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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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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.
8 people found this helpful
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Bysatchi ron May 30, 2017
The author was a speaker at the Pro-Mega Consciousness Conference in Madison 5/17 and I was astonished by this story, by his drawings and weeping by the end at how much we truly don't know about human capacities. The book goes much more deeply into the journey and research out there with persons exhibiting Acquired Savant Syndrome and Synesthesia, triggered by Traumatic Brain Injury. Very readable as a good story and useful as a map to help others struggling to find meaning from pain and trauma.
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.
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.
Jason Padgett was, by his own account, a shallow, pleasure-seeking goof-ball, until the night he was viciously beaten after stumbling out of a karaoke bar. He suffered severe traumatic brain injury from which he has never fully recovered. His symptoms have been mainly psychiatric, including PTSD, OCD, and spells of depression. He also developed a remarkable new interest in mathematics, geometry, the significance of pi, and fractals. He began to see mathematical concepts in visual forms, and expressed his discoveries in detailed drawings. There was nothing in his previous background or training to explain these interests and abilities.
This book is a detailed memoir of Jason's journey through hell and back and into his new life as a mathematical savant who also experiences synesthesia (the blending of sensory modalities). These abilities are uncommon, and to acquire them in adult life is extremely rare indeed. Jason's experience raises difficult questions about the brain and its workings, and about consciousness itself, and Jason meets many fascinating people as he seeks answers to these riddles. He takes the reader on an amazing journey of discovery--still unfinished as of the writing of the book.
Author Jason Padgett and co-author Maureen Seaberg have written an interesting and moving memoir about experiences that most of us can barely understand. The writing is not polished, often repetitious, and sometimes rambling. Still, I managed to finish it in a day. If you liked Treffert's "Islands of Genius," or if you have any interest in the savant syndromes or synesthesia, you will surely want to get hold of his book. I recommend it. Reviewed by Louis N. Gruber.
This book is a detailed memoir of Jason's journey through hell and back and into his new life as a mathematical savant who also experiences synesthesia (the blending of sensory modalities). These abilities are uncommon, and to acquire them in adult life is extremely rare indeed. Jason's experience raises difficult questions about the brain and its workings, and about consciousness itself, and Jason meets many fascinating people as he seeks answers to these riddles. He takes the reader on an amazing journey of discovery--still unfinished as of the writing of the book.
Author Jason Padgett and co-author Maureen Seaberg have written an interesting and moving memoir about experiences that most of us can barely understand. The writing is not polished, often repetitious, and sometimes rambling. Still, I managed to finish it in a day. If you liked Treffert's "Islands of Genius," or if you have any interest in the savant syndromes or synesthesia, you will surely want to get hold of his book. I recommend it. Reviewed by Louis N. Gruber.
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.
I first learned about "acquired savant syndrome" and synesthesia while reading Darold Treffert's book Islands of Genius: The Bountiful Mind of the Autistic, Acquired, and Sudden Savant. Dr. Treffert, a psychiatrist in Wisconsin, is the leading authority on savants. I highly recommend his book to anyone interested in savants, as well as interested in those who acquire savant abilities due to injury or illness, and in "neurotypical" individuals with savant like skills. His book is very comprehensive, yet very easy to understand.
Jason Padgett's book was an interesting read, too, but not quite as easy to understand, at least not when he's talking about mathematics . . . never my best subject. The story starts when Mr. Padgett is severely beaten during a mugging, and ends with him going to visit Dr. Treffert in Wisconsin. In-between those two events, the reader learns all about what it's like to suddenly acquire amazing mental abilities, as well as to acquire an OCD, PTSD and extreme feelings of empathy. (One is always reading online or in metaphysical books about individuals who consider themselves to be "empaths", so it was noteworthy to read about what a true "empath" is like.) Those three "tradeoffs" were extremely hard for the author to deal with at first, but he seems to have adjusted somewhat to them, and found some success in controlling them with medication and meditation.
It has all been a long, strange trip for Jason Padgett in the strange, new world he lives in, but he keeps slowly moving forward. Personally, I think he should become a teacher, because of the way he loves to share his astounding knowledge of the universe with others, including children. Maybe he can help and inspire others the way Dr. Treffert has helped and inspired others--including Jason Padgett. It sounds like he would very much like to do that.
Jason Padgett's book was an interesting read, too, but not quite as easy to understand, at least not when he's talking about mathematics . . . never my best subject. The story starts when Mr. Padgett is severely beaten during a mugging, and ends with him going to visit Dr. Treffert in Wisconsin. In-between those two events, the reader learns all about what it's like to suddenly acquire amazing mental abilities, as well as to acquire an OCD, PTSD and extreme feelings of empathy. (One is always reading online or in metaphysical books about individuals who consider themselves to be "empaths", so it was noteworthy to read about what a true "empath" is like.) Those three "tradeoffs" were extremely hard for the author to deal with at first, but he seems to have adjusted somewhat to them, and found some success in controlling them with medication and meditation.
It has all been a long, strange trip for Jason Padgett in the strange, new world he lives in, but he keeps slowly moving forward. Personally, I think he should become a teacher, because of the way he loves to share his astounding knowledge of the universe with others, including children. Maybe he can help and inspire others the way Dr. Treffert has helped and inspired others--including Jason Padgett. It sounds like he would very much like to do that.
When I read the book description (that the writer acquires Savant syndrome after a brutal attack), I expected to read he came out of a weeks-long coma a sudden math genius. Surprisingly, after he was hit on the head, he got up and went home, already manifesting his new math genius and synesthesia. The lesson of Mr. Padgett's story is remarkable: we may all have this genius-level understanding of (math, music, etc.) in our brains, but it's only "unlocked" for a small few. Mr. Padgett was a self-described mulleted party boy with little focus or direction. After a hit to the head after leaving a bar, he became a reclusive, obsessive-compulsive math genius, literally overnight.
While I was fascinated by Mr. Padgett's story, I struggled to finish the book. The writing is somewhat clinical. I found descriptions of his fascination with fractal geometry, numbers, and his newly-acquired synesthesia very compelling, but I was less interested in much of the rest. For example, his telling of his pre-assault life as a shallow, unfocused life-of-the-party-boy only takes one chapter, but it seemed to go on and on (and on...). I think I would have enjoyed his story more if the telling was more concise.
Put another way, this would have made a great chapter in an Oliver Sacks anthology.
While I was fascinated by Mr. Padgett's story, I struggled to finish the book. The writing is somewhat clinical. I found descriptions of his fascination with fractal geometry, numbers, and his newly-acquired synesthesia very compelling, but I was less interested in much of the rest. For example, his telling of his pre-assault life as a shallow, unfocused life-of-the-party-boy only takes one chapter, but it seemed to go on and on (and on...). I think I would have enjoyed his story more if the telling was more concise.
Put another way, this would have made a great chapter in an Oliver Sacks anthology.
ByBarbaraon August 3, 2014
This is one of the most fascinating books I have ever read. It's an amazing true story. I learned so much about the brain and it's capabilities by reading this book.
Jason is a regular guy who sells furniture for a living. He's a party animal with little math ability. While leaving a bar one night, he is mugged and suffers a brain injury. He wakes up in a lot of pain and also with special gifts he did not have before the injury. He now has math and science savant ability & he also has synesthesia - a blending and heightened awareness of the senses.
As an admitted math nerd, I found Jason's observations, theories, and drawings about math and science fascinating. I also found his observations of what it feels like on the inside - emotionally - to survive trauma very moving. He takes you through the stages of his recovery - first pain and anger, then depression and isolation, then forgiveness and moving on with his life - discovering and using his new gifts and making a new life for himself.
The book is heavily researched and includes lots of interesting information on others with synesthesia ability. I learned from reading the book that many performers I knew of - ex. Billy Joel - have this amazing ability. I also found Jason's belief that this ability is inside each of us and that we may be able to tap into this through certain forms of meditation very interesting.
I am so happy that Jason is finding ways to use his gifts. I appreciate that he did not give up on life after the accident and that he is sharing his observations and knowledge with others in this powerful book. I hope he writes another book and that he continues to find ways to share and use his gifts. I wish him only the best in life. I hope his family continues to be a source of happiness and inspiration and support for him.
Also, recommended on this subject is Daniel Tammet's book "Born on a Blue Day." Daniel was born with his extraordinary language and memory gifts. Jason in "Struck by Genius" did NOT inherit his gifts - he acquired them after an injury to his brain.
Jason is a regular guy who sells furniture for a living. He's a party animal with little math ability. While leaving a bar one night, he is mugged and suffers a brain injury. He wakes up in a lot of pain and also with special gifts he did not have before the injury. He now has math and science savant ability & he also has synesthesia - a blending and heightened awareness of the senses.
As an admitted math nerd, I found Jason's observations, theories, and drawings about math and science fascinating. I also found his observations of what it feels like on the inside - emotionally - to survive trauma very moving. He takes you through the stages of his recovery - first pain and anger, then depression and isolation, then forgiveness and moving on with his life - discovering and using his new gifts and making a new life for himself.
The book is heavily researched and includes lots of interesting information on others with synesthesia ability. I learned from reading the book that many performers I knew of - ex. Billy Joel - have this amazing ability. I also found Jason's belief that this ability is inside each of us and that we may be able to tap into this through certain forms of meditation very interesting.
I am so happy that Jason is finding ways to use his gifts. I appreciate that he did not give up on life after the accident and that he is sharing his observations and knowledge with others in this powerful book. I hope he writes another book and that he continues to find ways to share and use his gifts. I wish him only the best in life. I hope his family continues to be a source of happiness and inspiration and support for him.
Also, recommended on this subject is Daniel Tammet's book "Born on a Blue Day." Daniel was born with his extraordinary language and memory gifts. Jason in "Struck by Genius" did NOT inherit his gifts - he acquired them after an injury to his brain.
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