With the power of Educated and the emotional sweep of When Breath Becomes Air , Great and Unfortunate Things is the inspiring, underdog story of how an autistic, non-verbal boy who society had all but given up on found his voice, literally and figuratively, became one of the youngest professors in the University of Cambridge''s history, and put himself in a position to give back. Jason Arday was born the second youngest of three boys and grew up in a colourful and lively area of South London. At three years old, he was diagnosed with autism and development delays. Experts told his parents that he would never be able to speak, write, or live independently. An institution would best serve his needs, it was suggested. His parents would have none of it. Instead, thinking outside the box and drawing on her faith, his extraordinary mother Giff embraced his neurodivergence and fiercely dedicated herself to helping her son realise a potential few others believed was possible. Giff drew on proverbs from her West African culture, popular music by the likes of Enya, and comedic television shows and movies to help Jason make sense of the world. In Great and Unfortunate Things, we see how Arday went from being non-verbal until he was eleven and illiterate until eighteen to becoming a professor at Cambridge. Without romanticising the struggle, it''s a story of a son''s determination against insurmountable odds, and how his family and a band of ordinary people with extraordinary compassion joined forces to encourage Jason to believe in himself and maximise his capabilities. This is the story we need right now, and Arday, who believes in paying it forward, is the kind of figure the world can use more of now more than ever.

Autorentext

Jason Arday is a social commentator, presenter and public speaker. He is currently the Professorial Chair of Education (Sociology of Education) at the University of Cambridge, making him the youngest-ever Black academic to hold a Professorship at Cambridge and one of the youngest academics ever appointed to a Professorial Chair in Oxbridge's nine-hundred year history.

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'What a remarkable book by a unique and extraordinary man. I fell in love with Jason's family, especially the incredible Giff (what a mother, what a woman!) and I cheered at every infuriating brick wall she and Jason smashed down' - Kathy Burke, author of A Mind of My Own

'You did it, didn't you, Jason?' Mum asked.
'No, Giff,' I told her. 'We did. We did it . . .'

When Jason Arday was thirty-seven years old, everything changed. He made international news by becoming the youngest Black professor in the almost thousand-year history of the University of Cambridge. But that remarkable achievement is only part of his great and unfortunate tale. 

He grew up in a council house in south London with his parents and two brothers. Diagnosed with autism and global developmental delay at the age of three, he spent much of his non-verbal childhood navigating a system that struggled to understand him. Doctors and teachers believed there was 'no one in there'. But Jason's mother, Giff, refused to accept the limits others placed on her son. 

With the faith of his family and the support of a handful of extraordinary friends and mentors, Jason slowly found his voice. He spoke his first word at eleven, learned to read and write at eighteen, and discovered a passion for education and helping others that would transform his life. Along the way there were improbable triumphs and heartbreaking setbacks, tears of joy and moments so painful that laughter was the only option, and more than one occasion when everything seemed poised to fall apart.

Great and Unfortunate Things is an unforgettable book about resilience and love - and the transformative power of someone who believes in you when the world does not.