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The ADHD Bookshelf – Which book should I read first?
I used to be an avid reader. In fact, it’s not an exaggeration to say that my entire childhood was spent with my head in a book. I found the adventures of book characters far more exciting than the dull existence of my life in country Victoria (Australia).
As a professional, I need to keep up-to-date with the latest research but I have to admit it has been ages since I held an actual book in my hands. The tendency nowadays is to go online and scan through reams of information without really taking the time to process the messages. That’s why I decided to purchase an actual book the other day using an Amazon gift voucher that needed spending.
When I tried to read the new book however, I found I struggled to concentrate. Horror of horrors! As a way to motivate my love of reading, let me share a selection of intriguing books with you. These books contain oodles of information that address the specific struggles of ADHD. Please feel free to hold me accountable to reading these books in the coming weeks.
- Indistractable, How to control your attention and choose your life. By Nir Eyal with Julie Li
This book was given to me in August and months later, I’ve only got as far as the introduction. I can only blame my addiction to Netflix for why this is so. I can see that I must have liked the introduction because I started taking notes. Arianna Huffington says, ‘It’s the best guide I’ve read for reclaiming our attention, our focus and our lives.’ The author is a behavioural designer and, apparently, he reveals the hidden psychology driving us to distraction. Sounds like a great book for ADHDers. This is definitely one that I have to finish.
- Hyper Focus, How to work less and achieve more, by Chris Bailey
This book is covered in my scribbles so I must have found it interesting way back in 2019 when I bought it. Unfortunately, I’ve forgotten every nugget of wisdom that I read. Chris mentions topics such as Novelty, Attention Shifting, Rituals and the Rule of 3, Setting Implementation Intentions. I am getting excited just flicking through this book and I definitely need to tell my ADHD support group about this one.
- Busy, How to thrive in a world of too much, by Tony Crabbe
My husband was given this book in 2015! It is has barely been touched. I like what I see though, as I flick through the book. For example, instead of To Do List, he writes a Go Do List. He mentions a lot of ideas I use with my clients, such as Big Chunk Time, Managing Boundaries, and Saying NO! But I am intrigued by Machine Gun Emails, The Attention System which has 3 networks, Efficient Thinking and Eat the Frog Cold. It’s definitely time to get back to this book too. Lots of gems hidden here.
- Better Than Before, Mastering the Habits of our Everyday Lives, by Gretchen Rubin
I loved this book the minute I started it way back in 2015. The introduction, Decide not to Decide, is instantly intriguing and I feel compelled to read it. In another chapter Gretchen gets you to look at your ‘tendencies’ then choose behaviours that suit your tendency. Another topic that grabbed me is Temporary becomes Permanent. As you can see, the book explores the topic of habit through a different lens. Yet another book I need to revisit.
- Healthy Brain, Happy Life, How to active your brain & do everything better, by Dr Wendy Suzuki with Billie Fitzpatrick
I remember buying both this book and the previous one when visiting Melbourne on a home visit. I can never resist walking into a bookstore, breathing in that special book smell and adjusting to the muffled acoustics that only a bookstore (and perhaps a library) can create. This book by Wendy jumped off the shelf and into my hands. What I love about the book is that there are Brain Hacks at the end of each chapter. Once again, it is a book bursting with brilliant ideas, such as How does exercise really affect the brain?; Spandex in the Classroom; the Neuroanatomy of Creativity. Gosh, when I read these chapter titles, I can’t wait to start reading again.
Well, on that note, I will finish here. I need to head off to the couch, grab a cuppa and start reading! Only problem is, how can I choose which book to start with!
Feel free to leave your book recommendations in the comments!
When she hasn’t got her head stuck in a book, Jacinta Noonan will be working as an ADHD Coach. Find out more here: https://platformbe.com