Great and Unfortunate Things

When Jason Arday was diagnosed with autism and global developmental delay at the age of three, doctors and teachers told his mother that there was "no one in there". But Jason’s mother, Giff, refused to accept the limits placed on her son by others. Instead, she embraced his neurodivergence so that he could realise the potential that no one else thought possible. 

Despite being nonverbal until he was eleven and illiterate until eighteen, Jason went on to become the youngest Black professor in the history of the University of Cambridge. Great and Unfortunate Things is an inspiring and emotional memoir that covers his life from childhood up until his appointment at Cambridge. Far from a romanticisation of his struggle, it's a story of determination in the face of massive odds, the importance of family, and the heartbreaking setbacks that inevitably come when pursuing a dream.

The memoir is undeniably coloured by Jason's tragic and untimely death, particularly a passage in the prologue in which a fellow aid worker in Brazil tells him that he's destined for "very sad and difficult things". That said, it still still a powerful and unforgettable book about resilience and love, two things that we need a lot more of these days.

Check out the rest of our books - we have a good few of them here at designist. 

Who wrote it?
Jason Arday

How does it come?
Hardback approx. 23 x 13 x 4 cm