Interesting fact #1: John Elder Robinson is Augusten Borroughs's older brother. We've read about him in nearly all of AB's works, and now we finally have a chance to get his point of view.
I picked up this book looking for more information about Asperger's Syndrome from a first-hand account, not for a laugh, but in Look Me in the Eye I found both. A story about growing up with Asperger's during a time when no one knew what it was and so assumed those affected were lazy or even psychopathic would have been interesting on its own. Likewise, we've seen in Borrough's works that their almost-too-bizarre-to-be-real family makes for some disturbing yet enthralling reading. Combine the two experiences and you've got a childhood few of us could have survived and the grounds for a fascinating memoir.
Interesting fact #2: Robinson's adult life is just as strange as his childhood.
He dropped out of high school at just sixteen years of age having made an almost perfect score on the GED, spent his newly found free time alternating between living in the woods and helping his like-minded friends with experiments that often ended with explosions and giant fires, and got his big break when he impressed Pink Floyd's sound crew with his knowledge of audio electronics. This led to a brief career modifying guitars to do things like smoke, glow, shoot sparks, and explode for Ace Frehley, Kiss's lead guitarist. He also worked as an engineer in a toy factory, tried his hand at climbing the corporate ladder, and ended up owning his own business.
The most important fact you need to know before reading the book:
Robinson's is a great success story. For much of his life, what he wanted more than anything was to have real friends and to understand what people expect of him during conversations and other interactions. He dedicated himself to studying proper social responses in different situations and has had successful careers, has been married, and is a father. Robinson has also made great strides in understanding his feelings, which is what enabled him to write this book. As an adult, he is able to look back on his earlier years and write about what he was feeling even though he didn't understand it at the time. This reflection along with the humor Robinson's life story brings makes this work a powerful memoir.
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