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Diagnosis Normal
336 pages, Paperback
Published March 1, 2022
7 people are currently reading
95 people want to read
About the author
Emma A. Jane
8 books9 followersDr Emma A. Jane (formerly Emma Tom) is a Senior Lecturer in the School of the Arts & Media at UNSW Sydney.
Blockchain, cognitive enhancement, online misogyny, cyberbullying, cybercrime, digilantism, and digital mobs are the foci of her ongoing research into the social and ethical implications of emerging technologies. She also researches and publishes on transgender-related issues, as well as on issues relating to gender more generally. Emma's work is interdisciplinary, informed by the fields of philosophy, cultural and media studies, internet studies, feminist and gender theory, discourse analysis, sociology, literary theory, and social psychology. Prior to her career in academia, Emma spent nearly 25 years working in the print, broadcast, and electronic media during which time she won multiple awards for her writing and investigative reporting.
In 2016, the public benefit of Emma's research into misogyny online was recognised when she was named the Anne Dunn Scholar of the Year. This followed her receipt, in 2014, of a Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) from the Australian government to fund a three-year research project into gendered cyberhate and digital citizenship. Most recently (in April 2017) she received the UNSW Arts and Social Sciences Dean’s Award for Achievements by an Early Career Researcher.
Emma has published nine books including a novel, Deadset, which in 1997 won the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Asia and the South Pacific for Best First Novel. Her most recent publication, Misogyny Online: A Short (and Brutish) History, was published by SAGE in 2017. In a review of Misogyny Online in the journal Information, Communication & Society (2017), social theorist Frances Shaw calls Jane "one of the most authoritative researchers on gendered digital harassment and its impacts". She writes that Jane's work is generating "a great deal of impact internationally and in policy and regulatory settings", and she applauds Misogyny Online for its "winning combination of conceptually and philosophically rich analysis, forensic and details-oriented storytelling, and heartfelt investment in and passion for the subject matter". Describing the book as "fascinating", "poignant", "reflexive", "entertaining", "impactful", "affecting", "precise", "focussed", "extensive, thorough and rigorous", written with "ferocious intensity", and "essential reading for those working in the field", Shaw also highlights its "powerful narrative" about how misogyny online silences and coerces women out of political participation. She concludes that Misogyny Online "should impel others to act to change their approaches to response, prosecution and governance, and to change the culture that creates the conditions for gendered harassment to occur and to be accepted".
Emma has presented the findings of her research to the Australian Human Rights Commission, and regularly speaks at large, public events such as the Festival of Dangerous Ideas and the All About Women festivals at the Sydney Opera House.
During her previous career as a journalist, she received the 1997 Henry Lawson Award for Journalism, and the 2001 Edna Ryan Humour Award for “using wit to promote women’s interests”.
Blockchain, cognitive enhancement, online misogyny, cyberbullying, cybercrime, digilantism, and digital mobs are the foci of her ongoing research into the social and ethical implications of emerging technologies. She also researches and publishes on transgender-related issues, as well as on issues relating to gender more generally. Emma's work is interdisciplinary, informed by the fields of philosophy, cultural and media studies, internet studies, feminist and gender theory, discourse analysis, sociology, literary theory, and social psychology. Prior to her career in academia, Emma spent nearly 25 years working in the print, broadcast, and electronic media during which time she won multiple awards for her writing and investigative reporting.
In 2016, the public benefit of Emma's research into misogyny online was recognised when she was named the Anne Dunn Scholar of the Year. This followed her receipt, in 2014, of a Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) from the Australian government to fund a three-year research project into gendered cyberhate and digital citizenship. Most recently (in April 2017) she received the UNSW Arts and Social Sciences Dean’s Award for Achievements by an Early Career Researcher.
Emma has published nine books including a novel, Deadset, which in 1997 won the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Asia and the South Pacific for Best First Novel. Her most recent publication, Misogyny Online: A Short (and Brutish) History, was published by SAGE in 2017. In a review of Misogyny Online in the journal Information, Communication & Society (2017), social theorist Frances Shaw calls Jane "one of the most authoritative researchers on gendered digital harassment and its impacts". She writes that Jane's work is generating "a great deal of impact internationally and in policy and regulatory settings", and she applauds Misogyny Online for its "winning combination of conceptually and philosophically rich analysis, forensic and details-oriented storytelling, and heartfelt investment in and passion for the subject matter". Describing the book as "fascinating", "poignant", "reflexive", "entertaining", "impactful", "affecting", "precise", "focussed", "extensive, thorough and rigorous", written with "ferocious intensity", and "essential reading for those working in the field", Shaw also highlights its "powerful narrative" about how misogyny online silences and coerces women out of political participation. She concludes that Misogyny Online "should impel others to act to change their approaches to response, prosecution and governance, and to change the culture that creates the conditions for gendered harassment to occur and to be accepted".
Emma has presented the findings of her research to the Australian Human Rights Commission, and regularly speaks at large, public events such as the Festival of Dangerous Ideas and the All About Women festivals at the Sydney Opera House.
During her previous career as a journalist, she received the 1997 Henry Lawson Award for Journalism, and the 2001 Edna Ryan Humour Award for “using wit to promote women’s interests”.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 12, 2022
I met Emma Jane at her book signing after seeing her on a powerful panel at @briswritersfest . Embarrassingly, I cried the whole time I spoke to her. I'd been so moved by her insights on child sexual abuse and the misogynistic verbal attacks she'd been subjected to throughout her career as a journalist (previously published as Emma Tom).
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Her book is fascinating, raw, educational and full of dark humour. Emma strikes me as a very private person and you can feel her visceral reaction to sharing such intimate details of her life. Rightly so after the disgusting things people have said about her online.
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She brilliantly depicts the highs and lows of being neuro diverse. Even the back and forth format of the book feels like an exercise in neuro diversity.
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Her insights are well backed up with research. Her academic background is evident in the language, yet she is so delightfully kooky that the story remains engaging.
Not a easy read due to the disturbing content, but I embrace uncomfortable, vital conversations as the only way we'll shed light on these issues.
📚
Her book is fascinating, raw, educational and full of dark humour. Emma strikes me as a very private person and you can feel her visceral reaction to sharing such intimate details of her life. Rightly so after the disgusting things people have said about her online.
📚
She brilliantly depicts the highs and lows of being neuro diverse. Even the back and forth format of the book feels like an exercise in neuro diversity.
📚
Her insights are well backed up with research. Her academic background is evident in the language, yet she is so delightfully kooky that the story remains engaging.
Not a easy read due to the disturbing content, but I embrace uncomfortable, vital conversations as the only way we'll shed light on these issues.
March 14, 2023
What an absolutely delightful read! I picked this book up off the shelf on a whim, barely reading the blurb, but was intrigued by the title and the cover.
The authors writing style was at times peculiar and a little jarring, but once I got into the rhythm of it, I genuinely adored this book. The author’s humour and candour throughout really kept it interesting. Every chapter felt like it had a purpose and was it’s own delectable narrative.
Couldn’t recommend this enough!!
The authors writing style was at times peculiar and a little jarring, but once I got into the rhythm of it, I genuinely adored this book. The author’s humour and candour throughout really kept it interesting. Every chapter felt like it had a purpose and was it’s own delectable narrative.
Couldn’t recommend this enough!!
November 23, 2022
3.5 stars
Thank you to Penguin Australia for sending me a copy of this book to review!
The author has lived a rather action-packed and colourful life, all to the backdrop of childhood sexual abuse and poor mental health - eventually receiving an autism diagnosis as an adult. This is her memoir and speaking out on her “un-pretty stories.”
It’s difficult to provide a review on a memoir and as the reader, I think you can only review the writing as it lands for you. I must admit that the title made me think this was going to be more about the undiagnosed autism, but it was equally (if not more so) about the sexual abuse that the author was subjected to as a child and how that affected the rest of her life.
The writing is illuminating. It is also sometimes alienating and at times sounds more like fiction. These are not criticisms - it is simply how the words landed for me at various times.
I read this to learn more about neurodiversity and while I don’t think I learned about it in a factual sense as much as I had anticipated, I did come away with a better understanding (well, of one person’s experience!) simply by reading about the author’s life experiences. However I did learn a lot about sexual abuse and it’s manifestations. The author’s suggestions at the end of the book on how we might do better addressing this awful “problem” make this book worth reading. I hope her voice is heard where it can make a difference. ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
Thank you to Penguin Australia for sending me a copy of this book to review!
The author has lived a rather action-packed and colourful life, all to the backdrop of childhood sexual abuse and poor mental health - eventually receiving an autism diagnosis as an adult. This is her memoir and speaking out on her “un-pretty stories.”
It’s difficult to provide a review on a memoir and as the reader, I think you can only review the writing as it lands for you. I must admit that the title made me think this was going to be more about the undiagnosed autism, but it was equally (if not more so) about the sexual abuse that the author was subjected to as a child and how that affected the rest of her life.
The writing is illuminating. It is also sometimes alienating and at times sounds more like fiction. These are not criticisms - it is simply how the words landed for me at various times.
I read this to learn more about neurodiversity and while I don’t think I learned about it in a factual sense as much as I had anticipated, I did come away with a better understanding (well, of one person’s experience!) simply by reading about the author’s life experiences. However I did learn a lot about sexual abuse and it’s manifestations. The author’s suggestions at the end of the book on how we might do better addressing this awful “problem” make this book worth reading. I hope her voice is heard where it can make a difference. ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
February 6, 2023
A really fascinating memoir into the intersection primarily of trauma and autism, that also explores so many other variables to life that make things both difficult and beautiful.
July 23, 2025
This memoir is densely wordy at times and bordering on academically analytical, but it is a thoroughly worthwhile and enjoyable read (as far as reading about anyone’s trauma can be ‘enjoyable’ per se, but the author’s writing is very entertaining). It explores mainly the author’s own experience of childhood abuse, mental health, and late diagnosis autism, and how all of the above intersect symptomatically, but it also touches on many other topics such as gender, parenting, cancer, and through it all, a career of writing in both journalism and academia. Her writing is well backed up by research but remains personal.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 26, 2025
The author here is one gutsy, smart, educated, gutsy, resilient, gutsy, creative, out-there-thinking, straight-talking, person! I loved this. She works her way through a mountain of issues and challenges (literally IRL, and academically, argumentatively, philosophically). I have huge respect for her knowledge, her insights, her ideas. Great book.
June 27, 2023
Wow. Outstanding but confronting memoir. Brilliantly researched and written. Absolute must read if you have an interest in mental illness, mental health, autism and ADHD. Also a comprehensive resource on CSA and the profound lasting impacts on people's lives.
July 8, 2022
"Small talk always felt like a conspiracy of lies"
November 20, 2024
Didn’t read the whole thing but I can appreciate a great read when I see one. I just read all the parts I needed and skipped over some of the parts I could miss.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews