Living on the Spectrum

“Incredibly well-written… Fein threads answers to some of the most pressing questions around autism in a delicate and deliberate way. There have been quite a few monographs on autism in the last few years, but I don’t mind saying – and I say this as the author of one of them myself! – this is the best one.” - Des Fitzgerald, University of Exeter “An extraordinary journey into the lives of autistic youth. Fein’s empathic understanding of autism jumps from every page of this beautiful and intelligent book, as we learn how autistic people produce their own knowledge and ways of being, stake out their place as agents rather than as patients, and resist being passive recipients of clinical or quantitative labels.” - Roy Richard Grinker, author of Unstrange Minds: Remapping the World of Autism “An amazing book—beautifully written, brilliantly conceived, precisely observed. The combination of an anthropologist’s eye and a clinician’s sensibility creates remarkable insight. Anyone interested in autism should read it.” - Tanya Marie Luhrmann, Howard H. and Jessie T. Watkins University Professor of Anthropology, Stanford University “I would easily recommend this one. I hope it gets read and shared by as many people who work in the medical field as possible, plus many more (perhaps it should be a library staple).” (Treeshallow Musings) “The author’s writing style is thoughtful and thought provoking. Brilliantly, sharply observed and immersive … Fein’s writing is rich with experience, fondness for her participants and humour … With resonance beyond the field of autism study, the book would be useful to any student engaging in ethnographic work.” (Sociology of Health and Illness) “Living on the Spectrum is written in an engaging, readable, and sometimes poetic style, which enhances its ability to reach a diverse audience beyond medical anthropologists interested in autism.” (Medical Anthropology Quarterly)

Elizabeth Fein is Assistant Professor of Psychology at Duquesne University. She is a licensed psychologist in the state of Pennsylvania, and co-editor of Autism in Translation: An Intercultural Conversation on Autism Spectrum Conditions.