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

''Thom Hartmann demonstrates that ADHD can be associated with creativity, high achievement, and a most successful adaptive style.'' --Edward Hallowell, M.D., author of Driven to Distraction ''Once again, with tireless scholarship and a bit of poetry, Thom Hartmann helps take us to the edge of knowing ourselves, our brains, and our world.'' --John J. Ratey, M.D., author of A User's Guide to the Brain Thomas Edison was expelled from school for behavior that today would label him as having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), but his mother understood how to salvage his self-esteem and prepare him for a lifetime of success. In The Edison Gene Thom Hartmann shows that the creativity, impulsiveness, and distractibility that are characteristic of ADHD are not signs of a disorder at all, but instead are components of a highly adaptive skill set utilized by our hunting and gathering ancestors. These characteristics have been critical to the survival and development of our modern civilization and will be vital as humanity faces new challenges in the future. Hartmann, creator of the ''hunter versus farmer'' theory of ADHD, examines the latest discoveries confirming the existence of an ADHD gene and the global catastrophe 40,000 years ago that triggered its development. Citing examples of significant innovators in our modern era, he argues that the children who possess the ''Edison gene'' have neurology that is wired to give them brilliant success as innovators, inventors, explorers, and entrepreneurs. He offers concrete strategies for helping Edison-gene children reach their full potential and shows that rather than being ''problems,'' such children are a vital gift to our society and the world. THOM HARTMANN is the award-winning, bestselling author of over a dozen books, including Attention Deficit Disorder: A Different Perception and The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight. A former psychotherapist and founder of the Hunter School, a residential and day school for children with ADHD, he lives in central Vermont.