▁Bron x , ▁NY . ▁Aw aken ings ▁was ▁also ▁the ▁subject ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁document ary ▁made ▁( in ▁ 1 9 7 4 ) ▁for ▁the ▁British ▁television ▁series ▁Disc overy . ▁ ▁In ▁his ▁book ▁A ▁Leg ▁to ▁Stand ▁On ▁he ▁wrote ▁about ▁the ▁consequences ▁of ▁a ▁near - f atal ▁accident ▁he ▁had ▁at ▁age ▁ 4 1 ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 4 , ▁a ▁year ▁after ▁the ▁publication ▁of ▁Aw aken ings , ▁when ▁he ▁fell ▁off ▁a ▁cl iff ▁and ▁sever ely ▁injured ▁his ▁left ▁leg ▁while ▁mount aine ering ▁alone ▁above ▁Hard anger f j ord , ▁Norway . ▁ ▁In ▁some ▁of ▁his ▁other ▁books , ▁he ▁describes ▁cases ▁of ▁T ou ret te ▁synd rome ▁and ▁various ▁effects ▁of ▁Park inson ' s ▁disease . ▁The ▁title ▁article ▁of ▁The ▁Man ▁Who ▁M ist ook ▁His ▁W ife ▁for ▁a ▁Hat ▁describes ▁a ▁man ▁with ▁visual ▁ag nos ia ▁and ▁was ▁the ▁subject ▁of ▁a ▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁opera ▁by ▁Michael ▁N yman . ▁The ▁title ▁article ▁of ▁his ▁book , ▁An ▁Anth rop ologist ▁on ▁Mars , ▁which ▁won ▁a ▁Pol k ▁Award ▁for ▁magazine ▁reporting , ▁is ▁about ▁Temple ▁Grand in , ▁an ▁aut istic ▁professor . ▁He ▁writes ▁in ▁the ▁book ' s ▁pre face ▁that ▁ne uro log ical ▁conditions ▁such ▁as ▁aut ism ▁" can ▁play ▁a ▁par ado x ical ▁role , ▁by ▁bringing ▁out ▁lat ent ▁powers , ▁develop ments , ▁evolution s ,