"Born On a Blue Day”       by  Daniel Tammet
Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant.

Review #77

Daniel Tammet is one of the world's 50 or so living autistic savants and is the first and only one to tell his compelling and inspiring life story and explain how his incredible mind works. He was the subject of the 2005 documentary, ‘Brainman’,

This unique, first-person account, offers a window into the mind of a high-functioning, 32-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, (in five hours he recited the number pi up to the 22,514th digit, breaking the European record).

Besides being able to effortlessly multiply and divide huge sums in his head with the speed and accuracy of a computer, Daniel speaks 9 languages and learned the Icelandic language (one of the most difficult languages in the world to learn) in a single week. He also experiences synesthesia, an unusual neurological syndrome that enables him to experience numbers and words as "shapes, colors, textures and motions."

His adult achievements include teaching in Lithuania, achieving financial independence with an educational Web site (http://www.optimnem.co.uk/) and writing some of the clearest prose anyone has ever read. 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.

His ability to express himself clearly and with a surprisingly engaging tone (given his symptoms) makes for an account that will intrigue anyone who hears his story.

I found that, occasionally, he became overly descriptive of his subject and lost me (especially in the math department). ;) But…I was so engrossed with Daniel Tammet’s story that I listened to the entire book in one day! Although Daniel did not do the audio himself, I recommend getting the audio tape of this book so you can experience the feel of his telling you in person about his life!
The book is entirely in first person prose!

Tammet has written a second book,"Embracing the Wide Sky" and is writing a third, has a personal blog, http://www.optimnem.co.uk/blog/index.php, and his official website, http://www.optimnem.co.uk/.