FoggyRock General Forum

I just devoured this book in the past few days and found it to be a fascinating insight into the mind of a young man with autism. Specifically Daniel Tammet seems to have Apserger Syndrome with savant capabilities. It was interesting seeing how his parents loved him for who he was and gave him what tools and loving encouragement they could to help him succeed. Daniel carefully documents his life growing up detailing the obstacles and social challenges he faced. He learned coping skills and also memorized social rules as they came up to help him continue on his journey to find "himself."

He talks about how he got to a certain age and finally understood the value of friendship, however, he sensed never feeling quite comfortable or secure, of always being somehow apart and separate and this weighed heavily on him. He talks about the obstacles that he faced in making friends. Later in the book, he talks about how as he grew older, he learned/memorized certain rules which enabled him to interact socially. Also, he was able to interact with adults at a different level and developed relationships that wer mutually beneficial.

Here are some YouTube clips that are mentioned in the book. This way, if you don't have time to read the book, you might enjoy watching a miniversion of some of the items covered in the book. What is missing is the details of his childhood and his current status:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbASOcqc … re=related
One of 5 from Brainman video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfoGsXYL … re=related
Two of 5 from Brainman video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7oEdE2X … re=related
Three of 5 from Brainman video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqLzoiVz … re=related
Four of 5 from Brainman video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMz3gjl9 … re=related
Five of 5 from Brainman video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXG-1YLG … re=related
Daniel Tammet on Letterman

This is a paragraph in conclusion that caught my eye...
"It was the strangest thing: the verysame abilities that had set me apart from my peers as a child and adolescent, and isolated me from them, had actually helped me to connect with other people in adulthood and to make new friends.