Chapters on the diagnosis and psychology of autism set the scene for a detailed examination of a number of important historical figures.
* in the Indian mathematician Ramanujan, the classic traits of Asperger’s syndrome are shown to have coexisted with an extraordinary level of creativity –
* more unexpectedly, from the fields of philosophy, politics and literature, scrutiny of Ludwig Wittgenstein, Sir Keith Joseph, Eamon de Valera, Lewis Carroll and William Butler Yeats reveals classical autistic features.
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Autism and Creativity will prove fascinating reading not only for professionals and students in the field of autism and Asperger’s syndrome, but for anyone wanting to know how individuals presenting autistic features have on many occasions changed the way we understand society. This is quite simply the best book I have read on autism in history . . .
“Fitzgerald is clearly an experienced clinician and his deep understanding of the spectrum of autism conditions comes across in his writings. But he is also an exceptional scholar, and the thoroughness of his biographical research combined with his clinical acumen minimises the obvious risks inherent in historical diagnosis. He makes a plausible case for the Autistic mind being a different – and potentially highly creative – kind of mind“.
Professor Simon Baron-Cohen, Director, Autism Research Centre, Cambridge University.
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