ADHD Is Awesome: A Guide to (Mostly) Thriving with ADHD
The engaging, uplifting antidote to traditional ADHD books (which, let's be honest, if you have ADHD you'd never read anyway).
You live in a world that wasn't designed for you. A world where you're expected to sit still, stay quiet, and focus. Because of the way your brain is wired, you can feel like you're failing at life. But you are not failing. You are awesome.
Award-winning content creators Kim and Penn Holderness are on a mission to reboot how we think about the unfortunately named "attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder." As always, they are doing it by looking in the mirror, because they don't just study ADHD; they live it.
Penn was in college when he was diagnosed with ADHD, although the signs of having a brain that worked just a little bit differently had been there since he was a kid. Rather than view the diagnosis as a curse or give in to feelings of inadequacy or failure, he took a different approach, one that he wants to share with fellow ADHDers and the people who care about them.
Drawing on their often-hilarious insights and the expertise of doctors, researchers, and specialists; Kim and Penn provide fun, easy-to-digest advice and explanations, including:
- What it's actually like to live with an ADHD brain.
- How to find humor in the pitfalls, sob stories, and unbelievable triumphs (like the time they won The Amazing Race!) that come with ADHD.
- How to tackle the challenges ADHD presents with a positive outlook.
- Targeted tools and techniques to play to your unique strengths.
- Fun extras like ADHD Bingo, an ode to cargo pants, and what the world would look like if ADHDers were in charge.
Take it from Penn: Having ADHD can be scary, but it comes with incredible upsides, including creativity, hyperfocus, and energy. You might even say it's kind of awesome. Whether you have ADHD or want to support someone else in their journey, this is the guide you need to make the life you want.
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Penn Holderness was born in Durham, North Carolina, to a Presbyterian minister and a public school teacher. He was super into Boy Scouts, show choir, and synthesizers as a kid, so he wasn't exactly a ladies' man. He went to the University of Virginia, then started a two-decade career in TV journalism. Penn and Kim met in Orlando while working in local news and were married in 2005. In 2013 they left the TV business and launched a digital content company called Greenroom Communications. Part of that launch was a video called "Xmas Jammies" that went viral and led to appearances on GMA, the Today Show, Fox News Channel, and CNN. (Apparently Xmas Jammies are bipartisan.) The Holderness Family currently lives in Raleigh with their dog, Sunny.
Kim Holderness was born and raised in Sarasota, Florida, and was a competitive dancer (once crowned Miss Dance Florida). She went to the University of Florida, then began her career in TV journalism. Penn and Kim met in Orlando while working in local news and were married in 2005. In 2013 they left the TV business and launched a digital content company called Greenroom Communications. Part of that launch was a video called "Xmas Jammies" that went viral, and led to appearances on GMA, the Today Show, Fox News Channel, and CNN. (Apparently Xmas Jammies are bipartisan.) The Holderness Family currently lives in Raleigh with their dog, Sunny.
'Few books embrace the lived experience of someone with ADHD quite like ADHD Is Awesome. This heartfelt firsthand account of what it is like to live with ADHD (and a partner or child with ADHD) dispels widely held myths and conveys evidence-based information about ADHD with honesty, compassion, and (lots and lots of) humor. Filled with relatable anecdotes and fun graphics, this book is sure to keep the attention of those with ADHD. Importantly, this book is hopeful in suggesting skills and strategies for embracing your ADHD brain so you can survive and thrive with ADHD.'--ANDREA CHRONIS-TUSCANO, PhD, Joel and Kim Feller Endowed Professor at University of Maryland; director of Maryland ADHD Program; and president of the American Psychological Association Society for Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology
'Hilarious, smart, and oh so relatable! Penn takes us through his own lived experience of ADHD, helping the reader feel seen, supported, and celebrated. A must-read for anyone with ADHD and the ones who love them.'--EMILY W. KING, PhD, Child psychologist
'Relentlessly upbeat, chock-full of wisdom, and eminently readable, ADHD Is Awesome clearly acknowledges the reality and challenges associated with this condition--but does so in ways that are practical, snappy, and often humorous. Featuring true-to-life examples, evidence-based treatments, meditation, a host of life hacks, and self-compassion, it will strike a major chord for all experiencing ADHD in themselves or family members.'--STEPHEN P. HINSHAW, PhD, Distinguished professor of psychology at University of California, Berkeley; author of Another Kind of Madness
