The subtitle suggests that this is a memoir about having Asperger's syndrome. Actually, it's a book about a guy who grew up in a wildly dysfunctional family, who had a series of adventures, and who turned out okay. Many of his idiosyncrasies, however, have nothing to do with Asperger's. His Asperger's isn't even particularly salient in this memoir. What stuck out for me was his obsession with practical jokes, some quite elaborate, all apparently executed because Robison derives enormous enjoyment from humiliating people. (This is not a feature of Asperger's.) And yet, throughout the book, he whines about how he felt humiliated in many situations. His annoying habit of insisting on his own names for things (e.g., "Aspergian," which is his own peculiar term) also has nothing to do with Asperger's. Robison likes to entertain an audience with outlandish stories, and that's what he's doing here. If that's your idea of a good read, you'll enjoy this book.

I found this book through Amazon's "Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought" and my interest was peeked when I read that he's the brother of Augusten Burroughs. I personally enjoyed this book more than Running with Scissors. I like looking into the mind of someone that thinks differently. I'm a slow reader, but I read through this on a 5 day vacation because I had a hard time putting it down.


Thank you John for sharing your story with us. I hope you have more to share in the future.

I WAS DISAPPOINTED IN THIS BOOK. I HAVE A NEPHEW WHO HAS ASPERGER'S SYNDROME. I WAS LOOKING FOR THINGS THAT WOULD HELP ME TO HELP HIM. THE BOOK SEEMED A BIT LIKE "RUNNING WITH SCISSORS".

This book is a reassuring recounting of John's turbulent growth through Aspbergers. He does an amazing job of identifying the difference in his perceptions and how he was able to alter them over time. John shows incredible insight as he reveals what caused him problems and shows typical Aspergish integrity in his life.
I got this book for my son,hoping it might affirm what I have been saying. It affirmed that this is not a defect,shame has no part of life with Aspberger syndrome,he will find his way and it does not need to be by some formula of "normalcy"

As many other reviewers have said, this is a good read and an entertaining picture of what it's like to see the world through the author's eyes. But he also makes some very important points about Asperger's, namely:

1. Aspies are socially inept because they lack innate abilities that we take for granted: how to pick up on behavioral cues, empathy, etc.

2. They're not sociopaths; they're interested in other people and want to join in social activities, but they don't instinctively know how to behave in those situations and often say or do exactly the wrong thing.

3. Because they're logical and intelligent, Aspies can be taught the appropriate social behavior. Robison figured it out for himself in late childhood, and from then on he was able to make friends, but having some guidance at an early age would have spared him years of frustration.

I read the book because I suspected that a young man of my acquaintance is an Aspie -- and, after reading it, I'm sure he is. Unfortunately, his family seems convinced that he's hopelessly "weird" and "antisocial" and doomed to a life on the margins of society. I plan to recommend the book to his relatives, because I'm sure that if he's diagnosed and trained, he'll be able to lead a full, productive life.

As the mother of a 19-year old daughter with AS (first diagnosed by a neurologist at the age of 5), I read this book with mixed emotions. AS is becoming better recognized as a disorder distinct from "traditional" autism, but the mental suffering of those who are truly high-functioning, including my daughter, at the hands of the ignorant, children and adults alike, is still pervasive.

I am particularly concerned about Robison's self-description as a savant. That and genius in a "normal" person are somewhat different things. This, and the fact that he cannot comprehend the very complex logic that drives humor, are, I think, rather telling. Most autistic savants have one or two special abilities that may manifest themselves in multiple ways. But these abilities tend to be concrete and non-symbolic rather than more usual left hemisphere skills that are more logical and symbolic. Those with AS tend to use both hemispheres more-or-less equally, while "normal" people are largely left-brained.

This author may well have AS (as opposed to "true" high-functioning autism), but I am not convinced. This does not make his memoir any less important, but in my opinion, his disorder as he himself describes it does not seem to be a typical model of AS, nor would I see him as particularly high-functioning. His self-description lacks insight, and therefore makes it misleading. In particular, his misunderstanding of savant skills and misreading of such things as body language and social communication are more autistic than AS. Persons with AS may have such difficulties, but they are also more likely to simply exhibit literalism and anxiety with regard to change than Robison seems to do, and to be more aware of their disabilities from an early age.

Those readers who may see AS in themselves or others based on mere observation after reading this book would be well advised to delve further into the subject before participating in the creation of the next "flavor of the month".

This book was very enlightening to me, especially as a parent of a recently diagnosed Asperger's child. To read of John Elder's childhood experiences from his point of view gave me such a different perspective. I gave copies of the book to my child's teachers since they are all new at working with forms of autism and it's been helpful. A friend of mine read the book and now believes he has Asperger's (he read the electronics section about the KISS projects and totally understood what the author had written!). I really enjoyed the book -- relatively easy reading but so eye-opening.

This book is a must read for anyone who is living with or knows someone with Asbergers. The descriptions of his feelings and life experiences gives great insight into how Aspergian minds work. It makes it much easier to understand the Aspergian and why they do and say the things they do. At the same time, it's entertaining. This book gives you a little bit of everything, comedy, drama, information, etc. I highly recommend it.

A young boy learns by trial and error to be a productive part of society. He overcomes many challenges (physical abuse from his drunk father, a mentally unstable Mother, difficulty with peers, later on in life he learns he has asperger's) and succeeds.
My favorite parts of the book were his "functional naming", pranks he plays on family members, teachers, co workers, and how he protects himself from snakes. I laughed out loud. I loved it. I hope to read more books by this author. His brother Augusten Burroughs is also an exellent story teller.

This was such an amazing book. It really helped me understand Asperger's, and yet John made his experiences hysterical. He is a great writer and I would reccomend the book to anyone.

"I realized I was standing outside, next to a pool full of kids and sunbathing parents, in my underwear, waving a smoking revolver." To many, perhaps this scenario would be considered a sign of insanity; for Robison it is one of many true to life gems that enrich his tale. Written by the brother of Augusten Borroughs (of Running with Scissors fame), this memoir shows another side of the family story. Yet beyond being just another familial chronicle, this work of what Robison refers to as an "Aspergian," or someone diagnosed with Asperger's, a syndrome on the autism spectrum. Through clear explanations and life examples we gain insight into the difficulty someone with Asperger's has in reading and reacting to social cues like that of facial expressions or conversational nuances, understandings that most of us naturally take for granted.

Along the way, Robison takes us through a childhood full of social missteps and an especially challenging set of parents, not failing to include experiences from a job on the road with KISS, as well as a job working for 'the man' at corporate Milton Bradley, rounded out with tales from the ultimate prankster. A book not for the faint of heart, it is interspersed with undoubtedly dark moments amidst his personal triumphs.

The author's writing flows intuitively, reflecting his preference for a utilitarian approach seen in many aspects of his work and lifestyle. He is clear, forthright and is a trusted voice while coloring, well, a colorful life story. If his brother's memoir Running with Scissors was hard to believe, it could be said that this memoir confirms a youth where truth is much stranger than fiction.

Robison proves to be a sort of hero, actually. He survives an abusive childhood, as well as a lifetime of being undiagnosed, a factor that left him feeling quite different from the norm without having the comfort of a concrete reason. Yet, despite this condition that brings along severe social challenges, he is a successful individual of his own right and trains himself on how to work within society's standard operating procedures.

Ultimately, this is the story of an individual who has learned to live in his own truth and has successfully harnessed the humor found in even the darkest of moments. Although the final few chapters feel like a choppy addition to the storyline continuum, laughing aloud at various intervals throughout the book is practically a guarantee. Hopefully this book will reach a broader audience spreading awareness and improving understanding about Asperger's; although, it is still important to remember that this is a rendering of just one man's experience.

Quill Says: If you like peeking into the unique adventures and thought processes of another person, this book will quench that thirst.

Having read and enjoyed several of Augusten Burroughs' books, I was curious as to how good a writer John Elder would be. I also wanted to know more about Aspergers since my youngest grandson is thought to be on the autism spectrum. I found the book more than informative. John Elder's writing is more functional and easier to read than his brother--not to disparage his brother, but to point out the difference in writing styles. I found myself wanting to continue reading to "see what happens next." As a Georgia resident, I enjoyed his references to Georgia. My late husband's family was from Cairo, Ga. and my son is an attorney in Lawrenceville. I am fascinated by memoirs having written my own. I find some to be too bogged down in frivolity and unnecessary description. I prefer to have the story written in a straight forward manner, as this one is. I hope mine is as easy for readers to read as this book was for me.
Sandee CarlisleForgetting the Hurt, Remember the Hope: A Memoir of Endurance

This is exactly what we needed! Awareness, understanding, and the perspective that is MOST important but not heard from enough. This book is funny, easy to read, and so easy to relate to if you are lucky enough to be loved by & love an Aspie :).

Ever since I learned about Asperger's syndrome, I have been wanting to know more. When I read the first review of the book in People magazine I knew I had to read it. I sensed that someone I loved very much just might have Aspergian traits and I hoped this book would answer some questions I had. I expected more of a textbook nonfiction book and was quite surprised to find that it was a tale of growing up, outside the definition of "normal." I sat down with a highlighter expecting to mark the most relevant parts and just read with serious attention rather than studying the facts. To always wonder why you aren't accepted would challenge anyone, but John Elder Robison learned how to survive and grow to accept his differences and overcome criticism of teachers, family and friends. He found his own happiness and was able to accept who he was and become successful in his own world and share his intellect and thought processes with all of us. Can I actually say that my loved one has Aspergian traits now that I've read the book? No, but I have learned some ways to deal with a highly intellectual, very analytical and logical human being. Thank you, John Elder.

We have an amazing and gifted son with Aspergers.

I first heard about this book listening to NPR on my way to work one day. When I arrived at work, two of my colleagues had heard John as well and made sure to tell me about John and his book. That weekend, my in-laws visited from New York and my mother-in-law already was halfway through the book. That Sunday evening I got my own copy before a business trip and read it on a flight from Boston to San Jose. I could not put it down.

I recommend this book for parents, teachers, grand parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, girlfriends, boyfriends, school bus drivers, neighbors, colleagues, managers and anyone else who interacts with a person in the Autism spectrum.

This book gave me tremendous insights to my son and how my son views his world, which is very differnt than how I view mine. I was given the lense or decoder ring that helped me see (or at least begin to understand)what my son sees and feels, does not see and does not feel. I was so entertained and moved by John's book that I sent him an email of thanks immediately upon arrival at the San Jose airport.

When John was a preteen and teen, he wanted to make friends but did not know how, which is the opposite of most perceptions of children with Asperger's. In John's adult years, he now wishes that his parents and other mentors in his life pushed him more to engage socially. I took this to heart. This has proven true with my son who just recently said that he wants to make friends but is afraid to fail and that he may be viewed as goofy. All kids feel this way, I know, but it is so profound and acute with my son and John. This and many other passages in the book helped me tremendously.

This is an entertaining and at times dark and funny book you should read.