Published by Program Peace in 2024
Cite As:
Reser, J. 2024. Adaptive Neurodiversity: The Natural History of Mental Variation and “Disorder” Program Peace Publisher
Summary
At the heart of this book is the belief that neurodiversity, the vast array of mental and neurological variation among people, is not just a modern phenomenon but played a crucial role in the survival and thriving of our ancestors in the prehistoric past. For example, we all have a sense that anxiety may have helped hunter-gathers take necessary precautions, that depression may have kept them from taking unnecessary risks, and that today an attention deficit might represent a hunter in a farmers world.
But this book goes further looking at disorders such as schizophrenia, intellectual disability, autism, Alzheimer’s, and the neurological consequences of stress hormones on all our brains. In doing so, the book traverses the fascinating landscapes of evolutionary psychology, anthropology, and brain science to understand how diverse mental traits could have been vital strengths in a world vastly different from our own.
Jared Edward Reser Ph.D. 