Richard Lathe is director of Pieta Research, a biotechnology consultancy based in Edinburgh. He has extensive experience of academic and industrial research, his most recent area of interest has been in brain research and neuroscience, particularly focusing on the limbic system, autism and Alzheimer's. He has previously held professorship at the Universities of Edinburgh and Strasbourg. He is the author of over one hundred peer-reviewed journal articles.

• 1. Introduction. 2. Autism and autism spectrum disorders: the problem of recognition and diagnosis. 3. Genetic contribution to autistic spectrum disorders: diversity and insufficiency. 4. New phase autism: rising prevalence. 5. Brain abnormalities: focus on the limbic brain. 6. Limbic dysfunction correlates with the autistic phenotype. 7. Environmental factors, heavy metals, and brain function. 8. Gut, hormones, immunity: physiological dysregulation in autism. 9. Body and mind: impact of physiological changes on brain and behaviour in ASD. 10. Biomedical Therapy: typing and correction. 11. The Environmental threat: From autism and ADHD to Alzheimer's. Index.

The author covers the problems of recognition and diagnosis, genetic contributions, brain abnormalities, limbic dysfunction, physiological dysregulation, body and mind, biomedical therapy, and links with other disorders, as part of a detailed positioning of this arguments... The argument is concisely presented, extensively referenced and made easy to follow to its conclusion... Overall this is an important book, well argued and referenced. It should be read by all concerned with ASD.