It’s worth a nickel
Another day, another book review. I went to the library yesterday and picked up Born on a Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant, by British author Daniel Tammet.
The memoir was recommended to me by my dear friend Ewan, who mentioned it when I shared with him that I had begun working with someone who had Asperger syndrome, as Tammet himself does. I had struggled to communicate effectively with my colleague, and Ewan thought the book might help.
Sadly, I waited almost a year to read it, but I do feel like it has given me new insight into this remarkable condition on the autism spectrum. It was an easy read; I went through its 226 pages in several hours, and I’m once again looking for my next title.
I really identified with Daniel’s experiences, and found several passages in the book quite moving and emotional. His struggle for his own identity and his feeling of isolation are things I can relate to; the only thing that separates us is a matter of severity or degree. He is also my contemporary; I am just six months older than he is, and I think that made it easier for me to relate to his story. (Oh, my title? Just one more connection: apparently for Daniel, Wednesdays are blue… and I was born on a Wednesday, as was he.)
Net: we could all do a better job of opening up to one another; of communicating more carefully and more effectively; and of recognizing and celebrating the unique talents of others. Bravo, Daniel.
I loved this book! Glad you found it educational and inspirational. If you’re looking for another good non-fiction/memoir type book, I really enjoyed “My Stroke of Insight” by Jill Bolte Taylor. She’s a neuroanatomist who suffered a stroke and was able to recover full functioning. Some of it is necessarily science heavy, but especially the latter third or so of the book has some great insights about how we can train our brains to become more calm, focused, etc.
Thanks for the suggestion Mols. I’ve put it in the “to read” list.
[...] like to live with Asperger syndrome, and how clearly he could explain how his mind works! (You can read my whole review, if you [...]