Great and Unfortunate Things by Arday, Jason
Great and Unfortunate Things by Arday, Jason

Great and Unfortunate Things

With the power of Educated and the emotional sweep of When Breath Becomes Air, this inspiring underdog...
$34.80 USD
$34.80 USD
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Author: Jason Arday
Format: Hardcover
Language: English
Subtotal: $34.80
Great and Unfortunate Things by Arday, Jason

Great and Unfortunate Things

$34.80
Great and Unfortunate Things by Arday, Jason

Great and Unfortunate Things

$34.80
Author: Jason Arday
Format: Hardcover
Language: English
Description
With the power of Educated and the emotional sweep of When Breath Becomes Air, this inspiring underdog story follows a nonverbal autistic boy--whom society had all but given up on--as he finds his voice, literally and figuratively, becomes one of the youngest professors in the University of Cambridge's history, and ultimately puts himself in a position to give back.

Jason Arday grew up in a lively corner of South London as the second youngest of three boys. He was diagnosed with autism and developmental delays at age three, and experts told his parents he would never speak, write, or live independently--and should be institutionalized.

His parents refused. Instead, his extraordinary mother, Giff, drawing on her faith and thinking outside the box, embraced his neurodivergence and devoted herself to helping him realize a potential few others believed possible--using everything from the proverbs of her West African culture to music, sports, and film to help him make sense of the world.

In Great and Unfortunate Things, we see how Arday went from being nonverbal as a child and illiterate until he was eighteen to scaling unimag-inable heights as an adult. Without romanticizing the struggle, this is a story of determination against seemingly insurmountable odds--and of a family and a small group of believers whose compassion helped him see what is possible.

A powerful story for our moment, Arday's journey is a testament to resilience, dignity, and the life-changing force of community in action.

Author: Jason Arday
Publisher: 37 Ink
Published: 08/11/2026
Pages: 288
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.00lbs
Size: 9.10h x 5.90w x 1.10d
ISBN: 9781668085578


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 05/25/2026
Kirkus Reviews 06/15/2026
Booklist 07/01/2026

About the Author
Professor 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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