A review by henrytinker
ADHD 2.0: New Science and Essential Strategies for Thriving with Distraction—From Childhood Through Adulthood by John J. Ratey, Edward M. Hallowell

informative reflective medium-paced

2.0

I already have a good understanding of ADHD, so I was unfortunately disappointed by this book. I expected it to be a bit more in depth than it was, but I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone looking to learn about the subject either because of the amount of misinformation, self-promotion and nepotism in it. The claims they make about diet have very little evidence to support them, and the authors are not dieticians themselves. There was also a lot of fatphobia throughout that was unecessary and unhelpful, especially considering how many people with ADHD have food addictions. They also claim that 'ABA treats Autism' which is untrue and is harmful misinformation to spread.

I am also not a fan of the whole 'superpower' narrative around ADHD, and I don't think that everyone with ADHD should become an entrepreneur- such an American idea.

However, I think that the section on medication is useful, because the authors are actually knowledgeable about that area and there is a large amount of evidence that supports the claims they make. 

Oh, and their concept of 'VAST' really wasn't very well explained. Sometimes it was referred to like it was ADHD lite, at other times it was a synonym for ADHD.