Look me in the eye John Elder Robinson Book
by John Elder Robinson

John is now in his 50's, but grew up almost his whole life never having a diagnosis for what was wrong with him. As a child and young adult, he had a very tough time fitting in with others and was often made to feel like an outcast or misfit. Many people wrote him off as just being "bad" or troubled, as Asperger's was really not heard of until more recent years. His childhood was difficult because of his inability to connect with others, and a very disturbing household with mentally ill and somewhat abusive parents. This memoir chronicles a lot of John's life from childhood until now. He regales us with many stories, both funny and sad. It is broken down into 30 or more chapters, each a story of its own that chronicles something about his life. Despite his Asperger's, he has managed to live a fascinating and successful life. At one point, he talks about how he got into engineering and the music scene, even going on tour for awhile with the band KISS and engineering guitars for them with special effects. He now owns a successful car repair business, is married and has a son. In his 40's, he was finally diagnosed with Asperger's, which revealed a lot to him and helped him understand himself.