Ever since he was small, John Robison had longed to connect with other people, but by the time he was a teenager, his odd habits--an inclination to blurt out non sequiturs, avoid eye contact, dismantle radios, and dig five-foot holes (and stick his younger brother in them)--had earned him the label "social deviant." No guidance came from his mother, who conversed with light fixtures, or his father, who spent evenings pickling himself in sherry. It was no wonder he gravitated to machines, which could, at least, be counted on.After fleeing his parents and dropping out of high school, his savant-like ability to visualize electronic circuits landed him a gig with KISS, for whom he created their legendary fire-breathing guitars. Later, he drifted into a "real" job, as an engineer for a major toy company. But the higher Robison rose in the company, the more he had to pretend to be …
Ever since he was small, John Robison had longed to connect with other people, but by the time he was a teenager, his odd habits--an inclination to blurt out non sequiturs, avoid eye contact, dismantle radios, and dig five-foot holes (and stick his younger brother in them)--had earned him the label "social deviant." No guidance came from his mother, who conversed with light fixtures, or his father, who spent evenings pickling himself in sherry. It was no wonder he gravitated to machines, which could, at least, be counted on.After fleeing his parents and dropping out of high school, his savant-like ability to visualize electronic circuits landed him a gig with KISS, for whom he created their legendary fire-breathing guitars. Later, he drifted into a "real" job, as an engineer for a major toy company. But the higher Robison rose in the company, the more he had to pretend to be "normal" and do what he simply couldn't: communicate. It wasn't worth the paycheck.It was not until he was forty that an insightful therapist told him he had the form of autism called Asperger's syndrome. That understanding transformed the way Robison saw himself--and the world.Look Me in the Eye is the moving, darkly funny story of growing up with Asperger's at a time when the diagnosis simply didn't exist. A born storyteller, Robison takes you inside the head of a boy whom teachers and other adults regarded as "defective," who could not avail himself of KISS's endless supply of groupies, and who still has a peculiar aversion to using people's given names (he calls his wife "Unit Two"). He also provides a fascinating reverse angle on the younger brother he left at the mercy of their nutty parents--the boy who would later change his name to Augusten Burroughs and write the bestselling memoir Running with Scissors.Ultimately, this is the story of Robison's journey from his world into ours, and his new life as a husband, father, and successful small business owner--repairing his beloved high-end automobiles. It's a strange, sly, indelible account--sometimes alien, yet always deeply human.From the Hardcover edition.
John Elder is the brother of Running with Scissors memoirist Augsten Bouroghs. John's memoir focus on his life with Asperges which he didn't know he had until he was 40. John had a pretty successful life considering he dropped out of high school and his parents were insane. He toured with KISS, made toys for Milton Bradley, and ran he own luxury car dealership. He doesn't brag about any of that, he just tells his thought process and how he's had to adjust. He has some genuine lol moments like this prank he played on a Vice President at MB, John cut up Formica and left on a mirror to make it look like cocaine. the VP took the bait multiple times and John got it on camera. I am still laughing about that.
I'm reasonably happy with this book. Judging the cover, I didn't think it would be any good. Then I saw that Augusten Burroughs wrote the intro, so I thought it must be good. Then I read that Augusten is the author's brother, which made me think it isn't any good.
But I started it anyway.
And it is good. It's not written with the same scathing wit of Augusten, but in a nice, refreshing way - like I could hang out with the author.
There's also some pleasing crossover of life details with the brothers, which adds a satisfying amount of triangulation.
It's a biography more than a story of autism, but I don't feel cheated out of reading about autism.
I was reading it this morning before I left the house for work, and as I walked outside I felt like I had been awake for hours, because the …
I'm reasonably happy with this book. Judging the cover, I didn't think it would be any good. Then I saw that Augusten Burroughs wrote the intro, so I thought it must be good. Then I read that Augusten is the author's brother, which made me think it isn't any good.
But I started it anyway.
And it is good. It's not written with the same scathing wit of Augusten, but in a nice, refreshing way - like I could hang out with the author.
There's also some pleasing crossover of life details with the brothers, which adds a satisfying amount of triangulation.
It's a biography more than a story of autism, but I don't feel cheated out of reading about autism.
I was reading it this morning before I left the house for work, and as I walked outside I felt like I had been awake for hours, because the book is so engaging and rapid-paced (without feeling rushed at all). It was a nice feeling.
After finishing the book, I have to say it was a good read.
Reviewing this book will be a complex affair; I gave it four stars but I wouldn't say I "liked" or "enjoyed" it. It was certainly educational, about Aspies yes, but also about humanity in general. The book often made me angry, however, with its characteristic habits (which I find among "normal" men as well as Aspies) of blowing off anything that he personally wasn't interested in or good at as unimportant... and by chronically lumping all "normal" people as possessing certain characteristics. Many "normal" people experience the same sufferings that he describes, only we suck it up and learn to cope, or pretend to cope. And not all "normal" people prefer platitudes to actual conversation -- and when we do, it is often for a functional reason. So I hope he gets off his "actually, this is better" place, and grows up some more.
So the book was often infuriating. …
Reviewing this book will be a complex affair; I gave it four stars but I wouldn't say I "liked" or "enjoyed" it. It was certainly educational, about Aspies yes, but also about humanity in general. The book often made me angry, however, with its characteristic habits (which I find among "normal" men as well as Aspies) of blowing off anything that he personally wasn't interested in or good at as unimportant... and by chronically lumping all "normal" people as possessing certain characteristics. Many "normal" people experience the same sufferings that he describes, only we suck it up and learn to cope, or pretend to cope. And not all "normal" people prefer platitudes to actual conversation -- and when we do, it is often for a functional reason. So I hope he gets off his "actually, this is better" place, and grows up some more.
So the book was often infuriating.
But maybe that's just me.
I will have to think about that. I do hope to review it eventually, but for now I'm really glad I've finally finished it.
I read the paperback, which apparently has been "cleaned up" in terms of language compared to the original hardcover. The hardcover has been left raw. So read them both if you like.
