The Minority Body

I am happy to unequivocally say that this text makes a fascinating and groundbreaking contribution to feminist and disability philosophy. I would enthusiastically recommend this text to anyone interested in disability and philosophy, and especially to those new to philosophy. * Tessa-May Zirnsak, Metapsychology Online Reviews *
Elizabeth Barnes' new book offers a much-needed philosophical discussion of disability capitalizing on relevant research in bioethics, feminist philosophy and disability studies. * Elena Fell and Natalia Lukianova, The Philosophical Quarterly *
Elizabeth Barnes has written an interesting and important book about disability. ... Barnes has brought a new level of precision to a popular slogan and has then set about defending it with all the familiar tools of contemporary analytic philosophy. ... it remains to be seen where the debate goes next, but wherever it goes, future discussion will need to engage with the work of Elizabeth Barnes. * Jennifer Hawkins, Ethics *
It is a thoughtful, thorough, and rigorous argument that nevertheless has an accessible style. It is not a book for a generalist audience, but could work quite readily in both undergraduate and graduate courses. Her attempt to moderate a path between the physical body and social constructivism, and to combat a generalized skepticism in the field of philosophy about the possibility that disability might be a good thing for some people, or at least a neutral thing, that lives of disabled persons are generally as rich, valuable, and worth living as those of nondisabled persons, and that such skepticism is "rooted in--often knee-jerk unreflective--stereotypes about what disabled lives are like" is an unapologetic and strong case for disability positivity. It is a valuable contribution to disability philosophy in particular, and philosophy in general. * Nancy J. Hirschmann, Hypatia Reviews Online *
The Minority Body is a fascinating and compelling study of the concept of disability. Barnes redefines disability as a social phenomenon in a fresh way. Her revolutionary ideas compel us to look at the minority body without making value-judgments. * The Washington Book Review *
In her engaging, powerfully argued, and good-humored book, Barnes seeks to illuminate the nature of physical disability, challenge the view that it has a negative impact on well-being, and defend a mere-difference view of disability ... It is a wildly creative, rigorous, and ground-breaking work that represents a significant contribution to the on-going inquiry into the nature and value of disability. It would not be an exaggeration to claim that it is the most important single-authored book in philosophy of disability to come out of the analytic tradition in a generation. * Stephen M. Campbell & Joseph A. Stramondo, Notre Dame Philosophical Review *