Neurotribes: The legacy of autism and how to think smarter about people who think differently

Author(s): Steve Silberman

Science | Truth Stranger Than Fiction

What is autism: a devastating developmental condition, a lifelong disability, or a naturally occurring form of cognitive difference akin to certain forms of genius? In truth, it is all of these things and more - and the future of our society depends on our understanding it.


Following on from his groundbreaking article 'The Geek Syndrome', 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 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 casting light on the growing movement of 'neurodiversity' and mapping out a path towards a more humane world for people with learning differences.


Product Information

Winner of the Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction
Shortlisted for the Wellcome Book Prize
Shortlisted for the MJA Health Book of the Year Award
Shortlisted for the BMA Medical Book Awards

Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller

STEVE SILBERMAN is an award-winning investigative reporter. His writing has appeared in The New Yorker, TIME, Nature, Wired and Salon.

Foreword by Oliver Sacks..Introduction: Beyond the Geek Syndrome..1. The Wizard of Clapham Common..2. The Boy Who Loves Green Straws..3. What Sister Viktorine Knew..4. Fascinating Peculiarities..5. The Invention of Toxic Parenting..6. Princes of the Air..7. Fighting the Monster..8. Nature's Smudged Lines..9. The Rain Man Effect..10. Pandora's Box..11. In Autistic Space..12. Building The Enterprise: Designs for a Neurodiverse World..Epilogue: The Mayor of Kensington..Acknowledgments..Notes..Index

General Fields

  • : 9781760294366
  • : Allen & Unwin
  • : Allen & Unwin
  • : 524.0
  • : March 2016
  • : 198mm X 128mm
  • : Australia
  • : July 2016
  • : books

Special Fields

  • : Steve Silberman
  • : Paperback
  • : 816
  • : English
  • : 592