Support Us
Five Books
 
Search
MENUMENU
  • Nonfiction
        • Art
          • Architecture
          • Art History
          • Design & Illustration
          • Fashion & Style
          • Modern and Contemporary Art
          • Photography
        • Business Books
          • How to Invest
          • Leadership
          • Marketing
        • Economics
          • Behavioural Economics
          • Development Economics
          • Economic History
          • Finance
          • Financial Crisis
          • Globalization Books
          • World Economies
        • Environmental Books
          • Climate Change Books
          • Environmental Ethics
        • Food & Cooking
          • The Best Cookbooks
          • Food & History of Food
          • Wine & Drinks
        • Health & Lifestyle
          • Death & Dying
          • Education
          • Family & Relationships
          • Happiness
          • Sex & Sexuality
        • History Books
          • American History
          • Ancient History (up to 500)
          • Modern History (1800-1945)
          • History of Science
          • Historical Figures
          • Military History
        • Language
          • English Grammar & Usage
          • Books for Learning Languages
          • Linguistics
        • Law
        • Literary Nonfiction
          • Best Biographies
          • Essays
          • Memoir
          • Artists' Biographies
          • Travel
          • True Crime
        • Music & Drama
          • Classical Music & Opera
          • Film & Cinema
          • Music
          • Theatre
        • Nature
          • The Prehistoric World
          • The Earth
          • Plants, Trees & Flowers
        • Philosophy Books
          • Ancient Philosophy
          • Ethics & Moral Philosophy
          • Great Philosophers
          • Social & Political Philosophy
        • Politics & Society
          • War
          • Feminism
          • Foreign Policy & International Relations
          • Human Rights
          • Terrorism
        • Psychology
          • Mental Health
          • Neuroscience
          • Psychoanalysis
          • Psychology Research
          • Self Help
        • Religion
          • Best Atheist Books
          • Buddhism
          • Christian
          • Islamic
          • Jewish
          • Religious History Books
        • Science
          • Astronomy
          • Biology
          • Chemistry
          • Geoscience
          • Maths & Statistics
          • Popular Science
          • Physics Books
        • Sports, Games & Hobbies
          • Football (Soccer)
          • Gardening
          • Hobbies
          • Sport & Sporting Culture
        • Technology
          • Artificial Intelligence/AI Books
          • Computing
          • Digital Age
          • History of Technology
          • Internet
  • Fiction & Literature
        • Classic English Literature
        • American Literature
        • World Literature
        • Literary Criticism
        • Literary Figures
        • Classical Studies
        • Contemporary Fiction
          • NEW Fiction
        • Poetry
        • Memoir
        • Comics & Graphic Novels
        • Fairy Tales & Mythology
        • Historical Fiction
        • Horror
        • Humour
        • Crime Novels
        • Science Fiction
        • Short Stories
        • Romance
        • Thrillers (Books)
        • Mystery
        • Fantasy
  • World
        • Africa
          • Egypt
          • Ghana
          • Nigeria
          • Rwanda
          • South Africa
          • Zimbabwe
        • Americas
          • Latin America
            • Argentina
            • Brazil
            • Caribbean
            • Chile
            • Cuba
            • Mexico
          • United States
          • Canada
        • Arctic & Antarctica
        • Asia
          • Afghanistan
          • Bangladesh
          • Myanmar (Formerly Burma)
          • China
          • India
          • Japan
          • Kazakhstan
          • Korea
          • Pakistan
          • Sri Lanka
          • Singapore
          • Vietnam
        • Australia
        • Europe
          • Belgium
          • Britain
          • France
          • Germany
          • Greece
          • Ireland
          • Italy
          • Netherlands
          • Norway
          • Spain
          • Ukraine
        • Middle East
          • Iran
          • Iraq
          • Israel
          • Syria
          • Turkey
          • Yemen
        • Russia & FSU
          • Azerbaijan
          • Georgia
          • Russia
  • Kids
        • Kids Recommend Books for Kids
        • High School Teachers Recommendations
        • Novelists Recommend
        • Ages Baby-2
        • Ages 3-5
        • Ages 6-8
        • Ages 9-12
        • Books for Teens and Young Adults
        • Best Kids Books of 2022
        • Best Books for Teens of 2022
        • Best Audiobooks for Kids
        • Prizewinning Kids' Books
        • Popular Series Books for Kids
        • History
        • Economics
        • Environment
        • Family
        • Science
        • Mental Health
  • Best Books 2022
        • Audiobooks
        • Best Books for Teens of 2022
        • Best Kids' Books of 2022
        • Best Fiction of 2022
          • Historical Fiction
          • Romance
          • Science Fiction
          • Fantasy
          • Mystery
        • Best Nonfiction of 2022
          • History
          • Politics
          • Memoir
  • New Books
        • New Science Books
        • New Climate Books
        • New Psychology Books
        • New Philosophy Books
        • New Math Books
        • New Economics Books
        • New History Books
        • New Physics Books
        • New Memoirs
        • New Biography
        • New Fiction
        • New World Literature
        • New Historical Fiction
  • Audiobooks
    • Actors Read Great Books
    • Best Audiobooks for Kids
    • Books Narrated by Their Authors
    • Best Audiobook Thrillers
    • Best History Audiobooks
  • Book Awards
    • Nobel Literature Prize
    • Booker Prize
    • Baillie Gifford Prize
    • Royal Society (science)
    • Wolfson Prize (history)
    • Walter Scott Prize
    • Arthur C Clarke Prize
    • Pushkin House Prize
    • Audie Awards
  • Experts

Psychology » Autism

Most Recommended Books

The Language Instinct by Steven Pinker

“The types of arguments that you’ve got to make in evolutionary psychology, Steven Pinker made them and made them brilliantly. You’ve got to break down people’s intuition that they already know how they do what they do—use language in his case—and they already know what it’s for, and how it works. It’s a wonderful book, both for the way it’s written, for the details, and for offering a background to evolutionary psychology.”

Chris Paley, Science Writer

Read more

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

“In fiction the writer has some licence to deviate from what is real – it’s a work of art, ultimately, for people’s interest and enjoyment, but I think that the character is very recognisable of many people with Asperger syndrome. I think the author has done a very good job.”

Simon Baron-Cohen, Psychologist

Read more

Browse book recommendations:

Psychology

  • Applied Psychology
  • Autism
  • Child Psychology
  • Mental Health
  • Neuroscience
  • New Psychology Books
  • Psychoanalysis
  • Psychology Research
  • Self Help
  • Social Psychology

Autism is a developmental disorder characterised by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and non-verbal communications and sensory oversensitivity. Here at Five Books, we have spoken to a number of experts on the subject and asked them to recommend the best books on autism.

They include the originator of the influential 'mind-blindness' theory and director of the Autism Research Centre at Cambridge University, Simon Baron-Cohen; Barry Prizant, another of the world's leading scholars of autism spectrum disorders; and Uta Frith, professor of cognitive development and author of a fascinating book on autism through history.

Having a child diagnosed with autism, or an autism spectrum disorder, can be a frightening or stressful experience for a parent, but Prizant makes clear that there are positives, too: "In many ways, people with autism enhance our lives and help us to be better people," he told us, adding: "Yes, there are significant challenges . . . But many families and many people with autism do find, with the right support, we can understand them better."

By informing themselves as well as they can—through careful research, both online and in books recommended by our experts—parents might hope to move forward with optimism.

    The Best Autism Books, recommended by Steve Silberman

  • Read
    The Best Autism Books - Nerdy, Shy, and Socially Inappropriate: A User Guide to an Asperger Life by Cynthia Kim

    1

    Nerdy, Shy, and Socially Inappropriate: A User Guide to an Asperger Life
    by Cynthia Kim

  • Read
    The Best Autism Books - The Real Experts: Readings for Parents of Autistic Children by Michelle Sutton (editor)

    2

    The Real Experts: Readings for Parents of Autistic Children
    by Michelle Sutton (editor)

  • Read
    The Best Autism Books - Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism by Barry Prizant and Tom Fields-Meyer

    3

    Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism
    by Barry Prizant and Tom Fields-Meyer

  • Read
    The Best Autism Books - Autism Adulthood: Strategies and Insights for a Fulfilling Life by Susan Senator

    4

    Autism Adulthood: Strategies and Insights for a Fulfilling Life
    by Susan Senator

  • Read
    The Best Autism Books - The Eagle Tree by Ned Hayes

    5

    The Eagle Tree
    by Ned Hayes

  • The Best Autism Books - Nerdy, Shy, and Socially Inappropriate: A User Guide to an Asperger Life by Cynthia Kim
  • The Best Autism Books - The Real Experts: Readings for Parents of Autistic Children by Michelle Sutton (editor)
  • The Best Autism Books - Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism by Barry Prizant and Tom Fields-Meyer
  • The Best Autism Books - Autism Adulthood: Strategies and Insights for a Fulfilling Life by Susan Senator
  • The Best Autism Books - The Eagle Tree by Ned Hayes

The Best Autism Books, recommended by Steve Silberman

Writing about autism has undergone an important shift, finally giving a voice to people with autism, says Steve Silberman, the winner of the 2015 Baillie Gifford Prize for his book tracing the history of autism, NeuroTribes. He picks the best new books on autism.

The Best Autism Books, recommended by Steve Silberman

    The best books on Autism, recommended by Barry Prizant

  • Read
    The best books on Autism - Following Ezra by Tom Fields-Meyer

    1

    Following Ezra
    by Tom Fields-Meyer

  • Read
    The best books on Autism - Neurotribes: The Legacy of Autism and How to Think Smarter About People Who Think Differently by Steve Silberman

    2

    Neurotribes: The Legacy of Autism and How to Think Smarter About People Who Think Differently
    by Steve Silberman

  • Read
    The best books on Autism - Seven Keys to Unlock Autism by Elaine Hall

    3

    Seven Keys to Unlock Autism
    by Elaine Hall

  • Read
    The best books on Autism - Understanding Autism for Dummies by Stephen Shore and Linda Rastelli

    4

    Understanding Autism for Dummies
    by Stephen Shore and Linda Rastelli

  • Read
    The best books on Autism - Asperger's from the Inside Out by Michael John Carley

    5

    Asperger's from the Inside Out
    by Michael John Carley

  • The best books on Autism - Following Ezra by Tom Fields-Meyer
  • The best books on Autism - Neurotribes: The Legacy of Autism and How to Think Smarter About People Who Think Differently by Steve Silberman
  • The best books on Autism - Seven Keys to Unlock Autism by Elaine Hall
  • The best books on Autism - Understanding Autism for Dummies by Stephen Shore and Linda Rastelli
  • The best books on Autism - Asperger's from the Inside Out by Michael John Carley

The best books on Autism, recommended by Barry Prizant

The award-winning clinical scholar and author of Uniquely Human, Barry Prizant, chooses his top five books on autism.

The best books on Autism, recommended by Barry Prizant

    The best books on Autism, recommended by Uta Frith

  • Read
    The best books on Autism - Fairy Tales by Jacob & Wilhelm Grimm

    1

    Fairy Tales
    by Jacob & Wilhelm Grimm

  • Read
    The best books on Autism - The Siege by Clara Claiborne Park

    2

    The Siege
    by Clara Claiborne Park

  • Read
    The best books on Autism - Little Flowers (Fioretti) by St Francis of Assisi

    3

    Little Flowers (Fioretti)
    by St Francis of Assisi

  • Read
    The best books on Autism - A Real Person by Gunilla Gerland

    4

    A Real Person
    by Gunilla Gerland

  • Read
    The best books on Autism - Soul Made Flesh by Carl Zimmer

    5

    Soul Made Flesh
    by Carl Zimmer

  • The best books on Autism - Fairy Tales by Jacob & Wilhelm Grimm
  • The best books on Autism - The Siege by Clara Claiborne Park
  • The best books on Autism - Little Flowers (Fioretti) by St Francis of Assisi
  • The best books on Autism - A Real Person by Gunilla Gerland
  • The best books on Autism - Soul Made Flesh by Carl Zimmer

The best books on Autism, recommended by Uta Frith

The author of Autism and Talent and Autism in History puts her subject into historical context and tells us why studying the development of the mind continues to fascinate her

The best books on Autism, recommended by Uta Frith

    The best books on Autism and Asperger Syndrome, recommended by Simon Baron-Cohen

  • Read
    The best books on Autism and Asperger Syndrome - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

    1

    The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
    by Mark Haddon

  • Read
    The best books on Autism and Asperger Syndrome - The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser by Werner Herzog

    2

    The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser
    by Werner Herzog

  • Read
    The best books on Autism and Asperger Syndrome - The Language Instinct by Steven Pinker

    3

    The Language Instinct
    by Steven Pinker

  • Read
    The best books on Autism and Asperger Syndrome - The Intentional Stance by Daniel Dennett

    4

    The Intentional Stance
    by Daniel Dennett

  • Read
    The best books on Autism and Asperger Syndrome - Attachment by John Bowlby

    5

    Attachment
    by John Bowlby

  • The best books on Autism and Asperger Syndrome - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
  • The best books on Autism and Asperger Syndrome - The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser by Werner Herzog
  • The best books on Autism and Asperger Syndrome - The Language Instinct by Steven Pinker
  • The best books on Autism and Asperger Syndrome - The Intentional Stance by Daniel Dennett
  • The best books on Autism and Asperger Syndrome - Attachment by John Bowlby

The best books on Autism and Asperger Syndrome, recommended by Simon Baron-Cohen

The head of the Autism Research Centre at Cambridge University tells us about myths surrounding autism and Asperger’s, and what inspired his own research into the subject

The best books on Autism and Asperger Syndrome, recommended by Simon Baron-Cohen

    The best books on Empathy, recommended by Simon Baron-Cohen

  • Read
    The best books on Empathy - The Language Instinct by Steven Pinker

    1

    The Language Instinct
    by Steven Pinker

  • Read
    The best books on Empathy - Brain Gender by Melissa Hines

    2

    Brain Gender
    by Melissa Hines

  • Read
    The best books on Empathy - Separation by John Bowlby

    3

    Separation
    by John Bowlby

  • Read
    The best books on Empathy - Animals in Translation by Temple Grandin

    4

    Animals in Translation
    by Temple Grandin

  • Read
    The best books on Empathy - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

    5

    The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
    by Mark Haddon

  • The best books on Empathy - The Language Instinct by Steven Pinker
  • The best books on Empathy - Brain Gender by Melissa Hines
  • The best books on Empathy - Separation by John Bowlby
  • The best books on Empathy - Animals in Translation by Temple Grandin
  • The best books on Empathy - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

The best books on Empathy, recommended by Simon Baron-Cohen

Autism expert Simon Baron Cohen tells us about the links between empathy and language, and says our acts of cruelty to one another have at their root a failure to empathise.

The best books on Empathy, recommended by Simon Baron-Cohen

About

We ask experts to recommend the five best books in their subject and explain their selection in an interview.

This site has an archive of more than one thousand seven hundred interviews, or eight thousand book recommendations. We publish at least two new interviews per week.

Five Books participates in the Amazon Associate program and earns money from qualifying purchases.

Newsletter Contact us Privacy Policy Terms of Service Mastodon Social

© Five Books 2023

Get our newsletter