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NEUROTRIBES

Steve Silberman

The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity

A groundbreaking book that 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 devastating developmental disorder, 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. 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.

Steve Silberman has covered science and cultural affairs for Wired and other national magazines for more than twenty years. His writing has appeared in The New Yorker, Time, Nature, and Salon. He lives in San Francisco.
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Published 2025-08-01 by Avery

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Published 2015-08-25 by Avery

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2.9.2015: NEUROTRIBES hit the New York Times bestseller list at #8 in Hardcover!

Winner of the 2015 Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction

British Commonwealth: Allen & Unwin Chinese (complex): The Walk Chinese (simplified): Gingko Beijing Hebrew: Keter Hungarian: Fogyatekos Szemelyek Eselyegyenlose Italian: La Tribuna/LSWR Japanese: Kodansha Polish: Illuminatio Romanian: Frontiera Spanish: Ariel Turkish: Kitap Kurdu

Steve Silberman is the winner of the Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction, which was awarded November 2, 2015.

Describing the author, Steve Silberman, Sacks noted that he knew of “no one else who had spent so much time simply listening”. The strategy worked. The result is the book that families affected by autism have long deserved. And it happens to be beautifully written. Read more...

NeuroTribes is remarkable. Silberman has done something unique: he’s taken the dense and detailed history of autism and turned the story into a genuine page-turner. The book is sure to stir considerable discussion.

We’re especially excited about this incredible Skype discussion between Steve and Temple Grandin! http://meaningoflife.tv/videos/32212 Read more...

Silberman's is the first work of popular science to win the prestigious British award in its 17-year history and comes at a time of growing public awareness of the neurodevelopmental disorder that affects millions of people around the world, the prize committee said in awarding the prize to Silberman. Read more...

Historian Anne Applebaum, who chaired the judging panel, said Silberman blended popular science, history and journalism in a book that ranges from the science of the brain to “the impact of the movie Rain Man on popular culture. “It an unusual, genre-breaking kind of book, and also a book that’s very deeply motivated by a set of ideals,” Applebaum said. “It’s an argument about autism and how we should see it as a different way of thinking. Read more...

The agent for NEUROTRIBES by Steve Silberman (Avery, August 2015) has sold the movie rights to Paramount.

The monks who inscribed beautiful manuscripts during the Middle Ages, Cavendish an 18th century scientist who explained electricity, and many of the geeks in Silicon Valley are all on the autism spectrum. Silberman reviews the history of autism treatments from horrible blaming of parents to the modern positive neurodiversity movement. Essential reading for anyone interested in psychology.

http://podcasts.nytimes.com/podcasts/2015/08/21/books/review/23books_pod/21bookreview.mp3 Read more...

A book that challenges readers to think differently about autism has won Britain's leading literary award for nonfiction. Read more...

NeuroTribes is a sweeping and penetrating history, presented with a rare sympathy and sensitivity. It is fascinating reading; it will change how you think of autism, and it belongs, alongside the works of Temple Grandin and Clara Claiborne Park, on the bookshelf of anyone interested in autism and the workings of the human brain.

TED Talk from Steve Silberman, author of NEUROTRIBES, just went online today and is already spreading like crazy! 17.6.15 Read more...

This gripping and heroic tale is a brilliant addition to the history of autism.

Newly discovered documents show how crucial autism research was ignored, perpetuating misinformation about autistic children. Read more...

Weaving together cultural context and a rich cast of characters, Silberman casts the history of autism as a medical page-turner. Read more...

n this genuine page-turner, Steve Silberman reveals the untold history of autism: from persecution to parent-blaming, from Rain Man to vaccines, of doctors for whom professional ego trumped compassion, to forgotten heroes like Hans Asperger, unfairly tainted by Nazi links. It ends on an optimistic note, with ‘autistics’ reclaiming the narrative and defining autism in their terms — more difference than disability and an essential part of the human condition. Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in autism or Asperger’s, or simply a fascination with what makes us tick.