Nine Minds: Inner Lives on the Spectrum

Tammet (Born on a Blue Day), who is himself autistic with savant syndrome, has spent more than 30 years exploring and illustrating autism and neurodivergence more broadly and how they come in many forms. In this newest work, he specifically focuses on nine people on the autism spectrum, of a wide variety of ages, backgrounds, and nationalities. His argument is that autism does not automatically represent a disability, and many people on the autism spectrum lead full and rewarding lives, while also contributing to society in countless, often unrecognized ways. The book takes the form of nine brief biographies to fully illustrate this thesis, one for each chapter. The writing is compassionate and understanding, with minimal authorial intrusion, allowing each subject to fully tell his or her story. Explanation is seamlessly blended with storytelling, and the text flows smoothly, creating an engaging and educating experience for readers.