Several women have quietly told me that their husband has Asperger's Syndrome. One recommended a book which I promptly ordered, along with a "People who bought this also enjoyed" recommendation.

One is hilarious. The Journal of Best Practices, and is written by a man whose life cracked open when his wife gave him a test online. Their marriage was tanking and she realized that many of his qualities, like incessant talking about himself, and a lack of empathy, might not be his fault. He scored 155 out of 200.

Some of the questions were surprising. 

"Do you feel as if you are playing a game, pretending to be like people around you?"

"Do you remember details that others don't seem to notice?"

"Before going somewhere do you need to have a mental picture of what will happen to prepare yourself?"

The author, David Finch, felt as if the quiz could read his mind it was so spot on. He realized that he had better change his tendencies if he wanted to save his marriage.  Like when his children were screaming downstairs and he decided to take a break from measuring the symmetry of his face to go check. Dave started making lists about best practices, like not changing the radio station when his wife was singing along. While social graces did not come naturally for him he could memorize them like third graders reciting the eight times tables. 

Probably most of us have a few we could brush up on. That eight times seven always eluded me, sort of like the rule about not interrupting.