The ADHD Advantage: What You Thought Was a Diagnosis May Be Your Greatest Strength

This provocative book puts forward a thesis that some may find reassuring but others will find problematic: that attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can be beneficial as well as detrimental. Psychiatrist Archer, who realized he had the condition while researching and writing his 2013 bestseller, Better Than Normal, claims that it helped him achieve success, and that he's not alone: JetBlue founder David Neelman, Cisco CEO John Chambers, Sir Richard Branson, NFL quarterback Dave Krieg, and pop vocalists Pink and Adam Levine all have ADHD. According to Archer, possible benefits include the ability to work under pressure, rebound from crises, multitask, and conceive of ideas outside the box. Part I of the book provides historical, genetic, and pathological context, Part II focuses on the so-called "ADHD advantages" in more detail, and Part III connects them to entrepreneurship, athletics, and interpersonal experiences. Part I also contains the most potentially controversial material: Archer's recommendation that ADHD sufferers and their guardians avoid managing the condition with medication and instead follow a "skills, not pills" approach. At its best, however, the book provides potentially helpful advice on how ADHD's most challenging aspects can be repurposed as strengths. (Aug.)