To the Best of Our Knowledge: Amazing Minds: Inside Autism

In this hour, Daniel Tammet may be the most remarkable mind on the planet. He tells Steve Paulson that his high-functioning autistic savant syndrome leads him to think that autistic minds are not that different from non-autistic minds. His new book is "Embracing the Wide Sky: A Tour Across the Horizons of the Mind."

Next, Tricia Regan served as director, producer and cinematographer of a documentary film called Autism: The Musical. It's about a group of autistic children who decide to put on their own show. Regan tells Anne Strainchamps how she got involved with the project.

Then, acclaimed journalist Karl Taro Greenfeld has written a memoir about growing up with his autistic brother, Noah. Greenfeld tells Jim Fleming he's never had a conversation with his brother. His book is called Boy Alone: A Brother's Memoir.

Ian Hacking is a philosophy professor and the author of 13 books and hundreds of articles. In one called "Humans, Aliens and Autism" he analyzes the use of the alien metaphor as applied to people with autism. He discusses his article with Steve Paulson.

Finally, Tyler Cowan is an economics professor and author of Create Your Own Economy: The Path to Prosperity in a Disordered World. He talks with Anne Strainchamps. [Broadcast Date: July 23, 2010]