Book Club: Born on a Blue Day

I’m proud to report that I finished the latest ThriveAP Book Club read in a more timely manner. After being over a month late with my last book club post, I decided I’d better get back with the program. Did you enjoy Born on a Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant by Daniel Tammet? I have to say, I found the biography quite compelling.

Daniel Tammet is an autistic savant possessing uncanny mental capabilities particularly when it comes to numbers and languages. He once set a world record by reciting 22,514 digits of pi. He mastered the Icelandic language in just one week. Tammet perceives numbers and words as “shapes, colors, textures, and motions” facilitating his memorization hence the book’s title, Born on a Blue Day.

While Daniel Tammet’s mental capabilities are almost unfathomable, his limitations lie in connecting with others. Diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, he has difficulty connecting emotionally and deviating from a routine. Despite these setbacks, Tammet has sought to overcome his emotional and interpersonal struggles. He is one of the few individuals with his condition able to communicate his thoughts clearly and effectively.

Tammet relates the tales of his life in an engaging and surprisingly expressive manner. As I read Born on a Blue Day I was awed by accounts of his intellectual abilities and my heart went out as he related stories of his relationships both failed and successful. As a nurse practitioner, hearing Tammet’s story gave me perspective in the way I relate to my patients with autism and other similar challenges. I highly recommend the read to other NPs.

What did you think of Born on a Blue Day: Inside the Mind of an Autistic Savant?

Join ThriveAP in reading our next Book Club pick Spring Chicken: Stay Young (Or Die Trying) by Bill Gifford. From naked mole rats to dog testicles, Gifford explores our beliefs about aging and the science behind the process.