In this pioneering classic, Thom Hartmann explains that ADD was once an adaptive psychological mechanism that provided the hunters of the past with an edge over the world in which they lived. Building on this "hunter in a farmer's world" theory, this book details practical methods for turning the "disorder" back into a skill. The stories in this book will give your children a positive self-image.
Featured in Time, Success, and Pshycology Today, Hartmann's pioneering 'Hunter-Farmer' theory has inspired a public that is weary of being called 'disorded.'

Reviews

"Belongs in the hands of every educator, counselor, doctor, and parent. It empowers ADDers to look at themselves in a new way."
--Review, The Learning Disabilities Newsletter

"Thom Hartmann demonstrates that ADD can be associated with creativity, high achievement, and a most successful adaptive style."
--Edward Hallowell, MD, & John Ratey, MD, authors of Driven to Distraction

"A clear and positive viewing of our remarkable children with practical tips for the parent."
--Stephen C. Davidson, M.Ed., founding member of "Safe Kids" of Georgia

"This book did for our family what years of being in and out of therapy failed to accomplish. It helps us to understand and appreciate each other's unique way of doing and seeing."
--Janie Bowman, Mother of an ADD adolescent

"Brilliant"
--Andrew Massey, conductor of the San Francisco SymphonyM/i>

"This book...indicates that uncritical acceptance of the notion of ADD may conceal the need for basic reforms in our nation's public schools."
--Jay C. Fikes, Ph.D., Cultural Anthropologist

Contents

Foreword
Author’s Preface
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Author’s Introduction

1. ADD as a State of Mind
2. How to Recognize Attention Deficit Disorder
3. Hunters in Our Schools and Offices: The Origin of ADD
4. “Normal” People: The Origins of Agriculture
5. Could Someone With ADD Have Survived in a Primitive Hunting Society?
6. How to Turn a “Disorder” Back into a Skill (A Survival Guide for ADD Adults)
7. The Hunter’s Struggle: Impulse and Its Control
8. How to Work with a Hunter: Practical Advice for Managers, Parents, and Teachers
9. Creativity and ADD: A Brilliant and Flexible Mind
10. Hunters on Drugs
11. Can Parent’s Smoking Cause Childhood Behavior Problems?
12. Halfway to the Stars: How Unrealized ADD can Limit an Apparently Successful Life
13. A Disorganized Collection of “Hunter in a Farmer’s World” Anecdotes
14. The Edison Trait: Hunters Who Have Changed the World
15. Baseline States of Consciousness