Pitney, John J.. The politics of autism: navigating the contested spectrum.Rowman & Littlefield, 2015. 181p index afp ISBN 9781442249608 cloth, $38.00; ISBN 9781442249615 ebook, $37.99
The content of this book is more compelling than the title would suggest. Pitney (American politics, Claremont McKenna College) looks at every aspect of autism, dissecting it in intriguing ways. After a brief history of the politics of the disorder, the author examines the dynamic forces that pull discussion of it in myriad directions. These forces include—but are not limited to—the communities of science, medicine, education, and government. Questions about autism are never fully answered because it is almost impossible to do so, given the complexity of the condition: What causes it? How is it defined? What does it mean to “have” this disorder? What are the implications for society, now and in the future? The author views autism as a “political football,” and in this book he kicks that football around from one field to another. In doing so, he draws the reader into the book and the enigma of autism spectrum disorders. A fascinating read. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Graduate students, researchers, faculty, professionals; general readers.
--J. D. Neal, University of Central Missouri
The content of this book is more compelling than the title would suggest. Pitney (American politics, Claremont McKenna College) looks at every aspect of autism, dissecting it in intriguing ways. After a brief history of the politics of the disorder, the author examines the dynamic forces that pull discussion of it in myriad directions. These forces include—but are not limited to—the communities of science, medicine, education, and government. Questions about autism are never fully answered because it is almost impossible to do so, given the complexity of the condition: What causes it? How is it defined? What does it mean to “have” this disorder? What are the implications for society, now and in the future? The author views autism as a “political football,” and in this book he kicks that football around from one field to another. In doing so, he draws the reader into the book and the enigma of autism spectrum disorders. A fascinating read. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Graduate students, researchers, faculty, professionals; general readers.
--J. D. Neal, University of Central Missouri
