From the New York Times-bestselling author of Born on a Blue Day and Thinking in Numbers, this poignant, perspective-altering book celebrates the power and beauty of the neurodivergent mind, as told through the true stories of nine contemporary men and women on the autism spectrum.
Exploding the tired stereotypes of autism, Daniel Tammet—acclaimed author and an autistic savant himself—draws out the inner worlds of nine extraordinary, neurodivergent lives from around the globe. A nonverbal man from Boston explores body language, gesture by eloquent gesture, in his mother’s yoga classes. A Japanese researcher in psychology sets out to measure loneliness while drawing on her own experience of autism. From a Fields Medal–winning mathematician to a homicide detective, a pioneering surgeon to a bestselling novelist, each is remarkable in their field, and each is changing how the world sees those on the spectrum.
Telling stories as richly diverse as the spectrum itself, this perspective-altering, life-affirming work of narrative nonfiction celebrates the power and beauty of the neurodivergent mind—and the daring freedom with which these individuals have built their lives.
#1 Bestseller in Autism
"[Tammet] has taken the lives of nine extraordinary autistic men and women and given us the kind of insight into neurodivergence that I haven’t read since Oliver Sacks’s An Anthropologist on Mars. . . . I found each story in Nine Minds so moving that they became, in my mind, a series of Joseph Campbell–like Hero’s Journeys, where each character traveled through a series of adventures, trials and temptations and emerged from the narrative somehow changed." -- Judith Newman, The Washington Post
"Lyrically drawn portraits of nine adults, each diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, some of whom were initially pegged with the now-retired label of Asperger syndrome. . . . The ensemble of nine represents a dedicated effort by Tammet to bring nuance and sympathetic insight to his subjects’ experiences of being cognitively different and misunderstood." -- The Wall Street Journal
"Tammet’s exquisite portraits remind us that the variety of brains is every bit as essential as any other form of diversity." -- Andrew Solomon, author of Far from the Tree
"A book as beautiful as the minds it portrays." -- Amy Tan, author of The Joy Luck Club
"Tammet sheds fresh light on autism in these vivid profiles. . . . The result is an intimate and illuminating glimpse into the neurodivergent mind." -- Publishers Weekly starred review
"This fascinating book engages by imaginatively entering its subjects’ inner worlds. . . . Readers will discover a spectrum filled with valuable different kinds of minds." -- Temple Grandin, author of The Autistic Brain
"An impressive composite biography that emphasizes the beauty of difference." -- Foreword
"Nine Minds offers something that autistic people urgently need: It humanizes us." -- Katherine May, author of Wintering
"[Tammet’s] writing is compassionate and understanding, allowing each subject to fully tell his or her story. Explanation is seamlessly blended with storytelling, creating an engaging and educating experience for readers." -- Library Journal
"There are more than nine minds in this book, there are ten: Daniel Tammet’s own mind is there on every page, in the narrative flow, the wordplay, and the empathy for his subjects. Nine Minds reminds us of the diversity within neurodiversity, and of the common challenges that the neurodivergent face. A fine contribution to the growing body of work by and about people who think differently." -- Graeme Simsion, author of The Rosie Project
"Daniel Tammet’s wonderful portraits of autistic people’s inner lives illustrate the range of neurodivergent talents and experiences, and celebrate human cognitive diversity." -- Simon Baron-Cohen, director of the Autism Research Centre, Cambridge University, and author of The Pattern Seekers
"These stories offer glimpses into parts of the human experience most people never see, yet we are all touched by neurodiversity every day, and we are better for it." -- John Elder Robison, author of Be Different
"Beautiful and intimate and mind-expanding. We generally presume that everyone’s inner life is like our own; only rarely do we get to dive deeply into the mind of another, much less nine of them. Tammet gives us this opportunity with his characteristic eloquence, insight, and grace. Beautifully rendered and completely absorbing." -- David Eagleman, neurologist and bestselling author of Incognito and Livewired
"This book is a meeting of minds, in all their vast capacity, passionate commitments, and varied flavors—a profound act of appreciation of the many unexpected gifts of neurodivergence." -- Emma Donoghue, author of Room, The Wonder, and The Pull of the Stars
"Beautifully written and fascinating, Nine Minds takes us deep into the inner lives of nine extraordinary people. With eloquence and sensitivity, Daniel Tammet transcends stereotypes and shows us different facets of neurodivergence. I loved this book." -- Angie Kim, author of Happiness Falls
"As Daniel Tammet’s short sentences morph and lengthen into a kind of literary portraiture, you may find unique insights into autism and new aspects of our shared humanity." -- Jory Fleming, author of How to Be Human
"[Tammet] celebrates the gifts and talents of autistic people, while exploring the richness of their desires and dreams. . . . It is not that . . . Tammet’s subjects [do] not listen, but that they listen and perceive differently. This is a quietly radical revelation which speaks to the essence of the neurodiversity movement: If there is a deficit in society, then it does not lie in an autistic person’s differences of perception, but in neurotypical assumptions that govern human relations." -- Guardian
"Bursting with feeling and possibility." -- Sunday Telegraph
"Eye-opening in showing that those with neurodivergence have excelled far beyond the fields we usually think of." -- The Mail on Sunday
"Nine Minds is a celebration of autistic talent and depth, but Tammet also writes of ‘defying outdated prejudices.’ It is a sad illustration of their potency that . . . this book should feel so fresh." -- Times Literary Supplement
"Skillfully gives each portrait color and personality so they zip along, with loves, joys, and challenges effortlessly woven together in an engaging but sensitive style." -- New Scientist
"[Tammet] has done so much to forward our understanding of people on the spectrum." -- The Late Show, BBC Sounds
"[Tammet] is challenging the stereotypes of autism and it’s fascinating." -- Jeremy Vine, BBC Radio 2
Daniel Tammet is the subject of the award-winning TV documentary The Boy with the Incredible Brain, as well as a BBC Radio 4 documentary and the Kate Bush song “Pi.” He is the author of ten books, including the global bestseller Born on a Blue Day. His writing has appeared in Esquire, the Times Literary Supplement, and Guardian, and his books have been translated into thirty languages. He was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in 2012 and awarded an honorary doctorate by his alma mater, The Open University, in 2023. Daniel Tammet lives in Paris.
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