The bestselling author John Elder Robison discusses his latest book, Raising Cubby: A Father and Son’s Adventures with Asperger’s, Trains, Tractors, and High Explosives (Doubleday, 2013), with Joseph Planta.

Raising Cubby: A Father and Son’s Adventures with Asperger’s, Trains, Tractors, and High Explosives by John Elder Robison (Doubleday, 2013). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Raising Cubby

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver at TheCommentary.ca.

John Elder Robison joins me again. He has just published a new book that’s a funny, sweet, engaging and charming memoir: Raising Cubby: A Father and Son’s Adventures with Asperger’s, Trains, Tractors, and High Explosives. Mr. Robison’s first book Look Me in the Eye, published in 2007, gave the reader a view onto his life and his late diagnosis of Asperger’s. He was 40 when he first found out what he had, which gave his behaviour a name. His second book, Be Different, which was out two years ago, and which he was on this program to talk about, looked at the Aspergian mind. This new book looks at his son, Jack, known more affectionately as Cubby, his own Asperger’s, their relationship, and the unfortunate circumstances their family found themselves in when a prosecutor pursued Cubby with charges that he was a terrorist. Why? Because Cubby, long interested in chemistry was inquisitive enough, and resourceful enough to want to build explosives in the back yard. Part of this book looks at the trial, and gives us necessary insight into the sort of conversations we need to have in society about our reaction to those with Autism. It’s frequently reported in the press, the epidemic nature of Autism, its causes, whether it’s vaccines or something else. Yet, there’s scarcely any dialogue, especially in light of the tragedy at Newtown. It was quickly reported that Adam Lanza had Asperger’s, and in fact had Mr. Robison’s first book in his house. Soon enough the connection with violence and Asperger’s was made. I’ll get Mr. Robison to tell us about this book, about the discussion that he feels needs to happen, and what we can all do better. This book is published by Doubleday. Visit www.johnrobison.com for more. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, John Elder Robison; Mr. Robison, good morning.

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