Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's by John Elder Robison
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Book Reviews of Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's
Book Review: An inspiring story for all American Misfits, regardless...!
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is shockingly greatl... Honestly speaking, I wasn't expecting *that* much... I mean, obviously the publisher would have realized that the "Running With Scissors" as well as Asperger's tie-in would be enough to guarantee a few sales and make it radio circuit/TV talk show friendly stuff... so why wouldn't the publisher put it out? Much to my surprise, however, its really a book in its own right... and the author, John Elder Robison has a unique gift as a story teller. - - As to whether it was him (or his editor, or a ghost writer) its really surprising. He uses deceptively simple language... yet engages you. Because of this, I wonder if any reader would object to me refering to the book as being in the "Mark Twain" tradition of American literature. (This may be another one of those hidden Asperger trait gifts that he alludes to - - perhaps since people with Asperger's aren't as motivated to impress other people, it allows them write without wasting space on showing off unnecessary syntax and vocabulary. I mean, its really like he's in the room with you, and telling you the story in such a way to set the scene and carry you along.)
Whatever, the book is the story of what today is referred to as a person with Asperger's (and also from a severely dysfunctional family) - - prior to the term, he would have probably just been called a weird "Trekky" type techno nerd... you know, the strange D+D playing/Pink Floyd listening-to nerd kid with the long greasy hair who had some "genius" gift that the school kept him occupied with to keep him from getting into trouble (and often would be rumored as "sadistically disturbed" anyway.) - - Even as a musician, I've actually dealt with techs with traits like this... they come across as very dry, totally non-interested in small talk, definitely weird, and 100% obsessed with their projects and tool... LITTLE DID I KNOW... in fact, reading this book, as you hear how he took his gift and wound up on the road with KISS and a special FX technician, you become amazed... More amazing (and of interested to psych majors) is the way he describes his thought processes... for example the practical, yet different way he visualizes things, as well as his can do attitude... and the description of his emotions beneath what appears to others as a cool facade.
John Elder Robinson comes off in the book as a fellow who is both cool, nerdy and deeply disturbed (for reasons explained) and tells a tail that offers insight, understanding, hope... and makes you laugh... especially when he's feeling evil.
Must have reading, and perhaps useful summer reading for HS students (if you look past the potentially corrupting stuff) to teach students to better understand peers who are "somewhat different", as well as to inspire those who have differences to come to accept themselves andfind their special talents and pursue them... not just for fans of his brother or people interested in Asperger's... a sometimes funny, sometimes emotionally disturbing memoir for all !
Book Review: A natural storyteller; informative and funny; terrific book!
Summary: 5 Stars
I was captured by this book from page one. I have not (YET) read any of the books written by his famous brother, Augusten X Burroughs, but after reading LOOK ME IN THE EYE, I certainly will read something of Burroughs', probably WOLF AT THE TABLE. In any case, Robison's story of his life with Asperberger's is as revealing and intimate as a memoir can be. I was pleasantly surprised to learn of his role with the roadies and techies of the KISS tour, as both of my sons are long-time KISS fans. Robison's difficulties in childhood and high school are well documented here in the most human terms, his lack of friends and the lack of empathy or understanding from teachers and other adults made me wince with sympathy. Strangely, or perhaps not, as I read of Robison's life, I thought of a few people I have known over the years who exhibited similar quirks and savant-like talents, and wondered if perhaps they might also have been Asperger's types. I was also quite startled to learn that perhaps one in 150 people suffer from autism, which covers a wide spectrum of difficulties. Even Robison's strange and sometimes devilish and even cruel sense of humor and his penchant for practical jokes and pranks were described in such a way that I found myself entranced rather than repelled. After all, many of his victims got only what they deserved. Robison's experiences in looking for love and his descriptions of his first girlfriend (later his first wife) are also told in utterly believable and interesting terms. His obvious love for his son, Cubby, is another plus. I picked up this book rather reluctantly, possibly because I had read ANIMALS IN TRANSLATION a few years ago, written by Temple Grandin, an autistic savant of sorts. While I found her theories interesting, her writing style was somewhat sterile and robotic, in addition to being often repetitious and borderline boring. I had also picked up another autism memoir, Daniel Tammet's BORN ON A BLUE DAY and glanced through it once. It did not engage me at all. I found none of these faults in Robison's book. This is one helluva good read. I recommend it highly. - Tim Bazzett, author of SOLDIER BOY: AT PLAY IN THE ASABook Review: Superb memoir - Must read!
Summary: 5 Stars
look me in the eye: my life with asperger's is a funny, yet sad, memoir by John Elder Robison about his life with Asperger's, a type of autism. Robison tells pertinent stories from his childhood into adulthood, demonstrating his struggles to connect with his peers. He is a natural storyteller, stirring up laughter and sadness from the reader. He explains his personal growth with Asperger's and satisfies any curiosity the reader may have about the disorder.
A trait of Asperger's Disorder is to lack empathy. Robison tells stories about how he tried to connect with his peers as a child, but could not. At 5 years old, he could not comprehend that playing with others required compromise; he became insistent with his peers on what he thought was the right way to stack blocks or explained all he knew about dinosaurs until they walked away. At 9 years old, he learned to listen and understand how his peers wanted him to respond; he learned to be empathetic to what they said. He learned that if a peer said, "'Look at my Tonka truck,'" an appropriate response would be, "'That's a neat truck! Can I hold it?'" Before he learned empathy, his response may have been: "'I have a helicopter, '" or "`I rode a horse at the fair!'"
Another trait of Asperger's Disorder is to become extremely focused on something. In junior high school, Robison had an interest in electronics after receiving an electronics kit for a Christmas present. This interest evolved into his disassembling and reassembling old radios and TVs. He started hanging out at an engineering lab at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, to gain more understanding about electronics, but did not comprehend the college level equations. Smart and self-motivated, he taught himself electronic components and how to modify sound quality on amplifiers. Shortly thereafter, he started modifying local musicians' amplifiers. Later, he modified the amplifiers of KISS, April Wine, and Pink Floyd. He made the first smoking guitar for Ace Frehley of KISS: "'Ampie, can you make one that shoots rockets?'"
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Book Review: A Brilliant Memoir
Summary: 5 Stars
Autobiographies and memoirs fall into two categories for me: ones that make me like the author more, and ones that make me like the author less.
"Look me in the Eye" falls into the first category, and made me LOVE John Elder Robison. Not only that, but it went some way to softening my dislike for his brother, Augusten Burroughs, the author of "Running With Scissors", whose book fell into the second category in a big way for me. I felt bamboozled by Running with Scissors, so when I discovered that Burroughs's brother had also written a memoir, I decided to give it a try, to see if I could come to some sort of truth about the events purported by weighing the two tales against each other.
"Look me in the Eye" is an intriguing story that immerses the reader in the world of an autistic savant. Robison, who Burroughs painted as an odd and distant brother, is a genius in electronics who has lived an interesting and unusual life. Robison tells his story: from being misunderstood as a child with autism (when the disorder was undiagnosed and untreated) who simultaneously craved and shunned attention; to a brilliant young man who dropped out of school and became a genius at creating the electronic devices of his unlimited imagination.
Robison's career path had him fixing sound equipment for some of the biggest rock bands of the `70's and `80's, and eventually took him on tour with Kiss, where he created the magical guitars used by Ace Frehley. In later years, he worked on electronic games at Milton Bradley as the toy industry first began to develop them.
Robison writes with clarity and insight, and is never boring. Peppered throughout his tale are the musings of an outsider looking in: as he tries to figure out his place in an alien world. Amusing and touching, he lets the reader in on his innermost thoughts on life, love, relationships and self-fulfillment. Brilliant!
Book Review: Robison Delivers In LOOK ME IN THE EYE
Summary: 5 Stars
If you ever thought there were more things in the world that separated us than united us, then you need to pick up "Look Me In The Eye" by New York Times Bestselling author John Elder Robison.
The name may sound familiar. He is the brother of another NYT bestselling author Augusten Burroughs whose book "Running With Scissors" was made into a major motion picture.
While Burroughs' memoir focused on their family as a whole, Robison opened up the door to his personal struggles with Asperger's (a mind form of autism) and how it affected is growth from childhood to adulthood.
In the chapter "A Little Misfit," Robison eplains that, though his inability to comprehend the feelings of others or even how empathy was misunderstood, it was something that he was awareof.
"People with Asperger's or autism often lack the feelings of empathy that naturally guide most people in their interactions with others," he writes. "The worst of it was, my teachters and most other people saw my behavior as bad when I was actually trying to be kind. My good intentions made the reject...painful. I had overlooked one key thing: Successful conversations require a give and take between both people. Being Aspergian, I missed that. Totally."
Let's be honest for a moment: how many of us have had our feelings or reactions to situations misunderstood, no matter how hard we try to articulate them.
I know this happens to me more often than I would like, and it has nothing to do with anythingbut the differences in which we interact with one another.
The author realized that among those he feared would judge him the worse, he had common ground with them---thus providing an avenue for him to be himself without being judged.
"Look Me In The Eye" is not a story of dealing with autism. It is a manual for learning to accept yourself and hope others can do the same.