Be Different : : Adventures of a Free-Range Aspergian With Practical Advice for Aspergians, Misfits, Families & Teachers

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Includes index.
In his bestselling memoir, Look Me in the Eye, the author described growing up with Asperger's syndrome at a time when the diagnosis didn't exist. He was intelligent but socially isolated; his talents won him jobs with toy makers and rock bands but did little to endear him to authority figures and classmates, who were put off by his inclination to blurt out non sequiturs and avoid eye contact. By the time he was diagnosed at age forty, he had already developed a myriad of coping strategies that helped him achieve a seemingly normal, even highly successful, life. In this new book he shares a new batch of stories about his childhood, adolescence, and young adult years, giving the reader a rare window into the Aspergian mind. In each story, he offers practical advice, for Aspergians and indeed for anyone who feels "different", on how to improve the weak communication and social skills that keep so many people from taking full advantage of their often remarkable gifts. He addresses questions like: How to read others and follow their behaviors when in uncertain social situations; Why manners matter; How to harness your powers of concentration to master difficult skills; How to deal with bullies; When to make an effort to fit in, and when to embrace eccentricity; How to identify special gifts and use them to your advantage; The message this book puts forth is that every person, Aspergian or not, has something unique to offer the world, and every person has the capacity to create strong, loving bonds with their friends and family, and its goal is to help readers and those they love find their path to success.

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A Different Memoir submitted by sdunav on June 25, 2011, 2:49pm Really interesting advice manual/memoir by the author of "Look Me in the Eye". It is occasionally repetitive, and his writing style is a little different (hmm, as the title implies it may be), but it was a very useful glimpse into the perspectives of someone with autism.

I love his word "nypical" (neurotypical, if not exactly normal)

First-person view of Aspergers submitted by doctorfang on July 26, 2015, 11:04pm The author has lived a fascinating, successful life, and just happens to have Aspergers. He has a wonderful sense of humor, and a rich trove of stories based on his career designing guitars and guitar effects (flaming guitar) for the likes of KISS. Truly an interesting read.