Temple Grandin, the subject of Montgomery’s biography, is an animal behaviorist and autism advocate. She was born in Massachusetts in 1947, and shortly after her birth her parents began to realize that was different than other children. She did not like to be held, did not begin talking until age five, and was prone to tantrums when she became frustrated. Grandin was eventually diagnosed with autism, which was not well understood at the time. Some people even believed Grandin needed to be placed in a psychiatric facility. With support of her mother, however, Grandin was able to attend school and find opportunities to explore her interests. Grandin discovered she enjoyed making things and spending time with animals. After spending time on her stepfather’s sister’s ranch, Grandin decided she wanted to devote her career to working with animals.

Grandin was fascinated by a device called a cattle chute, which held cattle securely in place to calm them while they received vaccines or for other procedures. Her interest was two-fold. First, she believed that if she used the device on herself, it could help her cope with the anxiety caused by her autism.