From the New York Times–bestselling author of Born on a Blue Day and Thinking in Numbers, this poignant, perspective-altering book celebrates the power and beauty of the neurodivergent mind, as told through the true stories of nine contemporary men and women on the autism spectrum.
 
“Tammet’s exquisite portraits remind us that the variety of brains is every bit as essential as any other form of diversity.”—Andrew Solomon, author of Far from the Tree
 
Exploding the tired stereotypes of autism, Daniel Tammet—acclaimed author and an autistic savant himself—draws out the inner worlds of nine extraordinary, neurodivergent lives from around the globe. A nonverbal man from Boston explores body language, gesture by eloquent gesture, in his mother’s yoga classes. A Japanese researcher in psychology sets out to measure loneliness while drawing on her own experience of autism. From a Fields Medal–winning mathematician to a murder detective, a pioneering surgeon to a bestselling novelist, each is remarkable in their field, and each is changing how the world sees those on the spectrum.
Telling stories as richly diverse as the spectrum itself, this perspective-altering, life-affirming work of narrative nonfiction celebrates the power and beauty of the neurodivergent mind—and the daring freedom with which these individuals have built their lives.
 
Contributor Bio(s)
 
Daniel Tammet is the subject of the award-winning TV documentary The Boy with the Incredible Brain, as well as a BBC Radio 4 documentary and the Kate Bush song “Pi.” He is the author of ten books, including the global bestseller Born on a Blue Day. His writing has appeared in Esquire, the Times Literary Supplement, and Guardian, and his books have been translated into thirty languages. He was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in 2012 and awarded an honorary doctorate by his alma mater, The Open University, in 2023. Daniel Tammet lives in Paris.