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Born on a Blue Day: A Memoir of Aspergers and an Extraordinary Mind
 
 
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Born on a Blue Day: A Memoir of Aspergers and an Extraordinary Mind (Hardcover)

by Daniel Tammet (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)

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Product details

Product Description

Product Description

Daniel sees numbers as shapes, colours and textures and can perform extraordinary maths in his head. He can also learn to speak a language fluently from scratch in a week. He has Savant Syndrome, an extremely rare form of Asperger's that gives him almost unimaginable mental powers, much like the Rain Man portrayed by Dustin Hoffman. Daniel has a compulsive need for order and routine - he eats exactly 45 grams of porridge for breakfast and cannot leave the house without counting the number of items of clothing he's wearing. If he gets stressed or unhappy he closes his eyes and counts. But in some ways Daniel is not at all like the Rain Man. He is virtually unique amongst people who have severe autistic disorders in being capable of living a fully independent life. It is his incredible self-awareness and ability to communicate what it feels like to live in a unique way that makes his story so powerful. Touching as well as fascinating, Born On A Blue Day explores what it's like to be special and in so doing gives us an insight into what makes us all human - our minds.


About the Author

Daniel Tammet has been working with scientists to understand the implications of his condition for neuroscience and our understanding of consciousness. He also runs a web-based diagnostic site for people with autism and lives in Kent with his partner.

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Customer Reviews

24 Reviews
5 star:
 (15)
4 star:
 (8)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (24 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A glimpse inside an extraordinary mind, 2 Mar 2007
By Snapdragon (London) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)      
This review is from: Born on a Blue Day (Paperback)
Daniel Tammet has Savant syndrome, a rare form of Asperger's which gives him the ability to remember long sequences of numbers (seeing the numbers as having various colours and textures) and to be able to learn to speak a language from scratch within a week.

The book isn't just an autobiography. Tammet explains incredibly eloquently about how he experiences numbers and words, giving the reader a glimpse inside an extraordinary mind.

Tammets explores his childhood experinces, the pain of being an outsider at school, how he discovered he was gay and found a loving relationship and most importantly how he experinces the world. I particularly enjoyed the chapters about the teaching assignment he took in Lithuania and learning Lithuanian, something which most of us would find daunting even without autism.

The writing is quite sparce, lacking flowery description, as you might expect being written by someone with such an analytical brain. However there are parts which are still very touching. Tammet has had to teach himself how to function socially, how to read body language and verbal clues. I think if nothing else, this book has taught me that idioms such as 'pull up a chair' or 'feeling under the weather' can be incredibly confusing for people who take language so literally.

A really intersting read. Recommended.
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46 of 48 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Born on a Blue Day - Daniel Tammet, 21 Jul 2006
By Mrs. C. Pearson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
I urge everyone to buy this book straight away!!

Daniel explains his experiences with Asperger's and Savant Syndrome openly and honestly.

You really feel like you know Daniel personally by the time you get to the end!

He has an incredible mind and has acheived far more than I ever will. His abillity to learn foreign languages in a week is astounding!

He also has his own website called Optimnem where he has set up tutorials to allow people to learn languages in his own unique way.

I'll be starting that as soon as I get paid!!

Absolutely fantastic book, could not put it down.

Christine Pearson
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27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, 10 Aug 2006
By Sarah Kay (UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This book is a must read for anyone who wants to understand the human mind a little better. It is a very personal tale, but reading this book made me reevaluate how I judge people when I first meet them. Daniel's warmth and intelligence comes through as he tells his life story, but equally it is plain that he would struggle to communicate these qualities at first face to face.

A really fascinating book that may change the way you see the world a little.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Insight into autism and aspergers
This book gives an incredible insight into the world, as experienced by people on the autism spectrum. As the mother of an autistic son, I found it extremely uplifting.
Published 3 months ago by Kate Reynolds

5.0 out of 5 stars Asperger Syndrome
Really good boo; as a mother of a son with Asperger's Syndrome I found many similarities with the author. Very good read. I do recommend it
Published 3 months ago by butterfly2

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Book
One of the greatest stories of human courage and adventure I have ever read. Through great adversary comes great triumph of the human spirit. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Scott Benwell

5.0 out of 5 stars A tale of two conditions
In a book which is both simple to read and often surprisingly frank Daniel Tammet describes what is like to have two conditions - either of which would normally be enough to... Read more
Published 4 months ago by SCM

5.0 out of 5 stars Close to home and yet so very far away
This book touched my quite a lot since I could relate to an awful lot of it. Daniel was born a day later than me and we had a very similar upbringing with families from a... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Dr. Rich Boden

4.0 out of 5 stars A very likeable person
Slightly boring at times but that only seems to reflect more on Daniel's character. The explanations of how his Synesthaesia works, his feelings for numbers, and his problems with... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Simon A. Beirne

5.0 out of 5 stars A real genius
Born on a Blue Day: A Memoir of Aspergers and an Extraordinary MindThis book was interesting to me because - although I am not a genius like Daniel but a very normal person - I... Read more
Published 8 months ago by karin schmidt

4.0 out of 5 stars A real-life beautiful mind
The title refers to the author's synaesthesia, his ability to perceive words and numbers as shapes and colours, a blurring of the senses, something that apparently one in ten of... Read more
Published 9 months ago by possiblejersey

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful insight into the Asperger's experience
As a mom of a teenage son with Aspergers I found this refreshing. So many books on the subject deal with those who have struggled in life or had limited success. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Loola

5.0 out of 5 stars I loved this book
I loved this book, it was easy to read and you really got to learn how it felt to be a savant. He's a really likeable chap and I engaged with him throughout the book. Read more
Published 15 months ago by T. M. Stephenson

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