Amy D. (Iowan) reviewed Born on a Blue Day : Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant : A Memoir on + 173 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 8
I loved this book. Daniel's life experience is inspiring and fascinating. Amazing to me that someone who as a child was completely unhinged by a change in the route walked to preschool could travel alone to work in a foreign country as an adult. Great glimpse of pure determination.
Bonnie S. (Bonnie) -
Helpful Score: 5
Understanding very well that this is written by an Autistic man, in the style in which he thinks, it was so dry, and yes dare I say, boring FOR ME in the first half, that I almost gave it up. I know the intricate details of numbers being represented by colors and landscapes is the way he thinks and sees, but to go on and on and on explaining them, loses one. The day to day living was there, but as he did in real life, he glossed over the details. They just weren't that important to him, but they are to the reader. Yes, we could see the sadness of how he was treated by his classmates, and even teachers at times, but he told these things without emotion, so it was hard to feel emotions for him. (Hard, but not impossible.) He did manage to get across quite well, his family's love for him, their absolute support. That was wonderful. And so was the telling of his finding a personal love relationship. Yes, the book is worth reading, but it wasn't a page turner, or even all that enjoyable.
Tish O. (tish) -
Helpful Score: 4
this powerful book written by the British Daniel Tamment traces his life from childhood till today. he is unique in that he is an autisic savant with Asperger's syndrome.He also has synesthesia which is extremely rare.
His openness and candor are amazing. we are fortunate that he is able to tell us how his mind works.
this books allows the reader to "see" inside the author's mind and how it thinks. a little more deft than Dr.Grandin at writing, it is a top rated book!
His openness and candor are amazing. we are fortunate that he is able to tell us how his mind works.
this books allows the reader to "see" inside the author's mind and how it thinks. a little more deft than Dr.Grandin at writing, it is a top rated book!
Alise W. (BigMama) reviewed Born on a Blue Day : Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant : A Memoir on + 11 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Fascinating story written by a young man with Asperger's Syndrome. It can be a bit dry in places, but getting a glimpse into the mind of someone who has his challenges and gifts can be fascinating. As a mom to an AS son (though not savant), it was really interesting to see an adult write about his experiences growing up. I highly recommend this.
Maura C. (maurac23) reviewed Born on a Blue Day : Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant : A Memoir on
Helpful Score: 1
loved this book - i have a nephew who is autistic and wanted to understand him better. this is one of the most interesting memoirs i've read. i've watched the youtube videos of tv shows he's been on since reading the book and find it all so interesting. quick eay read. the original rainman plays a role in the book too.
Bookfanatic reviewed Born on a Blue Day : Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant : A Memoir on
Helpful Score: 1
Daniel Tammet may be the only person in this world with the "synaesthesia and savant syndrome". This along with his other diagnosis (Asperger's Syndrome) allows him to do amazing math calculations in his head. He sees texture and color in numbers, words and sounds.
If you're at all familiar with autism or the autism spectrum, you'd know that as someone with Asperger's, Daniel is a very high-functioning individual. So high-functioning that he was diagnosed when he was a young adult. He is clearly not like a lot of autistic people, but, if you like me, enjoy reading books about people on the autism spectrum, then this is a book you should read. It is a bit dry, and at times, Daniel goes on and on about his mathematical abilities, and I found that to be a trait of his autism. This is a great first person account of how autism condition affects someone, and how that person has overcome it to function independently in the world. I found it remarkable that he wrote the book entirely by himself given the fact many typical (i.e. normal) people who write memoirs use the assistance of ghost writers. The author could have expanded more on the negative things that happened to him growing up because it's quite clear he struggled a lot. His parents struggled a lot too apparently for the father had a nervous breakdown. Daniel writes about these episodes with a bit of detachment, but that is to be expected given his diagnosis.
I loved these quotes from the book ""Most important of all, give your children the self-belief to hold on to their dreams, because they are the things that shape each person's future." and "You don't have to be disabled to be different, everybody's different".
If you're at all familiar with autism or the autism spectrum, you'd know that as someone with Asperger's, Daniel is a very high-functioning individual. So high-functioning that he was diagnosed when he was a young adult. He is clearly not like a lot of autistic people, but, if you like me, enjoy reading books about people on the autism spectrum, then this is a book you should read. It is a bit dry, and at times, Daniel goes on and on about his mathematical abilities, and I found that to be a trait of his autism. This is a great first person account of how autism condition affects someone, and how that person has overcome it to function independently in the world. I found it remarkable that he wrote the book entirely by himself given the fact many typical (i.e. normal) people who write memoirs use the assistance of ghost writers. The author could have expanded more on the negative things that happened to him growing up because it's quite clear he struggled a lot. His parents struggled a lot too apparently for the father had a nervous breakdown. Daniel writes about these episodes with a bit of detachment, but that is to be expected given his diagnosis.
I loved these quotes from the book ""Most important of all, give your children the self-belief to hold on to their dreams, because they are the things that shape each person's future." and "You don't have to be disabled to be different, everybody's different".
Leslie P. (kermitreads) reviewed Born on a Blue Day : Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant : A Memoir on + 53 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I'm not really into ASD, nor do I know anyone on the ASD... I guess I thought this book would be something different. It is a regular biography about a regular person. Not really interesting or uninteresting. I expected more developed stories about the experience of autism- not just stories about life that could happen to anyone. I think this book would be nice for someone who has a child with autism... it shows what one can do.
Sharon H. (skiley) reviewed Born on a Blue Day : Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant : A Memoir on + 21 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Engaging memoir of an autistic savant who actually comes across as a reflective man who learns to overcome some of his autistic traits as he ages, matures, and gains awareness. This is more about the evolution of a challenging life than about the savant aspects, although those are impressive. His exploration of himself is not defensive at all, and one admires his resolve.
Rachael K. reviewed Born on a Blue Day : Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant : A Memoir on + 75 more book reviews
I really enjoy books that are written from the perspective of people with autism and this book was no exception. It's just really interesting to get a peak at how their minds work. Choppy getting started but easy to get into, this book was no exception. Daniel is an amazing person, anyone who works with people with disabilities should read this book.
Ellen P. reviewed Born on a Blue Day : Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant : A Memoir on + 14 more book reviews
Interesting autobiography of an autistic savant.
slider728 reviewed Born on a Blue Day : Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant : A Memoir on + 44 more book reviews
The first time I had heard of Daniel Tammet was when I still worked days and I happened to see him on Good Morning America one day before work. I recall in the interview, he said he was autistic, but was functional enough to lead his own life. I also recall him associating numbers with colors and shapes. I stored the name of his book to memory and went about my day.
A few years later, I happened to come across his book. I recall his short interview on GMA to be kind of interesting and hoped his book would delve more into how his mind worked and what his world was like.
When I opened the book, it almost immediately informed the reader that Mr. Tammet suffered from Savant Syndrome. At first, this concept was quite foreign to me until he mentioned it was the same ailment that Dustin Hoffmans character in Rain Man. Immediately I began thinking of a man rocking back and forth in his chair, worried about buying his boxer shorts from K-Mart in Cincinnati and how long until Judge Wapner was on. However, I knew this was not the case with Mr. Tamment and was definitely intrigued to read more.
Initially, the book was an excellent journey into the mind of an Autistic Savant. The author goes into detail how his mind works, his obsessive compulsions, and why numbers are quite special to him. As a person whose education was based on math and science, I felt a kind of connection with the author and how he thought and felt about things. The book then talks about his childhood and the difficulties he faced. He then went on to talk about how he began his life on his own, the fears and difficulties he faced, how he found love, and basically gave an outline of how he lives life.
The book is an excellent trip inside the mind of a genius. However, outside of the experiences specific to being an Autistic Savant (and very well maybe one of the main points of the book), the story being told is not that different than anyone elses. When I was reading much of this book, I was thinking much of this could be the story as told from the perspective of one of my children 15 years from now or it very well could have been my story 10 years ago. Mr. Tammet went through the same trials and difficulties that every person goes through and he addressed them and conquered them just as most people do. In this aspect, his story is not that unique. It is still a good story, but it is not as different as I would have expected.
All in all, I thought this was a good book. It was not a great book, but it was an enjoyable and quick read. I would highly recommend the book to Engineers, scientists, mathematicians and other technical people as I think they would find the way the authors mind works with numbers very fascinating and many would probably identify with the author on several levels. Also, if you are looking for a great book where you can cheer for the underdog and they win, then this is definitely worth reading.
A few years later, I happened to come across his book. I recall his short interview on GMA to be kind of interesting and hoped his book would delve more into how his mind worked and what his world was like.
When I opened the book, it almost immediately informed the reader that Mr. Tammet suffered from Savant Syndrome. At first, this concept was quite foreign to me until he mentioned it was the same ailment that Dustin Hoffmans character in Rain Man. Immediately I began thinking of a man rocking back and forth in his chair, worried about buying his boxer shorts from K-Mart in Cincinnati and how long until Judge Wapner was on. However, I knew this was not the case with Mr. Tamment and was definitely intrigued to read more.
Initially, the book was an excellent journey into the mind of an Autistic Savant. The author goes into detail how his mind works, his obsessive compulsions, and why numbers are quite special to him. As a person whose education was based on math and science, I felt a kind of connection with the author and how he thought and felt about things. The book then talks about his childhood and the difficulties he faced. He then went on to talk about how he began his life on his own, the fears and difficulties he faced, how he found love, and basically gave an outline of how he lives life.
The book is an excellent trip inside the mind of a genius. However, outside of the experiences specific to being an Autistic Savant (and very well maybe one of the main points of the book), the story being told is not that different than anyone elses. When I was reading much of this book, I was thinking much of this could be the story as told from the perspective of one of my children 15 years from now or it very well could have been my story 10 years ago. Mr. Tammet went through the same trials and difficulties that every person goes through and he addressed them and conquered them just as most people do. In this aspect, his story is not that unique. It is still a good story, but it is not as different as I would have expected.
All in all, I thought this was a good book. It was not a great book, but it was an enjoyable and quick read. I would highly recommend the book to Engineers, scientists, mathematicians and other technical people as I think they would find the way the authors mind works with numbers very fascinating and many would probably identify with the author on several levels. Also, if you are looking for a great book where you can cheer for the underdog and they win, then this is definitely worth reading.
Lyn K. (girlscoutlyn) reviewed Born on a Blue Day : Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant : A Memoir on + 33 more book reviews
The book Born On A Blue Day: Inside the extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant: A Memoir is a facinating look into the thought processes used by someone who doesn't think like the average bear. I am one of those who holds the belief that "average" in an overused term and most of us think a bit differently from one another. This book walks us into the life, from childhood, in the thinking of someone who accomplishes wonders. Mr. Tammet reviews excursions he took to learn and practice different languages and how doing so made it easier for him to function in society. Like many people with "differences", social graces don't come naturally, but Mr.Temmet finds ways to cope with societies gregarious expectations.
An enjoyable, light harded look on a journey into life.
An enjoyable, light harded look on a journey into life.
Sheryl S. reviewed Born on a Blue Day : Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant : A Memoir on + 11 more book reviews
Terrific book, easy to read, fascinating!
