Look Me in the Eye
by John Elder Robison · first published 2007
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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-
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…school. I either grasped the subject intuitively and didn't need to be taught, or I didn't get it at all, and had to teach myself. I never quite understood this, but in my 40s a friend who had just read LOOK ME IN THE EYE, by Jon Elder Robison, suggested that I read the book, because I reminded her of him. I read the book and my head exploded. Not long after that I was officially diagnosed. It explained so many things…
on “The Educational Tyranny of the Neurotypicals” ↗…spectrum and you simply got wrong how social interactions work - if you cannot afford a therapist, you could look around for books on the topic. Unfortunately can't think of any now, apart from maybe "Look me in the eye" by John Elder Robison Then the ultimate way to get a job when you are unemployable is to start a company. I know this sounds stupid when you are on the brink of being homeless, but you could consider…
on “Ask HN: How can a unhireable person get a job?” ↗It's an open secret that many of the heavy metal musicians on the 80s scene were huge nerds. John Elder Robison in his book Look Me In The Eye wrote about designing guitars with special effects -- they could belch smoke, etc. -- for major bands like KISS, and got to meet the band members. He did describe them as "nerds" (being very much on the…
on “The pop and rock greats who love model railways” ↗Jesus Christ, this guy is the author of 4 books all related to autism? - Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's (2007) - Be Different: My Adventures with Asperger's and My Advice for Fellow Aspergians, Misfits, Families, and Teachers (2012) - Raising Cubby: A Father and Son's Adventures…
on “What It’s Like to ‘Wake Up’ from Autism After Magnetic Stimulation” ↗