Raising Cubby

The slyly funny, sweetly moving memoir of an unconventional dad&;s relationship with his equally offbeat son&;complete with fast cars, tall tales, homemade explosives, and a whole lot of fun and trouble

John Robison was not your typical dad. Diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome at the age of forty, he approached fatherhood as a series of logic puzzles and practical jokes. Instead of a speech about the birds and the bees, he told his son, Cubby, that he’d bought him at the Kid Store&;and that the salesman had cheated him by promising Cubby would &;do all chores.&; While other parents played catch with their kids, John taught Cubby to drive the family’s antique Rolls-Royce. Still, Cubby seemed to be turning out pretty well, at least until school authorities decided that he was dumb and stubborn&;the very same thing John had been told as a child. Did Cubby have Asperger&;s too? The answer was unclear.

One thing was clear, though: By the time he turned seventeen, Cubby had become a brilliant and curious chemist&;smart enough to make military-grade explosives and bring federal agents calling. With Cubby facing a felony trial&;and up to sixty years in prison&;both father and son were forced to take stock of their lives, finally accepting that being &;on the spectrum&; is both a challenge and a unique gift.