Kristen reviewed on 12/29/2010

This is a fascinating look at Asperger's from the point of view of someone with the disorder. First off, John Elder Robison is the brother of the author of Running with Scissors. I was a little nervous as I began the book that is would focus on parental abuse, but it is skimmed over that for the most part, he's writing stories about his life with Asperger's, not his life with less than stellar parents.

As far as the stories go, the guy can WRITE! He tells a story well, is engaging, each chapter is a new story and you're drawn into it as soon as you begin the chapter. Since I'm not a short story fan, that's a huge skill, in my opinion.

The best part of this book is the glimpse into daily life as an Aspie. If you're the parent of a child with Asperger's, you will see your child throughout this book. Their thought process, their trouble with social interaction, their confusion when presented with situations you wouldn't think twice about. I admit, he's highly functioning, as he ends up holding management positions with impressive companies managing as many as 20 employees. You do sit there thinking, "Well, my kid might not ever achieve that level" but then you realize that he did this as a HS drop-out, with no medical diagnosis, no IEP, no loving parents trying to smooth the waves as he ventured out into the world. He just did what he knew and when he got in over his head, he knew that, too. It's rather inspiring to read about.

Definitely recommend this book overall, but a must-read for a parent or teacher of an Asperger's child.

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