Raising Cubby
by
John Elder Robison
- Publisher: Crown; 1 edition (March 12, 2013)
- ISBN-10: 0307884848
- ISBN-13: 978-0307884848
The inspiring (and hilarious) memoir of a gloriously eccentric dad
raising an equally eccentric son, by the bestselling author of Look Me
in the Eye. John Elder Robison wasn't a model child. He was awkward in school;
he ran away from home; he threatened people with knives. As an adult, he
learned he had Asperger's syndrome, which explained a lot, and his
youthful shenanigans made for riotous stories. But it wasn't so funny
when his son, Cubby, started having trouble in school and seemed like he
might be headed the same way.
Not that John was a model dad, either. When Cubby asked, "Where did I come from?" John said he'd bought him at the Kid Store--and that the salesman had cheated him by promising Cubby would do chores. He ditched Good Night, Moon for stories he made up about nuclear-powered horses. He taught Cubby to drive at age twelve. Cubby turned out to have his father's intelligence but also some of his resistance to authority. At seventeen, he was brilliant enough in chemistry to make military-grade explosives, which led to a raid by the ATF. That woke John up to another thing he and Cubby shared: Asperger's syndrome.
This is an unforgettable memoir about a different boy being raised by a different father--and learning to cope with, even celebrate, the difference.
Not that John was a model dad, either. When Cubby asked, "Where did I come from?" John said he'd bought him at the Kid Store--and that the salesman had cheated him by promising Cubby would do chores. He ditched Good Night, Moon for stories he made up about nuclear-powered horses. He taught Cubby to drive at age twelve. Cubby turned out to have his father's intelligence but also some of his resistance to authority. At seventeen, he was brilliant enough in chemistry to make military-grade explosives, which led to a raid by the ATF. That woke John up to another thing he and Cubby shared: Asperger's syndrome.
This is an unforgettable memoir about a different boy being raised by a different father--and learning to cope with, even celebrate, the difference.
Purchase on Amazon
About the author . . .
John Elder Robison is a free range Aspergian male who grew up in the 1960s before the Asperger diagnosis came into common use. After dropping out of high school, John worked in the music business where he created sound effects and electronic devices, including the signature illuminated, smoking, and rocket firing guitars he built for KISS. Later John worked on some of the first video games and talking toys at Milton Bradley. After a ten year career in electronics John founded Robison Service, a specialty automobile company in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Robison Service grew to be one of the largest independent restoration and service specialists for BMW, Bentley, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mercedes, and Rolls Royce cars. The company has become one of the top-ranked Bosch Car Service centers in North America.
However, that wasn't enough. John wanted to do more; to find a way to give something back to other misfit kids who struggle to find their way in the world. Inspired by the reception of his brother's book Running With Scissors, John began speaking to groups of young people, and a year or two later, he decided to write a book. That book, Look Me in the Eye, was an instant bestseller.
John was launched on a new career, in addition to his successful car company.
When he's not at Robison Service, John now serves as an adjunct faculty in the department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Elms College in Chicopee, Massachusetts. He has served as a panel member for the Institute for Autism Research, The Centers for Disease Control, The National Institutes of Mental Health and Autism Speaks. John is involved in TMS autism research at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and serves on the advisory board for Mass General Hospital's YouthCare program.
John is very active in his efforts to support and promote research leading to therapies or treatments that will improve the lives of people who live with autism in all its forms today. John is widely known as an advocate for people with autism and neurological differences.
John is the author of Look Me in the Eye, my life with Asperger's, and Be Different, Adventures of a Free-range Aspergian. John's writing has been translated into ten languages and his work is sold in over 60 countries. His writing also appears in a number of magazines and he's a regular blogger on Psychology Today.
In addition to his autism advocacy work, John is a lifelong car enthusiast, an avid hiker, a photographer, a music lover, and a world-class champion eater. He lives in Amherst, Massachusetts.
Find John on the web:
Robison Service
John's personal site
John's blog
Goodreads
Reader Review . . .
John Elder Robison's life hasn't been typical. Raised in what some might call a dysfunctional family, he spent years wondering why he didn't fit in with others. His slant on life was slightly skewed and he did not fit in the traditional public school. Socially awkward, he had few friends until he met a girl he called Little Bear. Friends for years, their relationship finally turned romantic. After a few years of marriage, she gave birth to their only son, who John nicknamed Cubby. Although many of his quirks were his and his alone, he was similar enough to his parents that it may amaze readers to find that he was not diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome until many years after they were diagnosed.
This is an inspirational story of two parents, themselves "different", who managed to find a way to cope with a world they did not always understand while raising a child who also found the world to be a difficult place. Laugh-out-loud funny at times, it is also a touching tribute to the triumph of the human spirit.
5 stars
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
************************************************************************
***********************************************************************
2013 A-Z Reading Challenge
Do you love to read? You know I do! Escape with Dollycas Into a Good Book is hosting a reading challenge for 2013.This challenge will run from January 1st, 2012 until December 31st, 2013.
You
can join anytime. It’s an alphabet challenge!!! The challenge is to
read one book starting with every letter of the alphabet.
So there are two different ways you can set up your own A-Z Reading Challenge.
A - Make a list on your blog from A-Z. Throughout the year, as you go along, add the books you are reading to the list. Towards the end of the year, you can check and see which letters you are missing and find books to fit.
OR
B - Make a list now of 26 books, picking one for each letter of the alphabet. For example: A – The Azalea Assault B- Blue Monday C – Crops and Robbers D – A Deadly Grind etc.
Books can be read in any order and all formats – print – e-book – audio – are acceptable for this challenge!
So there are two different ways you can set up your own A-Z Reading Challenge.
A - Make a list on your blog from A-Z. Throughout the year, as you go along, add the books you are reading to the list. Towards the end of the year, you can check and see which letters you are missing and find books to fit.
OR
B - Make a list now of 26 books, picking one for each letter of the alphabet. For example: A – The Azalea Assault B- Blue Monday C – Crops and Robbers D – A Deadly Grind etc.
Books can be read in any order and all formats – print – e-book – audio – are acceptable for this challenge!
Ready to join??
Sign up at Escape with Dollycas Into a Good Book and grab the button.
Non-bloggers you can join too! Just keep track any way you wish and enter a link below if available or sign up in the comment section. You can even set up a special shelf on Goodreads to help you keep track!
Need some help finding titles to match the alphabet – Jandy’s Reading Room has a wonderful list to get you started.
Here is my list:
B
C CHRISTMAS WITH THE FIRST LADIES - COLLEEN CHRISTIAN BURKE
D THE DILEMMA OF CHARLOTTE FARROW- OLIVIA NEWPORT
E
F
G
H
I ICONIC SPIRITS: AN INTOXICATING HISTORY - MARK SPIVAK
J
K
L TO LOVE A WOLF - BK WALKER
M
N NEVER LET YOU GO - ERIN HEALY
O
P PERIL: FROM JACKBOOTS TO JACK BENNY - PEARL GOODMAN - 4 STARS
Q QUEEN OF THE AIR: A TRUE STORY OF LOVE AND TRAGEDY AT THE CIRCUS - DEAN JENSEN
R RAISING CUBBY-JOHN ELDER ROBISON
S
T THE POSTMISTRESS-SARAH BLAKE
U UNCONQUERED: THE SAGA OF COUSINS JERRY LEE LEWIS, JIMMY SWAGGART, AND MICKY GILLEY - J.D. DAVIS
V VANISHED-IRENE HANNON - 5 STARS
W
X
Y
Z
I will be updating my list and will keep it posted on here. Check back to see what I've read, and comment and let me know when you join the challenge. Here's to a year of good reading!
*****************************************************************************
"If animals could speak the dog would be a a blundering outspoken fellow, but the cat would have the rare grace of never saying a word too much."
- Mark Twain
3 comments:
Great review! This sounds like a book to add to my TBR.
You're doing great on your reading challenge. Loved this review, the book sounds delightful. :)
Thanks for your kind comments! This book really is worth reading. I hated to see it end.
Post a Comment