Parts of "Aspergian" John Elder Robison's Look Me in the Eye plod. Including the beginning and parts of the end. Yet, the writing is crisp, the character (himself) intriguing and likable. And, the reader hopefully realizes–as I did–that this is, afterall, an autobiography of a person with Asperger's syndrome…The sometimes chokingly-dry intricate details are his life, the machinations of his incredibly gifted mind, and naturally in character with Asperger's. Remembering that makes the dry passages palatable and even a bit charming.
I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to expand their understanding of Asperger's syndrome, especially parents of children with autism. It is one of the better books I've read by an "Aspergians." There are many books out by people on this high end of the autism spectrum and some of them are also dry or disjointed. But the beauty of them is that it is their story told by them–not an expert writing about them and not a parent. I am very grateful to such authors because they expand my parent view of the spectrum as well as educate the world, hopefully, to become more tolerant. I truly turned the last page and closed the cover of Look Me in the Eye more enlightened and possessing a deeper understanding of the syndrome.
Robison has been successful with his first book. A review of his second, Be Different, released yesterday, coming here soon. Look Me in the Eye listed as a New York Times bestseller. Both Robison and highly successful author-brother Auguston Burroughs (Running with Scissors), though their childhood was frighteningly traumatic, can credit their poet mother for a genetic gift with words.
Robison is on book tour and is speaking in Nashville, April 9. But, how I came to read this book is a bit of a fluke. I went to Target, which, I had read online, had copies of The Happiness Project. The later was not in stock but it was too good to be true that my writing program has assigned me to read three memoirs this semester and there was Look Me in the Eye, authored by the speaker at my friend's upcoming conference. When writing my review of Robison's book for my class, I realize that it had gifted me with excellent examples of "scene." With skilled effort–that appeared effortlessly–he took me through his childhood, adolescence, young and middle adulthood.
The childhood scenes are at times a bit harrowing and, at junctures–somewhat mind-boggling–as explained, in part, by author John Shouse, a mutual friend of mine and the conference sponsor, Dena Gassner of the Center for Understanding. Says Shouse: "John is a fascinating and brilliant man. Recently featured on the show 'Ingenious Minds', John is an inventor, author, electronics savant (he was a special effects tech for the rock band KISS and others), game designer, photographer, business owner of the most successful exotic car service shop in New England, … and now: college professor. Despite dropping out of high-school in 10th grade."
Robison's story is one of triumph–as are many who maneuver a neurotypical world with autism spectrum disorder. I love these closing remarks:
"[…]I may look and act pretty strange at times, but deep down I just want to be loved and understood for who and what I am. I want to be accepted as part of society, not an outcast or outsider. I don't want to be a genius or a freak or something on display. I wish for empathy and compassion from those around me, and I appreciate sincerity, clarity, and logicality in other people. I believe most people–autistic or not–share this wish."
More details on Robison's workshop, "My Life with Asperger Syndrome: Past, Present and Scientific Future, Sat. April 9, in Nashville: here. Not in Nashville, find Robison on the road: here.
thank you. i love to read this type of information posts. again thank you…
John’s story is fascinating. The first part of the book felt disturbing and dark to me as I read; the second half, much brighter. I really did not expect the depth of the darkness. What a surprise.
Thanks for you comments, Penny.
Also: Random House has sent me at copy of his new book, Be Different, and I hope to have it reviewed here Friday.
I do not disagree with this post!!!
I am touched that you chose to wcmeole my book to your site. I hope it proves useful or at least entertaining to you, when you’re able to read it.Being a kid owner myself, I can at least assure you that you can give my book to your kids too – provided they are big enough to read it – there’s no graphic sex or gratuitous violence inside.And I am sorry to report that I have not been able to wiggle my ears since getting my nose cut off in a motorcycle accident many years ago.I tried to teach my son to do it, but it was only partly successful. I wanted to have the barber point his ears like Mister Spock, too, but he resisted vigorously.I don’t know how much I can tell you about how your own kids may think and feel. It depends on how like me they are. And that’s very, very hard to know.When a kid sits on the ground, staring into space, and ignores you . . . what is really going on? Is he deep in thought, pondering relativity? Is he imagining a new sound effect and seeing the waveforms of the music, like me? Is he content, marvelling at the wonder of a leaf? Or is nothing at all going on, his mind in neutral?Is he brilliant, or virtually devoid of intelligence?It is very hard to figure out the answer to that question. Can a kid from one group move into another? I don’t know.People like me are called gifted if they succeed in life. If they turn inward, they are called autistic. When I was little, people like me were “idiot savants”. Now the term is “autistic savant.”There are also kids that I read about who act autistic after being exposed to chemicals or diseases. Soemhow, I don’t think those kids are in my group, even though we may act the same in our autistic phases as children.It can be very hard to separate “brain damage” form “brain different.” It can take many years, till the kid is a grownup, and even then – do you really know?What if a kid like me – with a love and aptitude for technology and machines – what if I’d grown up in rural India, where the hottest technology was the wooden axle and wheel on my dad’s cart?Would you just conclude I was brain damaged? How would you ever know the potential without the key to unlock it? You wouldn’t even know a key existed. . . That’s why it’s such a hard question. I think we are going to find that many conditions manifest themselves in a similar manner and we call them all “autistic spectrum.”I’ll do my best to answer your kid questions, whether in person or in my second book. But I don’t know if I have the answers you seek. I wish I could say, “Sure, I have all the answers! Fifty bucks!” But I don’t even know the answers for myself, all the time.
My book is with a terrific agent in NY and is being read by four ediotrs currently. My book is fiction, John – I created a family with two autistic children. My agent calls it humorous mom-lit. So many people told me I should write about autism. BUT – I live it so fully with my three girls I just couldn’t write non-fiction (I commend you!) So I created a funny, crazy family with two autistic kids one of whom is telepathic, but who only “talks” with her nutty aunt (pronounced awnt, yes, fellow Massachusetts born friend?)How many kids do you “Own” (I love that) and do they share Aspergian traits? Neither my husband nor I are Apsergian in the least – we are chatty sales people. I’ve often joked that Mark and I “sucked up all the words in the house” leaving few left over for our kids.Don’t worry – the word will spread fast on your book. I’ll help with that! Not that you need me – you’re already a sensation, John.
inappropriate things b/c he has no “filter” and steiommes gets “stuck” on a theme. However, he has made SO much progress, esp over the last 2 years. If he keeps making this much progress, I think he will be able to compensate for his “disorder” – whatever it is. I hope I can look back and be amazed at how far he has come from nonverbal special ed preschooler to fully functioning adult. I have not given up hope that he will not have or need a “label” when he is an adult.And I agree PDD-NOS is basically a worthless dx. It can mean anything from a severely (even nonverbal) affected child whose symptoms aren’t in the right “configuration” for an autism dx or a child who has a few autistic symptoms. There is a lot of gray area between ASD, ADHD, and SPD and I think this is where PDD-NOS falls – if all else fails, give the PDD-NOS dx. I read somewhere (???) that there is no real difference between severe ADHD and mild ASD. To me, this is a problem, because the core deficits of these 2 disorders are so different. I don’t know why the ASD dx is being given out so willy-nilly. I am one of those who believes (after reading The Mislabeled Child and several of Greenspan’s books) that the ASD label is handed out too liberally. I have read on message boards about some ASD kids being “social” and “outgoing”. What??? The term “autism” literally means a turning inward to self. Since when are outgoing, social kids labeled as autistic? There has to be a point at which you say, “Yes, there are autistic symptoms, but this child is not autistic.”Ok, I will get off my rant.Thanks for the thought-provoking post!