According to evolutionary anthropologist Ben Campbell of the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, studies of the Ariaal, an isolated nomadic group in Kenya, suggest that hyperactivity and impulsivity—key traits of ADHD—have distinct advantages to nomadic people.

As an adult with adhd and a parent of children with adhd I found this to be one of the best books I’ve read (or at least had the focus to read) about adhd. A key component of the hypothesis is that the proposed " hyperfocus" aspect of ADHD is a benefit under appropriate circumstances.I was fortunate enough to have enough IQ points and the interpersonal skills to minimize any adverse consequences before I was diagnosed. I would not, however, give it to a teen with ADD or ADHD, especially if that teen requires short-term or long-term medication to assist with attention and/or the development of executive skills. Thom Hartmann is the four-time Project Censored Award-winning, New York Times best-selling author of 25 books currently in print in over a dozen languages on five continents. He is the award-winning New York Times bestselling author of 24 books, including Adult ADHD, ADHD and the Edison Gene, and The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight. They are not easily distracted by environmental noises, sustain a slow and steady effort in attain their goal, and see the long range picture.

I get the theory behind it and why it makes it easier for people by thinking there is nothing wrong with their brain but when you think more into it, what it means is we didn’t evolve with society and are more primitive in nature and that doesn’t seem very positive. He reveals how some of the world's most successful people can be labeled as ADHD hunters and offers concrete non-drug methods and practices to help hunters--and their parents, teachers, and managers--embrace their differences, nurture creativity, and find success in school, at work, and at home. I recommend beginning with something broader and more informative, and then if you run on female hormones read something specific to adhd in women (Sari Solden is brilliant) before you dive into this one.This book helped me better understand ADHD and gave me practical strategies on how to deal with these children in the classroom. The relaxing average person would fall at the middle or in the 5 to 7 inch area, while the relaxed Hunter would be found in the 7 to 8 inch area and the relaxed Farmer in the 4 to 5 inch area. The strategies would have probably been very helpful, although luckily I've already found my own way. In the workplace, the expectations of the Hunter need to be defined in measurable short-term goals given when possible only one at a time. Thom Hartmann describes these ideas in a book that belongs in the hands of every educator, counselor, doctor, and parent.

This is the spirit in which this book is offered, with the sincere hope that it may help more teachers, psychologists, psychiatrists, and parents to empower and enable rather than label as sick or disabled ADD children and adults. Evaluating success in meeting the goals needs to happen daily along with a reward for meeting the goals. If you really think about this, it is in fact quite strange that a society only strives for 1 set of rules [the "norm"] and in case you're not fitting in, you are labeled as being sick or not normal.

In some ways this child is acting like a Hunter, hunting for a “yes” with an awareness of everything that is in his environment, yet in today’s world he would be considered a problem. There are also various practical strategies and historical anecdotes that are at once inspiring and hope instilled.

Then it occurred to me: What if the cavewomen with inattentive ADHD married the cavemen with hyperactive ADHD? I felt by the end, what I got was a book with advertisements, and more than a few sections where the author got to say "I told you so! I would say that if everyone in the world were open to the idea that there is not just one type of person and that the standard set by mankind is purely subjective and irrational, the world would look considerably more beautiful.

As an entrepreneur, he's founded several successful businesses which still are operating, and lived and worked with his wife, Louise, and their three (now adult) children on several continents. Hartmann claims that most or all humans were nomadic hunter-gatherers for hundreds of thousands of years, but that this standard gradually changed as agriculture developed in most societies, and more people worldwide became farmers. Very nice follow-up to his previous work on hunter in a farmer's world and multiple intelligences multiple learning styles. This book does a great job of laying out the facts and helping you realize that you are just wired a little differently. Providing a supportive “survival” guide to help fine tune your natural skill set, rather than suppress it, Hartmann shows that each mind--whether hunter, farmer, or somewhere in between--has value and great potential waiting to be tapped.