The Life and Message of The Real Rain Man

A favorite of special education professionals!

In The Life & Message of The Real Rain Man: The Journey of a Mega-Savant, Fran Peek introduces readers to his son, Kim, the remarkable “mega-savant” who was the inspiration for the character played by Dustin Hoffmann in the movie Rain Man. Fran describes what it was like raising his brilliant, special needs son, who had been labeled “mentally retarded” as a young child by doctors who recommended he be institutionalized for life. Fran reveals Kim’s unique brain physiology, his social and emotional challenges, his uncanny sense of humor, his sensitivity, and his unparalleled talents.

The book follows Kim from his unusual birth and childhood, to his meeting Rain Man screenwriter Barry Morrow, to his emergence from a world of isolation to become an emissary for those with special needs. Fran lovingly recounts the experience of traveled around the country and the world with Kim in order to spread a message of diversity, tolerance and the importance of character to school and adult groups. In 20 years’ time—until Kim’s untimely death of a heart attack in 2009– the father and son pair travelled almost three million miles, raised millions of dollars for charity, and forever changed the perceptions of those they met toward people with disabilities.

Through this book, people who never had the change to meet Kim can learn about his life journey, his one-of-a-kind savant abilities, and, most importantly, his message; a message so central to the core of his being that his father had it engraved on this tombstone:

“Learn to recognize differences in others and treat them like you would want them to treat you.It will make this a better world to live in.

Care and share and do your best. You don’t have to be handicapped to be different—everybody is.”