NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and How to Think Smarter About People Who Think Differently

NeuroTribes explores the history of autism, from before the diagnosis existed to the modern idea of neurodiversity. Steve Silberman looks at historical figures such as the scientist Henry Cavendish, who showed many traits now associated with autism, and at the prevalence of autistic traits in Silicon Valley. He compares the work of Hans Asperger and Leo Kanner, who described autism at almost the same time but portrayed it very differently. The book follows the shift from seeing autism as a rare and debilitating condition to understanding it as a spectrum, and the growth of a community of autistic people and their allies.