The Learning Disabilities Newsletter, 1993
ADDers aren't abnormal, they are uniquely gifted individuals in their own right. Thom Hartmann describes these ideas in a book that belongs in the hands of every educator, counselor, doctor, and parent. It empowers ADDers to look at themselves in a new way.


Edward Hallowell, MD and John Ratey, MD, authors of Driven to Distraction
Innovative and fresh .... Rather than portraying the syndrome as a crippling disease, Thom Hartmann demonstrates that ADD can be associated with creativity, high achievement, and a most successful adaptive style.


Jay C. Fikes, Ph.D., Cultural Anthropologist
Thom Hartmann demonstrates that ADD can be associated with creativity, high achievement, and a most successful adaptive style." -- Edward Hallowell, MD and John Ratey, MD, authors of "Driven to Distraction. "This book...indicates that uncritical acceptance of the notion of ADD may conceal the need for basic reforms in our nation's public schools.


Book Description
As many as 20 million Americans may have Attention Deficit Disorder. In the five years since Thom Hartmann first published his pioneering book, "Attention Deficit Disorder: A Different Perception," new findings support his theory linking ADD to the genetic makeup of men and women who hunted for their food in prehistoric times. Now, Hartmann has revised his groundbreaking book to include the latest research along with surprising information on studies that link second-hand smoke to disruptive behavior. This edition has a new introduction by famed Harvard psychiatrist Edward M. Hallowell, MD, co-author of the best-selling "Driven to Distraction.:


From the Publisher
In the revised and updated edition of this book, released in August, Hartmann cites several well-researched recent books and studies which bolster his view that the major problem shared by people with ADD today is that they are living in a culture designed for those who are genetically disposed to grow their food rather than to hunt for it. Hartmann takes a positive view of ADD, stressing the successes that those with ADD can have using their talents and skills rather than dwelling on their difficulties. His work marks the first time an author characterized ADD as something other than a disease.


From the Author
The author, thom@cis.compuserve.com , 07/19/96: A positive look at ADD and a new theory of its origin... I wrote this book because when my son was diagnosed with ADD the psychologist told him he had a "damaged brain" and gave him a whole gloom-and-doom scenario. Having been the executive director of a residential treatment facility for kids, many of whom had ADD, I thought this was a pretty miserable way to portray ADD to anybody, particularly a child. In ADD:ADP, I present a "new view" of the origin of ADD -- that it's an adaptive mechanism passed down to us by our ancient "Hunter/Gatherer" ancestors. At first, I only meant this as a paradigm or metaphor, but as you'll find from reading this revised version, it is turning out to be good science as well. In the five years since the original version of this book came out, a number of important studies have shown that there is a basis in history and science for my theories. I hope you enjoy the book and look forward to hearing your responses to it,


From the Back Cover
Attention Deficit Disorder: A Different Perception answers these important questions: 1. Can drugs "cure" Attention Deficit Disorder? 2. Why are some ADD children and adults more successful than their "normal" peers? 3. What professions are best for ADD people?


About the Author
Thom Hartmann is the former executive director of a residential treatment facility for abused and emotional disturbed children, and the author of five books on Attention Deficit Disorder. He authored more than 200 published articles and has spoken at conferences around the world.


Excerpted from Attention Deficit Disorder : A Different Perception by Hartmann, Thom. Copyright © 1997. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved
Excerpted from Attention Deficit Disorder by Thom Hartmann. Copyright(c) 1997. Reprinted by permission, all rights reserved : Where did ADD come from? If you compare the list of classic ADD symptoms, and the list of the characteristics of a good hunter, you'll see that they match almost perfectly. In other words, an individual with the ADD collection of characteristics would make an extraordinarily good hunter. A failure to have any one of those characteristics might mean death in the forest or jungle. There are two characteristics of ADD which can seriously challenge a Hunter who is trying to be successful in life and society. They are impulsivity and craving. These two characteristics are, in moderation, what make some Hunters incredibly successful in our society. Under control, these "driving forces" lead to the creation of institutions and businesses, to the writing of books and creation of art, to creative brainstorms that lead countries, companies, and lives in wholly new and wonderful directions. How to Turn a "Disorder" Back into a Skill (A Survival Guide for ADD Adults) "Nearly every man who develops an idea works it up to the point where it looks impossible, and then he gets discouraged. That's not the place to become discouraged." (Thomas Edison) If you've read this far with an open mind, I hope you've accepted the notion that ADD is neither a deficit nor a disorder. It is, instead, an inherited set of skills, abilities, and personality tendencies which would enable a Hunter or warrior or lookout to be eminently successful and would condemn a Farmer or an accountant to certain disaster. So how did this powerful set of Hunter skills come to be labeled as a disorder? Historically, societies have viewed people whose behaviors they didn't understand, or which weren't "the norm," as inferior.

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