Diagnosing Bill Gates

In its Dec. 27/Jan. 3 issue, the New Yorker ran a long piece about autism called "An Anthropologist on Mars," and in the following issue the magazine ran a long piece called "E-Mail from Bill" about Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft. In some ways, the articles were strangely and intriguingly similar.

AN ANTHROPOLOGIST ON MARS

Some autistics possess an "excellent ability of logical abstract thinking."

E-MAIL FROM BILL

A Microsoft executive is quoted: "'Bill is just smarter than everyone else."'

AN ANTHROPOLOGIST ON MARS

Autistics suffer "impairment of social interaction with others."

E-MAIL FROM BILL

A former girlfriend is quoted: "'People...