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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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Byzamoleyon August 6, 2014
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story. As soon as I read the first two chapters I knew I would be sad by the time I'd finish reading it. What I mean is I developed a mini addiction to the story and the information (that was either somewhat familiar to me, like fractals, synesthesia and savant syndrome or completely new to me - rigid surfaces, no perfect circles exist in nature or capturing sound in drawings!!!! We already have Cymatics and the sounds of the universe are being explored today.) I absorbed it like a sponge. (I foresee more research-binging inspired by this story.)
I generally read very fast, so I tried to "ration" my reading to prolong the experience over a few days. And I could not wait to get home after work to continue reading. It is truly stimulating in so many ways (emotionally, intellectually, even visually, though I am not a synnie.) I could personally relate to some experiences described by the "halfway" savant (periodic self-imposed isolation to binge on information and ponder upon what truly is beautiful, simple and captivating; above average empathy - a blessing and a curse...) I could visualize (as best as my mind's eye allowed) Jason Padgett's visions: the first sunrise after several years, his hand, leaves, the rain drops in the puddle. I even cried a bit... a few times. As I tried to envision what I was reading, many times I thought that this is definitely going to be "A Beautiful Mind 2" or something along those lines... I love quoting beautifully written passages and this book certainly is drenched in quotes worth remembering and referencing.
I remain hopeful that soon enough the "savant-inducing headgear" hits the market, rendering all preceding technology virtually obsolete. I guess, I'll hold off on G.glass and iWatch.
Although I do not know them perosnally, nevertheless, Congratulations to Jason, Elena and their family with the new baby due very-very soon :)).
I generally read very fast, so I tried to "ration" my reading to prolong the experience over a few days. And I could not wait to get home after work to continue reading. It is truly stimulating in so many ways (emotionally, intellectually, even visually, though I am not a synnie.) I could personally relate to some experiences described by the "halfway" savant (periodic self-imposed isolation to binge on information and ponder upon what truly is beautiful, simple and captivating; above average empathy - a blessing and a curse...) I could visualize (as best as my mind's eye allowed) Jason Padgett's visions: the first sunrise after several years, his hand, leaves, the rain drops in the puddle. I even cried a bit... a few times. As I tried to envision what I was reading, many times I thought that this is definitely going to be "A Beautiful Mind 2" or something along those lines... I love quoting beautifully written passages and this book certainly is drenched in quotes worth remembering and referencing.
I remain hopeful that soon enough the "savant-inducing headgear" hits the market, rendering all preceding technology virtually obsolete. I guess, I'll hold off on G.glass and iWatch.
Although I do not know them perosnally, nevertheless, Congratulations to Jason, Elena and their family with the new baby due very-very soon :)).
3 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.
Bymirlen101on September 13, 2014
Interesting story about an interesting man . Hits on relationships between various subjects that are related to fractals , geometry , math , synesthesia , genius , brain injuries and brain abnormalities .How these things are interconnected .
It's mostly about how Jason was transformed through circumstances beyond his control . Going from an extreme extrovert who sought adrenaline driven thrills to an ultra-introvert who just wanted to be isolated from the outside world . Eventually coming back from his isolation via his new found love for math , art, geometry and fractals .To be considered one of the best known cases of head injury induced savantism . This story has circled the world . Been mentioned in newspapers , television , on the internet and seminars . Probably in the top ten cases of brain injury or brain abnormality savantism .
I imagine this book would be of special interest to those interested in savantism and or synesthesia ( people who have crossed senses , such as seeing colors when hearing music , or seeing letters and numbers as colored objects ) . Also those that like stories of the underdog who goes onto to great things .Silver linings ?
It's mostly about how Jason was transformed through circumstances beyond his control . Going from an extreme extrovert who sought adrenaline driven thrills to an ultra-introvert who just wanted to be isolated from the outside world . Eventually coming back from his isolation via his new found love for math , art, geometry and fractals .To be considered one of the best known cases of head injury induced savantism . This story has circled the world . Been mentioned in newspapers , television , on the internet and seminars . Probably in the top ten cases of brain injury or brain abnormality savantism .
I imagine this book would be of special interest to those interested in savantism and or synesthesia ( people who have crossed senses , such as seeing colors when hearing music , or seeing letters and numbers as colored objects ) . Also those that like stories of the underdog who goes onto to great things .Silver linings ?
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.
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
"Struck By Genius: How a Brain Injury Made Me a Mathematical Marvel" (2014 publication; 255 pages) is the memoir of Jason Padgett (co-authored with Maurenn Seaberg). At the beginning of the book, we get a brief glimpse of what the author refers to as "Jason 2.0", before we go back in time and get to know the original "Jason 1.0", a somewhat brash kid who loved nothing more than to go out and party and have a good time. One evening in September, 2002 on his way home from a bar, Jason is mugged by a couple of guys, and along the way Jason suffers a traumatic brain injury. Then strange things start happening... To tell you more would spoil your reading experience, you'll have to read for yourself how it all plays out.
Couple of comments: first, I cannot even begin to comprehend what a life-changing event this must be for someone. Comments Jason: "I was able to compare the me from before the mugging and the me after it, and they didn't match up, which was very confusing to me". A good part of the book comes from this self-reflection and confusion about the "old" and "new" Jason Padgett. Second, the book is full of semi-medical talk of things like "synesthesia", "sudden-onset savant syndrome" and the like. While I assume all of it is correct (I personally wouldn't know), it just goes on and on and frankly feels tedious after a while. Far more interesting (to me anyway) are the things happening in Jason's personal life, and his retelling of the courtship of a Russian young woman named Elena, which leads him to visit her in St. Petersburg and Pskov, is the highlight of the book. The book then really nosedives towards the end when Jason gets more and more involved in the "society of synesthetes" (my words), speaking at conferences etc. It feels a bit like a cult to me, but more importantly the descriptions of the conferences and the speeches at the conferences go on way too long to keep the reader's interest.
Bottom line: the mugging of and ensuing brain injury to Jason Padgett was horrible, yet some great things happened to him as a result. It seems that Mr. Padgett is a genuinly "nice guy" and I wish him nothing but the best. That said, this memoir is not the most compelling, and in the end feels as if it is written only for those who have a particular interest in "synesthesia/savant syndrome".
Couple of comments: first, I cannot even begin to comprehend what a life-changing event this must be for someone. Comments Jason: "I was able to compare the me from before the mugging and the me after it, and they didn't match up, which was very confusing to me". A good part of the book comes from this self-reflection and confusion about the "old" and "new" Jason Padgett. Second, the book is full of semi-medical talk of things like "synesthesia", "sudden-onset savant syndrome" and the like. While I assume all of it is correct (I personally wouldn't know), it just goes on and on and frankly feels tedious after a while. Far more interesting (to me anyway) are the things happening in Jason's personal life, and his retelling of the courtship of a Russian young woman named Elena, which leads him to visit her in St. Petersburg and Pskov, is the highlight of the book. The book then really nosedives towards the end when Jason gets more and more involved in the "society of synesthetes" (my words), speaking at conferences etc. It feels a bit like a cult to me, but more importantly the descriptions of the conferences and the speeches at the conferences go on way too long to keep the reader's interest.
Bottom line: the mugging of and ensuing brain injury to Jason Padgett was horrible, yet some great things happened to him as a result. It seems that Mr. Padgett is a genuinly "nice guy" and I wish him nothing but the best. That said, this memoir is not the most compelling, and in the end feels as if it is written only for those who have a particular interest in "synesthesia/savant syndrome".
Written well and somewhat engaging, this book is more about one man's ability to turn a tragic occurrence into a gift that mirrors the synesthesia found in savants. While the story of how this all came to be and the process of how Padgett recovers to discover his newfound gift are engaging, to a degree, I'm not sure the skills he develops as a result of the accident could be considered the skills of a genius. Interesting and thought-provoking, for sure. If this had been a story told from the perspective of a man who considered himself lucky and possible the result of a miracle (a stretch, but there are those out there convoluted enough in thinking to suggest such an occurrence here), that would have been something else entirely. Synesthesia is a gift best told by those born with such a gift. As such, hearing it from individuals like Daniel Tammet, for example, might provide for a far more interesting read.
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.
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