Before anyone thinks I'm slogging off on the book for no reason, I want to be clear that I fully recognize they are considered some of the GOATs in this field. They wrote Driven to Distraction back in the 90s, which was one of the few resources parents could rely on.

ADHD 2.0 leaps forward from where Driven to Distraction left off, and it looks chock full of information. I admit these two aren't only spouting opinions, either. The book is very positive, has tons of research-driven stats, and a plethora of citations. Or, at least some citations and some stuff that looks like citations but is more "weird product sale pitches," some really questionable "therapies," and some stuff that rubbed off as downright woo-woo.

In fact, I thought this was an anti-medication book until I got to the medication chapter. I was pleasantly surprised that they are not anti-medication, and treat pharmacology as it should be treated: as a tool in the toolbox, which you use in conjunction with other tools.

What are my other issues with the book? Like the last book I reviewed, it's not very inclusive, although this time for cis white men, not women. I'm actually not against gendered books in this area—the science does show there's many differences and fitting everything for everyone into one tome would result in a doorstopper of book. However, we can stop with the white heteronormative part on both sides (especially the examples of "success." Good grief).

Even if I give the "stereotypical ADHD dude" a free pass, the claim of using "New Science" is sketchy at best. Claims of balance boards and Benadryl, a weird take on rigid structures and rules, cell phones as a cause of ADHD, and a very problematic therapy that some consider abusive.

This was light science tightrope walking with woo-woo. Not my favorite combo.

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Created Mar 25, 2024 at 9:04pm • Submit your own review...