We all know the opposite sex can be a baffling, even infuriating, species. Why do most men use the phone to exchange information rather than have a chat? Why do women love talking about relationships and feelings with their girlfriends while men seem drawn to computer games, new gadgets, or the latest sports scores? Does it really all just come down to our upbringing? In The Essential Difference, leading psychologist Simon Baron-Cohen confirms what most of us had suspected all along: that male and female brains are different. This groundbreaking and controversial study reveals the...

Simon Baron-Cohen, expert in autism and developmental psychopathology, puts empathy under the microscope in order to understand evil. Supported by original research, he argues that we should replace the idea of evil with the idea of empathy starvation.

Following on from the highly successful book Autism: The Facts, this new volume by Simon Baron-Cohen summarizes the current understanding of the autistic spectrum, from Asperger syndrome to autism. Written first and foremost as a guide for parents, but what is also certain to become required reading for interested professionals, the book covers what we have learnt to date about the brain, genetics, and interventions for autism spectrum disorders. The book also provides an overview of diagnosis of these conditions, their biological and physiological causes, and the various treatments and...

Why are female brains better at empathasing? How are male brains designed to analyse systems? And what really makes men and women different? The author explores list-making, lying and two decades of research in a ground-breaking examination of how our brains can be male or female.

Peter Myers' intricate and ornately patterned drawings are brought together for the first time in this volume, which is the fascinating result of the collaboration of an artist and two scientists. The beautiful, complex images (included in full-page colour as well as black and white reproductions) serve as a rare window into the precision and exacting creativity of the Asperger mind at work. Peter Myers was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome in 1996 and his work reflects his stunning ability to plan and to organise visual information, and to embed illusions within his pictures. Peter's brief...