Islands of Genius

Author: Darold A. Treffert
Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
ISBN: 1849058733
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 330

Book Description
In this fascinating book, Dr. Treffert looks at what we know about savant syndrome, and at new discoveries that raise interesting questions about the hidden brain potential within us all. He looks both at how savant skills can be nurtured, and how they can help the person who has them, particularly if that person is on the autism spectrum.

Islands of Genius

Author: Darold A. Treffert
Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
ISBN: 0857003186
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 330

Book Description
* Gold Medal Winner in the Psychology / Mental Health Category of the 2011 IPPY Awards * * Silver Medal Winner in the 2010 BOTYA Awards Psychology Category * Savant syndrome is a rare condition in which individuals with developmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorders, have one or more areas of expertise, ability, or brilliance - "islands of genius" - that exist in contrast with their overall limitations. In this fascinating book, Dr. Darold Treffert looks at what we know about this remarkable condition, and at new discoveries that raise interesting questions about the hidden brain potential within us all. Dr. Treffert explores the phenomena of genetic memory - instances in which individuals somehow "know" things they never learned - and sudden genius or "acquired savantism" - where a neuro-typical person unexpectedly and spectacularly develops savant-like abilities following a head injury or stroke. Showing that these phenomena point convincingly towards a reservoir of untapped potential - an inner savant capacity - within us all, he looks both at how savant skills can be nurtured, and how they can help the person who has them, particularly if that person is on the autism spectrum. A central colour section contains the extraordinary artwork of some of the savants who are mentioned in the book. Islands of Genius will intrigue anyone who has ever wondered what makes the mind of a savant tick, as well as clinicians, parents, teachers, therapists, and others who care for, and about, individuals with savant syndrome.

Extraordinary People

Author: Darold A. Treffert
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780595092390
Category : Intellectual disability
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
For the first time in Extraordinary People, the psychiatrist who was a consultant to the movie Rain Man, collects the most fascinating cases of Savant Syndrome both in history and modern times. Dr. Treffert documents the spectacular abilities—the islands of genius—in these remarkable persons, and describes as well the love, determination and dedication of their equally remarkable families, teachers and caretakers. He shares the observations of the far-reaching implications this astonishing condition has for understanding brain function and hidden potential in all of us.

Struck by Genius

Author: Jason Padgett
Publisher: HMH
ISBN: 0544045645
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 268

Book Description
From head trauma to scientific wonder—a “deeply absorbing . . . fascinating” true story of acquired savant syndrome (Entertainment Weekly). Twelve years ago, Jason Padgett had never made it past pre-algebra. But a violent mugging forever altered the way his brain worked. It turned an ordinary math-averse student into an extraordinary young man with a unique gift to see the world as no one else does: water pours from the faucet in crystalline patterns, numbers call to mind distinct geometric shapes, and intricate fractal patterns emerge from the movement of tree branches, revealing the intrinsic mathematical designs hidden in the objects around us. As his ability to understand physics skyrocketed, the “accidental genius” developed the astonishing ability to draw the complex geometric shapes he saw everywhere. Overcoming huge setbacks and embracing his new mind, Padgett “gained a vision of the world that is as beautiful as it is challenging.” Along the way he fell in love, found joy in numbers, and spent plenty of time having his head examined (The New York Times Book Review). Illustrated with Jason’s stunning, mathematically precise artwork, his singular story reveals the wondrous potential of the human brain, and “an incredible phenomenon which points toward dormant potential—a little Rain Man perhaps—within us all” (Darold A. Treffert, MD, author of Islands of Genius: The Bountiful Mind of the Autistic, Acquired, and Sudden Savant). “A tale worthy of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! . . . This memoir sends a hopeful message to families touched by brain injury, autism, or neurological damage from strokes.” —Booklist “How extraordinary it is to contemplate the bizarre gifts that might lie within all of us.” —People

The Superhuman Mind

Author: Berit Brogaard, PhD
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 069819036X
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 290

Book Description
Did you know your brain has superpowers? Berit Brogaard, PhD, and Kristian Marlow, MA, study people with astonishing talents—memory champions, human echolocators, musical virtuosos, math geniuses, and synesthetes who taste colors and hear faces. But as amazing as these abilities are, they are not mysterious. Our brains constantly process a huge amount of information below our awareness, and what these gifted individuals have in common is that through practice, injury, an innate brain disorder, or even more unusual circumstances, they have managed to gain a degree of conscious access to this potent processing power. The Superhuman Mind takes us inside the lives and brains of geniuses, savants, virtuosos, and a wide variety of ordinary people who have acquired truly extraordinary talents, one way or another. Delving into the neurological underpinnings of these abilities, the authors even reveal how we can acquire some of them ourselves—from perfect pitch and lightning fast math skills to supercharged creativity. The Superhuman Mind is a book full of the fascinating science readers look for from the likes of Oliver Sacks, combined with the exhilarating promise of Moonwalking with Einstein.

Island

Author: Aldous Huxley
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 1443428582
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 408

Book Description
While shipwrecked on the island of Pala, Will Farnaby, a disenchanted journalist, discovers a utopian society that has flourished for the past 120 years. Although he at first disregards the possibility of an ideal society, as Farnaby spends time with the people of Pala his ideas about humanity change. HarperPerennial Classics brings great works of literature to life in digital format, upholding the highest standards in ebook production and celebrating reading in all its forms. Look for more titles in the HarperPerennial Classics collection to build your digital library.

Presentation Genius

Author: Simon Raybould
Publisher: John Murray Business
ISBN: 1473615011
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 217

Book Description
The fast-track MBA in presenting Imagine having instant access to the world's smartest thinking on presentations - and being shown exactly what to do to guarantee that you get your own presentations right, every time. Presentation Genius makes it easy to apply what researchers know about brilliant presentations to the real world. 40 chapters based on hundreds of cutting-edge business and psychology research projects reveal what works and what doesn't work when you're presenting. Each of the 40 chapters is a mini-masterclass in presentations, explaining the research and showing you how to apply it next time you present. In business, conventional wisdom often says one thing while research says another. Presentation Genius cuts through the noise to bring you proven research and techniques for applying it that will simply make you a better presenter. Quick to read and intensely practical, this book will bring a little presentation genius into your day. 'This book will make you a better presenter' Paul McGee - The Sumo Guy. International speaker and bestselling author 'What a great little book! There is something here for everyone. Experts will find new ideas (and some science) to test and polish their performances; novices will get a flying start with a whole range of presentation skills, which the rest of us had to learn by trial and error' Peter Judge, MBE, Attorney General of the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands 'An invaluable aid to anyone who wants to be sure to get information of any type across to audiences of all sizes' Dr Joanna Berry, Director of External Relations at Newcastle University Business School

Geneses, Genealogies, Genres, and Genius

Author: Jacques Derrida
Publisher: Columbia University Press
ISBN: 9780231139793
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 118

Book Description
Jacques Derrida argues that the feminist and intellectual Hélène Cixous is the most important writer working within the French idiom today. To prove this, he elucidates the epistemological and historical interconnectedness of four terms: genesis, genealogy, genre, and genius, and how they pertain to or are implicated in Cixous's work. Derrida explores Cixous's genius (a masculine term in French, he is quick to point out) and the inspiration that guides and informs her writing. He marvels at her skillful working within multiple genres. He focuses on a number of her works, including her extraordinary novel Manhattan and her lyrical and evocative Dream I Tell You, a book addressed to Derrida himself and one in which Cixous presents a series of her dreams. Derrida also delves into the nature of the literary archive, the production of literature, and the importance of the poetic and sexual difference to the entirety of his own work. For forty years, Derrida had a close personal and intellectual relationship with Hélène Cixous. Clever, playful, and eloquent, Geneses, Genealogies, Genres, and Genius charts the influence these two critical giants had on each other and is the most vital work to address Cixous's contribution to French thought.

Literary Genius

Author: Joseph Epstein
Publisher: Paul Dry Books
ISBN: 1589880358
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 258

Book Description
Profiles of 25 great writers whose works help us see the world in new ways.

Newton

Author: Patricia Fara
Publisher: Columbia University Press
ISBN: 9780231128063
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 400

Book Description
His very surname has acquired brand-name-like associations with science, genius, and Britishness - Apple Computers used it for an ill-fated companion to the Mac, and Margaret Thatcher has his image in her coat of arms.".