Daniel P Warner

Daniel Tammet, an autistic savant with synaesthesia, is an overcomer.

Yes, he has an incredible brain, able to learn a new language in days, and solve complex math problems by visualizing numbers as shapes and colors. But his skills came at a price. His memoir describes why he was unable to relate to kids around him or to focus on conversations or to understand idioms. It describes why he couldn’t handle crowded spaces and why he struggled to form relationships through adolescence. Masterfully, Daniel’s book draws the reader into his mind, seeing what he sees, feeling what he feels, and fearing what he fears.

Daniel Tammet describes his life journey as an autistic savant in vivid detail. From a withdrawn child, unable to comprehend big-picture nuances of everyday life, to the subject of documentaries and an appearance on David Letterman’s television show, Tammet overcame his fears and his differences and burst through the barriers to a “normal” life.

Because I normally write and read action-packed thriller novels, at times I found this slow and too descriptive in the middle. But as a math-lover, I was fascinated by the inner-workings of Daniel’s problem-solving mind. I do wish he’d included more sharing of how his mind works, and less rambling about his day to day existence.

How Daniel overcame his fears to leave his loving parents behind and travel abroad, find a relationship, and complete a search for spiritual meaning is a story of triumph, and makes for an interesting read.