Answers to Distraction [Paperback]

Edward M. Hallowell (Author), John J. Ratey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1996

In Driven to Distraction, Drs.  Hallowell and Ratey revealed why millions of  adults and children are chronic underachievers, caught  up in persistent problems in school, at work, and  at home. The cause is not lack of  self-discipline, but, rather, an inborn neurological condition,  Attention Deficit Disorder, or  ADD.

Answers To Distraction provides  practical solutions to the dilemmas of ADD. This  "user's guide" to ADD is presented in  question-and-answer format ideal for even the most  distractible reader. Each chapter covers a specific  aspect of ADD, such as ADD in women, ADD and  aggression, ADD and addiction, or ADD and work. The  authors provide advice for teachers on recognizing ADD  and helping students to cope, plus extraordinary  insights into the relationship difficulties caused  by ADD.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

In Driven to Distraction, Drs. Hallowell and Ratey revealed why millions of adults and children are chronic underachievers, caught up in persistent problems in school, at work, and at home. The cause is not lack of self-discipline, but, rather, an inborn neurological condition, Attention Deficit Disorder, or ADD.

Answers To Distraction provides practical solutions to the dilemmas of ADD. This "user's guide" to ADD is presented in question-and-answer format ideal for even the most distractible reader. Each chapter covers a specific aspect of ADD, such as ADD in women, ADD and aggression, ADD and addiction, or ADD and work. The authors provide advice for teachers on recognizing ADD and helping students to cope, plus extraordinary insights into the relationship difficulties caused by ADD.

About the Author

Edward M. Hallowell, M.D., is in private practice in adult and child psychiatry, and is an instructor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical school. He lives in the Boston area with his wife, Sue, and children, Lucy, Jack, and Tucker.

John J. Ratey, M.D., is an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and is in private practice. He lives in the Boston area with his wife, Nancy, and children, Jessica and Kathryn.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Bantam (March 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 055337821X
• ISBN-13: 978-0553378214
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #365,144 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #87 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Disorders & Diseases > Attention Deficit Disorder

More About the Author

I am a child and adult psychiatrist with a private practice in Sudbury Mass with my group of clinicians collectively called The Hallowell Center. I also am a writer and a lecturer. I am married to Sue Hallowell, a social worker and a therapist. We have been married for 17 years and have 3 children, Lucy, now 16, Jack, 13, and Tucker, 10 (as of April, 2006).
The major theme that runs through all my work is the magical power of the human connection, and the power of positive connections of all kinds. I also specialize in learning differences and have written books about how to deal best with attention deficit disorder, a condition that I regard as a potential gift, if it handled correctly.
I welcome hearing from readers. Just send me an email to [e-mail] or visit my website at drhallowell.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

93 of 96 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding companion piece to "Driven to Distraction", August 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Answers to Distraction (Paperback)

The book's question and answer format is a perfect vehicle for finding and refinding essential information about ADD.

"Answers to Distraction" relies less on the first person stories of "Driven", focusing instead on delivering the appropriate amount of information for a specific question.

The books logical organization around chapter topics lets you concentrate your reading. It's a great book to keep handy.

128 of 136 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars more of the same, November 12, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Answers to Distraction (Paperback)

If you have Driven to Distraction, don't waste your money on Answers. Dr. Hallowell directily quotes passages from his own book. It's just more of the same, only phrased as questions and answers. Much of the book is filled with repetition even from chapter to chapter.

50 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another book in the Bible of ADD., October 2, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Answers to Distraction (Paperback)

Again, Drs. Hallowell and Ratey provide ADDers with another essential tool in dealing with their disability. Those who have ADD really should have this book and Driven to Distraction if they haven't it. Even if I reread the book, it continues to provide me with and remind me of helpful principles in living as an ADDer. One thing the books have taight me: ADDers are normal! We are trapped in a structure-trapped, overformalistic world that causes us to be distracted, yet has little tolerance for it. Yet the ADDer can survive - successfully. Thanks again to Drs. Hallowell and Ratey for such a relevant and helpful book - their books in fact!