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How to Be 'Normal': Notes on the eccentricities of modern life
An eye-opening short book by the international bestselling writer of Born on a Blue Day and Thinking in Numbers.
Have you ever wondered how neurotypicals – so called ‘normal’ people – come across to those who are on the autistic spectrum? What would an instruction manual about being an average human being look like to them? And actually, would it be that different, fundamentally, to a field guide about autistic people (were such a thing to exist)?
Daniel Tammet is an essayist, poet, novelist and translator. In 2004, he was diagnosed with high-functioning autistic savant syndrome. In this eye-opening and fascinating book, he takes readers on a tour around nightclubs, ponders the significance of tattoos, delves into anti-age creams and puzzles over playing the lottery, all from the perspective of someone who approaches everything in life from a unique angle. After all, this is a man for whom Wednesdays are always blue, who sees numbers as shapes and who learned conversational Icelandic from scratch in seven days.
These short essays come together in a beautifully written, sometimes humorous but always refreshing narrative that focuses on the eccentricities of modern life as seen through the eyes of someone always on the outside. Rather wonderfully, it illustrates the eccentricity inherent in every kind of mind, reminding us of the little-noticed strangeness of our common humanity, while subtly questioning what it means to be thought ‘normal’.
Have you ever wondered how neurotypicals – so called ‘normal’ people – come across to those who are on the autistic spectrum? What would an instruction manual about being an average human being look like to them? And actually, would it be that different, fundamentally, to a field guide about autistic people (were such a thing to exist)?
Daniel Tammet is an essayist, poet, novelist and translator. In 2004, he was diagnosed with high-functioning autistic savant syndrome. In this eye-opening and fascinating book, he takes readers on a tour around nightclubs, ponders the significance of tattoos, delves into anti-age creams and puzzles over playing the lottery, all from the perspective of someone who approaches everything in life from a unique angle. After all, this is a man for whom Wednesdays are always blue, who sees numbers as shapes and who learned conversational Icelandic from scratch in seven days.
These short essays come together in a beautifully written, sometimes humorous but always refreshing narrative that focuses on the eccentricities of modern life as seen through the eyes of someone always on the outside. Rather wonderfully, it illustrates the eccentricity inherent in every kind of mind, reminding us of the little-noticed strangeness of our common humanity, while subtly questioning what it means to be thought ‘normal’.
35 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 10, 2020
3 people are currently reading
95 people want to read
About the author
Daniel Tammet
14 books400 followersDaniel Tammet is the subject of the award-winning television documentary, The Boy with the Incredible Brain, as well as a BBC Radio 4 documentary, Two Poets (with Les Murray) and the Kate Bush song, Pi. He is the author of nine books, including the memoir Born on a Blue Day, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults; two collections of essays, Thinking in Numbers, a New Yorker recommendation, and Every Word is a Bird We Teach to Sing, a Booklist Editors' Choice and Listener Magazine Book of the Year; a bilingual poetry collection in English and French, Portraits, and a novel written in French, Mishenka. His writing has appeared in Esquire, The Times Literary Supplement, The Guardian, Aeon and Quadrant, and his books have been translated into thirty languages. He was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in 2012, and awarded an honorary doctorate from his alma mater, The Open University, in 2023. Daniel Tammet lives in Paris.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 16, 2021
Not at all what I expected based on the title and author. A small collection of ... I guess you could call them vignettes, though frankly most barely seem to qualify for that limited title. Most seem as if they could have been written by anyone, Tammet's perspective only coming through in a couple.
June 25, 2022
'How to be Normal: Notes on the Eccentricities of Modern Life' is written by Daniel Tammet - a writer and poet, who is on the autistic spectrum. The blurb of the book promises a unique perspective on the world from someone who is neurodivergent; however, I do not feel as though this book offers this as well as it could.
Firstly, the book is very short. As soon as I started, I was almost finished. It took me no longer than an hour to read, and I was craving more - more 'essays' and longer ones.
Secondly, not all of the things mentioned come across as eccentric. Though the things are claimed to be unusual or perplexing to Tammet, I do not feel his language transmissions this across. I relate to him on the small talk issue - it is empty conversation and perplexing to me too, and so too the ugly vegetables, and maybe even the anti-aging cream; but, the other subjects are not presented to be exceptional or entertaining or eccentric.
What I do admire is Tammet's poetic language. It is a pleasure to read his short, but sweet, notes, and his nice style of writing does provoke me to examine his other (longer pieces of) work.
I still do not know how to be normal, though.
Firstly, the book is very short. As soon as I started, I was almost finished. It took me no longer than an hour to read, and I was craving more - more 'essays' and longer ones.
Secondly, not all of the things mentioned come across as eccentric. Though the things are claimed to be unusual or perplexing to Tammet, I do not feel his language transmissions this across. I relate to him on the small talk issue - it is empty conversation and perplexing to me too, and so too the ugly vegetables, and maybe even the anti-aging cream; but, the other subjects are not presented to be exceptional or entertaining or eccentric.
What I do admire is Tammet's poetic language. It is a pleasure to read his short, but sweet, notes, and his nice style of writing does provoke me to examine his other (longer pieces of) work.
I still do not know how to be normal, though.
April 9, 2025
This is a very short series of essays on daily life observed by someone who sees more. If you like Georges Perec, you may enjoy this short book, but if Perec drives you nuts (I may not like you that much, but that's OK), you may not enjoy this either.
The author's descriptions of daily events, like losing an item on a train or bus, observing people jogging, or contemplating being someone vain, reflect a much deeper examination than (it seems to me, anyway) most people are willing to commit to. Hence, his observations may seem outlandish or 'weird', but they are anything but to those who take the time to think about what they see.
This is not an easy book to describe, but if you can, read a sample, as even a single essay will give you a taste of the whole and you should be able to tell if it's for you or not. I enjoyed it immensely and will re-read it several times, I'm sure.
The author's descriptions of daily events, like losing an item on a train or bus, observing people jogging, or contemplating being someone vain, reflect a much deeper examination than (it seems to me, anyway) most people are willing to commit to. Hence, his observations may seem outlandish or 'weird', but they are anything but to those who take the time to think about what they see.
This is not an easy book to describe, but if you can, read a sample, as even a single essay will give you a taste of the whole and you should be able to tell if it's for you or not. I enjoyed it immensely and will re-read it several times, I'm sure.
September 3, 2024
I read this off the back of finishing Daniel’s book “Nine Minds”. Nine Minds captured and portrayed beautiful yet very different ways of viewing the world, and I was hoping to find more of that spark these short stories. For me, though, the stories felt a bit mundane and obvious — even though they are beautifully written, with some lovely turns of phrase scattered throughout.
But it might just be that, as a neurodivergent person myself, I also find the “normal” behaviours described in the book — like selfie culture, or habitual gambling — obviously weird. Perhaps others will find more surprise here than I did.
But it might just be that, as a neurodivergent person myself, I also find the “normal” behaviours described in the book — like selfie culture, or habitual gambling — obviously weird. Perhaps others will find more surprise here than I did.
December 1, 2022
Amazing book!
Ever wondered how a person with autism sees the world, or if they notice it at all? This book gives us a glimpse, and what a world it is! It might seem that people with ASD are trapped in their own mind but the reality is completely the opposite. They see so much more. But the added insight does not end there. Internal questions about why things are as they are accompany each observation. This book was a total joy to read. It made me want to slow down and view the world more through ASD eyes.
Ever wondered how a person with autism sees the world, or if they notice it at all? This book gives us a glimpse, and what a world it is! It might seem that people with ASD are trapped in their own mind but the reality is completely the opposite. They see so much more. But the added insight does not end there. Internal questions about why things are as they are accompany each observation. This book was a total joy to read. It made me want to slow down and view the world more through ASD eyes.
March 6, 2022
Mouais, pas très impressionnant. C’est mignon, ça fait sourire, mais je n’avais pas besoin de quelqu’un d’autre pour me raconter des observations que je me fais déjà toute seule. Je pensais que ce livre m’apporterait un nouveau point de vue, mais non. Mais c’est joliment écrit.
June 25, 2023
I was hoping 'normal' would be challenged more, particularly from the neurodivergent perspective. It's more a collection of well-written reflective essays--the title of the collection is a bit deceptive.
June 24, 2021
A little book to enjoy, ro question our perceptions and assumptions in this notion of normality. 😁. Yeap challenging a bit the status quo.
July 13, 2024
Quirky style
Loved Daniel’s quirkiness. He takes the “normal” and upends it with gentle questioning. I will eagerly explore his other work.
Loved Daniel’s quirkiness. He takes the “normal” and upends it with gentle questioning. I will eagerly explore his other work.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews