MP3 Audio Sample
Short Synopsis
Neurodiversity is on the rise. Awareness and diagnoses have exploded in recent years, but we are still missing a wider understanding of how we got here and why. Beyond simplistic narratives of normativity and difference, this groundbreaking book exposes the very myth of the 'normal' brain as a product of intensified capitalism.
Full Synopsis
'Groundbreaking . . . [provides] a deep history of the invention of the "normal" mind as one of the most damaging and oppressive tools of capitalism. To read it is to see the world more clearly' Steve Silberman, author of NeuroTribes
Neurodiversity is on the rise. Awareness and diagnoses have exploded in recent years, but we are still missing a wider understanding of how we got here and why. Beyond simplistic narratives of normativity and difference, this groundbreaking book exposes the very myth of the 'normal' brain as a product of intensified capitalism.
Exploring the rich histories of the neurodiversity and disability movements, Robert Chapman shows how the rise of capitalism created an 'empire of normality' that transformed our understanding of the body into that of a productivity machine. Neurodivergent liberation is possible—but only by challenging the deepest logics of capitalism. Empire of Normality is an essential guide to understanding the systems that shape our bodies, minds, and deepest selves—and how we can undo them.
Author Robert Chapman
Narrated by Elliot Fitzpatrick
Publication date Feb 18, 2025
Running time 7 hrs 17 min
Available Formats
audio download