The Horse Boy

This is a different kind of book. A true account/ travelogue of a family travelling through Mongolia, trying to heal their son's autism by taking him to see shamans.

Why would parents of an autistic child do that? The father is a hippy with experience of working with shamans. The autistic child, Rowan, seems to connect better with animals than with people, so taking him riding across Mongolia makes sense. The father also noticed that Rowan improved after being around shamans in America.

When you write it down, it's flimsy reasoning for such an unconventional solution, but that's what makes it a good story. The writer is not entirely convinced by everything the shamans say and do, but he's prepared to try anything to help his son.

From my various experiences of travelling in Asia and trying to solve my bladder problem, there's a lot of bullshit in the world of alternative medicine, but there's probably good stuff too, hidden under the bullshit. There's also a load of crap in the way the western system is run.

In America, Rowan's parents try every form of therapy they can think of before they find themselves giving large amounts of cash to Mongolia's most esteemed shaman. The shaman says some of Rowan's symptoms will stop, and they do. Rowan goes home transformed. Was it the shaman or just the time in Mongolia that helped him? You decide.