Customer Reviews

Thom Hartmann's Complete Guide to ADHD: Help for Your Family at Home, School and Work

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a wonderful book.
As an adult ADD'er, and a parent of a child with ADD, it was great to discover Thom Hartmann's writings. He, unlike most authors of books on ADD, takes a much more positive perspective, so you don't feel like you have a brain disease. Some of the other authors' aproaches can really lead to low self esteem. My daughter, now finishing her sophomore year in college, with a 3.5 average, found Hartmann's ideas liberating, compared to the brain disease model. This book pulls together Thom Hartmanns latest and classic thoughts on ADD, using his Hunter in a Farmer's World point perspective on people with ADD.

It offers views on school and work-- how to succeed, how to make them better.

In a world where diversity is diminishing and uniformity is being ramrodded down our throats, Thom Hartmann's books make us take another look at some mainstream assumptions.

My daughter and I are happy withour ADD-ness. We wouldn't want it any other way, and there are plenty of other people out there who have adapted successfully to being ADD-- entrepreneurs, researchers, surgeons, reporters, programmers, detectives, salesmen, mechanics-- a lot of the people who are at the cutting edge of making a difference in this world.

Thom Hartmann's book helps parents and adults understand what's going on with ADDD and offers strategies to cope so ADDers can be successful and happy.

Before you take or put a child on Ritalin or some other drug, read this book. You may still choose to use the medication, but you'll understand the biology, anthropology and politics better and also become aware of other, non-drug options.

Others who give a reasonable picture on ADD include Lynn Weiss, Joel Sears and Lynda Thompson, John Ratey, and Ed Hallowell.

Check out his website at thom hartmann dot com to find out more about him.

I have thoroughly enjoyed Thom Hartmann's newest book the"Complete Guide to ADHD". It has been several years since I last read some of Thom Hartmann's work. Although some themes have been reiterated from earlier books in this new book, there are good new insights into old concepts and new issues which I find interesting and helpful. Hartmann always comes across as a thoughtful coach and teacher rather than as a Doctor or a victim telling their story of ADD misery. As I read the "Guide" I realize how lucky I am to have stumbled into his writing and how far I have come utilizing many of his suggestions from earlier books.

Five years ago I became aware that there was a name for my chronic disorganization that had created years of negativity and apprehension. I am in my 50's and was considered a goof-off in school.There was no concept for ADD at the time.It was more or less considered weak character or low horsepower. A lousy self image and poor organization skills followed me into business .Though I have managed to do well by by having great coworkers, I had alway lived in ADD terror that I could not manage my business as it got bigger. Once aware of the nature of ADD ;I looked for possible solutions, I tried prescription medications but found I could not tolerate them well.

I sought alternatives and I stumbled into Hartmann's books at the library. I was ideally seeking an instant fix .Instead I discovered combination of medium and many small fixes over time and practice.I discovered most of the fixes in Hartmann's books and on his Compuserve ADD Forum . I adopted many of his tips ;one of the best was a mindfulness technique called "original awareness" which is reviewed in "Guide". I also discovered the magic of EEG Neurofeedback which proved to be a godsend for me and my teenage daughter who also had attention problems. Hartmann was one of the first ADD writers to conservatively endorse Neurofeedback for attention training.This gave me the confidence to try it and fortunately it was effective.

I was initially skeptical of some of Hartmann's concepts from earlier books especially the concept that ADD has many plusses. As I read the "Guide" I realize how on target he was and is ;once you get some control over your impulses you have often the energy and craziness to go out of the box and try new things.This with discipline can give you a competitive advantage.. The Hunter gene may account for some of our prowess as an innovative nation.

Hard-core ADD is considered is small percent of the population but many more of the population have some occasional traits of ADD, so Hartmann's self management tips have common sense value for many more people, especially in business .I found most interesting Hartmann's theories on poor listening skills, reading, and too much passive visual stimulation from TV and computers. This theory plus the theory of how the brain is sculpted by our environments at earlier ages is also fascinating; these theories should interest parents of young children or grandparents of young children. Finally, Hartmann's explanation of how modern mass education evolved was a startling insight. Times change so mass education will probably have to change to adapt to our visually over stimulated new student populations.

Once again Hartmann has presented helpful practical insights and strategies for dealing and managing ADD or ADDH in an optimistic spirit .He always inspires me to try new things and to do better.

I can't give the content of this book ENOUGH stars! The "Guide" is divided into three parts: Home, School, and Work. The "at Work" section is a complete reprint of one of Hartmann's prior books, "Focus Your Energy: Hunting for Success in Business with Attention Deficit Disorder," with a few updates and corrections and additions (nothing taken out).

I am the founder & CEO of The Optimal Functioning Institute™, which trains ADD Coaches in a comprehensive 2-year training; "Focus" has been one of five ADD books that are REQUIRED reading for my students since 1994. I mourned the fact that it was taken out of print. Even though my students could still get it through a special agreement with the author, I rejoice that it is back so that everyone can read it. The "Guide" has now replaced "Focus" on our required reading list.

Hartmann is knowledgeable, imminently readable, and never pathologizes ADD. His use of the "hunter/farmer" metaphor to differentiate the ADD brain wiring from non-ADD, allows those of us with that kind of brain to focus on what is GOOD about us rather than trying to "fix" what's "bad."

I have always recommended FOCUS as a "first read" for certain individuals, and will now recommend the Guide in its stead. In my experience with thousands of ADDers, entrepreneurs, people who are fearful of "labels" yet searching for help, those who have been prescribed medication but no practical help to support them, and those who have read the sensationalist press primarily and are looking at ADD with a jaundiced eye as a result, have all responded positively to FOCUS. Because Hartmann writes so clearly and economically, it has always been my choice for ADDers who have trouble reading because they just can't concentrate long enough to get through a paragraph, much less a book.

This is a "feel good" book -- buy it and read it for the afterglow as much as the information.

Sincerely, Madelyn Griffith-Haynie, CTP, A.C.T., MCC The Optimal Functioning Institute™ founder & CEO

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There are lots of reviews detailing the major points and I think they do a pretty fair job. So I won't repeat them.

The major point I would like to make is that Thom Hartmann has written several books - I think it's confusing trying to figure out which one(s) to read. His "A Different Perspective" was fantastic. But his "Complete Guid" is the best. If you are into NLP, his "Healing" book is useful. [My take on NLP is: Neuro Linguistic Programming - learn how people's eyes literally look in a particular direction when they are thinking certain types of thoughts {and succeed in poker) - control your involuntary physiological responses to transform your behavior - e.g., train your mind to be tranzuil (instead of fearful) when you see a black cat.]

Thom Hartmann's approach is effective [in my opinion and in direct contrast to the newest review I saw] because it helps me get get a handle on the various problems AND it offers effective advice on how to leverage ADD strengths.

I hope this proves useful.

While I've enjoyed Mr. Hartmann's other books, I was somewhat disappointed in this one, but my disappointment has more to do with my own expectations then with the book itself.

I picked up the book in a bookstore. Had I read Amazon's blurb I would've been more aware that the bulk of the book talks a lot about the school system. As an adult with no children, this was interesting reading, but not directly helpful to me.

And that sums up my feelings for the whole book. There is a big section on what is wrong with our school system (again, interesting, but even if I were a parent, most of what Mr. Hartmann argues for -- a complete overhaul of the system -- could not be accomplished before my child graduated from school) but not a lot on how to help the individual child cope with ADD _today_.

The section on ADD in the workplace was heavily skewed toward the entrepreneur starting his or her own business, with very little advice for those of us 'in the trenches' trying to fit into our workplace microcosm.

Consider the title is the "Complete Guide" I really think the content was skewed towards a small segment of the ADD community.

All that said, Mr. Hartmann's ideas are interesting and his writing is always enjoyable. So while this book failed me as a 'self-help' title, I still enjoyed reading about his ideas.

Thom Hartmann is somebody who seems to really understand what ADD is all about. This is a great book that brings up some very interesting points. The section about education and learning is outstanding.

I think all people who have ADD themselves or care about a person with ADD should read this book. This is a great book somebody who us just begining to learn about ADD. It's also a great book for somebody who is looking for a different view of ADD than doctors and other my be giving.

I think anybody who has an interest in ADD should read at least one of Thom Hartmann's books.

There has been much talk of late concerning the poor American education system and the dumbing down of Americans. Though most of it has come from Canadians, who like to think of themselves as smarter and less violent than Americans (whether this is actually true or not), some of it has come from concerned American parents, such as Thom Hartmann, who want a better education system for their children. Many Canadians would agree with Mr. Hartmann that assessment that there is too much emphasis on rote memorization and not enough on the learning of critical thinking skills in American schools. But what about Canadian schools - are they any better? What about the schools in other countries and continents? Find out first hand what Mr. Hartmann learned on his visit to Yellowknife N.W.T (Canada) and about his visits to places as far away as Germany, India and Australia.

In this book, Mr. Hartmann lays out a detailed plan as to how to motivate children to learn and adults to become successful. Some of the topics raised by Mr. Hartmann, such as standardized testing, charter schools, teacher/school report cards, peer tutoring and advertising in the classrooms, are hotly debated during Canadian provincial elections, and Mr. Hartmann holds strong opinions on each of these issues. He also debates whether his goals are best achieved within or outside the existing school system and structures - whether it would make more sense to fix what we have or throw it all out and start over. Through it all Mr. Hartmann remains a proud patriot, crediting early heros, such as George Washington, Ben Franklin and Thomas Edison with making his country great. (Though one could argue that Canada's first Prime Minister Sir John A. MacDonald was more colorful than Washington, or that Alex Graham Bell was more creative than either Edison or Franklin.)

Thom Hartmann's Complete Guide is a great book. It provides advice and useful tips for both those with active wandering minds and those whose minds which are more linear and detail- oriented and explores all aspects of living. If you have never read a Thom Hartmann book - this book is a must read.

I found Hartmann's Hunter/Farmer take on ADD an interesting way of recasting ADD as something other than a disorder, to help people with ADD create a positive stories for and about themselves and their ADD. If it helps even a few people improve their self-esteem, then it's worth considering.

However, as an adult with ADD who was diagnosed just a year and a half ago, I hoped to to find some helpful hints to improve my performance at work and in my every day life. Hartmann is a bit long on new paradigms but a bit short on "This is what you should do" type advice. Still, I'm glad I took the time to read the book and get to know his ideas and perspective on ADD.

I have struggled with ADD my whole life, was diagnosed 7 years ago, and only today am I beginning to really begin to gain a grip on my disability. This book has been a real help to me as I begin to do this. It has provided a series of interesting and import ways to look at ADD rather than bashing my head against a wall as if I understood. Rather, I needed a combination of clinical and personal perspectives that this book is great for. I would only say that I wish that there could have been a greater discussion of how, I as an adult can begin to structure my life in a better way as to minimize the effects of ADD. Instead, I think too often in the book the author resorts to more broad summations and issues rather than getting on his hands and knees in the dirt with me. I think that criticism should not overshadow though the great insights this book holds for all of us who are beginning to make that change with our lives or those parents figuring out how to deal with their children's diagnosis.

A breath of FRESH air! A positive outlook for a commonly negative subject. With a child diagnosed with ADHD, I now have an easily understandable explanatation of why he feels "different" than the rest of his peers. We're proud to be "Hunters"!