Delivered from Distraction: Getting the Most out of Life with Attention Deficit Disorder

by Edward M. Hallowell, John J. Ratey

In 1994, Driven to Distraction sparked a revolution in our understanding of attention deficit disorder. Widely recognized as the classic in the field, the book has sold more than a million copies. Now a second revolution is under way in the approach to ADD, and the news is great. Drug therapies, our understanding of the role of diet and exercise, even the way we define the disorder–all are changing radically. And doctors are realizing that millions of adults suffer from this condition, though the vast majority of them remain undiagnosed and untreated. In this new book, Drs. Edward M. Hallowell and John J. Ratey build on the breakthroughs of Driven to Distraction to offer a comprehensive and entirely up-to-date guide to living a successful life with ADD.

As Hallowell and Ratey point out, “attention deficit disorder” is a highly misleading description of an intriguing kind of mind. Original, charismatic, energetic, often brilliant, people with ADD have extraordinary talents and gifts embedded in their highly charged but easily distracted minds. Tailored expressly to ADD learning styles and attention spans, Delivered from Distraction provides accessible, engaging discussions of every aspect of the condition, from diagnosis to finding the proper treatment regime. Inside you’ll discover

• whether ADD runs in families
• new diagnostic procedures, tests, and evaluations
• the links between ADD and other conditions
• how people with ADD can free up their inner talents and strengths
• the new drugs and how they work, and why they’re not for everyone
• exciting advances in nonpharmaceutical therapies, including changes in diet, exercise, and lifestyle
• how to adapt the classic twelve-step program to treat ADD
• sexual problems associated with ADD and how to resolve them
• strategies for dealing with procrastination, clutter, and chronic forgetfulness

ADD is a trait, a way of living in the world. It only becomes a disorder when it impairs your life. Featuring gripping profiles of patients with ADD who have triumphed, Delivered from Distraction is a wise, loving guide to releasing the positive energy that all people with ADD hold inside. If you have ADD or care about someone who does, this is the book you must read.

Genres: Adhd, Nonfiction, Self Help, Psychology, Mental Health, Health, Audiobook

416 pages, Hardcover

First published August 30, 2004

About the author

Edward (Ned) Hallowell, M.D., is a child and adult psychiatrist, a NY Times bestselling author, a world-renowned speaker and a leading authority in the field of ADHD. He has authored twenty books including the 1994 ground-breaking New York Times best-seller on ADHD, Driven to Distraction. In aggregate, Dr. Hallowell's books have sold more than 2 million copies on various psychological topics including how to: raise children into happy adults, manage worry, develop focus, forgiveness, connecting on a deeper level and how to inspire the best from employees. His most recent book was his Memoir, Because I Come From A Crazy Family The Making Of A Psychiatrist. His next book, ADHD 2.0 releases on January 12, 2021. Pre-order your copy today.

He is the host of “Distraction,” a weekly podcast that offers insights, strategies and tactics for coping and thriving in this crazy-busy, 24/7 over-connected modern world.

Reviews

[Christen · Rating 2 out of 5]

To be honest, I only read a few chapters. It was annoying. The authors are so proud of themselves for having ADHD that they draumatically forgo putting this book in any kind of order. It's so random- almost as bad as Glenn Beck. I love ADD (ADHD) people. I am very ADHD riddled myself. It has presented problems in the past, but I was one of the lucky ones to be blessed with a steel resolve (I get what I want)... and I wanted to conquor ADHD.

Every effort should be made by the individual- no matter how hard it may seem- to gain control of yourself and your life. Blaming ADHD never helped me with my 2.0 high school average, but damning ADHD from existance and following my old gramps suggestion to "put that ADD on a shelf (and ignore it)" has enabled me to have a 4.0 as a 30 year old- on this second go round of college I am on. It was all about figuring out how to study for me- and learning other ways to get around my weaknesses. Turns out that though I feel I am a great fun person- having "ADHD" doesn't give me a special card and exault me above others. I still just have to work at it harder if I want to be better.

SO, in short, while I enjoy a ramble of my own as much as the next ADHD-er, if I were to write a book I would not glorify the whole ramble aspect IN said book. As an ADHD person, I would have benifited much more from a clear and concise outlined chapter book detailing things like: how to study, how to organize your home and stay organized, how to make and keep commitments, how to do the dishes even though they are SO BORING and make your mind just go crazy because of all the crazy crap you think about while rinsing and rinsing mindlessly, how to not be a thrill seeker (even if the thrill you are seeking is a whole jar of cookies in a day). THIS is a book that would be helpful to me.

And those are my two cents :)

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly insightful and re-assuring. Not quite as practical in day to day strategies as I was hoping, but had some good insight into life and some unexpected suggestions that have already helped me. I’d recommend this book to anyone who has ADD, thinks they might have ADD, loves someone with ADD, loves someone they think might have ADD, or anyone who “doesn’t believe in” ADD.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a good overview of what ADD is, both as a medically-diagnosable condition and as a collection of strengths and weaknesses in real people.

Chapters talk about how ADD manifests in kids, adult diagnosis, living with loved ones with ADD and coping with your own ADD. There's a fair amount of coverage of other challenges that somtimes occur at the same time as ADD, such as dyslexia. There are a number of scenarios and success stories that can guide people and families in through their particular situations. Case studies include a struggling dyslexic kid with ADD, several teenage boys and girls who act out, married people who both have ADD, one partner who does trying to work with another who doesn't, the challenges of adjusting to college with ADD, people in business and the workforce who don't get diagnosed until adulthood and more.

Chapters on treatment cover the value of therapy, medication, exercise, food, supplements and experimental approaches. The chapters are short and easy to read, with lots of bold sub-heads, checklists and a few quizzes you can give yourself or your loved one who may have ADD.

The organization of the book is a little scattershot - which the authors acknowledge, and attribute to their own ADD. I found it easy to refer to the table of contents to pick and choose the chapters I was most interested, but this book could be improved by better organization.

Also, although this book is a good source of hope and provides a pretty thorough overview of ADD and its treatment, it falls down in its attempt to hurriedly address time management and organization. The authors suggest most people with ADD would do better to get a coach - either a professional or a friend or family member - to help a disorganized mind find structure. I can see that, I guess, but I'd still like to read more about organization and time management than the small number of tips and tricks offered here. Fortunately, the appendices suggest a number of other books aimed at people with ADD and their families, so I think I'll be able to fill that gap with additional reading.

[Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book showed me I'm not lazy, stupid, undermotivated, or fundamentally flawed -- I have ADD. It's both a challenge and a "gift that's hard to unwrap," but it's not insurmountable, and it's not a personality defect.

This book taught me many incredibly useful coping strategies. It made me laugh with recognition; it made me cry with relief. And it gave me hope.

If you have ADD/ADHD, or you think you might have it, or you know or love someone who has it, you owe it to yourself (and/or to them) to read it. It might change your life.

[Loy Machedo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loy Machedo's Book Review - Delivered from Distraction by Edward M. Hallowell and John J. Ratey

What do the following people have in common?
Abraham Lincoln, Agatha Christie, Albert Einstein, Alexander Graham Bell, Beethoven, Cher, Dustin Hoffman, Ernest Hemingway, Isaac Newton, John Kennedy, Leonardo da Vinci, Lewis Carroll, Michael Jordan, Mozart, Ozzy OsbourneRobert Kennedy, Robin Williams, Rory Bremner, Salvador Dali, The Wright brothers, Walt Disney, Whoopi Goldberg, Will Smith and Winston Churchill?

Interestingly, they all had ADHD.

But this wasn't the information I have given when I was diagnosed with ADHD 3 years ago. After nearly a year of visits and observations, I was told point blank by a reputed psychiatrist - I had ADHD. Though I stayed quite and composed in front of him - inside I was stunned. Confused. Shocked as I seriously thought something was wrong with me. I honestly felt as if I had a disease growing inside my head.

Post 3 years to today - I can actually make out how stupid and silly it was me to overact to this diagnosis - and yes, how rather carelessly the Psychiatrist - who had nothing but good intention; delivered to me. After months of research - Thanks to google, I realized it was not that bad as it was thought to be.

Ever since that day, I not only committed myself to any new research available, I have also ensured that if I did notice anyone displaying symptoms of it - to let them know in a very subtle yet gentle way that they may have ADHD but it is more of a gift than a disability.

Delivered from Distraction is one such a resource material which can help those who are curious about ADHD know what it is and what they must do to use this trait to ones benefit.

This is a great book written by two medical experts (both with ADD) that goes a long way to explain what ADHD is and how it can affect you or those you love. It is unceasingly positive, and leaves you with a strong sense that ADHD or 'Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder' is not a 'disability' but a simply a feature, and in many ways a gift.

The authors dislike both the Hyperactivity and the Disorder terms, since many people with it are not hyperactive, and once you are aware of the strengths and weaknesses it has, it can be a gift not a disorder. When explaining ADHD to young patients, they describe using the following points:
• It's like having a 'racing car brain'.
• It's a powerful, fast, fantastically creative brain.
• It's a brain that is great at solving problems or creating wonderful new ideas or works of art.
• It has exceptional potential.
• It also gets bored and distracted very easily precisely because it is so powerful.
• It needs to be kept challenged and given some steering and guidance to avoid crashing and get the best from it.

Many children, and indeed adults, with ADHD go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed for many years. The 'H' in ADHD doesn't help, as hyperactivity may not occur at all in those with ADHD-Inattentive Type. Correct diagnosis is a huge help as you can then understand the factors that make the most of the gift of ADHD, and those that can hinder it. Once you know that, you can shape schooling and careers to make the most of this particular facet.

It is still not a well understood condition, with many myths and misunderstandings, and this book cuts through the fog and allows you to assess the situation confidently. If ADHD looks likely, it tells you a great deal about what it is like to have or live with someone with the condition, good and bad. It also provides a lot of anecdotes and information on self-help/coaching/structure to deal with it as best as possible. If ADHD is present but not causing significant impact for extended periods (6 months or more) it may not need medical treatment. However if it is having a significant long-term detrimental affect on study or work, then professional help could make a huge difference.

There's no single sign that will identify ADHD as an issue - it is a combination of many factors, all of which feature in everyday 'normal' behaviour. It is when they disrupt the ability to study, work or live 'normally', that they become an issue and potentially the condition known as ADHD.

Some signs of ADHD might be
1. Be constantly in motion
2. Be easily distracted, miss details, forget things, and frequently switch from one activity to another
3. Be very impatient
4. Become bored with a task after only a few minutes, unless doing something enjoyable
5. Blurt out inappropriate comments, show their emotions without restraint, and act without regard for consequences
6. Dash around, touching or playing with anything and everything in sight
7. Daydream, become easily confused, and move slowly
8. Fidget and squirm in their seats
9. Have difficulty doing quiet tasks or activities
10. Have difficulty focusing attention on organizing and completing a task or learning something new or trouble completing or turning in homework assignments, often losing things (e.g., pencils, toys, assignments) needed to complete tasks or activities
11. Have difficulty maintaining focus on one task
12. Have difficulty processing information as quickly and accurately as others
13. Have difficulty waiting for things they want or waiting their turns in games
14. Have trouble sitting still during dinner, school, and story time
15. Not seem to listen when spoken to
16. Someone who has an addictive / pleasure seeking personality (sweets, booze, fags drugs), and is excessively untidy or disorganised.
17. Someone who is falling a long way below their potential,
Someone who appears lazy and procrastinates excessively,
18. Someone who isn't engaged with study or work when they are perfectly capable of tackling it,
19. Someone who may be disruptive / impulsive / unresponsive / careless,
20. Struggle to follow instructions,
21. Talk nonstop


If it looks likely, then professional help is strongly recommended. Few GPs fully understand the condition, and the nature of it is such that few people with it will approach a GP unless and until things have got really out of hand.

Nothing in psychology is clear cut, but this book will really help you understand what ADHD is, what the signs, symptoms and treatments are, and it also goes on to look at the changes one can make to one's schooling or work life to make the most of this mixed blessing.

So Moment of Truth
It is an absolutely interesting book, very well-researched and beautifully presented. I loved the book and read it twice.

Overall Rating
9 out of 10

Loy Machedo
loymachedo dot com | loymachedo dot tv

[Lina · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all: I think this is an essential read for anyone who has either been diagnosed with ADHD, suspects they have it (that's me), or knows someone who has it. That said, I don't think you should read all of it (unless you really want to.)

The authors clearly state that it's fine and intended that you jump around and read whatever seems interesting, which I most certainly did. Part 1 ("What's It Like To Have ADD?") is essential and would be worth 5 stars on its own, especially chapter 1 ("The Skinny on ADD"). Read that chapter. Part 2 (Three Stories That Tell The Story") is focused on three real-life stories of people with ADD, but they never felt relevant to me? I suppose this is a weird gripe, but the way the stories focused on straight middle-class families, their kids, and some other non-ADD problems they had just made them not for me. Part 3 ("Making The Diagnosis Of ADD") has some interesting parts, but also a lot of stuff that I just slipped because they lacked relevance for me or because they felt... weird and sometimes oddly unscientific for a book written by two doctors. Part 4 ("Mastering The Power And Avoiding The Pitfalls: The Treatment Of ADD") makes up the majority of the page count. Again, most of the chapters here are really good and offer positive advice on managing and treating ADHD, but some have a pretty pseudoscientific feel to them? The way supplements (and specific ones, with URLs to purchase) are promoted even though they haven't been shown to have a proven effect "yet", is one example. Thankfully, the chapters on medication are good at least.

This book is recommended all the time in ADHD communities, and for good reason, BUT: skip a lot of stuff in it. Read Part 1 or chapter 1 and then look through the table of contents to see if any particular topic catches your eye and go read it.

[Matthias Dewolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

To all my ADD'rs out there, als je aan het struggelen bent, dan is dit boek voor jou
Ik denk dat ik me nog nooit zo hard herkend heb in een boek, vanaf het begin had ik het gevoel dat dit boek geschreven is alsof de auteur een van mijn goede vrienden was die anekdotes uit mijn leven aanhaalde.
"Zo hard overtuigd zijn van genoeg tijd te hebben om dan toch maar weer te verwonderen hoe dat het komt dat ik een uur te laat ben."
"De intentie hebben om mijn vliegtickets te kopen, maar eerst toch maar even alle planten gaan water geven om dan product te gaan kopen voor mijn planten te beschermen tegen schimmel om dan daar toch nog even snel naar de winkel te gaan voor avondeten om dan toch nog maar eerst avond eten te maken en dan vergeten te zijn dat ik vliegtickets ging bestellen.."
"Om 2u s'nachts nog cyclussen van wormen uit mijn kop aan het blokken en radeloos mezelf afvragen waarom ik er toch telkens maal niet in slaag om rond te raken met mijn leerstof om dan 5 minuten later op de wc 'Gordon Ramsay best insult compilation from kitchen nightmares te kijken'.
"Zien dat ik berichten heb van vrienden, deze openen, om ipv te antwoorden me te bedenken dat ik toch misschien beter eerst mijn vliegtickets moet kopen.."

Klinken deze zaken je bekend in de oren? Dan is dit boek mogelijk iets voor jou
Edward en John zijn twee psychiaters die zelf ADD hebben en mee aan de start van het onderzoek naar ADD hebben gestaan.
Het boek bestaat uit hoofdstukken die verschillende aspecten van ADD coveren, dit kan gaan van wat zijn de valkuilen bij ADD, wat zijn de sterktes van personen met ADD tot hoe ADD en sport of ADD en voeding met elkaar verband hebben.
Maar het belangrijkste aan dit boek vond ik dat het heel hard de perceptie omtrent ADD voor jezelf probeert te veranderen, iets wat bij mij erg nodig was. Op deze manier proberen ze je te overtuigen dat ADD geen zwakte is maar als je er op je de juiste manier mee leert omgaan ook een sterkte kan zijn. Al is dit bij mezelf nog een work-in-progress, toch heeft dit boek hierin al best veel beterschap gebracht.

Danku danku danku Zoye voor met dit boek zo'n impact teweeg te brengen x

[Carrie Poppy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable and informative, but not nearly as much as the original, Driven to Distraction. Definitely start there.

[Yvonne · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 to 3 stars overall.

While there is a lot of good information in here there's also some outdated information and the book is designed essentially to not be read cover to cover so picking and choosing chapters is definitely the way to go. I also found the self-assessments and in some places content in general were clearly not written with women ADDers or in mind, I assume due to the fact that it was written over 15 years ago by men, but I still found myself annoyed because of that.

Also I found the writing in the chapters that were less interesting to me to be grating to read. Yes, I have ADHD. I understand the need to go on tangents. But I with the amount I read and write, I understand the need for editing, too.

[Sheri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m just gonna put a warning out there that this review is not politically correct. It does not follow the socially acceptable ideal that all people are equal and that unlimited resources should be spent bringing up the bottom.

I am, in fact, an elitist. I recognize that I am LUCKY to have been born with above average intelligence and above average appearance. I am the first to tell you that who I am and where I am in life is dependent upon both my brains and my looks, but I have also worked hard and continue to work hard. Maybe this is because I am on the relative top end of the pile, but I believe in free competition and think that resources should be spent assisting the top (WHY THE FUCK ARE ALL THE GIFTED PROGRAMS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS BEING CUT!) as much as (or more so) than on bringing up the bottom. This is not to say that I believe in inhumane treatment or think that we should revert to institutionalizing or ignoring people with lesser abilities. EVERY person deserves to be treated with kindness and caring; every person should be able to live in comfort. However, every person is not created equal and spending valuable resources to achieve little to no results is heartbreaking.

So, now that is vented, let me add a few more details. First, I have a master’s degree (and have finished the coursework for my PhD) in social psychology. I have taken lots and lots of psych classes. I am familiar with ADD and I believe that it is a medical condition as evidenced by chemical changes that are apparent in various brain scans. I am convinced, though, that there are lots and lots of over-diagnoses (to which Hallowell & Ratey admit) and over-medication. I find it amusing that H&R site that 80-90% of ADD cases can be diagnosed in this way (using brain scans to find differences in chemical reactions) and these are the same cases for which medical intervention helps. Not that this statistic is particularly amusing, but that IT SEEMS SO RIDICULOUSLY OBVIOUS. What also seems obvious (but is not mentioned by H&R) is that those other 10-20% of diagnoses MIGHT NOT BE ACCURATE. Behavioral treatment works for these people; I would argue that the types of behavioral treatment that H&R recommend would work FOR EVERYONE. Second, this book was recommended to me by my mother who believes that she and my brother have ADD. I am not convinced. I know that both of them have motivational problems and I agree that the behavioral recommendations may do wonders for them, but this is in large part because I think the behavioral recommendations that H&R make are good common sense advice. I think most of their suggestions are things that most people would benefit from following.

Unfortunately, I think the diagnosis (especially a self-diagnosis) of ADD for some may be seen as a crutch or an excuse. I think the over-use of this label creates a cloud in which some people will choose to wallow, preferring to “explain away” their lack of motivation rather than make change. I think that real change has to come from the individual (more on this below when I address co-dependency) and that for some the diagnosis of ADD may actually be harmful.

And those are my biases fairly noted, those of you who want to skip the rest of the review or de-friend me, please feel free.

As for the book itself, it’s not bad. I tend to dislike pop-psych books in general (I find them often times repetitive and dumbed-down). This was as expected. Maybe it is because H&R have ADD themselves, but they seemed to cycle back and repeat themselves an awful lot.

I think my biggest complaint about the book is not that H&R present ADD as “not bad” (I understand the importance of a positive outlook and can appreciate what they are trying to do with this), but that they pretty much describe it as omni-present. At one point, I started laughing out loud and asking my husband questions like: “Do you breathe?” “Do you find it uncomfortable to stand outside naked in mid-winter (we live in WI)?” “Would you find it difficult to go more than 48 hours without any sleep?” “Are you sometimes happy and sometimes not?” I recognize that this is a bit ridiculous, but the diagnostic questions that H&R give are EXACTLY this extreme. There are several characteristics which I would argue apply to everyone. The items I cite below form a list of opposite things; ALL people have areas in which they excel and those in which they don’t; we all have things we like to do and other things that we don’t pay as much attention to or procrastinate dealing with or avoid in other ways. Here are a few of H&R’s criteria for ADD:
--disorganization (coupled with remarkable organizational skills in certain domains)
--tendency toward procrastination (coupled with an I-must-do-it-or-have-it-now attitude at times)
--forgetfulness (coupled with an extraordinary recall of certain often irrelevant remote information)
--a tendency to worry unnecessarily (coupled with a tendency not to worry enough when worry is warranted)

He also provides a huge list of questions to which ADD-ers will answer yes. Some of these are just silly, but others are contradictory. For example, how can you not answer “yes” to one of the following three questions (all of which appear on the list)“Do you also relish certain qualities you have, regretting that you can’t always present them in such a way that others appreciate them?” or “Do you feel that if other people knew the real you, they would disapprove of you?” or “Do others see more that is good and valuable in you than you do?”

And how many people wouldn’t say yes to: “Do you find that marijuana appeals to you because it helps you chill out?” I mean, really the term “chill out” was created by people SMOKING POT…of course it makes you chill out.

Similarly, who can’t answer yes to “Do you find that sitting in a meeting is almost always a total waste of your time and agonizing to boot?” or “Do you love children but also find that you get bored trying to read to them or play a board game with them?”

As a self-diagnosed person with mild Asperger’s I don’t really enjoy small talk or other minor social interactions. I also don’t typically like to be touched, have the ability to hyperfocus on things, enjoy numbers and reading, and am in many ways OPPOSITE from someone who suffers from ADD. However, I agree wholeheartedly with “Is your idea of a perfect dinner party to arrive, have a drink, eat the food, and go home with as little chitchat and dillydallying as possible?”

And what does this “Do you have recurring dreams in which you are mortified to discover you are walking around naked in public?” have to do with anything? Hasn’t everyone had this dream at some point? Isn’t it kind of a standard?

My question is how can one read this book AND NOT come away wondering if they have ADD.

H&R are definitely pushing for ADD diagnoses and they are constantly mentioning that medication helps most of the time and their anecdotes give lots of examples of how medication can help. And even though they say in Chapter 30 that they wouldn’t want to force anyone to take meds, they clearly are biased towards prescribing meds. And suggesting that meds should be given a serious try (not as a last attempt) and then in Chapter 31 (interestingly enough one of the longest chapters in the book) go to great lengths to describe and explain all of the available meds for ADD. As you might have figured out by now, I’m not really convinced that they aren’t pushing meds here.

My other big complaint was the co-dependency that they seem to support in the work. They go so far as to say in the first chapter that they understand that people with ADD might have trouble reading (mostly because they also might have dyslexia) and that’s okay (really, it is okay in my mind and goes back to my earlier rant about not all of us being created equal). But then they go on to suggest that the poor ADD-addled person find a loved one to read it and paraphrase for them. This is where I flipped out. REALLY?? I mean, rather than encourage someone to work at something or try treatment (and even meds if it is truly that bad), they are suggesting that someone else just do it for the poor ADD-er. Similarly, I found the college-bound child chapter offensive. I get that some kids need more help; I understand that parents should try to alleviate some of the stresses of the transition to college. However, I’m not sure that a kid who needs to be constantly babysat (really, he recommends mom and dad check in with little college-aged Johnny EVERYDAY to make sure he is doing his homework and going to class) should be in college. Again, call me elitist, but I’d rather see the competent poor kid given a chance over the spoiled upper-class white kid who needs constant prompting.

H&R’s argument throughout for why these resources should be spent on these kids lies mostly in their creativity. They repeatedly tell the reader that folks with ADD are smart and creative. I don’t doubt that some of them are; and I do think that those with issues that can be identified by a chemical imbalance and fixed with medication should not be denied this. However, I think that some motivation has to come from within. The successful adults with ADD that he describes all had to work their butts off to overcome adversity. I’m not sure that dragging a kid through college and having mom prop him up is any different than doing his homework for him; he might have credentials when he is done but not be able to function or succeed in the real world. And I don’t think all creative ideas are good ones. H&R tout the story of Jack’s clothesline as evidence of his creativity, but I’m just not sure that tying a bunch of clothes together is really evidence of genius.

I actually like their behavioral treatment plans. Their 5-step cycle is something I buy into and use in my own life. Frequently I tout the idea that satisfaction and happiness comes from a sense of accomplishment. Feeling useless leads to lack of energy which leads to non-productivity that simply cycles back into the feeling of uselessness. I agree wholeheartedly that accomplishment is important and I like their use of connection and play. I also understand and believe that TV contributes to the development of ADD. Neither of my children were allowed to be in a room with a television that was turned on until after their 3rd birthday (trust me, this caused lots of controversy with friends and family). We still don’t have cable and electronic time in my household is earned by writing essays (10 hours to use as wanted on TV, video games, or movies; my kids are 8 and 11). I exercise 30 minutes a day (even though I still don’t like it) and try my best to convince my husband he should do so. I make meals from scratch and follow strict nutritional guidelines (partly because my husband has gluten issues and Candida). I think the only thing I learned from this book is that we probably don’t eat enough fish and should get some Omega-3 vitamins.

Overall, it isn’t a bad “life advice” kind of book. Rather repetitive and at times quite preachy, but there are some good nuggets and tips for living well. Probably useful to the “average Joe” or “average Jane”.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I misunderstood ADD completely before I read this book. I used to associate ADD with hyperactive 10 year old boys who couldn't sit still, but it turns out that this is only the stereotypical condition. If you've ever felt frustrated with yourself for being unable to start or end tasks or just want to learn how those who have ADD see their world, buy yourself this book.

I'll add that DELIVERED FROM DISTRACTION is written in a style that is a pleasure to read for people who have a hard time focusing. Dr. Hallowell has ADD himself, and he writes his manageably short chapters in fresh, informative prose that's easy to get through.

This book is helpful, necessary reading for anyone who might have ADD, and anyone who cares about someone who does.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was recently diagnosed with ADHD, so I'm reading up on my options for treatment, particularly non-pharmaceutical options. This book is informative and a confidence booster, especially if you have thought your whole life that your were crazy, unorganized, lazy, etc. I get why I function the way I do now, and there are some great suggestions in this book on how to cope with your quirky brain, both behavioral and pharmaceutical. I highly recommend this to anyone who thinks they have ADHD/ADD, who is partnered with someone who has it, or has a child who has it (and I think my daughter does, but she's still too young to know for sure). The only thing I didn't like about the book is that the author can quickly jump from one topic to the next at times with little transition (of course, he has ADHD too...), and while it's packed full of info, it could have been a bit more entertaining at times.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an important book for anyone who has ADD, or anyone who loves someone who has ADD. It is a comprehensive overview of what is currently known (and some of the edges of the science). It's humorous. It contains helpful dietary, sleep, exercise, and medication advice. It also contains some "brain exercises" that seem like a sophisticated form of patting your head and rubbing your stomach that apparently engage and develop areas of the brain that have more difficulty integrating information in ADD. And, ultimately, for a learning difference that often leaves people lacking confidence and feeling ashamed, it emphasizes the positive sides of ADD--the creativity and intuition, and the amazing things people with it can achieve.

[Stephanie *Eff your feelings* · Rating 4 out of 5]

guess I better do something about this....
good book!

[Christina Vasilevski · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's some useful information here, but an awful lot of fluff.

[Frida · Rating 1 out of 5]

2,5

[El Zet · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is incredibly uneven. Nothing out of ordinary in any creation; the problem with Delivered from Distraction is that its recipient constantly changes, which creates a lot of confusion and even more anger.

Is it a book for parents of children with ADHD? Doubtful. Many of the anecdotes tell stories of people diagnosed in an advanced age, after a lifetime of misery and disaster. No parent will recognize their hyperactive Tommy in a story about an alcoholic with anger issues. Is it a book for adults with ADHD? Hard to believe that either, too many solutions require a time machine to implement them and make the whole endeavor look hopeless. For instance, as per page 118, “the keys to happiness and success in adult ADD are to marry the right person and find the right job”. Easy peasy. It gets even better in the follow up, “the keys to happiness and success in childhood are to have the right parents and find the right teachers”. Such a message for people with a lifetime of feelings there’s something wrong with them is rather an invitation to give up completely than an inspiration to act.

Overall, there’s too much of Edward M. Hallowell in this book to make it truly useful for a general public. Mr. Hallowell has been blessed with a network of support from the youngest age, from the parents, to a powdery teacher, to a spouse; as well as funds and methods to both pursue any career he wanted to change schools and therapists on a whim; and he treats that as an universal default for everybody around. The abundance of tangible and intangible resources makes it look easy to just act and do things. The happy endings in the stories about happy people are rather hindering than inspiring. The authors on one hand are aware that ADHD comes with short attention span and impatience, but it doesn’t stop them from serving multiple and very similar boring stories about little Joe or Bobby and the hardships they suffer at school before their loving parents find an expert therapist. It’s glitter and unicorns after that.

Another default that Edward M. Hallowell applies is the preachy Christianity. Even if you aren’t religious, well, you have to be to succeed, as brutally force-fed in the chapter about the 12 Steps Program. The success will also somehow happen, because there are absolutely no steps and solid advice HOW to act. There is a lot of rambling about what happens and what shall be done, but no practical hint how to put things into action. We are being told to find talents and spouse, and something that works for us. I guess if you don’t believe in the higher power that’ll magically provide all that the moment you get diagnosed, you’re screwed.

What is also in abundance is the toxic positivity. While it is important not to see one’s future as doomed with the ADHD diagnosis, Hallowell tries to paint ADHD as a blessing or even the best thing that could happen to one, mostly because of creativity. The fact that with the short attention span it is extremely hard to channel the creative skills is conveniently omitted; instead, Hallowell keeps on arguing that the condition shouldn’t be called Attention Deficit Disorder because when hyperfocused, patients have a surplus of attention. This is a huge problem with this book: fixation on unnecessary things and on how it should be instead of finding and presenting solutions for the reality that is.

It is hard and heartbreaking to give such a low note, because the beginning is brilliant, especially the metaphors how does ADHD feel and what does it make to the individual and their self-esteem. Unfortunately, later chapters might bring more harm than good. Irritation they bring for sure.

[Gabrielle Huston · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book swung between a 2, 3, and 4 star rating for a long time. But when I was about 85% done the book, I just had to give up. It wasn't worth my time.

I've seen other reviewers noting that the book seems to lack any sense of order (in regards to chapter placement) that it's incredibly frustrating, and I have to agree. Chapters appear at random, as if stream-of-conciousness style whenever the author(s) had a new thought.

It also feels incredibly outdated in a lot of ways. Being an upper year college-student with ADHD myself, I was appalled reading the chapter on teens that appears midway through the book. It gives advice as though teens are all babies who don't do their own laundry, make lunch for themselves, get up in the morning by themselves... Sure, teens need help sometimes, but few if any people I knew were that ineffective and useless. Over the next chapters, it became a theme: I consistently hated the way the doctor was talking to and about young adults, whether highschool or college aged. He cites stories of successful situations, but allow me to give you an unsuccessful situation: if someone had talked to me that way, I would have screamed.

This leads me to another problem I had with the novel: he cites successful situations to justify his points, rather than research and THEN a story that is emblematic of the larger group. I noticed it with stories about young adults first, but then I noticed it crop up everywhere. No, your one experience with Joe and Bob does not prove your research theory (often times it was an unproven theory) correct. To imply that it does it just immoral.

Again, allow that to segway me into my last point: is this book sponsored? Because OH BOY did it have a lot of rambling praise for products that aren't well tested or proven or... Like, do I believe in suggesting alternatives because not all the tested stuff works for everyone? Of course. Science can take a long time to get through its motions. However: the detailed information and praise in here for supplements or treatments that hadn't gone through proper channels felt overbearing. In a book meant for the general public, you should cover the basics, not wax lyrical about your personal pet project. He spends as much time on that stuff as he does on tested ADHD treatments, it feels like, and in my opinion that just really blows their trustability out of proportion.

I probably wouldn't have liked this book so much if I wasn't reading it as an audio book: the author reads it himself and he's got a nice grandfather voice going on. I thought about stopping a couple of times and am honestly just proud to have made it through most of it. Speaking as someone with ADHD, this would not be a book I'd say accurately represents my experience whatsoever.

[Sumit · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a good overview of ADD in adults and children, its symptoms, its manifestations, and various strategies for treatment. The tone was conversational and supportive, directed mostly at people who had ADD, reassuring them that there were benefits along with the weaknesses of the condition, that they were different rather rather than deficient, The book also contained many pracitcal tips to control ADD symptoms or to fight its negative consequences - getting enough sleep, daily exercises, etc. All of this I liked.


What I did not like and what led me to give the book three stars instead of four or five was a signficant and perhaps irresponsible flaw. Far too many times in the book, he spent as much time talking about experimental therapies that hadn't been proven in clinical trials but "gosh they sure worked wonders for me/my children/some patient/etc." On the one hand, of course it doesn't hurt to keep an open mind, and he does always mention such therapies with the caveat that readers should conisder well-tested therapies first. But as a clinician himself, his words give undue authority to some of these methods, and the fact that he spends as much time on them as some of the proven techniques may well cause some readers to try those first, especially those readers who are not scientifically trained and don't understand the difference or benefits of a double-blind study vs. "it sure worked well on a few people." I hope that in a later edition he is more clear about experimental therapies vs. the tried-and-true - they could be in a different section of the book, the text could be highlighted, etc.


All that said, I'd recommend the book for anyone who wants to learn more about ADD. As a scientist/creative type myself, it's clear that some measure of the symptoms would appear in pretty much any of my colleagues, and I would advise not suddenly jumping to the conclusion that you have ADD. As he is quick to point out, many people have some of these symptoms; it is only when it becomes debilitating or gets in the way of one's goals that one is diagnosed with ADD. That said, some of his suggestions/guidance can be helpful even in addressing low-level symptoms, and as such it's a worthwhile read for a fairly general audience.

[Owlseyes]

I have recently watched the author being interviewed. Ahead, some of his ideas.

--He's been treating the condition since 1983, ADHD is a condition that is "very treatable"
--Medication can be overused, true but...
--This [medication] is a "life saver", keeps people from becoming drug addicts, for example.
--[boys] In the past they were beaten and shamed."Now we diagnose properly".
--"We're not pathologizing boyhood"




He didn't speak about the side-effects of the medication. There's a diference in the gender numbers; 15% for boys and 7% for girls, with the conditon.

[Girly · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're an adult and have been diagnosed with ADD (hyperactive-, inattentive-, or combined-typed) this is the first book you should read. Most content applies to the hyperactive type, like many of the books out there. But we all have the impulsivity and other traits common which this book covers. I was diagnosed with inattentive type and found this book very helpful and therapeutic.

[Kaethe · Rating 4 out of 5]

These aren't books I can sit down, start reading, become immersed in, and stay with until I finish. Nonetheless, I endeavor to persevere. There is much useful here, only a tiny fraction of which I can implement right now. Still enjoying the novelty of realizing "it's not just me."

Library copy

[Emma Ferrier]

I haven't given this book a star rating as I don't feel it's the type of book that can or should be rated. It's somewhat out of date, but that's not necessarily the book's fault and I think for the time it was written, the facts were accurate, and even now, most of them do stand.
I am neurodiverse but am in the process of diagnosis so I don't yet know what conditions I do or do not have but was loaned this book by someone who is diagnosed and had noticed similarities in me and suggested giving this a go as it has some helpful information that would work for someone with or without ADHD.

I've read so many self help books that are just... dreadful, but this is more of a health/informative/educational book and it's written by actual qualified professionals, not Joe Bloggs who thinks he can cure people with conditions he hasn't dealt with or has no understanding of because "if you just think differently" everything will get better. Not only that, but BOTH contributors to this book are diagnosed with ADHD, making this book Own Voices.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone with ADHD - particularly newly diagnosed adults - or parents/relatives/friends of someone on the spectrum as it will definitely help give you more insight into the disorder with an unbiased view towards things like medication. The author makes it clear why they agree with medication but that they know it doesn't work for all and that it's ultimately your choice etc.
I also recommend this to people in my situation - undiagnosed but know something just isn't the same in your brain. This book has really helped me understand myself a bit more and even without my diagnosis yet, I already feel more comfortable in myself and the way I behave.

I guess if I were to rate this book, I'd give it five stars, but I won't due to what I previously mentioned, and also the fact the book is written by Americans with a main focus on the USA's system, therefore I can't really judge the accuracy of that or get much from it on that front.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, a great introduction to ADD for people with an interest, but no in-depth understanding. Also seems like a good starting point for people who suspect they, or a loved one, has ADD symptoms. (Hallowell insists it should not be called ADHD, because hyperactivity isn't always present). The book is generally easy to read (except for the scattered organization - see below) - written for the lay person.

Two kinds of chapters: long ones that are mostly anecdotes and stories about ADDers Hallowell has known, and short how-to chapters that are usually bullet lists or other concise explanations. The former are interesting, but long. Definitely read the short ones if you're pressed for time.

Hallowell's bias toward the use of meds to treat ADD is clear, despite his words to the contrary. Could be because, he seems to say, meds work (exceedingly well, according to him) and have few disadvantages or side effects. He lists the side effects, and he also says that if they occur, they can be reversed effectively by lowering the dose or switching to another med or stopping the med. He does cover a lot of non-medicinal techniques for dealing with ADD, including lifestyle changes, diet, exercise (mental and physical), counseling, and many others.

One annoying quality of the book (but minor): lists of useful info are scattered over multiple chapters, with some overlap and with no list containing all the key points on that topic. For example, lists of symptoms/attributes of ADD and treatment steps are in three different places before page 21. Fortunately, the index seems pretty reliable and complete!

[Kayt O'Bibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

Irony: Taking nine freaking months to finish this because...I kept getting distracted.

This is a great overview of adult ADD/ADHD, everything from which acronym to use to dead-on descriptions of the ADD brain to overviews of various treatments.

One thing that was helpful just as a reader was being able to see myself reflected in it: I've come up with explanations for my default circadian rhythm (noon-four am) or "distracting myself enough to pay attention," and then to see those same things written down just made me feel a little less alone and freakish.

And, though it's written for people with the disorder, it does a good job explaining things and would probably be a helpful resource for a non-ADD friend/family member wanting to understand it a little.

But, you say, you took for-freaking-ever to read it. Is it slow or boring? Um, no, not really. Occasionally I would have to stop because I was upset--at my circumstances, at my brain, whatever--but usually, despite the very readable writing style, I just felt like reading something else, usually with action and fantasy and sarcasm.

The downside is that the book is now seven, almost eight, years old. This wasn't a problem except when I wanted to see what it said, in the very fascinating medication section, about Vyvanse. That drug didn't come out until several years after the book's release, so it's not there. Outside of that, though, I didn't come across anything that would be outdated at this point.

[Donald · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone with a list of mental health diagnoses I always avoided worrying about ADD because it seemed more useful to focus on more central problems. It was suggested to me I had OCD symptoms and repetitive behaviours but I sort of shunned the idea of adding ADD to the mix. It seemed silly at that point. As I've made some progress, though, I've grudgingly admitted that the OCD might have some relationship with attention/focus, so I decided to read this after someone recommended it to me. I found that a lot of it rang true, especially the simple but good advice about trying more to create the conditions where attention can produce good outcomes rather than trying to just be better at focusing all the time. As in, I'll probably always have the same kind of mind, and instead of trying to cure that I should just try to get sleep, eat right, get exercise, etc... as well as trying to use skills I have like around comedy and economics or something instead of reinventing myself for a typical corporate job.

The book does have a lot of extra stuff packed into it that I think you can skip, and I don't really buy a lot of the science around it to be honest, but it's a good read, like a long friendly Wikipedia page about ADD.

[Drew White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super well research book, and an awesome introduction for someone who doesn't know much about ADHD, because it gives you a good foundation of knowledge. The chapters are laid out so you can skip over whole chapters if the subject make doesn't interest you (perfect for those with attention problems, lol), and it's very well organized so it's easy to follow and covers lots of different material. Of course, because of the nature of the book it covers a lot of things only minimally, so don't expect to be an expert on like "Alcoholism and ADHD" or "ADHD and bipolar disorder" after reading it; you'll just get the basics. One critique: the chapter on nutrition and supplements was pretty poorly researched, and kinda didn't go anywhere (honestly none of the research presented in the book on nutrition and ADHD has enough scientific backing to hang your hat on my opinion).

[Abby · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is better to have on hand as a reference than as a book to read. There are some good tips/suggestions and stories and anecdotes-- the latter are what I really enjoyed from Driven to Distraction as well. Not Hallowell's fault since this was published in 2005, but a lot of the medical/research parts of the book are outdated (atomoxetine isn't the only drug approved for adult ADHD anymore, the Dore Programme has been controversial because research into its effectiveness were found to not meet standards for scientific rigor). I noticed that it seems like Hallowell has a lot of conflicts of interest and would often recommend therapies that weren't validated. He probably should have added a page in the beginning listing all of his disclosures lol.

[See-ming Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a highly stressed ADD'ed individual working in the information systems / design industry, this book has helped me tremendously and I have as a result recommended to many of my friends.

Written by two Harvard Medical school graduates, both of which have ADD, this book demonstrate through real-life examples how to live one's life to the fullest.

Written in ADD-friendly writing style--lists, dialog, etc.--the book serves as an excellent guide to hack your life:

1. How to take advantage of all the pros that come with Attention Deficit Disorder.

2. Steps you can take to manage the cons that come with Attention Deficit Disorder.

Highly recommended.

/SML

[Johan Falkenjack · Rating 1 out of 5]

Based on the "ADHD is a gift" bullc**p and filled with advice with no reference to research showing whether the proposed idea works or not. Probably OK if you are totally new to the subject and want to know what's available, regardless if it works, or just want som feel good stories. If you, like me, want something with real substance and a basis in the scientific litterature I recommend Thomas E. Brown or Russel Barclay instead.

Note that this book has recommendations both on diets and nutritional supplements for treating ADHD, both of which are far from scientifically proven.