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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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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.
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ByBibliomaniacon June 28, 2014
Exquisitely written, both the "before" and "after" portions of Jason Padgett's story boggle the mind and give rise to the wondrous potential that exists in all of us. A must read for anyone who is at all curious about human potential, the capacity to accept change, and for those who appreciate the wonder in a blade of grass or patterns created in the water rushing out of a bathroom faucet.
ByPugetSoundWaveon June 29, 2014
Such an interesting story of what may be hidden in the brains of all human beings. This was made even more interesting to find this unusual and tragic attack happened in a nearby town of Tacoma, and how the victim has turned this tragedy into a remarkable blessing.
ByBrenda Simpsonon September 20, 2014
The human mind is a mystery for all humankind. How to activate centers of the brain that lie dormant, could be the biggest achievement in history.
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.
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.
ByAkcloudwomanon March 29, 2014
This is a fascinating look into what our minds are capable of, especially under dire circumstances. Jason was viciously attacked as an adult, and as a result experienced a major change in the way he sees and understands the world. I am fascinated by how the human brain learns and how each of us interprets the world differently. Jason describes in vivid detail how he sees the world in mathematical patterns, and in ways most of us will never see due to the synesthesia that developed after his injury.
He remembers his life before the traumatic brain injury so is able to give a unique perspective when comparing his intellect, attitude towards life, and changes with the synesthesia before and after the assault. (My son has synesthesia, and like most, had no idea he "saw" the world differently from the rest of us until high school when he realized we all didn't "hear" colors!)
The story is very well written and easy to follow. There are reference included for those who want to do further research. If you are interested in how the brain works, how geniuses think, synesthesia or any other aspects of how the brain works, I highly recommend this book!
He remembers his life before the traumatic brain injury so is able to give a unique perspective when comparing his intellect, attitude towards life, and changes with the synesthesia before and after the assault. (My son has synesthesia, and like most, had no idea he "saw" the world differently from the rest of us until high school when he realized we all didn't "hear" colors!)
The story is very well written and easy to follow. There are reference included for those who want to do further research. If you are interested in how the brain works, how geniuses think, synesthesia or any other aspects of how the brain works, I highly recommend this book!
This is truly an amazing story that had me wondering about the power and potential of the human brain. This story involves Jason Padgett who, before his brain injury, was a lot like most of us (especially me). Just a typical guy living his life. Like me, Jason struggled through school and was not a genus. In fact, Jason was like me in that he was just your average math student and had the same thoughts as I do, "When will I ever need this stuff?"
And then there is Jason 2.0. After a brain injury, for whatever reason that even doctors can't explain, Jason becomes a mathematical genus. Nearly overnight his brain now allows Jason to see the world as he never saw it before, through the lens of mathematics.
I enjoyed that in the midst of the story, Jason tells the brain potential and how we all are using only small parts of our brains. We are wonderfully created (Psalm 139:14) and I was in awe of the power that is in our brains that we are not using. I also enjoyed the stories of others who have had their brains untapped if you would. I was amazed to see how ordinary people have become above life through their brains.
Great story. Easy to read. I highly recommend it to all.
And then there is Jason 2.0. After a brain injury, for whatever reason that even doctors can't explain, Jason becomes a mathematical genus. Nearly overnight his brain now allows Jason to see the world as he never saw it before, through the lens of mathematics.
I enjoyed that in the midst of the story, Jason tells the brain potential and how we all are using only small parts of our brains. We are wonderfully created (Psalm 139:14) and I was in awe of the power that is in our brains that we are not using. I also enjoyed the stories of others who have had their brains untapped if you would. I was amazed to see how ordinary people have become above life through their brains.
Great story. Easy to read. I highly recommend it to all.
Author Jason Padgett became a mathematical savant in his late twenties because of blows to his head. The blows were not severe enough to permanently damage him, instead the blows appear to have awakened a special gift that allows him to experience the world as a scientist. This memoir is filled with surprises as the reader walks along with Padgett as his gifts unfold for him to notice then find a way to use for the betterment of his life. Readers interested in the science behind the cognitive ability of human consciousness will enjoy this memoir. I am eager to read a similar book from him twenty years in the future. I want to know where he is in the year 2034, if he continues to learn at this trajectory he will be a very special person. He is a living version of Charlie in the book Flowers for Algernon. Wow!
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