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For me, it was a little ragged but very interesting. Really was uplifting in a sense because John Elder has accomplished so much and is a real inspiration. Wow. Ha, my aspie doesn't have any trouble getting it totally. Good read. It really helps to already know what aspergers is all about. My husband at 47 was just diagnosed and we both have read this book.
Of course, Robinson learned a lot to enable himself to get where he is now, most importantly to work with his strengths and to practice introspection. Sometimes I think I can relate better to a good machine than any kind of person. I've thought about why that is, and I've come up with a few ideas. No matter how big the machine, I am in charge. By then, I knew I wasn't being shifty or evasive when I failed to meet someone's gaze, and I had started to wonder why so many adults equated that behavior with shiftiness and evasiveness.
Robinson talks about the thing he's always had for machines: "Many people with Asperger's have an affinity for machines. They are predictable. It's the reason I picked up the book. Note: John Elder Robison is Augusten Burroughs' (RUNNING WITH SCISSORS) older brother.
"I have a lot of trouble reading other people. He's successful. You gotta love the cover of the paperback edition of LOOK ME IN THE EYE: MY LIFE WITH ASPERGER'S. One thought is that I control the machines. I am not very good at looking at people and knowing whether they like me, or they're mad, or they're just waiting for me to say something.
He didn't graduate from high school, didn't go to college, but he did design "fire-breathing" guitars for KISS, solve problems as an electrical engineer, marry twice, and start a business called J E Robinson Service that repairs and restores Rolls-Royces, Land Rovers, and Mercedes cars. They don't trick me, and they're never mean. That's why I usually look somewhere neutral--at the ground or off into the distance--when I'm talking to someone. It features a photo of a geeky-eared boy, his eyes and mouth scrunched shut in a "you-can't-make-me" way.
As a grown-up, I don't usually come to a complete stop, but I may still pause if something catches my eye. "To this day, when I speak, I find visual input to be distracting. In fact, I don't really understand why it's considered normal to stare at someone's eyeballs." I'm glad I read this book, because it gave me some understanding about people like Robinson, whom I consider rude, clueless, or just plain weird. I don't have problems like that with machines." He also talks about "Looking people in the eye":"I was well into my teenage years before I figured out that I wasn't a killer, or worse. When I was younger, if I saw something interesting I might begin to watch it and stop speaking entirely.
I'd like to think this understanding will help me think before I judge. Those of us with Asperger's are just not comfortable doing it. Because speaking while watching things has always been difficult for me, learning to drive a car and talk at the same time was tough one, but I mastered it."And now I know it is perfectly natural for me not to look at someone when I talk.
Author John Elder Robison has Asperger's. Also, by then I had met shifty and scummy people who did look me in the eye, making me think the people who complained about me were hypocrites. Machines don't talk back. (I think he would admit he's isn't typical of someone who has Asperger's; no one is typical).
We don't interact as equals.
Sections when John was talking about his thought process for meeting a little girl, or how he "helped" other kids play with things the "right way" really opened my eyes.We had a problem with our son smiling/laughing after someone was hurt or sad.John even outlined his thoughts when a moment like this happened to him.Thank you so much for opening the door to my son's mind. My 5 year old son was diagnosed with Asperger's this year. When I searched to find a book that might give me insight into how Aspergians think, this book jumped out at me.The title is something I said to my son over and over again.
I too went through my period of trying different things, attempting to find out where I fit in the world. At last, I not only found out what I've been dealing with, I also found that I was not alone.
I pity the folks who gave this book one star, but understand that unless you lived the life, or realize that there are many levels in the Austism spectrum, you will not be able to accept that John's life (or mine) could be attributed to Aspergers. I've since found out the joy of finding many others, and rejoicing in my diagnosis.
I recently was diagnosed with Aspergers after a lifetime of trying to figure out why I was so different than everyone else. But buying and reading John's book put me over the edge.
John's book lifted a ton of weight off of me, and I cherish my copy. I was mis-diagnosed with ADD, ADHD, you name it, they guessed at it.
I came close to tears when I found out that I have Aspergers, the relief was beyond belief.
This book did nothing to help me understand the Asperger's mind. I wish I could get my money back. If you googled Asperger's and looked at the "symptoms", you would see almost NO correlation between John and Asperger's.
He, John Elder, says that he was mislabelled a "social deviant". Yes, John is an incredibly bright man. I purchased this book, in the hopes that it would help me, and my 19 year old son (who was very recently diagnosed with Asperger's), to understand -- from an "Aspergian's" point of view -- what is going on.
His pranks, were sometimes hilarious, and more often destructive, and illegal, and just mean. It was just filled with with juvenile delinquent stories. I think that label is more accurate than Asperger's.
All of his antics showed that he came from a very very broken home, and his pranks were, in my opinion, his way of getting attention.
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