Neurotribes

Resumen del libro

Foreword by Oliver Sacks. 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. 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 mapping out a path for our society toward a more humane world in which people with learning differences have access to the resources they need to live happier 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, technological innovation, accommodations in the workplace and education, and the right to self-determination for those with cognitive differences.

Biografía del autor

Steve Silberman es editor de la revista Wired. Tras sus estudios de Psicología, empezó escribiendo sobre la generación Beat, y en especial sobre Allen Ginsberg, del que fue profesor asistente en la Universidad de Naropa. Ganó un premio de periodismo científico por un reportaje sobre el impacto de los placebo en la industria farmacéutica y con Una tribu propia, su primer libro, ha logrado alzarse con el premio Samuel Johnson, así como con el reconocimiento de toda la crítica literaria y científica. En 2011, la revista Time eligió su cuenta de Twitter como la referencia obligada en el campo de la ciencia y la medicina, catalogándolo de «el Kevin Bacon del periodismo científico.