Ben Waber reviewed Empire of Normality by Robert Chapman
A Great History and Analysis of Modern Neurodiversity in the US and UK
4 stars
The vast majority of this book is devoted to the history of how neurodiversity was understood in the West, and those parts of the book are exceptional. Chapman goes through the importance of technological and scientific developments in driving a new societal understanding of human difference (unsurprisingly Galton and statistics make a central appearance). This continues into the 20th century, with the intersection of the anti-psychology movement and the rise of neoliberalism conspiring to push fundamentally social issues entirely onto individuals.
It's in the portions of this book that veer into political economy that the wheels fall off. As with most philosophers, Chapman routinely conflates capitalism with neoliberalism and expounds at length using logical arguments for what are fundamentally empirical questions (e.g. does working more flexible hours impair mental health). If you ignore these deeply flawed sections, however, it's an excellent book. Highly recommend
The vast majority of this book is devoted to the history of how neurodiversity was understood in the West, and those parts of the book are exceptional. Chapman goes through the importance of technological and scientific developments in driving a new societal understanding of human difference (unsurprisingly Galton and statistics make a central appearance). This continues into the 20th century, with the intersection of the anti-psychology movement and the rise of neoliberalism conspiring to push fundamentally social issues entirely onto individuals.
It's in the portions of this book that veer into political economy that the wheels fall off. As with most philosophers, Chapman routinely conflates capitalism with neoliberalism and expounds at length using logical arguments for what are fundamentally empirical questions (e.g. does working more flexible hours impair mental health). If you ignore these deeply flawed sections, however, it's an excellent book. Highly recommend