American Normal

Lawrence Osborne has written widely about medical issues for The New York Times Magazine and Slate, and is the author of the travelogue Paris Dreambook and The Poisoned Embrace, a history of attitudes toward sex.

• Asperger and I.- Little Professors.- The Last Puritan.- Rain Men.- Diagnosing Jefferson.- Autibiographies.- The Poetics of Medicine.

From the reviews: "Osborne uses his considerable journalistic talents to interview a number of well-known ... and some not-so-well-known people diagnosed with an enigmatic disorder known as Asperger's Syndrome. ... Recommended for readers at all levels." (K. M. Dillon, Choice Middletown, February, 2003) "In the US, Asperger's Syndrome - a psychiatric disorder ... has become a rallying point for a diverse and often incompatible range of interests. While the UK isn't showing any signs of jumping on the Asperger's bandwagon ... books and articles on the subject makes it hard to ignore. Osborne's better than most because it takes the opposite tack, making the similarities between Asperger's sufferers and unaffected people bigger than the differences. ... This is an accessible book that's enjoyable and informative ... ." (Emma Thomas, Focus, November, 2003)