I'm thinking of a book...I GOT IT!!

Here's the general plot (I hope I get close):

A man was in an accident that damages the part of his brain that controls sleep. Consesquently, he doesn't need sleep like a normal human. Instead, he learns several different languages and becomes an expert in many fields. Graduate students pay him to write their thesis for them.

He ends up overseas somehow and is running from the government. Because he knows so many languages, he is able to blend in no matter what the culture is.

Is this ringing a bell?

I dunno...but it sounds like a Tom Clancy novel!

Sounds interesting...

I love Tom Clancy

hmm now I kinda want to read it... whatever it is

This is going to drive me crazy. I don't even know what to Google to find it. I do remember that the guy joined groups and organizations all over the world which is why it was so easy for him to blend in. Members of these groups hid him and helped him travel from country to country. And the thing is, I think he's innocent of whatever the government is trying to find him for. It's almost a game for him.

Don't know the book, but it reminds me of a segment I heard once about fatal insomnia. The person basically stays awake all the time, and then dies within a year or so. Yeesh.

Yeah, that was also part of the book. He wasn't going to live very long. He would go into a meditation state that would relax his body, but he never fell asleep.

Looking for this book, I did find a cool website www.allreaders.com. It didn't help me though.

I would say it also sounds like John Grisham, but I don't remember reading it... Of course, I doubt I've read every book he's ever written. :)

Hmmm...I don't think its John Grisham. His books are more legal thrillers. I read a lot of Dean Koontz - I wonder if it was his?

Lawrence Block!!! I finally got ahold of my BIL - it's good to have an author in the family. Anyway, it's a series of books about Evan Tanner. I think the one I read was "The Thief Who Couldn't Sleep". Sigh - now I can go about my day. Amazon. I read it years ago; I hope it is as good as I remember.

Thanks for your help!