The Edison Gene: ADHD and the Gift of the Hunter Child

Thom Hartmann does a very good job in explaining what ADHD is.( Everyone in society has some type of psychological problem(s), and I believe that there are no exceptions, its just ADHDers tend to stand out because they don't stand in line like everyone else). What Hartmann does , unlike todays mainstream experts, is focus on the positive aspects of ADHD rather than the negative traits which seems to be the most prevalent trend in todays group of "psychology experts". An insightful and refreshing read and a must for those who are looking for information outside the mainstream thought on ADHD.The book can get a little dry at times but is worth the entire read.

My son's pediatrician recommended the book after we went to him because there were concerns my son was ADHD and may need medication to be "successful" in school.Reading the book I learned as much about myself as I did my son. The recommendations made by the author on how to best deal with these children just seemed to make sense. As I approached the end of the book I decided to try some of the things Thom recommended. I spoke to my son about his gift. I then assigned him several responsibilities for him to carry out each day (involving him in the family) and made a commitment to deal with him with the same respect I expected. My wife and myself were both beside ourselves with the instant change.My son has went from being a big "little kid" to being a small "young man" overnight.I bought two add'l copies to give to my son's teacher and principle and encourage other parents to do the same.

I thought the book was good. My only complaint was the beggining was a little too much science, but than it was loaded with lots of good information such as how to parent children with ADD. Most of the science stuff was interesting, but some good a little too technical. I have read several of Thom Hartmans books and would reccomend them all. His style is easy to read, yet full with practical information.I would not recocmend the book unless you had ADD or your kid or a close family member did.

As a 53-year-old woman just recently diagnosed with ADHD, I have been reading a lot of books & articles on the subject. So far, this is the only book that has given me a history of my behavior in such a way that has caused me to celebrate them instead of being ashamed & seeing myself as damaged. I now proudly say, "I'm a hunter in a farmer's world"! Which sums up an often misunderstood diagnosis to those around me. It actually opens the door for real conversation instead of defending myself to the usual comment; "That's just for kids that can't sit still in class"!

The book isn't new but as someone with ADD and as someone who writes and works more creatively because of my ADD and medication as well, I appreciate the refreshing perspective of ADD as a gift, and part of the hunter thinking we need in our world. Thinking in and of itself can be a novelty; thinking critically and even more, out of the box, is a gift that needs to be recognized. The book goes a long way in giving recognition to a way of thinking too often stigmatized. I recommend for general readers, parents and teenagers.Carol Smaldino, CSW, [...]

If you do have ADD, this book won't keep your attention for five minutes. I do agree with the author's premise that ADD is just a way of being that is "different", and even advantageous in certain situations, instead of "wrong", "defective", or "sick". However this book is not the self-help manual I was expecting. Instead it is full of tedious and repetitive analysis of the supposed evolutionary roots of ADD and technical discussions of the specific genes that supposedly contribute to a tendency towards ADD. This may be of interest to some but is not the best choice for an ADDer looking for practical strategies to improve their life. I resolutely plowed through the first couple of chapters, but after seeing that it was going nowhere just skimmed the rest of the book. A couple of books that I have found more helpful are  ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life  and  Delivered from Distraction: Getting the Most out of Life with Attention Deficit Disorder .

Good for parents who think it's the end of the world when their child is diagnosed. Every child has strengths and weaknesses, this tells you how to make the most of the strengths and be an effective advocate. Having gone through this twice, with my son (very happy and successful now) and now with my brilliant grandson in first grade, (this was a gift to my daughter in law)I really appreciated the way Thom Hartman reframes the nature of ADD and ADHD from disability to gift under the right circumstances.

This book changed my way of looking at ADHD and started me on a path to looking more critically at the way we think about mental illness in this country as a whole. This is one of the most influential books I've ever read. Thom Hartmann, who is normally a champion of one-size-fits-all solutions to societal ills, really strikes a different chord with this book and hits a home run! I'd give this book 6 stars if I could!

However I am an adult now..recently only being told by a physician who had retraced my life and done some research into this study...The problems I had faced throughout my life could have been differently dealt with if I had known as a child...I was looked upon as an outsider high achiever yet it had its downside also. I am a massive fan of Thom Hartmann ...The book for me was not so useful as it is more about kids with the gene rather than adults although there were some areas that were enlightening for me especially the chapter on spirituality and the Edison Gene...A very useful handbook/guide for kids and parents teachers of...Not so though if you are an adult.

Often books about ADHD tend to be highly negative in their tone. Therefore, if you have ADHD they can be a depressant to sit and read.But thankfully The Edison Gene is a highly readable book with an optimistic outlook of the positive traits associated with ADHD and how in actual fact, it is often the environment which causes the problems, not the ADHD itself. For example, standardised education systems for people with ADHD - not so good. Entrepreneurial or artistic forms of education - very good.So thank you Thom for writing this.

Condition used, but fine for my purposes. Well written, easy to read and interesting. Well worth the money I spent.

In good condition but, so far, overly self indulgent and repetitive. As an ignorant layman, I suspect that the contents would have been better expressed in a magazine article.

Some good info, but a very hard read as you get into the book. Not sure about some of the claims, however all in all it did give me a different outlook on dealing with ADHD.