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Top positive review
8 people found this helpful
4.0 out of 5 starsA useful addition to the collection of memoirs by acquired savants
Bytreekilleron January 12, 2017
Struck by Genius is a useful addition to the growing collection of memoirs written by acquired savants-- and I think is primarily of interest to those who have a particular interest in this topic. Some reviewers complain about the inclusion of detailed mathematical discussion of Jason Padgett's drawings. However, other reviewers wish there were actually more math, and lament the many pages devoted to descriptions of Jason's personal challenges in dealing with his accident and its consequences. Others (and I count myself in this camp) are put off by the persistent self-congratulatory remarks throughout the book, and I find myself wondering how these survived the influence of a co-writer, agent, and editor. Nevertheless, what the majority of readers seem to agree upon, is that the brain is an exquisitely complex and mysterious organ, and that Jason Padgett's account of his experience leads us to contemplate the remarkable possibilities as we progress in unlocking the brain's secrets.
Top critical review
4 people found this helpful
3.0 out of 5 starsDisappointing
ByBook Loveron May 18, 2014
I love books about the workings of the human mind, and the true story of a party boy who becomes a mathematical genius after surviving a mugging seemed like it was right up my alley. Unfortunately his newly-discovered genius did not extend to writing, and even with a co-author, the writing was labored and repetitive. What would have been a fascinating article in the New Yorker was a dull slog through the self-absorbed ramblings of a Rain Man wanna-be. Do yourself a favor and skip this in favor of Born On A Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant by Daniel Tammet, a much more interesting memoir on a similar subject.
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Bylilylon January 3, 2015
I enjoyed reading this book several months ago and still think often about it. I will read it again. I like math, beautiful geometric constructions, and information about the brain and brain-injured people acquiring new skills.
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Jason Padgett is one of an estimated 1.7 million Americans who annually suffer traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). Jason's head trauma happened twelve years ago outside a karaoke bar where he was brutally and repeatedly punched and kicked in the head. After that, his life changed dramatically. Before the TBI, Jason's only goal was to live life 24/7 as an adrenaline-seeking, hard-partying extrovert. He describes himself at that time as a math and artistic dunce. He was an I-don't-care college dropout. He was the type of person who constantly needed something stimulating happening around him because he was incapable of just being quiet and entertaining himself from within his own mind.
After the TBI, Jason's whole personality and worldview was completely upended. Suddenly, he found an unlimited rich new world of numbers, geometry, and shapes; they endlessly fascinated him. He was completely entertained from within his own mind. He became a hermit-like introvert. He had little interest outside totally focusing on discovering and visualizing all the geometric fractal shapes he saw around him in everyday life. He started to draw these shapes and discovered he had a marvelous new ability to create artwork out of the shapes he saw all around him. He developed a keen new interest in math and, after going back to community college to learn some fundamental mathematical concepts, he started to delve into mathematical theory. He became a "mathematical marvel."
On the downside--and I learned from this book that there are always major downsides to TBIs--Jason developed an intense case of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). He also suffered the onslaught of frequent panic attacks. Perhaps most interesting of all, Jason became an extreme empath, i.e., at times he could feel the psychological and physical pain of other people so acutely that it would become seriously harmful to his own body.
I found Jason's life story and transformation extraordinarily fascinating, but also mightily puzzling and frustrating. The book held my attention throughout, yet I was also a bit disappointed. I wanted "more" and that intangible "more" wasn't there.
I was never fully convinced that Jason had become the "math marvel" that the book promised. Yes, he'd uncovered an amazing latent ability to understand math at a fairly advanced level, but this could hardly be called a math marvel much less a math genius. Neither did I find Jason's art to be all that compelling or creative. Yes, it is beautiful--you can look at his work on the Fine Art America Website--but it seems to be the natural by-product of his OCD focus on visualizing fractals rather than anything truly outstanding in its own right. I get the theory behind the pi drawing, but it doesn't make me ecstatic. I'm sure it provides him with a great deal of inner peace and tranquility to spend thousands of hours producing these highly repetitive designs--designs that a computer could easily be programmed to do on its own--but I couldn't help but feel sad for all those "lost hours" that might have been more productively used...for example increasing his knowledge of math, or focusing on learning the medical details of OCD and PTSD.
In the book, Jason repeatedly highlighted his prodigious new skill at narrowly focusing on a topic of interest and learning all he could about it from the Internet, yet so far, he has never been drawn to begin a highly-focused, in-depth study of OCD or PTSD...and this despite the fact that both disorders intervene enormously in his ability to live a normal life. For example, should Jason have taken the time to learn all he could, in depth, about the human microbiome, he might be able to break himself of the harmful practice of excessively lathering his entire body in antimicrobial lotions. Perhaps another habit might emerge to replace the one lost, a habit that might be less harmful and life-disabling.
An extrovert is predominantly concerned with obtaining gratification from what is outside the self, while an introvert is predominantly concerned with obtaining gratification from his or her own interior mental life. (I highly recommend reading Susan Cain's magnificent book "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking" for more on this topic). This aspect of the book--at least for me--was the number one profound change that took place in Jason. The TBI propelled him from an extreme extrovert to an extreme introvert. I'd have liked to have seen more neurological interest and discussion in this book on that aspect of his transformation.
But I have to remind myself that this book is the intimate private story of Jason's life, not the life I would have wanted Jason to live. So I have no reason to be disappointed or frustrated.
I have nothing but sincere admiration for Maureen Seaberg's talent at writing this book. She did a remarkable job of getting inside her subject and channeling him in an authentic first-person narrative.
I recommend this book highly. It is unique and fascinating. However, if you read it, know that it may leave you with more questions than it answers. But isn't that always the case with life? It is infinitely mystifying.
I wish Jason all the best in his life ahead. I marvel at all he has achieved since his TBI. If he and Maureen were to update this book in another ten years, I suspect that we'd all see an even greater transformation in the years to come.
After the TBI, Jason's whole personality and worldview was completely upended. Suddenly, he found an unlimited rich new world of numbers, geometry, and shapes; they endlessly fascinated him. He was completely entertained from within his own mind. He became a hermit-like introvert. He had little interest outside totally focusing on discovering and visualizing all the geometric fractal shapes he saw around him in everyday life. He started to draw these shapes and discovered he had a marvelous new ability to create artwork out of the shapes he saw all around him. He developed a keen new interest in math and, after going back to community college to learn some fundamental mathematical concepts, he started to delve into mathematical theory. He became a "mathematical marvel."
On the downside--and I learned from this book that there are always major downsides to TBIs--Jason developed an intense case of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). He also suffered the onslaught of frequent panic attacks. Perhaps most interesting of all, Jason became an extreme empath, i.e., at times he could feel the psychological and physical pain of other people so acutely that it would become seriously harmful to his own body.
I found Jason's life story and transformation extraordinarily fascinating, but also mightily puzzling and frustrating. The book held my attention throughout, yet I was also a bit disappointed. I wanted "more" and that intangible "more" wasn't there.
I was never fully convinced that Jason had become the "math marvel" that the book promised. Yes, he'd uncovered an amazing latent ability to understand math at a fairly advanced level, but this could hardly be called a math marvel much less a math genius. Neither did I find Jason's art to be all that compelling or creative. Yes, it is beautiful--you can look at his work on the Fine Art America Website--but it seems to be the natural by-product of his OCD focus on visualizing fractals rather than anything truly outstanding in its own right. I get the theory behind the pi drawing, but it doesn't make me ecstatic. I'm sure it provides him with a great deal of inner peace and tranquility to spend thousands of hours producing these highly repetitive designs--designs that a computer could easily be programmed to do on its own--but I couldn't help but feel sad for all those "lost hours" that might have been more productively used...for example increasing his knowledge of math, or focusing on learning the medical details of OCD and PTSD.
In the book, Jason repeatedly highlighted his prodigious new skill at narrowly focusing on a topic of interest and learning all he could about it from the Internet, yet so far, he has never been drawn to begin a highly-focused, in-depth study of OCD or PTSD...and this despite the fact that both disorders intervene enormously in his ability to live a normal life. For example, should Jason have taken the time to learn all he could, in depth, about the human microbiome, he might be able to break himself of the harmful practice of excessively lathering his entire body in antimicrobial lotions. Perhaps another habit might emerge to replace the one lost, a habit that might be less harmful and life-disabling.
An extrovert is predominantly concerned with obtaining gratification from what is outside the self, while an introvert is predominantly concerned with obtaining gratification from his or her own interior mental life. (I highly recommend reading Susan Cain's magnificent book "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking" for more on this topic). This aspect of the book--at least for me--was the number one profound change that took place in Jason. The TBI propelled him from an extreme extrovert to an extreme introvert. I'd have liked to have seen more neurological interest and discussion in this book on that aspect of his transformation.
But I have to remind myself that this book is the intimate private story of Jason's life, not the life I would have wanted Jason to live. So I have no reason to be disappointed or frustrated.
I have nothing but sincere admiration for Maureen Seaberg's talent at writing this book. She did a remarkable job of getting inside her subject and channeling him in an authentic first-person narrative.
I recommend this book highly. It is unique and fascinating. However, if you read it, know that it may leave you with more questions than it answers. But isn't that always the case with life? It is infinitely mystifying.
I wish Jason all the best in his life ahead. I marvel at all he has achieved since his TBI. If he and Maureen were to update this book in another ten years, I suspect that we'd all see an even greater transformation in the years to come.
Jason Padgett suffered a traumatic brain injury during a mugging and underwent significant personal and mental changes. Among other things, he is now synesthetic, meaning that he perceives things in multiple ways simultaneously. Most synesthetes see numbers, letters, or musical tones as having particular colors. Padgett sees a particular geometry overlaid on the entire world, particularly lights, running water, reflections, and certain other phenomena. As a result, he becomes obsessed with drawing his "impressions" of particular numbers or phenomena, particularly the irrational number pi and his understanding of certain subatomic processes. Most of these drawings are the kind of line drawings a bored young person with a straightedge and compass might draw to kill some time: many lines intersecting in a single point with a spirograph-like set of intersecting lines around the central point, forming an approximation of a circle. To Padgett, these drawings literally are how he "sees" these concepts.
The synesthesia is interesting, and I have no reason to doubt it. The story took a stranger and more disturbing turn, however, when Padgett holed up for four years with almost no human contact in an apartment that was literally falling apart (there were pigeons living in a hole in the roof) and spending all of his time on the internet. In the process, he diagnosed himself with synesthesia, savant syndrome, PTSD, OCD, agoraphobia, depression, and various other potential maladies. The internet may be a great tool, but a reliable source of lay diagnoses of medical and psychiatric conditions it is not. Most of these self-diagnoses were never confirmed, at least not in the book, and it is not clear how many of the purported diagnoses are, in fact, diagnoses, as opposed to casual conversation with persons in the medical, psychiatric, or academic fields. Moreover, he was subjected to almost no testing for years after the incident, and so most of the purported diagnoses are presented as musings, not as declarative statements.
The real hole in the book, however, is this: there is nothing in it that supports the title. Nothing in it indicates genius or Padgett's status as a "mathematical marvel." He certainly gained a new interest in math, especially geometry, but almost nothing in the book demonstrates that he actually understands any mathematical concepts beyond how to create his drawings. There is one equation in the book, a needlessly complex (and, in practical terms, useless) method of calculating pi. The remainder of the "math" consists of Padgett's geometric "impressions" of various formulae, which he believes reflect a deep insight into the very nature of the universe. Speaking as a math major, I can state that none of Padgett's impressions or theories are more sophisticated than those presented in a trigonometry or precalculus class, if not earlier.
I do not doubt Padgett's suffering, the sincerity of his interest in mathematics, or that he has many daily struggles to overcome in light of his attack, and I do not mean to criticize him in any way. Rather, I simply want to warn readers that this book does not actually demonstrate that Padgett was "struck by genius" or became "a mathematical marvel." Instead, it is a very biographical book that demonstrates, at most, that Padgett's experience gave him synesthesia and an interest in subjects that he previously ignored, primarily math and physics. He was, apparently, a bright student in school who simply didn't apply himself to certain subjects. What the book demonstrates is merely that he developed an interest in some of those subjects after his injuries.
The writing itself requires a brief comment. This is not a well-written book. It rambles and delves into extended discussions of minutiae that do not add anything to the story. As I have said, it is mostly biography, including a huge amount of material related to his party-hard lifestyle before the attack. The substance of the book -- the impacts the attack has had on Padgett's mind -- might make for a interesting and short article, but no more. Instead, it is more than 200 pages long, rambling, full of commentary that often borders on outright narcissism, and devoid of content related to the main point: Padgett's purported new mathematical abilities.
I recommend taking a pass on this book; it simply does not deliver on its promises.
The synesthesia is interesting, and I have no reason to doubt it. The story took a stranger and more disturbing turn, however, when Padgett holed up for four years with almost no human contact in an apartment that was literally falling apart (there were pigeons living in a hole in the roof) and spending all of his time on the internet. In the process, he diagnosed himself with synesthesia, savant syndrome, PTSD, OCD, agoraphobia, depression, and various other potential maladies. The internet may be a great tool, but a reliable source of lay diagnoses of medical and psychiatric conditions it is not. Most of these self-diagnoses were never confirmed, at least not in the book, and it is not clear how many of the purported diagnoses are, in fact, diagnoses, as opposed to casual conversation with persons in the medical, psychiatric, or academic fields. Moreover, he was subjected to almost no testing for years after the incident, and so most of the purported diagnoses are presented as musings, not as declarative statements.
The real hole in the book, however, is this: there is nothing in it that supports the title. Nothing in it indicates genius or Padgett's status as a "mathematical marvel." He certainly gained a new interest in math, especially geometry, but almost nothing in the book demonstrates that he actually understands any mathematical concepts beyond how to create his drawings. There is one equation in the book, a needlessly complex (and, in practical terms, useless) method of calculating pi. The remainder of the "math" consists of Padgett's geometric "impressions" of various formulae, which he believes reflect a deep insight into the very nature of the universe. Speaking as a math major, I can state that none of Padgett's impressions or theories are more sophisticated than those presented in a trigonometry or precalculus class, if not earlier.
I do not doubt Padgett's suffering, the sincerity of his interest in mathematics, or that he has many daily struggles to overcome in light of his attack, and I do not mean to criticize him in any way. Rather, I simply want to warn readers that this book does not actually demonstrate that Padgett was "struck by genius" or became "a mathematical marvel." Instead, it is a very biographical book that demonstrates, at most, that Padgett's experience gave him synesthesia and an interest in subjects that he previously ignored, primarily math and physics. He was, apparently, a bright student in school who simply didn't apply himself to certain subjects. What the book demonstrates is merely that he developed an interest in some of those subjects after his injuries.
The writing itself requires a brief comment. This is not a well-written book. It rambles and delves into extended discussions of minutiae that do not add anything to the story. As I have said, it is mostly biography, including a huge amount of material related to his party-hard lifestyle before the attack. The substance of the book -- the impacts the attack has had on Padgett's mind -- might make for a interesting and short article, but no more. Instead, it is more than 200 pages long, rambling, full of commentary that often borders on outright narcissism, and devoid of content related to the main point: Padgett's purported new mathematical abilities.
I recommend taking a pass on this book; it simply does not deliver on its promises.
On a September night in 2002, Jason Padgett was brutally beaten outside a bar. He suffered a traumatic brain injury that literally turned him into a different person. Before the crime, he was a happy-go-lucky, 31-year-old bar-hopping player. Afterward, he became a "mathematical marvel," as the subtitle says, obsessed with the geometric fractal patterns he sees everywhere -- in a stream of running water, a line of trees, a ray of light glinting off a car hood.
The world becomes a fascinating place for Padgett. He obsessively draws precise pictures of what he sees and discovers their connection with math concepts he'd never known: sine and cosine, tangents, even particle fusion and relativity. Eventually, he is diagnosed as being the only known person in the world with having "acquired savant syndrome," an acute giftedness in a particular area (often math), and "acquired synesthesia," a condition in which one type of stimulation evokes the sensation of another; for example, seeing numbers as colors or shapes.
I was fully immersed in Padgett's story for a few chapters, but then I have to admit that it became repetitive. I can't imagine what he's seeing, no matter how many times he describes it. I don't see the point of the elaborate drawings he makes and can't make the math connection for myself. Not only that, but the more he reveals about his life, the sadder I became for him. Finding his place in the small community of people with his abilities assures him that he isn't mentally ill, and for that I'm glad. But although he is delighted with his new perceptions, they are accompanied by severe drawbacks: for years he is an agoraphobic hermit, venturing out only to grocery shop; he has obsessive compulsive disorder and practically bathes in antibacterial gel after touching someone; his sense of empathy is so keen he becomes physically ill when he hears the sad stories of others.
I also question some of the statements he makes. Can he really be the only person diagnosed with this acquired syndrome? The Department of Defense says that since 2000, close to 300,000 U.S. military members have sustained a TBI. Add to that the sports-acquired TBIs (and crime victims) and you have a cohort group of about 1.7 million sufferers a year. More importantly, I was put off by his statement that people with his heightened awareness alone are positioned to enjoy real spiritual insights. What a sad world it would be if only a few hundred people could lay claim to true spirituality.
I do commend Padgett's ghostwriter, Maureen Seaberg. She's done a terrific job of translating arcane mathematical concepts and fantastical visions into layman's terms. At times, though, I feel the scenes she and Padgett chose to depict showed only the upside of his injury. Padgett works at his family's futon store, and time and again he corners customers with convoluted math monologues, mostly about pi. Everyone is depicted as being enthralled. Honestly, if I were trapped by a salesperson with that agenda, I would escape at the first possible moment!
I would highly recommend two other books in this genre: the recent book, The Answer to the Riddle Is Me: A Memoir of Amnesia, a story of a man who suffered a psychotic break as the result of taking anti-malarial medication, and My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey, by a woman who suffered a stroke at a young age and discovers the joys of more fully engaging the intuitive, kinesthetic right side of the brain.
The world becomes a fascinating place for Padgett. He obsessively draws precise pictures of what he sees and discovers their connection with math concepts he'd never known: sine and cosine, tangents, even particle fusion and relativity. Eventually, he is diagnosed as being the only known person in the world with having "acquired savant syndrome," an acute giftedness in a particular area (often math), and "acquired synesthesia," a condition in which one type of stimulation evokes the sensation of another; for example, seeing numbers as colors or shapes.
I was fully immersed in Padgett's story for a few chapters, but then I have to admit that it became repetitive. I can't imagine what he's seeing, no matter how many times he describes it. I don't see the point of the elaborate drawings he makes and can't make the math connection for myself. Not only that, but the more he reveals about his life, the sadder I became for him. Finding his place in the small community of people with his abilities assures him that he isn't mentally ill, and for that I'm glad. But although he is delighted with his new perceptions, they are accompanied by severe drawbacks: for years he is an agoraphobic hermit, venturing out only to grocery shop; he has obsessive compulsive disorder and practically bathes in antibacterial gel after touching someone; his sense of empathy is so keen he becomes physically ill when he hears the sad stories of others.
I also question some of the statements he makes. Can he really be the only person diagnosed with this acquired syndrome? The Department of Defense says that since 2000, close to 300,000 U.S. military members have sustained a TBI. Add to that the sports-acquired TBIs (and crime victims) and you have a cohort group of about 1.7 million sufferers a year. More importantly, I was put off by his statement that people with his heightened awareness alone are positioned to enjoy real spiritual insights. What a sad world it would be if only a few hundred people could lay claim to true spirituality.
I do commend Padgett's ghostwriter, Maureen Seaberg. She's done a terrific job of translating arcane mathematical concepts and fantastical visions into layman's terms. At times, though, I feel the scenes she and Padgett chose to depict showed only the upside of his injury. Padgett works at his family's futon store, and time and again he corners customers with convoluted math monologues, mostly about pi. Everyone is depicted as being enthralled. Honestly, if I were trapped by a salesperson with that agenda, I would escape at the first possible moment!
I would highly recommend two other books in this genre: the recent book, The Answer to the Riddle Is Me: A Memoir of Amnesia, a story of a man who suffered a psychotic break as the result of taking anti-malarial medication, and My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey, by a woman who suffered a stroke at a young age and discovers the joys of more fully engaging the intuitive, kinesthetic right side of the brain.
BySTEPHEN PLETKOon August 2, 2014
XXXXX
"I struggled to my feet. Not only was I in a lot of pain, but I was having trouble getting my bearings. The world looked different: off-kilter, dreamlike. Everything that moved had trails of colored light following close behind it.
There were triangles and squares in repeating patterns wherever I looked, from the windows to the lampposts to the street signs...
I rubbed my eyes. The glow of the streetlights seemed amplified. I could see the cars going by, little chipped shapes bouncing off their hoods."
The above is what was experienced after a brutal mugging and is found in this fascinating book by Jason Padgett (and Maureen Seaberg). Padgett is now an aspiring number theorist. He's an award-winning artist who hand-draws the stunning geometric patterns he sees everywhere. (Seaberg is an author with several forms of synesthesia (see below). She has written for numerous notable publications.)
This book briefly describes Padgett's life before his TBI (traumatic brain injury) that resulted from a mugging and his long struggle to understand what was happening to him after his TBI. Padgett is determined to overcome psychological and neurological trauma and fully embrace his new mind that now has an extraordinary gift.
What is that extraordinary gift? Answer: acquired savant syndrome (the first documented case) with mathematical synesthesia.
(Savant in the term "savant syndrome" is one whose mental capabilities are quite limited but who possesses some extraordinary talent. Padgett's talent is mathematics and his other mental capabilities seem not to be affected as in the typical savant. Synesthesia is a process in which one type of stimulus produces a secondary, subjective sensation, as when some colour evokes a specific smell. In Padgett's case, he associates shapes with numbers.)
What's even more amazing is that before his TBI, Padgett was a party-loving jock and a college dropout who did not make it past pre-algebra.
This is a true story of sorrow and joy, of falling in love, finding a passion for mathematics and physics, and above all, discovering a profound sense of wonder for the order in our seemingly chaotic world.
Finally, there are twelve colour photographs near the center of this book. My favourite has the following caption:
"My conception of particle fusion [or nuclear fusion where two atomic nuclei combine to form a more stable heavier atomic nucleus resulting in a considerable amount of energy being released]. I imagine the center hexagon [in the photo] as the inert iron core of a star [like our sun] and the six surrounding hexagons [in the photo] as the outer mass, collapsing due to the immense pull of gravity. I'm fascinated by the process of fusion and the possibility of harnessing it to create unlimited, clean energy."
In conclusion this is a well-written book about the story of an ordinary man who was transformed when a traumatic brain injury left him with an extraordinary gift.
(first published 2014; a note from Maureen; 18 chapters; main narrative 225 pages; acknowledgements; bibliography; index)
<<Stephen PLETKO, London, Ontario, Canada>>
XXXXX
"I struggled to my feet. Not only was I in a lot of pain, but I was having trouble getting my bearings. The world looked different: off-kilter, dreamlike. Everything that moved had trails of colored light following close behind it.
There were triangles and squares in repeating patterns wherever I looked, from the windows to the lampposts to the street signs...
I rubbed my eyes. The glow of the streetlights seemed amplified. I could see the cars going by, little chipped shapes bouncing off their hoods."
The above is what was experienced after a brutal mugging and is found in this fascinating book by Jason Padgett (and Maureen Seaberg). Padgett is now an aspiring number theorist. He's an award-winning artist who hand-draws the stunning geometric patterns he sees everywhere. (Seaberg is an author with several forms of synesthesia (see below). She has written for numerous notable publications.)
This book briefly describes Padgett's life before his TBI (traumatic brain injury) that resulted from a mugging and his long struggle to understand what was happening to him after his TBI. Padgett is determined to overcome psychological and neurological trauma and fully embrace his new mind that now has an extraordinary gift.
What is that extraordinary gift? Answer: acquired savant syndrome (the first documented case) with mathematical synesthesia.
(Savant in the term "savant syndrome" is one whose mental capabilities are quite limited but who possesses some extraordinary talent. Padgett's talent is mathematics and his other mental capabilities seem not to be affected as in the typical savant. Synesthesia is a process in which one type of stimulus produces a secondary, subjective sensation, as when some colour evokes a specific smell. In Padgett's case, he associates shapes with numbers.)
What's even more amazing is that before his TBI, Padgett was a party-loving jock and a college dropout who did not make it past pre-algebra.
This is a true story of sorrow and joy, of falling in love, finding a passion for mathematics and physics, and above all, discovering a profound sense of wonder for the order in our seemingly chaotic world.
Finally, there are twelve colour photographs near the center of this book. My favourite has the following caption:
"My conception of particle fusion [or nuclear fusion where two atomic nuclei combine to form a more stable heavier atomic nucleus resulting in a considerable amount of energy being released]. I imagine the center hexagon [in the photo] as the inert iron core of a star [like our sun] and the six surrounding hexagons [in the photo] as the outer mass, collapsing due to the immense pull of gravity. I'm fascinated by the process of fusion and the possibility of harnessing it to create unlimited, clean energy."
In conclusion this is a well-written book about the story of an ordinary man who was transformed when a traumatic brain injury left him with an extraordinary gift.
(first published 2014; a note from Maureen; 18 chapters; main narrative 225 pages; acknowledgements; bibliography; index)
<<Stephen PLETKO, London, Ontario, Canada>>
XXXXX
ByIlya Grigorikon June 7, 2014
This is not a book about math, or "genius". Rather, this is a book about synesthesia: a neurological phenomenon where multiple senses are involved when interpreting certain stimuli - e.g. letters or numbers are associated with certain colors, shapes, and so on. In the case of Jason Padgett, he acquires mathematical synesthesia following a traumatic brain injury, which leads him to see geometric shapes everywhere around him.
This is part personal (and an inspiring) story about Jason and his recovery, and part an expose on synesthesia, which as it turns out is not as uncommon as we might think - many go throughout their entire lives without ever discovering the name! If you're interested in learning about synesthesia, or about our brain in general, this is a fascinating read.
This is part personal (and an inspiring) story about Jason and his recovery, and part an expose on synesthesia, which as it turns out is not as uncommon as we might think - many go throughout their entire lives without ever discovering the name! If you're interested in learning about synesthesia, or about our brain in general, this is a fascinating read.
It's a fascinating story: the average party-animal guy almost predictably sustains serious physical damage in an attack or fight, and turns into a mathematical, geometric, synthesthetic genius. Not something you see around the house every day.
Jason Padgett lays out his story well. Its narrative is clear and easy to follow. The character of pre-damage Jason is clearly drawn and you know that you've met a hundred guys just like him. This serves to make the results of the cranial damage he suffers when he's struck by a 2x4 all the more interesting and makes the story much more compelling, but there are definite problems with his writing.
Not surprisingly, he retells the pre-damage portion of his story in a very clinical way. The story is complete and descriptive but it read like a report given by a disinterested third-party. Of course, Jason is in the odd position of *being* a disinterested third party to his own story. He no longer has any mental or emotional connection to that person who shares his name and who occupied his body. He knows what happened, and he tells you all about it, but it is only tangentially related to the person he is today.
Jason's emotional connection to his earlier life is almost entirely manifest through his reactions to skills, abilities and reactions that he has no previous connection to. He's synthesthetic now, so even the most normal thing, like water flowing from a tap looks like a series of triangles; he's a mathematical and geometric genius, so he sees in those triangles patterns and relationships that were invisible to his old mind. His resulting panic, OCD and agoraphobia are the most understandable and accessible portions of the book.
As he pulls himself together, he returns to the far more studied way of writing that characterized the first part. This time it seems to be more that this is where his mind now lives. It's where he's comfortable and how he naturally reports things. But it is still somewhat alien.
This is a great book in terms of the events, the results, the history of his condition and an excellent, detailed telling of Jason's story. Read it if those things interest you. It is not a compelling read; no compulsive page turner here, which is somewhat sad, since I can't escape believing that the life he's lived, of itself, is worthy of a compelling book.
Jason Padgett lays out his story well. Its narrative is clear and easy to follow. The character of pre-damage Jason is clearly drawn and you know that you've met a hundred guys just like him. This serves to make the results of the cranial damage he suffers when he's struck by a 2x4 all the more interesting and makes the story much more compelling, but there are definite problems with his writing.
Not surprisingly, he retells the pre-damage portion of his story in a very clinical way. The story is complete and descriptive but it read like a report given by a disinterested third-party. Of course, Jason is in the odd position of *being* a disinterested third party to his own story. He no longer has any mental or emotional connection to that person who shares his name and who occupied his body. He knows what happened, and he tells you all about it, but it is only tangentially related to the person he is today.
Jason's emotional connection to his earlier life is almost entirely manifest through his reactions to skills, abilities and reactions that he has no previous connection to. He's synthesthetic now, so even the most normal thing, like water flowing from a tap looks like a series of triangles; he's a mathematical and geometric genius, so he sees in those triangles patterns and relationships that were invisible to his old mind. His resulting panic, OCD and agoraphobia are the most understandable and accessible portions of the book.
As he pulls himself together, he returns to the far more studied way of writing that characterized the first part. This time it seems to be more that this is where his mind now lives. It's where he's comfortable and how he naturally reports things. But it is still somewhat alien.
This is a great book in terms of the events, the results, the history of his condition and an excellent, detailed telling of Jason's story. Read it if those things interest you. It is not a compelling read; no compulsive page turner here, which is somewhat sad, since I can't escape believing that the life he's lived, of itself, is worthy of a compelling book.
I had a hard time putting this fascinating book down! The primary author, Jason Padgett, reports on how his traumatic brain injury had some very unexpected consequences, and how he became the only person ever known to acquire both savant syndrome and synesthesia. After being brutally attacked and beaten one fateful night by a gang of thugs, Jason began seeing the world differently, and his senses began to blur together. Fractal patterns, geometric and crystalline shapes, hidden grids, and other mathematical designs began to reveal themselves in the world around him, in his visions, and in his artwork, as his ability to understand complex mathematics and physics increased exponentially. Most interestingly, Jason acquired these abilities from damage to his brain. Like Jason, I suspect that his acquired mathematical abilities, fractal visions, and synesthesia were really the release of dormant potential that lies within us all. I was reminded of Jill Bolte Taylor's *My Stroke of Insight*, Eben Alexander's *Proof of Heaven*, and the recent fMRI studies in England with the psychedelic drug psilocybin, all of which point to the notion that our dominant left hemisphere is often inhibiting the lesser-known abilities of the more submissive right hemisphere. It seems that brain injuries and psychedelics can sometimes help to release these often suppressed abilities. Jason's journey, and the unusual perspective that he has to offer us, is both instructive and inspirational. I highly recommend this extraordinary book to anyone interested in the untapped potential of the human mind.
Byrason October 21, 2014
My name is Collette and I purchase books on Amazon.
I read and loved this amazing book -- it is a good reminder that the human mind is potentially unlimited. I too have seen the three-dimensional brilliantly colored geometric patterns that Padgett describes as having seen during his meditations. Several times, while in a relaxed state, these same rainbow-colored patterns appeared to me. They were incredible, slowly turning glowing objects of amazing beauty, with a deep layering of intricate strands and points all lit up as perfectly geometrical wheels of light! I was in awe each time I saw these forms! (I believe I was seeing my body's chakra system). So naturally I was amazed and entranced when I read of Padgett's experiences. I've only seen these forms myself a few times, but -- again -- I believe (like the author) that we all are potential geniuses, in that we all have gifts and abilities we know nothing about!
Another time, I saw a different but related internal geometrical structure...I awoke in a meditative state; I was fully and completely awake and aware but deeply relaxed, and I could SEE inside my own head! It appeared as a chamber softly lit by glowing white light, and was filled with an intricately beautiful structure. I could see row upon row of petal-like forms, and as I lay there, I was so moved I started to weep -- it was that beautiful and awe-inspiring! I realized I was seeing something I'd read about but never dreamed I would SEE -- this is what the Hindus call the Sahasrara, the "Thousand-Petaled Lotus," which is an astral and not a physical structure and so will never be isolated under a surgeon's blade! It is the loftiest of the chakras (wheels or energy centers in the spine and brain). The vision lasted for a few minutes and then faded, and I haven't seen it since (2007).
But -- SEEING is believing! As Jason Padgett well knows!
I read and loved this amazing book -- it is a good reminder that the human mind is potentially unlimited. I too have seen the three-dimensional brilliantly colored geometric patterns that Padgett describes as having seen during his meditations. Several times, while in a relaxed state, these same rainbow-colored patterns appeared to me. They were incredible, slowly turning glowing objects of amazing beauty, with a deep layering of intricate strands and points all lit up as perfectly geometrical wheels of light! I was in awe each time I saw these forms! (I believe I was seeing my body's chakra system). So naturally I was amazed and entranced when I read of Padgett's experiences. I've only seen these forms myself a few times, but -- again -- I believe (like the author) that we all are potential geniuses, in that we all have gifts and abilities we know nothing about!
Another time, I saw a different but related internal geometrical structure...I awoke in a meditative state; I was fully and completely awake and aware but deeply relaxed, and I could SEE inside my own head! It appeared as a chamber softly lit by glowing white light, and was filled with an intricately beautiful structure. I could see row upon row of petal-like forms, and as I lay there, I was so moved I started to weep -- it was that beautiful and awe-inspiring! I realized I was seeing something I'd read about but never dreamed I would SEE -- this is what the Hindus call the Sahasrara, the "Thousand-Petaled Lotus," which is an astral and not a physical structure and so will never be isolated under a surgeon's blade! It is the loftiest of the chakras (wheels or energy centers in the spine and brain). The vision lasted for a few minutes and then faded, and I haven't seen it since (2007).
But -- SEEING is believing! As Jason Padgett well knows!
5.0 out of 5 starsA vivid depiction of visuospatial perception & space-time, woven into a life-changing experience.
ByAmazon customeron September 27, 2015
I recently acquired a similar condition, and this book was pratically a road-map for how to work this crazy instrument. Maureen's rhythm and Jason's structure stream through the prosody like geometric music, and I've got to disagree with the other reviews, as I found his personal struggles to be far more informative than mathematical descriptions. Only so many ways to describe Pi waves & a fractal based lattice.
This story was told exactly how it needed to be. Thankfully they were smart enough to know that with an experience this exotic, accuracy needs to surmount both vanity & humility. Jason spilled his soul into the pages, and told us what he honestly felt & experienced along the way. In doing so, he really helped me relate to someone who's been through this and come out okay, which was not a given early on. It starts off as much of a force, as it is a gift--to quote Dr. Treffert--yet you can't share it with anyone cause it sounds insane, and is, in many ways. But it's something else, too.
This isn't just a piece of art. By being truthful about the experience, they added a critical piece of data to our painfully vacant understanding of subconscious thought--capturing the essence of both visuospatial perception & space-time simultaneously, and with a great deal of accuracy. No disrespect to other opinions, but any other interpretation is just wrong.
Bravo, guys. Pitch perfect.
Except for me, it's more of a 'possession' than an 'obsession.'
Thanks, Maureen.
This story was told exactly how it needed to be. Thankfully they were smart enough to know that with an experience this exotic, accuracy needs to surmount both vanity & humility. Jason spilled his soul into the pages, and told us what he honestly felt & experienced along the way. In doing so, he really helped me relate to someone who's been through this and come out okay, which was not a given early on. It starts off as much of a force, as it is a gift--to quote Dr. Treffert--yet you can't share it with anyone cause it sounds insane, and is, in many ways. But it's something else, too.
This isn't just a piece of art. By being truthful about the experience, they added a critical piece of data to our painfully vacant understanding of subconscious thought--capturing the essence of both visuospatial perception & space-time simultaneously, and with a great deal of accuracy. No disrespect to other opinions, but any other interpretation is just wrong.
Bravo, guys. Pitch perfect.
Except for me, it's more of a 'possession' than an 'obsession.'
Thanks, Maureen.
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