Born on a Blue Day

Born on a Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant is Daniel Tammet’s memoir and his first published book. In it, he recalls his childhood, adolescence, and adulthood leading up to the point in his life when he became independent with a partner and a career. Born on a Blue Day was a New York Times best seller following its publication in 2006.

Tammet is, as identified in the subtitle, an autistic savant. He also has epilepsy and synesthesia. These experiences combine to shape Tammet’s world and the way his brain perceives it. The book discusses many challenges that individuals on the autistic spectrum or who have epilepsy face, but Tammet also reveals the gifts that come with his particular neurological makeup and the areas in which people on the autistic spectrum, with savant syndrome, and/or with synesthesia excel, while also including relevant brain science throughout the narrative.

Summary

The story progresses chronologically. Tammet starts his memoir with his mother’s pregnancy and the lives of his parents before his birth. Born in the late 1970s in England, before savant syndrome was commonly known, he soon developed various idiosyncrasies unusual for a child his age. He discusses his young childhood, marked by seizures and emotional difficulties, his school days, during which he first discovered some of his computing and memorization abilities, and his adolescence, which was particularly challenging socially. In school, he discovered his lifelong fascination with numbers and the unique way he sees them in the form of shapes and colors. This is called a synesthetic experience. The association of a visual aid with a number allows Tammet to have an incredible talent for learning and solving math problems. He also has a natural gift for learning new languages fluently and quickly.

The second half of the book takes place after his secondary school graduation, when he pursued personal goals and aimed to live an independent and fulfilling life outside of his home and usual habits. During adolescence, Tammet realized that he wanted to have a relationship with someone who understood him; he also discovered that he was sexually attracted to other men. Being gay combined with his lack of social skills makes it difficult to make or keep friends until after he graduates and takes a volunteer position in Lithuania. The nine-month commitment in Lithuania teaches him about what he is capable of and what he wants in life. During his time there, he meets several other gay men and becomes close friends with them. He becomes somewhat more comfortable with meeting new people and dealing with unpredictable situations without having his family around. By the time he leaves Lithuania and returns to England, he’s matured and gained confidence. Soon after returning home, he meets Neil in an online chatroom. The two go out on dates and quickly fall in love. Tammet moves in with Neil; together, they create an Internet startup to teach foreign languages. Tammet is thus able earn an income while working from home in an environment he can control.

Tammet recounts his growing fame and public appearances, including a record-setting recitation of over 22,500 digits of the number pi, and spends several chapters discussing his various experiences with a documentary film crew that made a movie about him in 2004. He ends the memoir with reflections on his journey from the near-constant anxiety and limitations of his early life to the opportunities and fulfillments of his adulthood.

The overall tone of the book is optimistic. Tammet does not deny the large and small struggles in his life, but he has found gratification and comfort among them. In getting to know himself better, the author came to terms with his uniqueness and embraced the possibilities it presents. Through his writing, he encourages others to embrace difference—especially their own—and to believe that anyone can shape a happy life. He calls himself proof of that notion.