NeuroTribes


NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity is a book by Steve Silberman that discusses autism and neurodiversity. Neurotribes was awarded the Samuel Johnson Prize in 2015, and has received wide acclaim from both the scientific and the popular press. It was named to a number of "best books of 2015" lists, including The New York Times Book Review, and The Guardian.

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In The New York Times Book Review, Jennifer Senior wrote that the book was "beautifully told, humanizing, important"; The Boston Globe called it "as emotionally resonant as any this year"; and in Science, the cognitive neuroscientist Francesca Happé wrote, "It is a beautifully written and thoughtfully crafted book, a historical tour of autism, richly populated with fascinating and engaging characters, and a rallying call to respect difference." It was named one of the best books of 2015 by The New York Times, The Economist, Financial Times, The Guardian. Some other reviews were less positive, for example Dr. James C. Harris of Johns Hopkins University criticized Neurotribes as a book that pushes an agenda, saying that Silberman misrepresented Leo Kanner as somebody that had a negative view towards autistics and their parents, rather than, as Harris argued, an advocate for individualized treatment for every child. Dr. Manuel Casanova has also written against Silberman's perspective that Hans Asperger, one of the first autism researchers, should be forgiven for his involvement in the Nazi regime. "Contrary to Mr. Silberman," Casanova wrote in response, "I do not defend or condone murderous actions."
In 2017, Paramount Pictures acquired the rights to Neurotribes and announced interest in making the book into a movie with Broadway Video.

Awards and honors