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Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's
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MSRP: $29.95
Your Price: $19.77
Savings: $ 10.18 ( 34% )
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Manufacturer: Random House Audio
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Additional Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's Information
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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.
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What Customers Say About Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's:
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Purchased for my aunt who has great grandchild w/autism. She thoroughly enjoyed the book.
I bought this book so I could understand my autistic granddaughter better. She has not stopped talking about this book since I gave it to her. As it turns out, I didn't find it too helpful; however, my friend really loved it. She suspected her husband had Asperger's. Her husband is reading it now. So, while it didn't help me too much, it was a wonderful resource for them.
Look Me in the Eye is John Elder Robison's memoir of his experiences as a person with Asperger's Syndrome. The author's stories of being on tour with KISS and working in R&D for a toy company show what a talented person he is. The early chapters are the most difficult to read, as Robison describes growing up in a family with alcoholism, physical abuse and mental illness. Fortunately he omits most of the more disturbing experiences described by younger brother Augusten Borrough in his memoir "Running with Scissors," but the added challenges Robinson faces because of his condition make the story even more poignant.Once Robison leaves home and slowly begins learning how to interact in a socially acceptable way, Look Me in the Eye becomes a fun and interesting read. Though it starts out bleak, Look Me in the Eye is ultimately a happy story as Robison is able to forgive his parents and find a wife who appreciates who he is.Purists be warned: this paperback edition was edited to make it more appropriate for the teenage audience it has found. Seek out the hardback edition if you want the swearing intact.
My brother is 21 and has Asperger Syndrome. I saw a lot of similarities between the things my brother would do or say and those that the author would. I am 20 years old and have lived with my brother all my life. I love to read books about people who have autism spectrum disorders to help me "get inside his head." I thought this one did a fairly good job. Even better than this book, though, is The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon. It did a phenomenal job of mirroring the way an Aspergian would think.
Look Me in the Eye: My Life With Aspergers is an insightful sharing by one who has this disorder. So many stories of this type are told by observers rather than the afflicted. I found this book most helpful in understanding Aspergers.
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