Title of the Book:
Look me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's
Author: John Elder Robison
Number of Pages: 282
Rating:
☆☆☆☆☆
Review:
“Look me in
the eye, young man!” John Elder Robison’s life was filled with these comments. “What’s
wrong with him?” “Why are you looking at me like I’m a specimen in a jar?”
Until being diagnosed with Asperger’s in his forties, John Elder Robison was
living his life undiagnosed with no treatment or help. Later in life, he found
support from his wife and children, but had to teach himself how to act in social
situations. Throughout his story, Robison explains to the audience how he had
to adapt and conform to society’s ideas of “normal” in order to feel accepted.
Living with
Asperger’s hasn’t been easy for Robison, but with the support of his few
friends, younger brother, wife, and kids, he has come to tell his story from
his perspective. Growing up, Robison lived in a rough home, with a mentally ill
mother and alcoholic father, dropping out of school because it was too easy.
His natural abilities in mechanics allowed him to pursue sound and light design
for bands like KISS. After leaving the industry, he settled down with his
family and began writing.
This book
is so vastly different from any other books out there, because Robison’s
perspective is hardly ever seen. People with Asperger’s and other forms of
autism don’t often write books, and even if they do, they are never really
interesting in the public’s eye. Look me
in the Eye shows Robison’s ups and down through life, and how he learned to
act “appropriately” in society. He teaches us readers without Asperger’s what
his life was like, how he saw the world, and the process he would go through
when conversing with people or dealing with difficult situations. It also shows
his character development from childhood to adulthood, learning along the way
and bringing readers along for a journey they’ve never seen before.
The way
Robison writes is very blunt and tells it how it is. He doesn’t leave out any
parts of his life that might seem “distasteful” to certain audiences, but he
also tries his best to make sure the reader understands his situation and
perspective. He always explains why he did what he did and leads the reader through
his thought process. Robison’s tone is very informative, and the book is
written almost like the reader is sitting and having a conversation with him. I
quite like that he lays everything out for the reader, so even the people who
understand the least about Asperger’s can really grasp what he’s trying to say
and don’t come out of the reading offended by anything Robison said or did.
A few
memorable moments include Robison’s tricks and traps that he sets for his
little brother, his run-ins with the law at a Caribbean island, becoming part
of the KISS band, and finally settling down with his family in the end. The way
he explains each of these scenes and times in his life really brings the reader
into the moment and Robison focuses less on his Asperger’s and more on the
experiences of his life. He really tries to make the audience understand that
he lives life just like any other person, with some very crazy and chaotic
times and some more calm, almost depressing times as well.
Overall,
the book starts out a little slow and continues that way. It’s not a reading
that has the reader on the edge of their seat, nor is it a reading many people
would finish in one night. However, it is extremely eye opening and
informative. For anyone who is curious about the perspectives of Aspergian
individuals, this book is a perfect read. It may help some readers realize they
are not alone in their lives, and it may also help some teachers better
understand the lives of their students. For those who are curious, for those
who don’t know, and for those who feel they have something to learn: read this
book. Take your time, consider the writing, and reread it if you don’t
understand the author’s logic the first time.
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