My Review of "Look Me in the Eye"

John Elder Robison's Look Me in the Eye:  My Life with Asperger's is an amazing memoir that highlights, by nearly every measure, Robison has lived a remarkable life.  He created smoking guitars and other special effects for the rock band Kiss, worked on video games for a toy company and was featured in a best-selling memoir written by his brother, the author Augusten Burroughs.

But what is surprising about Robison is that he unknowingly lived most of his life on the autism spectrum.  It wasn't until his 40s that a psychologist friend suggested he might have Asperger's syndrome, a disorder often considered a high-functioning form of autism.  People with Asperger's usually have average or above-average intelligence, but they lack the intuitive ability to read social cues and find it difficult to make friends and form relationships.  Characteristics of Asperger's include difficulty maintaining eye contact and a single-mindedness that can be odd and frustrating but also act to fuel creative genius.

The title refers to the countless times teachers, parents and other adults demanded eye contact from him as a young child.  But Look Me in the Eye isn't a tragic tale.  It's an entertaining, provocative and highly-readable story by a great storyteller who happens to have Asperger's. 

 What is most remarkable about Robison's story is that it is surprisingly easy to relate to, and on nearly ever page I found a new insight into my husband's life (who also has been diagnosed with Asperger's).  

Reading Look Me in the Eye book will leave you with a slightly altered world view.  He makes you question the logic of human emotions, telling the story of how he smiled after hearing news that someone had died.  Bystanders were horrified by his insensitivity, but in his head his reaction made perfect sense.  He was merely happy and relieved to know that everyone in his own family was safe.

For parents of children with Asperger's, this is a story of hope.  Despite living most of his life without a diagnosis, Robison experienced many of the milestones that define a so-called "normal" life.  He got married, had a child, got divorced and remarried a second time.  He enjoyed professional success long before his book was a best seller.  In addition to the rock band special effects and work as a toy company engineer and manager, he now runs his own business restoring luxury cars.

I received a free copy of this book as part of the Blogging for Books program in exchange for my honest review here.