Look Me in the Eye
Encyclopedia
Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's is a New York Times bestseller by John Elder Robison
, chronicling the author's life with Asperger syndrome
and tough times growing up.
on the Crown imprint of Random House
, Look Me in the Eye describes how Robison grew up as a misfit in the 1960s, at a time when the Asperger syndrome diagnosis did not exist in the United States
. The book describes how Robison learns to fit in, without actually knowing why he was different. His situation was made even more complicated at times by his neglectful and abusive father and a some-what crazed mother. After dropping out of school, he had a sudden fascination of sound engineering and electronics. His large interest led to unusual career choices, including time with Pink Floyd
's sound company, making special effects for the band Kiss
, designing electronic games and toys for Mattel
, and starting his own business repairing and restoring European cars. Robison finally learned about Asperger syndrome
in 1996, at age 39, and his life was transformed by the knowledge. He was first introduced to the public in his brother, Augusten Burroughs
', memoir Running with Scissors. He wrote Look Me in the Eye as his perspective of the family and his life in 2006, after the death of his father.
by the Crown imprint of Random House
in the United States. The book is also available as a Random House Audiobook, with the abridged version narrated by Robison himself. The paperback was published by Three Rivers Press
in September 2008. Look Me in the Eye is also published and distributed by Random House
in Canada
, Australia
and New Zealand
. The British edition is available from Ebury Books.
In 2008, foreign editions were published in England
, Italy
, the Netherlands
, France
, Germany
, Spain
, Portugal
, Brazil
, and Taiwan
.
John Elder Robison
John Elder Robison is the author of the 2007 memoir Look Me in the Eye, detailing his life living with Asperger syndrome. He is the elder brother of memoirist Augusten Burroughs, who also wrote about his childhood in the memoir Running with Scissors.-Life:Robison was born in Athens, Georgia while...
, chronicling the author's life with Asperger syndrome
Asperger syndrome
Asperger's syndrome that is characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction, alongside restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests. It differs from other autism spectrum disorders by its relative preservation of linguistic and cognitive development...
and tough times growing up.
Story
Published in 20072007 in literature
The year 2007 in literature involves some significant new books.-Events:*November 19 - First Kindle e-book reader released.*December 11 - Terry Pratchett informs fans on-line that he has been diagnosed with a rare form of Alzheimer's disease.-Literature:...
on the Crown imprint of Random House
Random House
Random House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
, Look Me in the Eye describes how Robison grew up as a misfit in the 1960s, at a time when the Asperger syndrome diagnosis did not exist in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The book describes how Robison learns to fit in, without actually knowing why he was different. His situation was made even more complicated at times by his neglectful and abusive father and a some-what crazed mother. After dropping out of school, he had a sudden fascination of sound engineering and electronics. His large interest led to unusual career choices, including time with Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
's sound company, making special effects for the band Kiss
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
, designing electronic games and toys for Mattel
Mattel
Mattel, Inc. is the world's largest toy company based on revenue. The products it produces include Fisher Price, Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and Matchbox toys, Masters of the Universe, American Girl dolls, board games, and, in the early 1980s, video game consoles. The company's name is derived from...
, and starting his own business repairing and restoring European cars. Robison finally learned about Asperger syndrome
Asperger syndrome
Asperger's syndrome that is characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction, alongside restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests. It differs from other autism spectrum disorders by its relative preservation of linguistic and cognitive development...
in 1996, at age 39, and his life was transformed by the knowledge. He was first introduced to the public in his brother, Augusten Burroughs
Augusten Burroughs
Augusten Xon Burroughs is an American writer known for his New York Times bestselling memoir Running with Scissors .- Life :...
', memoir Running with Scissors. He wrote Look Me in the Eye as his perspective of the family and his life in 2006, after the death of his father.
Publishers and international editions
Look Me in the Eye was originally published in hardcoverHardcover
A hardcover, hardback or hardbound is a book bound with rigid protective covers...
by the Crown imprint of Random House
Random House
Random House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
in the United States. The book is also available as a Random House Audiobook, with the abridged version narrated by Robison himself. The paperback was published by Three Rivers Press
Three Rivers Press
Three Rivers Press is the trade paperback imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House. It publishes original paperback titles as well as paperback reprints of books issued initially in hardcover by the other Crown imprints.- History :...
in September 2008. Look Me in the Eye is also published and distributed by Random House
Random House
Random House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. The British edition is available from Ebury Books.
In 2008, foreign editions were published in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, and Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
.
- PortuguesePortuguese languagePortuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
edition: Olhe Nos Meus Olhos - Minha vida com a Sindrome de Asperger, Larousse May 2008. - GermanGerman languageGerman is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
edition: Schau mich an! Mein Leben mit Asperger, Fackelträger Verlag, September 2008.