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Empire of Normality

Neurodiversity and Capitalism

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About this listen

'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.

©2023 Robert Chapman (P)2025 Tantor Media Anthropology Mental Health Neurodiversity Politics & Government Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Social Sciences Capitalism Socialism Human Brain Technology
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Absolutely brilliant analysis. The author poses and answers some very pertinent questions. I like the fact that he is casting such a wide net, as I believe that only having a view of the very big picture can we start to understand patterns and trends that are centuries in the making. Humanity is a very complex organism.
I highly recommend it to all, just as it was highly recommended to me by very discerning people.
A must read (listen) in a time when we finally give a chance to more awareness, tolerance and acceptance.

Eye-opening!

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This book covers a pretty thorough history of mental illness and mental "other"ness, providing a good overview of how we got to where we are today with neurodiversity. Definitely a useful book to listen to given that much of the ND disabling experience comes from capitalism. Plenty of books on neurodiversity/autism talk about the impact of capitalism, so it's useful to have it laid out so well in this book. I wish someone would write something about what we can do about it, though.

My only critique of the book is that it could be more accessibly written. Given the subject matter it could (and should) have a very wide readership, but there are some very esoteric terms used throughout and some pretty dense arguments. It could be written in a much clearer way that would support the broad readership that the subject deserves. Also, the narration is pretty lifeless, which doesn't help with engagement.

Interesting and comprehensive

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