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

Abridged
Author: Edward M. Hallowell , Dr. John J. Ratey
Narrator: Edward M. Hallowell
Genres: Self-help, Relationships, Marriage & Family, Health, Body & Mind, Marriage & Family
Publisher: Random House (Audio)
Date: December 2004
Length: 3 hours
Ratings:
  • Book Rating: 3.5/5
Formats:
  • CD

Overview

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 theclassic 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.

"From the Hardcover edition.

Reviews (3)

What did you say??

Written by T Morrell from Woodside, NY on June 20th, 2008

  • Book Rating: 2/5

Waaay to much detail in the very beginning. I don't have ADD and began tuning out. Not only the beginning but in several places to the point I started fast forwarding at times. Not a terrible book, and truly provides some interesting help but don't listen if you have ADD...

Delivered from Distraction

Written by Kimberly Higgs from Sterling, VA on November 21st, 2006

  • Book Rating: 5/5

I preferred Driven to Distraction because it wasn't as medical as this one. This would be good if you had to write a paper about ADD. I didn't finish this book because I felt I learned enough from Driven to Distraction which was very helpful since me and my son have recently been diagnosed with ADD.

Helpful

Written by Anonymous on May 12th, 2006

  • Book Rating: 4/5

I have a child with Adhd and found the authors advice helpful but also maybe me understand the condition better. I think any parent or person that has someone in there live with this condition would benefit from listening to this book.

Author Details

Author Details

Hallowell, Edward M.

"Edward (Ned) Hallowell, M.D. is a child and adult psychiatrist and the founder of The Hallowell Center for Cognitive and Emotional Health in Sudbury, MA. He was a member of the faculty of the Harvard Medical School from 1983 to 2004.

A graduate of Harvard College and the Tulane School of Medicine, Dr. Hallowell is an expert at offering practical ways to approach some of life?s most difficult challenges. He is the co-author of the national best sellers, Driven to Distraction (Pantheon, 1994) and Answers to Distraction (Pantheon, 1995), both of which discuss attention deficit disorder in children and in adults. In addition, he has written books addressing emotional issues such as the importance of forgiveness (Dare to Forgive, 2004), worry and anxiety (Worry and When You Worry About the Child You Love), how to raise happy children (The Childhood Roots of Adult Happiness, 2002) and many more.

Dr. Hallowell is a frequent speaker on issues that include ADD, how to lead a healthy life, communication strategies for businesses, worry, stress management, and the power of connection. He has published in the Harvard Business Review on the topic of ?the human moment? and will again be published in HBR in January of 2005.

Also in January of 2005, Dr. Hallowell and co-author Dr. John Ratey are releasing their much-awaited new book on ADD, Delivered from Distraction. This book provides a complete and important review of the current state of knowledge about ADD and provides information about how to lead a joyful life with ADD and take advantage of the many wonderful aspects of the ADD mind.

As one of the leading psychiatric experts in the country, Dr. Hallowell has appeared on many national television and radio broadcasts, including ?20/20?, ?The Today Show?, ?Dateline?, ?Oprah?, ?Good Morning America?, ?NPR? and ?The View.? He is also often interviewed and quoted in publications such as US News and World Report, US Weekend, Newsweek and many other magazines and newspapers.

WORRY AND STRESS: Worry: Hope and Help for a Common Problem, published in hardcover by Pantheon (1997) and in paperback by Ballantine (1999), looks at worry in both its constructive and destructive forms, and gives practical advice on how to control toxic worry. From the person who broods and ruminates, to the underachiever who can?t get going because of his worrying, to the person who fears speaking in public, to the many people who have undiagnosed anxiety disorders, this book describes the host of different patterns destructive worry can take and also what a person can do to fix the problem of excessive worry.

CONNECTION: Connect: 12 Vital Ties that Open Your Heart, Lengthen Your Life and Deepen Your Soul (Pantheon, 1999 in hardback and pocket, 2000, in paperback), focuses on the power of the various connections people make in life. The 12 different kinds of connection that Dr. Hallowell outlines in this book provide a roadmap to a satisfying and healthy life.

Following Connect, Dr. Hallowell wrote Human Moments: How to Find Meaning and Love in Your Everyday Life (Health Communications, Inc., 2001) in which he tells true stories from his own life which vividly illustrate the power of connecting deeply with other people, places and ideas. By depicting what he calls ?human moments,? moments of deep connection to someone or something that really matters, he writes the story of how he found meaning and love in his own life. He extends the book beyond his own story by including true stories from other people?s lives, all converging on the theme of human connectedness.

Dr. Hallowell considers the human moment as valuable in the business world as in one?s personal life. To illustrate that point, he wrote an article for the business audience entitled ?The Human Moment at Work,? which was published in The Harvard Business Review 1999.

In connection with Worry and Connect, Dr. Hallowell made two videotapes for the public broadcasting System (PBS), one about managing worry, the other about the power of connection, which formed the basis for their major fund raisers. These were shown on PBS stations around the country in 1999. He has also appeared on such national television shows as ?20/20?, ?The Today Show?, ?Dateline?, ?Oprah?, ?Good Morning America? and ?The View.?

PARENTING: The Childhood Roots of Adult Happiness: Five Steps to help Kids Create and Sustain Lifelong Joy, was published by Ballantine and released in October, 2002. This groundbreaking book is written for parents, teachers, and all those who are interested in children. In practical, concrete detail, Dr. Hallowell presents the basic ingredients for the kind of a childhood that will most likely lead to a happy and satisfying adulthood. The book is based on extensive research and empirical data, but it is written in a conversational, anecdotal tone. The book is a warm and lively celebration of childhood, as well as a guide to creating the kind of childhood that children really need.

FORGIVENESS: Dr. Hallowell?s book, Dare to Forgive, was published by Health Communications, Inc. in 2004. This book shows that the ability to forgive is a strength, and that it is essential to living a healthy and happy life. It explains why forgiveness is one of the best things you can do to heal your body and mind. The book also offers a practical, four part plan for achieving it. True stories are used to illustrate the power of forgiveness in the lives of real people.

In September, 2004, Dr. Hallowell published his first illustrated children?s poem, A Walk in the Rain with a Brain. This story, written for his daughter Lucy almost 10 years ago, tells children ?No brain is the same, No brain is the best, Each brain has its own special way.? It was published by Regan Books, Harper-Collins, and has been a huge hit with both parents and educators.

ADD: The much awaited book on the latest information and treatment for ADD, Delivered From Distraction, will be published by Ballantine and released in January, 2005. This book will replace the best-sellers, Driven to Distraction and Answers to Distraction.

From corporate audiences to parent-teacher workshops, people who listen to Dr. Hallowell come away stimulated, inspired, amused and always better informed. He is a charismatic speaker, combining the knowledge of a Harvard instructor with the warm, easy manner of an experienced public presenter.

Dr. Hallowell lives in the Boston area with his wife and their three children."