Kim Peek, the “idiot savant” from the 1988 film “Rain Man,” played by Dustin Hoffman, has died. He was 58 and had been affected since birth by what is known as “sage man syndrome,” a rare neurological disorder that affects 10% of people with autism. Kim was born in 1951 in Salt Lake City, the youngest child of a Mormon couple. Although he only learned to walk at age 4, Kim began reading books and newspapers before he was 24 months old. By age 6, he was reciting the Bible from A to Z. He had memorized over 12,000 books. When his parents divorced in 1981, his father took over custody of him, even though it meant washing, dressing, and cooking all his meals. For years, Kim led a reclusive life, preferring the company of books to that of people.
