I recently picked up this most interesting book in the Oxfam shop in Byres Road in Glasgow. Once started, I couldn't put it down!
It is published by Hodder & Stoughton, U.K., 2006. It subtitled on the back A Memoir of Asberger's and an Extraordinary Mind.
The book is about Daniel, a 27 year old autistic savant with synaesthesia and Savant Syndrome, a rare form of Asperger's Syndrome.
The book's blurb states: "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 is much like the Rain Man portrayed by Dustin Hoffman."
It reminded me of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, by Mark Haddon. There are similarities, e.g. Daniel likes prime numbers "They feel smooth like pebbles."
Daniel is a high functioning savant and lives in the UK. This memoir is written in his own words (i.e. not ghost written). He talks about his childhood, schooling, teenage years and what he is doing now.
In his book he shows his ability to learn foreign languages. He now has a website here called Optimnem which "offers foreign language courses for learners of all ages and abilities. The courses have been written by Daniel, in consultation with native speakers....".
He takes part in research to study the brain. This video "Savant Syndrome - Daniel Tamment" here finishes by saying:
"The way Daniel can describe his inner world is giving scientists a window into the brain that they've never had before. The bigger question is whether we all have some of these abilities within us.... Savant Syndrome is challenging us to think of intelligence in new ways and what intelligence is."
The book's blurb states: "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 is much like the Rain Man portrayed by Dustin Hoffman."
It reminded me of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, by Mark Haddon. There are similarities, e.g. Daniel likes prime numbers "They feel smooth like pebbles."
Daniel is a high functioning savant and lives in the UK. This memoir is written in his own words (i.e. not ghost written). He talks about his childhood, schooling, teenage years and what he is doing now.
In his book he shows his ability to learn foreign languages. He now has a website here called Optimnem which "offers foreign language courses for learners of all ages and abilities. The courses have been written by Daniel, in consultation with native speakers....".
He takes part in research to study the brain. This video "Savant Syndrome - Daniel Tamment" here finishes by saying:
"The way Daniel can describe his inner world is giving scientists a window into the brain that they've never had before. The bigger question is whether we all have some of these abilities within us.... Savant Syndrome is challenging us to think of intelligence in new ways and what intelligence is."
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