Quotes from John Elder Robison

First, he taught me how to walk. Then, armed with sticks and dead snakes, he chased me and I learned how to run.

One of the hardest things about my emotional awakening was the way it reshaped so many of my memories. It may sound crazy, but all too often, it turned formerly good memories bad. And there's no balance. There's not a single bad memory that's now turned to good. (Page 211, the first paragraph of the "Rewriting History" chapter)

The world is full of friendly people with no technical skills.

It was the first place where I was thrown together with children I didn't know. It didn't go well.

Most of the time, I played by myself, with my toys. I liked the more complex toys, especially blocks and Lincoln Logs. I still remember the taste of Lincoln Logs.

I named him Poodle, beginning a long tradition of functional pet naming.

I would make my own war movie for trick-or-treaters, one in which they would be the stars.

It was that time of the night when most of the drunks were already home in bed. The crickets were done chirping, and the birds weren't ready to herald sunrise.

Many descriptions of autism and Asperger's describe people like me as "not wanting contact with others" or "preferring to play alone." I can't speak for other kids, but I'd like to be very clear about my own feelings: I did not ever want to be alone.

You can still graduate," my guidance counselor said. But I doubted his sincerity

Kids who love organic chemistry invariably explore one of two things—drugs or explosives. Cubby chose explosives.