Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime
Try Prime and start saving today with fast, free delivery

Hardcover
$5.02

Paperback
$15.95

$15.95

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns

FREE delivery Thursday, May 16 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35

Or fastest delivery Tuesday, May 14. Order within 11 hrs 42 mins

Select delivery location

Only 1 left in stock (more on the way).

$$15.95 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Ships from

Amazon.com

Ships from

Amazon.com

Sold by

Amazon.com

Sold by

Amazon.com

Returns

Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt

Returns

Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt

This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.

Read full return policy

Payment

Secure transaction

Payment

Secure transaction

We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more

Details

Add a gift receipt for easy returns

$14.36

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns

A solid used copy. Minimal signs of wear. Corners and cover may show wear. May contain highlighting and/or writing. Fast shipping + tracking ID with Amazon Prime! A solid used copy. Minimal signs of wear. Corners and cover may show wear. May contain highlighting and/or writing. Fast shipping + tracking ID with Amazon Prime! See less

FREE delivery Thursday, May 16 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35

Or fastest delivery Tuesday, May 14. Order within 11 hrs 12 mins

Select delivery location

Only 1 left in stock - order soon.

$$15.95 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.

Enhancements you chose aren't available for this seller. Details

${cardName} not available for the seller you chose

${cardName} unavailable for quantities greater than ${maxQuantity}.

Sold by Alfar Deals and Fulfilled by Amazon.

Other sellers on Amazon

New & Used (26) from $6.40 & FREE Shipping

Follow the author

Adam Ockelford

+ Follow

More books from this author

In the Key of Genius: The Extraordinary Life of Derek Paravicini Paperback – Illustrated, April 15, 2010

by Adam Ockelford (Author)

4.6 116 ratings

See all formats and editions

{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$15.95","priceAmount":15.95,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"15","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"95","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"pIL7T09MG58KfDg7aZsnGIkyPR2hiDp6%2BxoVNiEtBwKU5bm%2BxfL9H9l%2FzRrpD7FRIrdRnmI3nCOJcs1veFYcXFbELKaUcfdhS03FYio5tTTXtJ%2BB4kWrdWuLEQhvIeLRvk9xFrD8YNo%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$14.36","priceAmount":14.36,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"14","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"36","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"pIL7T09MG58KfDg7aZsnGIkyPR2hiDp6pF1sOYd8QqT3YHxsT9U%2F3YSjwGHCtnLxBUFdKntNmCBAX1hyvCUpAndP2qumVlL7tTExWj3EtzOzZCzy8dWH%2Fz3Ys%2FqDvusYmcDBlF9Y8HwqpB7CxqW4XRGyxiTOXteZO1z5pYh%2BUw2j9p%2BvPfCPQw%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

Derek Paravicini is blind, can not tell his right hand from his left, and needs round-the-clock care. But he has an extremely rare gift—he is a musical prodigy with perfect pitch whose piano-playing has thrilled audiences at venues from Ronnie Scott's to Las Vegas, the Barbican to Buckingham Palace. Born prematurely, Derek remained in hospital for three months and technically "died" several times before he was finally strong enough to go home. It was not long before his blindness became apparent, and later it became clear that he had severe learning difficulties and autism. Desperately trying to find something to engage and stimulate baby Derek, his nanny discovered a toy organ and put it down in front of him. Miraculously, Derek taught himself to play. Music proved to be an outlet for expressing himself and communicating with others—his way of dealing with a strange and confusing world.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A moving account of an incredibly gifted pianist." —Mail on Sunday

"Nobody can really 'know'' Paravicini since he is locked in his own world . . . What Ockelford demonstrates is that it is possible to make such an insular world fulfilling, and the contemplation of this can touch the rest of us. That, in itself, is a considerable achievement." —Daily Telegraph

"Ockelford tells his story well. No one else . . . could have explained Derek in quite the same way." —Daily Mail

From the Back Cover

Derek Paravicini is blind, can t tell his right hand from his left and needs round-the-clock care. But he has an extremely rare gift he is a musical prodigy with perfect pitch whose piano-playing has thrilled audiences at venues from Ronnie Scott's to Las Vegas, the Barbican to Buckingham Palace.

Born prematurely, Derek remained in hospital for three months and technically 'died' several times before he was finally strong enough to go home. It was not long before his blindness became apparent and later it became clear that he had severe learning difficulties and autism.

Desperately trying to find something to engage and stimulate baby Derek, his nanny discovered a toy organ and put it down in front of him. Miraculously, Derek taught himself to play. Music proved to be an outlet for expressing himself and communicating with others his way of dealing with a strange and confusing world.

Nobody can really "know'' Paravicini since he is locked in his own world What Ockelford demonstrates is that it is possible to make such an insular world fulfilling, and the contemplation of this can touch the rest of us. That, in itself, is a considerable achievement. Daily Telegraph

Ockelford tells his story well. No one else could have explained Derek in quite the same way. Daily Mail

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Arrow; Illustrated edition (April 15, 2010)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0099513587
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0099513582
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.5 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 0.7 x 8 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,655,996 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #581 in Physical Impairments (Books)
- #1,598 in Music Theory (Books)
- #9,278 in Composer & Musician Biographies

Customer Reviews:
4.6 116 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Videos

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload your video

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Adam Ockelford

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5

116 global ratings

How customer reviews and ratings work

Sort reviews by

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Susan Mellsopp

Truly a Genius

Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2023

Verified Purchase

Thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and learning how Derek’s skills were honed by such a devoted teacher. Both he and nanny have made this talented young man who he is today. The one downside was the feeling that Derek’s parents seem to have had little real input into his life. Everything appeared to be left to his nanny and Adam. Well worth reading.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Amazon Customer

A Story of Genius and Hard Work

Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2012

Verified Purchase

Anyone who has followed Derek Paravicini over the years will love this book. It gives a comprehensive behind-the-scenes account of Derek's journey, and answers just about any question that might have come to mind while watching one of the many documentaries in which Derek has appeared.
I've seen Adam Ockelford with Derek in a number of these documentaries, and he comes off as a warm and modest teacher, willing to let Derek have the stage. I was pleasantly surprised at what a good writer he is and his story of Derek's struggles and triumphs are direct and very insightful. What is most eye-opening about Derek and Adam's story is how much work it really took to turn Derek into the virtuoso he is today. Much of the teaching that Adam did required improvisation; no one had really faced the difficulties that he faced in instructing Derek. There are several good anecdotes about the lengths that Adam went to in order to change Derek's unwieldy, self-taught technique into a technique that would allow him to express his musical thoughts with the clarity that they needed to be understood. The story of Derek's family and his Nanny are woven into the narrative with lots of finesse and a fine talent for describing the various personalities around Derek as he came to maturity.
The most important point that I came away with was that even though Derek did indeed have unique and prodigious musical abilities, channeling those raw abilities into the formation of a mature artist was a very, very difficult task that required not just Derek and Adam's very hard work, but that of an entire cast of dedicated individuals.

12 people found this helpful

Helpful

R. Ward

Inspiring story of a handicapped genius, and his teacher

Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2010

Verified Purchase

Derek was featured on "60 Minutes", and I was so intrigued by his life story that I bought the book. It is the story of a young English man who has several handicaps,including being blind since birth. But he is a musical genius. He became inspired by the piano when he was a very young child, and he developed the talent to play practically any music that he heard, even if it was only once. Not only can he play complicated pieces of music with no practice, but he can re-arrange the music on the fly. He is also an excellent composer.

The other great story here is the role of Derek's teacher. He is a leader and an inspiration on how to develop children--with handicaps or not.

10 people found this helpful

Helpful

DH

Amazing Story

Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2011

Verified Purchase

I hit upon a YouTube video of a 60 Minutes ineterview about Derek Paravicini. It was so facinating I had to know more. I chose to order the book from a dealer in the U.K. I could have gotten it quicker from the US but got it about a week before they said I would. I guess the next thing will be to buy the CD! I wish that there were updates about Derek that could be kept with the book since it was published in 2007.
The book was very good and so was the service.

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Carol M. Ziegler

... biography about a boy with multiple disabilities and an amazing ability to play music

Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2015

Verified Purchase

A very interesting biography about a boy with multiple disabilities and an amazing ability to play music. Very inspiring!

Helpful

yvonne dixon

I really loved this book!

Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2013

Verified Purchase

Someone sent me a e-mail about this young man piano player. I thought I remembered seeing him on tv sometime in the past. I looked at a few of his videos on the web and was totally amazed. He is a genius and I have never heard anyone play the piano so well. He has overcome extreme hardship and won. This book is great as it told his life story very well. I really recommand this book, as I could not put it down and had to read it straight thru......

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

a reader

I felt terribly sorry for "Nanny" in this story

Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2016

Verified Purchase

I felt terribly sorry for "Nanny" in this story. She is the elderly lady who is yanked out of retirement (after years of caring for the children of this upper-class family) to provide 24-hour round-the-clock care for a blind, autistic child. We are never told her real name--does anyone even know it? She is simply "Nanny", because that is her function, to care for the children the parents do not want to care for.

Derek's parents seemed nice enough. But they leave the feeding, dressing, bathing and teaching of Derek to Nanny, who is in her mid-sixties when she is handed the infant Derek. She devotes the last nine years of her life to caring for him, doing quite a good job, too. It's clear the parents can do nothing without her. On one occasion, there is a huge panic, because the family is going abroad and Nanny has forgotten her passport. It's clear they cannot go without her to care for Derek.

When Nanny gets cancer, she is placed in a "ward" in hospital, with rows of beds. I would have thought the family would've paid for a private room, after her years of service. Although she loves Derek, she knows that she had been part of a pretty one-sided relationship. Just before her death,she says she knows Derek won't miss her, because he doesn't really understand life and relationships that way.

Other than the sad treatment of Nanny, this is an interesting book about a musical savant.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

corey c dawson

Fascinating story

Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2017

Verified Purchase

I saw the follow up 60 minutes interview on Derek and was intrigued to know more. In the Key of Genius is the account of Derek's life, written by the teacher who walked with him throughout the years. Very interesting and uplifting. Music is its own language and how grateful we should be that it speaks to us in ways that words are incapable.

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English

Dorsetreader

Wonderful!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 3, 2021

Verified Purchase

This short book is a moving memoir by Adam Ockelford about his lifelong association with Derek Paravicini.
Adam talks with honesty and obvious love for his protege whom he first met as a small boy. Their first meeting inspired Adam so much that he offered his services to the family, teamed up with the much-loved Nanny and guided young Derek to a music career that continues till this day. The description of Nanny's last illness would wring tears from a stone.
Read it.

One person found this helpful

Deanna Cazes

Five Stars

Reviewed in Canada on January 6, 2017

Verified Purchase

great seller, book arrived on time and as described! Thanks

Paul Trehin

Comment passer de prédispositions musicales à la maestria d'un interprète d'exception.

Reviewed in France on November 4, 2015

Verified Purchase

Ce livre fait vraiment comprendre qu'il ne suffit pas d'avoir des prédispositions en musique pour devenir un excellent musicien. De plus il s'agit de la biographie émouvante de Derek Paravicini aveugle de naissance et autiste. Une recherche sur Google vous permettra de vous rendre compte par vous même de l'énorme talent de Derek Paravicini. Sa virtuosité est aussi le fruit de dizaines de milliers d'heures de travail au clavier du piano. une des vidéos disponibles sur youtube résume en image et en musique le parcours de ce musicien d'exception, le titre est le même que celui du livre.
Dommage que ni les livres vi la vidéo ne soient disponibles en français.

Translate review to English

Tweedledum

Amazing Brain

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 2, 2013

Verified Purchase

It turns out that nearly everything I thought I knew about Derek Paravicini is wrong! Born prematurely in an ill equipped hospital and not expected to live Derek went blind long before he even reached his official birthday because the hospital did not have the right equipment to keep oxygen levels from damaging his eyes. Yet his amazing brain compensated in a way that astounded his devoted family. Derek did not learn music mechanically but intuitively and without a teacher so that by the time he was able to toddle a few steps and before he could talk he was already playing his own versions of whatever he heard. Derek's amazing story deserves to be read very widely and will surely inspire and encourage all who do so.

One person found this helpful

Mogs

Humbling

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 29, 2018

Verified Purchase

As a classically trained musician with a similar training to Adam and having had the honour to hear Derek play at a music course recently, I was keen to read about his story. I wasn't disappointed! The story of Derek and Adam's relationship had me alternately in tears of laughter and sharing in the frustrations of working with such a remarkable musician. I read it in 2 sessions as I couldn't put it down and am now sad that I have finished it. I would thoroughly recommend.

2 people found this helpful

See more reviews

Return this item for free

Return this item for free

Follow the author

Image Unavailable