Born on a Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant

Great Book-definitely worth the read!

January 29, 2012

The Obstacle of Life
By Daniel Clemens

Born on a Blue Day
By Daniel Tammet



An autistic boy who has to learn life the hard way. This statement best describes Daniel from his own book, Born on a Blue Day. This disease lays barriers to him in everyday occurrences, like walking across the street. As Tammet matures, he tears down these obstacles bit by bit until they are almost completely gone. He wrote this story to show how this can be done and to prove how people with not only autism, but many diseases, can be just as normal as everyone else.
Diagnosed with Aspergers syndrome, a form of autism, at such a young age changed Tammet’s future forever. Tammet sets up situations where his siblings check out books from his homemade library with fake library cards. He gathers the most random things from the most random of places like chestnuts or ladybugs. At school, Tammet has trouble making friends but he excels in all of his subjects. He sees numbers as symbols and figures and has a hard time communicating with people.
As Tammet enters puberty he learns to talk with others better and he even makes a few friends. After graduating high school, he faces a tough decision: to go to college or not. He decides that it would be better not to. Instead he signs up for an opportunity to teach English in an eastern European country called Lithuania. When Tammet returns home he finally leaves home to fend for himself. He meets a man named Neil. He moves in with Neil and Tammet even starts his own business. Daniel recites over twenty-thousand decimal points of pi. Because of this, Tammet is asked to appear in a documentary about his autism in America.
Tammet spent his life beating his autism and that got in the way of him having friends, learning in school, and even falling in love. He is completely right, however, that autistic people can be just as normal as you or me. Over and over, Tammet talks about the hardships he faces and how tough they are to overcome.
The book skips around quite a bit at points and during those times it is kind of hard to follow. Eventually, though, it all ties back together and makes sense. Another area that lacks is organization. It is choppy and does not flow. Despite these drawbacks, I would recommend this to anyone looking for an inspiring read that also has an interesting story line and writing style I, as a reader, thoroughly enjoyed this book and I loved the way Daniel portrayed his illness and how well I could understand it.
Born on a Blue Day provides a unique insight into the life of an autistic person. It is unparalleled in its class and should be considered an extremely good story. As soon as you flip the final page you will be a different person, I guarantee it. Definitely worth the read.

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Bored on a Blue Day

In Born On a Blue Day, Daniel Tammet tells the story of his life with Autism and Asperger’s and how it affects his life. As a child, Tammet does not play with the other children. He chooses instead to make his own imaginary friends and talk with them. This, of course, leads to some bullying but he does not mind at all. He enjoys the time to himself. After finishing high school, Tammet volunteers in Lithuania as a teacher. There he makes friends and overcomes a little bit of his apprehension with other people. Eventually, Tammet astounds the world by doing the amazing task of reading off 22,514 digits of Pi. Along this journey, Tammet discovers things about himself regarding sexuality, his calling in life, and relationships. This memoir deals very well with the overcoming of Tammet’s mental disorders. Unfortunately, some of the traits of Autism still shine through in his writing.
Daniel Tammet is very clear when stating his ideas and memories throughout this book. He provides a lot of information to provide background on the various topics he covers in the memoir of his life. However, this plethora of information sometimes takes away from the story. Often, the informative part of a story takes up about half of the chapter. The material given is no doubt interesting, but there is a point where you begin to think the memoir has turned into a non-fiction essay about Pi or complicated card games. By the time you are done reading this information, you forget why Tammet is telling you about it in the first place. This shows Tammet’s attention to detail and information, however, allowing the flaws to be part of the view inside the mind of a high functioning Autistic person. This time, I guess, Tammet gets lucky.
Another flaw I notice in Born On a Blue Day is the lack of a personal connection between the author and the reader. This may be a side-effect of the abundant information mentioned above, but is serious problem none the less. This is supposed to be a story of enduring hardship, yet all we get was a story. Tammet rarely lets us see into the emotional side of his mind throughout this memoir. More often he is ranting about the way numbers feel. This creates a major barrier to the average human as to seeing how Tammet overcomes any hardship. In fact, it sounds to me as if Tammet enjoys most of his life. He is bullied, but doesn’t care. Once again, this lack of connection could be due to his disorders but it still created a large obstacle in the story.
Overall, Born On a Blue Day is an interesting account of a Savant Autistic person with Asperger’s, but fails as a tale of overcoming hardship. I would recommend this book to a friend only if they wish to be informed, not so much inspired. Tammet is no doubt a great and courageous person for what he has done but maybe he should try and incorporate more emotions next time. I give this book a C.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

This is a coming-of-age memoir about a high-functioning autistic

This is a coming-of-age memoir about a high-functioning autistic savant who also has synesthesia. It is rare for a savant to be as high-functioning as Tammet, therefore this memoir provides a unique and fascinating look into Asperger's, savantism, and synesthesia. It was endearing to watch Tammet metamorphose from an awkward child into a much more secure adult. The story is insightful and inspiring...I imagine it would be especially so for teens with Asperger's who are concerned that they will never be able to function in the "real world."

The Must Read Novel

Daniel Tammet paints an interesting picture. His words are calculated and precise, but not lacking in description and interest. Though he felt lonely throughout his childhood, I feel that he could have cut down on his childhood loneliness. While this does make up a big portion of his childhood, I found this to be the most difficult portion to read. It is slightly dry, but looking back in retrospect at it, I can understand why Daniel Tammet organized the book the way he did.
He makes the readers think in an utterly unique way. At first, I find his loneliness and longing as a sign of being in need of a friend and an utter lacking of interest to read. Then it made me think about my own experiences of being alone. It shows the longing I had myself about having friends and understood, is a universal notion for all of human kind. The pieces all came together after that point in the book. After these thoughts, it makes a portion of the book that was previously so dry, completely relatable in a way I hadn’t thought was possible originally.
Daniel Tammet also struggles with socials skills. I know that I, myself, have never had problems with social skills. He struggled at learning and adapting to the world around him, but he does it. Daniel Tammet shows the world that he can develop skills he isn’t born with. And also that it is possible to learn how to defy odds, even when they are stacked against you. The interesting thing about Daniel Tammet’s odds is that they are not unique. There are many autistic people in the world and he gives them hope by showing them that it is possible to retain a sense of “normalcy” while still retaining themselves. He exemplifies for the socially adequate reader that you can do whatever you want to achieve, if you put your mind. Through his achievements of breaking the longest memorization of digits of Pi and going to a foreign country while hardly ever leaving the safe comforts of home Daniel Tammet shows it is possible to excel.
Born on a Blue Day is a must read book. I give it a four for the sheer fact it is so relatable to everyone. It will force the people who believe ignorance is bliss, rethink their morals and start to wonder if their lifestyle is truly as right as they believe it to be. It also brings true hope to the hopeless, faith to the faithless, and a new way of thinking to those who didn’t know they needed it.

It Just Doesn't Add Up

Daniel Tammet wrote Born on a Blue Day to show his struggle with being an autistic savant and his sexuality. He wants people to understand that autistic people aren’t weird or inappropriate, but special. He states that what he does may be different, but that he doesn’t believe he might be wrong. His way of life seems like the correct way to live. Tammet’s lack of emotion is his strongest attribute and keeps us from knowing what he truly feels. I understand that Daniel Tammet has a hard time connecting with feelings, as do most autistic people; but emotion or connection to books is what makes them compelling. I, as a reader, want to connect to a person's life and become apart of it while I’m enthralled in a book. Born on a Blue Day does not have this quality. The book is a memoir, so it should go deep inside Tammet’s feelings. Daniel Tammet starts his novel off with his very first day of life, a Wednesday. “I know it was a Wednesday, because the date is blue in my mind and Wednesdays are always blue, like the number nine or the sound of loud voices arguing,” he writes. Tammet has been able to do large mathematical equations in his head since he was young. He gives visual attribute to numbers, and they all go together like puzzle pieces. Daniel even sees people as certain numbers based on their qualities. In his later life he recites 22,514 digits of pi, breaking a huge record. This brings him fame in the math world. Tammet was not very social, but this did not disturb him. He had no need for friends and enjoyed having time for himself. When he graduated from high school he is faced with a difficult decision: Should he go to college? He decides against it and teaches English in Lithuania. This is his beginning of a new life, a social life. Daniel makes genuine friends that he keeps in contact with for a long time. Daniel writes recalling minute details and tons of facts. All this information takes away from the story. At some points I forgot what I was reading about. This may be an expression of Daniel’s autism, but also makes the book uninteresting at times. I wish that there were more of a balance between facts and emotion. Tammet finds himself relating people and places to numbers. This is an interesting way of seeing things, but is very difficult for me to relate. He is almost disconnected from his reader. Finally, Tammet has a hard time finding his voice. What is his purpose? He never quite succeeds at letting the audience know about how he overcame his struggles. Read Born on a Blue Day to learn about a different way of existing, not to inspire you. Tammet’s reason for writing this was to introduce himself and to educate people on his disorder. This book makes me wonder if Tammet’s lack of emotion contributed to his writing, or is he simply a boring writer?

Great story- written beautifully

Meet Daniel Temmet. He has to count how many articles of clothing we is wearing every morning, and eats the same amount of cereal. He paces when he's nervous, and counts when he's uncomfortable. He is an autistic savant. Like most other autistic savants, he sees numbers as pictures. Complex math problems are simple for him, he set the record (over 22,000) for memorizing the digits of pi. Unlike most, he is can have a independent life. His story is inspiring, and sometimes funny. But no matter what, Daniel's story looks into the mind, something we all have in common.
I would highly recommend this book who would like to widen their knowledge of autistic savants, or just want to read a well-written story. The writing style is elegant and refined, and the story is blunt and truthful. I didn't like however, the beginning. For the first couple of chapters, I was bored. But, keep reading! It gets really good! But they main thing I took away from this book is hope. Throughout Daniel's childhood, he was bullied, couldn't make friends, and didn't fit in anywhere. But after a couple years of practice, he is a loved celebrity all around the world.
Daniel just released a new book called: Embracing the Wide Sky. I would definitely recommend it.

An interesting read about anun common suject

"Born on a blue day" is the story of Daniel Tammet's life as an autistic savant and the trials and tribulations he has endured in the first 30 or so years of his life. One of the major themes in this book was overcoming adversity. Daniel starts life as a shy introverted individual that eventually transforms into someone of great significance and influence. One of the more important messages conveyed, in my opinion, was that one can overcome many difficulties with the help of others. This novel was well written and very easy to read. Daniel makes it possible for others to start to understand his way of thinking. The book is filled with many medical facts and phenomenons that he has witnessed and endured. However, i felt that the book dragged on in some sections, revisiting already explained stories and experiences. Also, some stories and comments seemed irrelevant to the story, wild tangents or side notes.This book would be valuable to others because it exemplifies what its like to be different, also it is a good first hand account of a person with a rare disorder. After reading the book, i would suggest watching videos on youtube of daniel Tammet, the videos are interesting and also put a face/voice to the person being envisioned throughout the book. Overall, i would give this book 4/5 stars. -Michael

Intersting but wanted more

Daniel Tammet is obviously an extraordinary human being. He's an autistic savant who can remember - and recite - over 22,000 digits of pi and become fluent in a language in a week, but his autism hasn't stopped him from living on his own, teaching others, and falling in love. That said, his book reads mostly like a regular autobiography. That he wrote it at all is an amazing feat, and it's about amazing things, but since the sub-title is "Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant" I was expecting a little more about his thought processes - I wanted to go "inside the mind." I was especially interested in his description of numbers as shapes and colors, but I was left wanting more - how does that make mathematical processes and remembering large numbers easier? Do the shapes fit together? Could I remember a landscape better than a number string? Maybe it's too much to ask. I probably couldn't explain my thought process to others either, but I was disappointed that there wasn't more of that type of insight in this book.

Absolutely necessary reading

This is an extremely important book and a must read for those who have any questions about mental problems children are encountering in this day and age.

Feel the book gives a perspective to a major problem and sheds light to those of us who really haven't had any exposure to theh situation.

Books gives hope for those with children who have this problem.

Outstanding book on what it means to have mind that works in a different way

If you or any of your friends or family work with or know Autistic people I think you will find this book fantastic. Daniel tells us how he sees the world and how he works to deal with life from this prospective. It gives you cause to wonder about what is going on in the minds of other people who think differently and can not verbalize it like Daniel.

Inside The Mind Of An Autistic Savant

Extremely readable and interesting memoir of an autistic young man who's brain functions at levels unknown to most. An informative read for those who deal with autism on a regular basis. A great read for anyone interested in science and the workings of the mind.

Positive Story About Asperger Syndrome

I am a special education teacher and found this book so enlightening into the minds of students. If you do not know anyone with Asperger Syndrome or Autism, it probably would not have the same effect. However, if you want to hear a good outcome story of someone with Asperger Syndrome, this is the book for you. I even purchased a second copy for my sister.

Funny, Interesting and a True Inspiration

Born On A Blue Day is a wonderful autobiography by Daniel Tammet, an autistic savant. He takes us by the hand and lets us peer into his world. Tammet's ability to give us glimpses of his unusual life, his thoughts, his interactions and understanding of his family, and his discovery of love make this a touching and remarkable read.

Asperger Disease

Born on a Blue Day gives me a greater insight into Asperger Disease. Born on a Blue Day is Daniel Tammet's memoir on how he survives the cruelness of our society. One quote in the book will remain with me for the rest of my life. 'You don't have to be disabled to be different because everybody's different.' After reading this book I learned that those who are labeled with the title 'disabled' are not the ones who are but those who see others as different are the ones disabled.

born on a blue day

The book born on a blue is written by daniel tammet in biography form. This book is written about daniel Tammets life in both childhood and adulthood. As, a child Daniel struggles making friends and often doesn¿t have anybody to play with. When daniel started to go to school his teachers were afraid because he seemed to be of in his own world. He was fascinated with numbers and would often spend hours at a time in his room counting coins or books. When Daniel started primary school he realized that he was different from the other kids who played in the street and talked with each other. Even though daniel tried to change he still only could make one friend. After, high school daniel decides to not go to college, even though he scored really high on his final exams. He then decides that he will go do an internship in Kanas, Lithuania. When he goes to do a course showing what he will need to do he is more socially active then when he was at his school in England. When he gets to lithuania he teaches women how to speak english but has trouble because he can¿t speak there language. When daniel learns how to speak the language fluently the other people working with him are very impressed. He is able to learn the language because he has savants syndrome. Savants syndrome is a disorder which can give you a high level of expertise in serration area¿s. When he gets back to England he tries to break the eouopeian world record for the most digits of pi recited. When he breaks the record a t.v. network in the U.K. asks him if the could make a documentary about him. He agrees and so, he will go to america for a few weeks. In the last few years daniel learns how to be around people and fells more comfortable with who he is. I thought that the way the people treated him at his school was mean because he did not know how to act arounfd people and he was being made fun of at recess beacuse he was by himself. Some of my favorite partes in the book were when he desribes how he sees things. He explains that he sees numbers as shapes and wehn he sees the wrong colar on the wrong number in a supermarket or store that upsets him. I also thaught that it was interesting when he drew some of the numbers that he sees in his head. One of the main issues that this book brings up is how being different can change how people taught about you. When daniel was a kid in school being different made angry and not want to go to school. After, reading this book I think it has made me less quik to judge someone I think is different. This is a great book and I recimend it to all readers.

A must read!

This book was so fascinating! It really brings you into the mind of a person with Aspergers and help you understand how they are thinking. Great Book!

Definately one of the best books you will ever read.

I bought this book after reading a short description in People magazine. My daughter is Autistic. Although she is not as severe as he is, it provided an abundance of insight for me. As I started reading the book I decided to highlight everything that pertained to my daughter, the similarities were incredible. It was a wonder my highlighter didn't dry out. This book is both touching and educational on many levels. A true insight into a mysterious condition that is continuing to plague communities everywhere. Do yourself a favor and buy this book and then please pass it on to everyone you can.

A reviewer

I am still reading this book and enjoying it so much that I wanted to share it with others, and often find that forwarding the B&N book review page to friends gives the best overview. I have to say however that one of the customer reviewers (g.b.lerner, A reviewer, 02/12/2007 'unique view, uninspired writing') is apparently clueless about the nature of autism and how amazing it is that Daniel can write at all, and more so that he can share his mind with us, describing what is happening and how his mind is working. If that reviewer wants 'inspirational writing' he apparently just doesn't 'get it' that this is hugely inspirational for everyone who has ever dealt with a child who is 'different' or who is just interested in the brain and its 'mind.' It's my opinion that any high-brow approach to critiquing this book is totally out of place and unwarranted. I find it refreshing that this author did not use a ghost writer or co-writer or try to fancy up his presentation. It is a memoir, and much better said in the first person than any other when it would then become something else altogether. Congratulations to Daniel and many thanks for sharing himself so openly so that others can learn and benefit from him.

ok - wait for paperback

The author's talking about himself as an infant was not believable -- would have enjoyed it more if that part was written by one of his parents. Also too much discussion of how he sees numbers as colors & shapes and the number pi. Some parts were good others boring. Wait for paperback or check out of the library.

Amazing!

I enjoyed this book - a great read!