Synopsis
Born on a Blue Day is a journey into one of the most
fascinating minds alive today -- guided by the owner himself. Daniel
Tammet is virtually unique among people who have severe autistic
disorders in that he is capable of living a fully independent life and
able to explain what is happening inside his head.He sees
numbers as shapes, colors, and textures, and he can perform
extraordinary calculations in his head. He can learn to speak new
languages fluently, from scratch, in a week. In 2004, he memorized and
recited more than 22,000 digits of pi, setting a record. He has savant
syndrome, an extremely rare condition that gives him the most
unimaginable mental powers, much like those portrayed by Dustin Hoffman
in the film Rain Man. Fascinating and inspiring, Born on a Blue Day explores what it' s like to be special and gives us an insight into what makes us all human -- our minds.
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
This unique first-person account
offers a window into the mind of a high-functioning, 27-year-old
British autistic savant with Asperger's syndrome. Tammet's ability to
think abstractly, deviate from routine, and empathize, interact and
communicate with others is impaired, yet he's capable of incredible
feats of memorization and mental calculation. Besides being able to
effortlessly multiply and divide huge sums in his head with the speed
and accuracy of a computer, Tammet, the subject of the 2005 documentary
Brainman,
learned Icelandic in a single week and recited the number pi up to the
22,514th digit, breaking the European record. He also experiences
synesthesia, an unusual neurological syndrome that enables him to
experience numbers and words as "shapes, colors, textures and motions."
Tammet traces his life from a frustrating, withdrawn childhood and
adolescence to his adult achievements, which include teaching in
Lithuania, achieving financial independence with an educational Web
site and sustaining a long-term romantic relationship. As one of only
about 50 people living today with synesthesia and autism, Tammet's
condition is intriguing to researchers; his ability to express himself
clearly and with a surprisingly engaging tone (given his symptoms)
makes for an account that will intrigue others as well. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
--This text refers to the Hardcover
edition.
From AudioFile
Although Daniel Tammet is only 27, as an autistic savant with
Asperger's syndrome, he has already lived an unusual life. Strict
routines are necessaryâ the same number of flakes of porridge for
breakfast and cups of tea at exactly the same time each day. He can
recite pi to 22,514 places from memory, and he learned Icelandic in a
week. He experiences synesthesia, which makes him see numbers and
letters as shapes and colors and emotions. (He was born on a Wednesday,
which is a blue day.) Simon Vance enhances this memoir with a sensitive
performance. He affects an almost imperceptible awkwardness of speech
to capture the spirit of Tammet as an extraordinary and successful
individual. A.B. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine
--This text refers to the Audio CD edition.
From Booklist
*Starred Review* Although Tammet is only 27, his autobiography is as
fascinating as Benjamin Franklin's and John Stuart Mill's, both of
which are, like his, about the growth of a mind. Not that Tammet is a
scientist-statesman or philosopher. He is an autistic savant who can
perform hefty arithmetical calculations at lightning speed and acquire
speaking competency in a previously unknown language in mere days (the
latter capability he used to create the Web-based language-learning
systems with which he supports himself). More socially competent and
independent than the autistic savant famously played by Dustin Hoffman
in Rain Man,
Tammet shares his peers' strong preferences for routine, peace and
quiet, private space, and literalness, as well as aversion to chance
occurrences, aural and informational noise, and figurative language
(despite his arithmetical gift, he can't do algebra; he reads a lot but
never fiction). He learned fellowship very gradually and says he
couldn't really acknowledge his eight siblings until he grew up. He
also writes some of the clearest prose this side of Hemingway; he tells
his story with such concentration, precision, and simplicity that his
familial poverty, schooling as a "mainstreamed" student,
self-realization as gay, and embracing of Christianity prove as
enthralling as they are, ultimately, normal. Ray Olson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
--This text refers to the Hardcover
edition.
"Artists and poets would give their
best simile to perceive things with the same kind of vividness...For
anyone interested in the workings of a truly 'beautiful mind,' Born on a Blue Day is a banquet." -- Minneapolis Star Tribune
"Tammet,
now 28, manages the feat of introspection -- and self-insight. His book
brims with humanity. His approach is honest, eloquent, at times funny,
and completely free of pity." -- The Cleveland Plain Dealer
"With
all due respect to Stephen Hawking, Bill Gates, and any living Nobel
laureates, the most remarkable mind on the planet just might belong to
DanielTammet...Tammet displays a surprising level of sensitivity -- and
a refreshing lack of sentimentality -- in an account that inspires even
as it astonishes."-- Entertainment Weekly
"Remarkable, revealing, and nearly flawless."-- The Raleigh News & Observer
Product Details
Paperback: 256 pages
Carton Size: 40 books
Publisher: Free Press (October 16, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1416549013
ISBN-13: 978-1416549017
Product Dimensions: 8.44 x 5.72 x 0.65 inches
Shipping Weight: 0.52 pounds
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