Has anyone read this?

Yes. One quotation that I found particularly useful was:

 'I have noted that people with Asperger’s syndrome (level 1 autism) may function reasonably well in one-to-one interactions, using their intellectual capacity to process social cues and non-verbal communication, and using memory of similar social situations to determine what to say and do.’

I relate to this quotation as it shows that autism is all about processing information and that social situations mainly become overwhelming because of difficulties keeping up with the pace of interaction.

Tony Attwood makes the autistic experience relatable to neurotypical people and he perceives diagnosis really positively.

As I've just mentioned to the previous poster, I watched a video on YouTube by Temple something-or-other.  And because I found her very boring and unlikable, I said to myself, "If that's what being autistic is, then I'm not autistic."  This book, however, seemed attractive because it was described as being more of a clinical study than a subjective account. I had to stop reading after the first couple of paragraphs, though, because I found myself revisiting painful memories of trauma and sadness from a lifetime of being misunderstood and mistreated. 

I'm not sure it's in my best interest to go back and face the loneliness and pain of the past.

As I've just mentioned to the previous poster, I watched a video on YouTube by Temple something-or-other.  And because I found her very boring and unlikable, I said to myself, "If that's what being autistic is, then I'm not autistic."  This book, however, seemed attractive because it was described as being more of a clinical study than a subjective account. I had to stop reading after the first couple of paragraphs, though, because I found myself revisiting painful memories of trauma and sadness from a lifetime of being misunderstood and mistreated. 

I'm not sure it's in my best interest to go back and face the loneliness and pain of the past.