Dr Thomas West and his books

Last year I had the opportunity to attend a symposium on dyslexia at Manchester University. One of the speakers there was Dr Thomas West an American academic who had written a book on the subject of dyslexia and visual thinking entitled” In the Mind’s Eye”. I got the chance speak to him that day, I had already read one of his previous books entitled” Thinking Like Albert Einstein” and found his presentation very interesting. One of the topics that he discussed was the fact that the palaeontologist who Stephen Spielberg consulted for the movie Jurassic Park was dyslexic. The man in question was a renowned expert in his field who had revolutionised the field of palaeontology however he was then unable to complete his degree even after six attempts at the final exam.

In the book” In the Mind’s Eye” Dr West relates visual thinking and problem solving skills to revolutionary approaches primarily in the sciences and also in artistic fields. Perhaps the most famous dyslexic intellectual of them all is also the most famous thinker of modern times, Albert Einstein. Albert Einstein seems to be the prototypical absent-minded professor of Hollywood movies with his crazy hair and erratic mannerisms such sticking out his tongue to bemused photographers. In fact in the book it is discussed how Einstein had many typically dyslexic traits. One of Einstein's professors described him as a lazy dog and he could not obtain any references on leaving university, this led him to spend a year unemployed.

There is a weakness between short term working memory and long-term memory in many dyslexics. This is discussed somewhat humorously in one of Mark Steel's lectures about Albert Einstein where he relates the story of how when moving to Princeton, Einstein rang the local telephone exchange to enquire where he lived. Dr West contends that Einstein like his fellow scientists Maxwell and Faraday thought primarily in pictures and this was how they devised all their most radical theories. What I also find of interest is that Picasso was also dyslexic and that his revolution in the arts was somewhat similar to Einstein's theory of relativity. What I mean to say by this is that both men where highly technically accomplished and very aware of the history of their respective professions however they did not feel bound by it and had expressed themselves fully by not blindly going along with tradition.

I would highly recommend any of Dr West’s books which I consider both highly informative and entertaining reads. Anyone who has suffered though the education system because of the difficulties caused by the dyslexia will find his books particularly heartening. Dr West himself said he found it most peculiar when his book won the 2004 academic book of the year award as he had never received any academic accolades at school