Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's | 
 enlarge | Manufacturer: Crown
Category: EBooks
List Price: $25.95
Buy New: $9.15
You Save: $16.80 (65%)
Avg. Customer Rating:  171 reviews
Sales Rank: 619
Format: Kindle Book
Media: Kindle Edition
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 304
Dewey Decimal Number: 362.1968588320092
ASIN: B000W91562
Publication Date: September 25, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Product Description
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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| Customer Reviews: Read 166 more reviews...
 I don't know, may be I did not read the same book January 9, 2009
I found this book to be the boring, endless rattling of a cruel, arrogant and self absorbed young man who did not give a care about anyone but himself. Aspergers Syndrome does not put an appearance here. To those of you who finished the book, I take my hat off. I want my money back.
 You start seeing the person, not the symptom January 8, 2009
Some people seem to wonder whether this book portrays Asperger syndrome honestly. Some mentioned it's misleading. As we are all different as a person, people with Autism and Asperger have difference between them.
It's just a good book, fun to read and somewhat moving.
If we learn others may have different way of thinking, it's a plus. If someone stops judging a person just because he/she avoids eye contact, it's a plus, too. But that is not the entire point.
More than just another book about Asperger's January 6, 2009
As a huge fan of author Augusten Burroughs (Running With Scissors, Dry, etc.), it wasn't until I met him at an event that I learned his brother John Elder Robison (who is mentioned in his books) also authored a book, so I ordered it immediately. The great thing about Look Me in the Eye is that it works on many levels: yes, it gives great insight into Asperger's, but Robison's balance of seriousness and levity make it an enjoyable read for anyone. Also, unlike many other books on Asperger's, it really emphasizes how folks with Asperger's have deep emotions just like anyone else, though they may not always be apparent on the surface. The book is full of adventure (he tours with the band KISS), and Robison's voice and strong sense of self really draw in the reader.
Great book January 1, 2009
I really enjoyed this book. I have Asperger Syndrome, so I identified with a lot of what the author describes. I also know a lot of Aspies (people with Aspergers) who have trouble making eye contact, so this title is spot on. Great book.
 Brilliant but often boring... December 29, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Look me in the Eye is an interesting read that is engaging at times. I found the earlier portions of the book, in which the author discusses his childhood, to be amusing and enlightening.
The "problem" (if you could call it that) with this book is that Robinson's ability to tell a story about having aspergers is at times frustrated by his aspergers. He seems to work to be self-aware and to provide an honest, reflective narrative, but his style itself is very apparently affected by his aspergers. If you have ever had a conversation with a person who has aspergers and have struggled to make sense of his frequent non-sequiters and his painfully technical descriptions of his interests, then you know what it is like to read parts of this book. The technical explanations of sound waves and pranks can be engaging at first and then become somewhat tedious to read. I think this book rather brilliantly captures what it means to think like an aspergian and gives the reader a unique insight into this man's life. Robinson's writing feels beautifully authentic, but because he tells the story through his aspergers it can be a rather trying read at times.
If you are a reader who can appreciate stylistic nuance and who can take pleasure in books that challenge you to understand how language and form complement the underlying story, I think this is an enlightening read. However, if you are a reader who values storytelling and emotion, this may not be the kind of book that you will appreciate. In my opinion, you can learn more about aspergers from thinking about the way that he tells his story and by focusing on the style and language, than you can from simply piecing together the plot. This makes it an excellent piece of work, but sometimes a rather unexciting read.
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