistic-themed Thinking in Pictures. In addition to sharing a common link with Oliver Sacks as friend and counselor, Handler, like Grandin, asks for neither sympathy nor the label of victim. He would prefer that those he encounters in daily life look beyond the neurological disorder that erupts for him in involuntary twitches and grunts. In fact, Handler, by detailing his journey from isolation to treatment and understanding, shows how this rare disease can be a rich creative challenge. Although the author, a photojournalist, never spouts obscenities (uncontrolled profanity and other inappropriate speech afflict only about 15% of the 200,000 Americans who have Tourette's), he spent much of his life up to his early 20s twitching, shaking, jumping and otherwise alarming and upsetting himself, his family and the world outside. Handler offers wide coverage of his topic, from personal thoughts and anecdotes to discussion of pharmacological and political issues. In one memorable section, he takes a ""road trip"" with Sacks to visit a series of Tourette sufferers and, at one point, uses a bit of subterfuge to lose the good doctor so he can become better acquainted with a young lady. Among the most interesting passages are those profiles of Touretters in which we meet a surgeon, a professional basketball player and a symphony conductor. Equally fascinating are Handler's speculations on whether such historical notables as Samuel Johnson and Mozart suffered from Tourette's. For any interested in this curious disorder, this book is a must read. Photos. (May)