ADHD and Me: What I Learned from Lighting Fires at the Dinner Table

by Blake E.S. Taylor, Lara Honos-Webb (Foreword)

Blake Taylor's mother first suspected he had ADHD when he, at only three years of age, tried to push his infant sister in her carrier off the kitchen table. As time went by, Blake developed a reputation for being hyperactive and impulsive. He launched rockets (accidentally) into neighbor's swimming pools and set off alarms in museums. Blake was diagnosed formally with ADHD when he was five years old. In ADHD and Me , he tells about the next twelve years as he learns to live with both the good and bad sides of life with ADHD. Blake's memoir offers, for the first time, a young person's account of what it's like to live and grow up with this common condition. Join Blake as he foils bullies, confronts unfair teachers, struggles with distraction and disorganization on exams, and goes sailing out-of-bounds and ends up with a boatload of spiders. It will be an inspiration and companion to the thousands of others like him who must find a way to thrive with a different perspective than many of us. The book features an introduction by psychologist Lara Honos-Webb, author of The Gift of ADHD, and a leading advocate for kids with ADHD.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Adhd, Psychology, Education, Disability, School

192 pages, Paperback

First published February 2, 2008

Reviews

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! Just reading the other reviews of this book reminds me forcibly of just how misunderstood ADHD remains. I have a nearly 14-year old son with ADHD. He is light on the "H" (hyperactivity), so while there is no way that he would ever have needed to be tied to chair for dinner or set fires at the table, there is still much is in this book that is true of my son. The great thing about this book is that it is a personal story of a real person, a real person just out of childhood, and a real person who has found ways to successfully deal with his disorder. Personal stories reach us in a way that clinical examples cannot reach. Each chapter of this book describes a particular event in his life and how it is an example of an ADHD problem. Then he goes on to highlight why this event was a problem for him, and also ways in which someone with ADHD might avoid the consequences of these events. I will be giving it to my son to read this summer, primarily for the examples of ways in which Blake learned to deal with his problems. About the only thing I had a problem with is the second to last chapter in the book, in which he describes his transformation into the new and improved Blake which included a new wardrobe from The Gap. That bit of shopping commercialism and image consciousness seemed over the top a bit.

[Danielle Sullivan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is okay, if you read it as a memoir written by a young man with a privileged upbringing who happens to have ADHD, and not as a solutions guide. Its descriptions of ADHD ring relatively true to what I know, but because of the author's privilege and youth, and the ways in which both showed through his writing at all times, I didn't particularly trust his research. There were also a couple of huge errors that affected my impression of his reliability.

And, as others have said, his suggestions are sweet and well-meant, but not accessible to, I dare say, most people in this world with ADHD.

Looking for more suggestions? Check out my list of the Best Books About Neurodiversity on Bookshop.org!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Like I've said before after reading "Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key," I've pretty much always thought I had ADHD though I've never been formally diagnosed. This book was really good in that in came from the viewpoint of an actual teenager who wrote the book in his last two years of high school. ADHD is a very misunderstood disease and the author does a good job of explaining why. I liked that he described an episode from his life, and then listed the cause & effect of the episode and then gave solutions to the problem. I could totally identify with the first section on being distracted and felt like it was written for me. Distraction is an especially bad problem for me when I have something school-related to accomplish.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the narrative style of this book. Writing about ADHD as a memoir worked pretty well in this instance. I liked the personal stories and the perspective of a young person still trying to figure out how to fit in the world with something that makes him different.

As this book was written by a teenager, there were some parts that could have been written better, but I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the writing. The only other thing about it being written by a teenager was that he was totally unaware of his privileged upbringing, which could be a bit jarring at times.

[Christopher Pope · Rating 3 out of 5]

My son read this book as a part of a summer project to engage with his adhd. It is a quick read and I think it would be most effective for a middle school student. Good and basic perspective from someone who has worked through adhd themselves. There was a focused concern for fitting in which I disagreed with, but i still think it would be great as a joint trading project for parent/pre-teen.

[Brittany Fichter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book revolutionized the way I work with students who have ADHD. All individuals with ADHD, their parents, educators, and doctors should read this book. While there were a few parts that seemed to drag on, it's important to remember that Taylor wrote the book before he was even twenty, so all things considered, it's pretty impressive.

Taylor was hyperactive from the time he was a small child. He was the child who climbed into the displays at the museum, the bull in the china cabinet, and the one who drove all of his relatives mad because he seemed unstoppable. He was the child who was singled out by his teachers as the "bad kid," and unfortunately, made a lot of dumb, split-second decisions that led to trouble as he grew up. ADHD has come a long way in the course of the last twenty years, and when Taylor was little, medicine and management were very different from what they are today. He had to live and learn, which often made life an uphill climb.

Not only did he deal with ADHD, but he also struggled with a tic disorder (the milder version of Tourette Syndrome) and high anxiety. Children often picked on him because he was socially awkward, and sometimes even teachers joined in. Despite all of these obstacles, however, Blake was able, with the help of his parents, to learn to self-advocate and to make the best of what he'd been given - which was an incredible intelligence.

This book does a great job of tackling different aspects of ADHD. While much of it is in chronological order, it's divided up into the different symptoms of ADHD. Each one comes with a story, as well as tips on how to manage that particular symptom. I believe all parents should read this book, if not for their own children, for the sake of other children who struggle with this disorder. As an educators, I can say with confidence that there's a true difference between ill-behaved children and children who are struggling with true disorders. Blake Taylor helps clear this line up by giving vivid, often humorous, descriptions of what ADHD is like from an insider's perspective.

[Elwyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This would have worked much better as a memoir than as a book dedicated to helping others with ADHD... Taylor is one of a lucky few who was able to afford a diagnosis, medications, and has a supportive family. This book seemed aimed at other youths and teens who are in the same position as him: privileged. He's white. He's male. And his family is rich. It oozes into the 'solutions' sections...

If you are interested in it, probably read it only for the personal stories. Which are told in present tense, for some reason, which felt a little off to me... Also I don't think the editor was very vigilant about the punctuation regarding quotation marks, which I found distracting.

[Shannon Ivsek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks Blake for sharing your story. I found the lessons you shared and your insight into a world I can only see as a parent of kids with ADHD was so very helpful.
Will try and get my boy to read it for his one piece of mind. It's always nice to know you're not alone.

[kaylee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. as a teen with ADHD, I could relate to most of the stories and symptoms and other things in this book. The impulsivity, the hyperactivity, the tics, the disorganization, it all happens to me a lot. I mean, the thing that I didn't relate to was the medicine actually working a lot for him, but that's probably because he has been on meds since he was 5, and I only got on them about a year ago. but overall, this is a very informative read and I would suggest if you have ADHD, or someone close to you does, this would be a good book for you to read so you can understand what you or those around you do. before reading this, I never knew that sound and light sensitivity was part of having ADHD, just thought that it was something that only I had. but now I know why I can most of the time hear things others can't. my grandma is going to read this after me so she can be educated as I have been. and so she can understand that the impulsive actions I make are because of my ADHD and not that I want to be impulsive.

[Patrick Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic book, I wish there were more personal ADHD memoirs. This brought back childhood memories and difficult life experiences. This was a sad book, it made me relive awful experiences. But it was deeply relatable and I felt that I was not alone, someone else had the same experiences. Like addiction memoirs we need more ADHD memoirs.
He wrote this book when he was 17, impressive. I wonder what he is doing now.
Gosh, I feel awful for my mother and all of those that loved me. I am a menace, I hurt people, I wreaked havoc. ADHD is a terrible awful disease.
He hits all of the points, experiences, and symptoms of ADHD. He offers experience, strength, and hope - causes, effects, and solutions.
The book ends on some positive ADHD is great and you have super powers nonsense.
This is a wonderful book, people with ADHD, please read it

[Shamaa Farah · Rating 5 out of 5]

ADHD Is a disorder that can be diagnosed at any age which is why I think it's very important for young readers to learn more about this disorder. I actually was diagnosed with this disorder and was on medication for a few years for it, but the medication had many side effects that affected daily activities for me so I decided to learn to manage my ADHD instead of using medications to regulate and balance myself. Many kids around the world struggle with ADHD and don't even realize that they have it, and are undiagnosed. This can lead to behavioral issues, agitation, anxiety issues, being unable to control their emotions, or having emotional imbalances. The most obvious symptom is hyperactivity and aggression. Very important for readers to acknowledge this disorder to get a better understanding and possibly know whether or not they have it because it is very common.

[Talmor Kliman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m 29 years old, with ADHD, and I like this book because It summarizes the lessons after each real story. There is one story in each chapter. Each chapter is titled with a name for the story and the lesson extracted inside the story.

I felt that I revisited my childhood, and reformulated my young perspectives which explain how I reached the way I think today. I wasn’t diagnosed until I was 24 years old so I thought I had a discipline issue or something when I was young, this book allowed me to view my younger years with more understanding, clarity, and acceptance.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have, teach, or interact with kids with ADHD, this is a must read. It is written by a teen with ADHD. It is an enlightening perspective into what is happening in the mind of someone with ADHD. It's a great read for preteens and teens with ADHD who struggle to understand themselves and a MUST read for any teacher, parent, or loved one who think that kids and parents use ADHD as an excuse for bad behavior or poor parenting.

[Paul Mashack · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was written by a 17-year-old? Wow... Super impressive. The target demo was school-aged kids, but there were several instances that I could relate, either today as an adult or in my youth. The last 15-20 minutes of this audiobook did cross into an overly contrived motivational speech, forcing me to speed up the delivery. I contemplated deducting its rating because of this, but decided to give it the full four stars.

[Beth Watkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

My teen with ADHD read this and gave it to me to read. I wish someone had handed this to me upon us receiving the diagnosis in 2nd grade. I think I would have been a much better advocate. It has given our family some good ideas on how to structure things to help with organization and school in general. It was easy to read which is a major + since the target audience seems to be other teens with ADHD.

[Bridget · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one bc it went in chronological order in his life's events... And he really truly spoke about how ADHD is, but I also learned some things that I didn't realize about ADHD that can help with raising my child with ADHD, and how things can be changed in a different perspective and then everything works out better for everybody... Highly recommend!

[Dyslexic Bookmonster · Rating 2 out of 5]

Voor een aantal dingen heeft het goeie inlichtingen gegeven. Dingen/ervaringen van mensen met adhd verhelderd voor mijn non-adhd brein.
Ik ben het met de mensen die het volgende benoemen eens: ik kreeg enorm het gevoel dat dit een jongen is uit een gegoede familie waardoor ze van alles voor hem konden veroorloven. Iets wat niet altijd reëel is. Waardoor ik meermaals met mijn ogen rolde.

[Julie Swan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly recommend if you have ADHD, are questioning if you do or love someone with ADHD. It really helped me better understand what is going on internally as well as why people make the decisions they do living with ADHD.

[Neesh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provided a perspective of the ADHD experience from a young man who had many opportunities and the privilege of a present and active parent. I can see how it could give teachers and parents some insight, and how it could help other young people with ADHD not feel alone.

[Manar Tomeh]

Light and yet close to the heart. I relate on so many levels especially as an undiagnosed ADHD child, and later in life as an adult dealing with those who think that ADHD is nothing but an excuse.
I can’t say that I found answers in this book, but it’s good to know that I’m not alone.

[Adam Schramm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was part of the assigned reading for a certificate course. I thought it was engaging and interesting. I enjoyed how the author explained his personal life stories and then presented strategies after each segment. This book provided more insight into what ADHD is.

[Jennifer Schelin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my second time reading this book for a class. It’s a good read, especially if you have middle schoolers or high schoolers with ADHD. Lots of great ideas to help with executive functioning and the stories are first hand from a young person with ADHD

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read for anyone trying to understand ADHD, especially a high school student with it.

[Cindy Kearney · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the first books that gives a first hand story of what ADHD is like to people looking in from the outside.

[Julie Mazar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book to share with a middle school aged kid and up if they have ADHD. I would also read this if my child had ADHD. It is written like a memoir, but contains great tips.

[Tania · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are parts which I could relate to. The beauty of this book was the positive nature and how different solutions are offered.

[Lesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written by a young man completely unaware of his incredible privilege, but it nonetheless gives insights into what it’s like to live with adhd—especially in school.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy and eye opening read. Gives a great perspective of life through the eyes of someone who has ADHD but is also gifted.

[Meifang Liu]

念的是中文版:
我ADHD 就讀柏克萊

[Kayla G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting perspective. This book could be helpful to understand ADHD from a child and young adult perspective. Very impressed Blake was only 17 when he wrote this - inspiring.