“Beautifully told, humanizing, important…showing us there are other ways to think and work and live.” New York Times Book Review
Description
This New York Times bestseller upends conventional thinking about autism and suggests a broader model for acceptance, understanding, and full participation in society for people who think differently.
What is autism: a lifelong disability or a naturally occurring form of cognitive difference akin to certain forms of genius? In truth, it is both of these things and more—and the future of our society depends on our understanding it. Wired reporter Steve Silberman unearths the secret history of autism, long suppressed by the same clinicians who became famous for discovering it, and finds surprising answers to the crucial question of why the number of diagnoses has soared in recent years.
Going back to the earliest days of autism research and chronicling the brave and lonely journey of autistic people and their families through the decades, Silberman provides long-sought solutions to the autism puzzle, while mapping out a path for our society toward a more humane world in which people with learning differences and those who love them have access to the resources they need to live happier, healthier, more secure, and more meaningful lives.
Along the way, he reveals the untold story of Hans Asperger, the father of Asperger’s syndrome, whose “little professors” were targeted by the darkest social-engineering experiment in human history; exposes the covert campaign by child psychiatrist Leo Kanner to suppress knowledge of the autism spectrum for fifty years; and casts light on the growing movement of “neurodiversity” activists seeking respect, support, technological innovation, accommodations in the workplace and in education, and the right to self-determination for those with cognitive differences.
Praise
“Beautifully told, humanizing, important…showing us there are other ways to think and work and live.” New York Times Book Review
“Silberman has surely written the definitive book about [autism’s] past.” The Economist (London)
“A comprehensive history of the science and culture surrounding autism studies…an essential resource.” Nature
“A historical tour of autism, richly populated with fascinating and engaging characters, and a rallying call to respect difference.” Science magazine
“The best book you can read to understand autism.” Gizmodo
Details
| Language | English |
|---|---|
| Release Day | Aug 24, 2015 |
| Release Date | August 25, 2015 |
| Release Date Machine | 1440460800 |
| Imprint | Blackstone Publishing |
| Provider | Blackstone Publishing |
| Categories | Health & Wellness, Politics & Social Sciences, Social Sciences, Psychology & Mental Health, Nonfiction - Adult, Nonfiction - All |
Author Bio
Steve Silberman (1957–2024) wrote the award–winning, bestselling nonfiction book on autism, NeuroTribes. As a journalist, he covered science and cultural affairs for Wired and other national magazines for more than twenty years. He was awarded the AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Award for Magazine Writing. His writing has appeared in the New Yorker, Time, Nature, and Salon.
Narrator Bio
William Hughes is an AudioFile Earphones Award–winning narrator. A professor of political science at Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Oregon, he received his doctorate in American politics from the University of California at Davis. He has done voice-over work for radio and film and is also an accomplished jazz guitarist.
Overview
This New York Times bestseller upends conventional thinking about autism and suggests a broader model for acceptance, understanding, and full participation in society for people who think differently.
What is autism: a lifelong disability or a naturally occurring form of cognitive difference akin to certain forms of genius? In truth, it is both of these things and more—and the future of our society depends on our understanding it. Wired reporter Steve Silberman unearths the secret history of autism, long suppressed by the same clinicians who became famous for discovering it, and finds surprising answers to the crucial question of why the number of diagnoses has soared in recent years.
Going back to the earliest days of autism research and chronicling the brave and lonely journey of autistic people and their families through the decades, Silberman provides long-sought solutions to the autism puzzle, while mapping out a path for our society toward a more humane world in which people with learning differences and those who love them have access to the resources they need to live happier, healthier, more secure, and more meaningful lives.
Along the way, he reveals the untold story of Hans Asperger, the father of Asperger’s syndrome, whose “little professors” were targeted by the darkest social-engineering experiment in human history; exposes the covert campaign by child psychiatrist Leo Kanner to suppress knowledge of the autism spectrum for fifty years; and casts light on the growing movement of “neurodiversity” activists seeking respect, support, technological innovation, accommodations in the workplace and in education, and the right to self-determination for those with cognitive differences.
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