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The Pattern Seekers

How Autism Drives Human Invention

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The Pattern Seekers

By: Simon Baron-Cohen
Narrated by: Jonathan Cowley
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About this listen

A groundbreaking argument about the link between autism and ingenuity.

Why can humans alone invent? In The Pattern Seekers, Cambridge University psychologist Simon Baron-Cohen makes a case that autism is as crucial to our creative and cultural history as the mastery of fire. Indeed, Baron-Cohen argues that autistic people have played a key role in human progress for 70,000 years, from the first tools to the digital revolution.

How? Because the same genes that cause autism enable the pattern seeking that is essential to our species' inventiveness. However, these abilities exact a great cost on autistic people, including social and often medical challenges, so Baron-Cohen calls on us to support and celebrate autistic people in both their disabilities and their triumphs. Ultimately, The Pattern Seekers isn't just a new theory of human civilization, but a call to consider anew how society treats those who think differently.

©2020 Simon Baron-Cohen (P)2021 Tantor Archaeology Biological Sciences Evolution Evolution & Genetics Mental Health Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Science Autism
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Had to stop listening. I'll buy the book.
I hope Jonathan was able to catch the train he was late for
Now for some Paracetamol...

interesting topic

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I only managed a chapter of this book because of the the narration. The sharp intakes of breath before every sentence were driving me mad, and the rhythm of the reading generally I just couldn't listen to, but can't quite put my finger on why.

Narration was unlistenable

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