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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
What I appreciated most about this book was probably the fact that it was my first real read about neurodivergence. The first half felt really affirming and eye-opening. What I didn't like about this book was that it didn't discuss neurodivergence among people outside the gender binary and that it's pretty skewed to the experience of upper class professional people. I could do without the parts about the British royal family and corporations like Yahoo adopting neurodivergent-friendly policies among their staff.
Options for the privileged
These innovations being researched sound terrific but the reality is they won't become a part of mainstream society until I'm old or dead.
I'm not rich so making my world for me has many constraints. I'm glad my AuDHD child may benefit from these things but late dx'd AuDHD me is still on the outside looking in, briefly. Then I look away and continue on my figurative walk down the long road to nowhere.
These innovations being researched sound terrific but the reality is they won't become a part of mainstream society until I'm old or dead.
I'm not rich so making my world for me has many constraints. I'm glad my AuDHD child may benefit from these things but late dx'd AuDHD me is still on the outside looking in, briefly. Then I look away and continue on my figurative walk down the long road to nowhere.
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
It's a bit of a mixed bag, but broadly speaking, I think this is a totally solid survey of the experiences of neurodivergent women who were diagnosed as adults, with a focus on autism, ADHD, SPD, and synesthesia.
I think the first thing to note is that the scope of the book is very specifically defined. It doesn't go especially in depth on any neurodivergences discussed, and it limits its focus to late diagnosed women. I think that's ultimately for the best (more on that in a second), but be aware that there are lots of experiences that the book does not cover, and it may not speak to you.
I think this would be a great first read for someone who has an inkling that they might be living with some type of neurodivergence but isn't sure what to make of it. Maybe you saw something online, or heard from a friend, or one of the struggles outlined in the book's description resonated with you. This would be a really nice resource for getting to learn the basics about a bunch of related experiences and potentially finding something that you can learn more about. I think that's one of the reasons why it's good that the book is as focused as it is: it makes for a much less daunting first thing to pick up, and a quick read. If that sounds like you, I think you'd probably get a lot from this at very low time invested.
However, that said, I think that the usefulness drops off pretty sharply as you start learning more about neurodiversity. While I'd happily recommend it as someone's first book on the subject, I'm not sure it'd make my shortlist for someone who's already got a baseline familiarity, which is unfortunately where I was when I read it. There's still plenty of worthwhile stuff in it (I particularly enjoyed the little snippets from interviews), but it might be more of a skim.
Finally, I think it's worth pointing out that this book might leave you with more questions than answers, but in a good way. This book very specifically isn't trying to be the only book you'll ever need on neurodiversity. I think the ideal reader is someone who sees themselves in the research and goes from asking "is there something wrong with me?" to "wait, so what exactly *is* ADHD?" which is great, since that second question is WAY easier to google.
I think the first thing to note is that the scope of the book is very specifically defined. It doesn't go especially in depth on any neurodivergences discussed, and it limits its focus to late diagnosed women. I think that's ultimately for the best (more on that in a second), but be aware that there are lots of experiences that the book does not cover, and it may not speak to you.
I think this would be a great first read for someone who has an inkling that they might be living with some type of neurodivergence but isn't sure what to make of it. Maybe you saw something online, or heard from a friend, or one of the struggles outlined in the book's description resonated with you. This would be a really nice resource for getting to learn the basics about a bunch of related experiences and potentially finding something that you can learn more about. I think that's one of the reasons why it's good that the book is as focused as it is: it makes for a much less daunting first thing to pick up, and a quick read. If that sounds like you, I think you'd probably get a lot from this at very low time invested.
However, that said, I think that the usefulness drops off pretty sharply as you start learning more about neurodiversity. While I'd happily recommend it as someone's first book on the subject, I'm not sure it'd make my shortlist for someone who's already got a baseline familiarity, which is unfortunately where I was when I read it. There's still plenty of worthwhile stuff in it (I particularly enjoyed the little snippets from interviews), but it might be more of a skim.
Finally, I think it's worth pointing out that this book might leave you with more questions than answers, but in a good way. This book very specifically isn't trying to be the only book you'll ever need on neurodiversity. I think the ideal reader is someone who sees themselves in the research and goes from asking "is there something wrong with me?" to "wait, so what exactly *is* ADHD?" which is great, since that second question is WAY easier to google.
While I didn’t love this book it provided a lot of really interest in for to help me wrap my head around, to learn and grow. The thing I keep saying as I learn more and more about being a recently diagnosed neurodivergent (Autistic & ADHD) individual is, “a light has been turned on, I now have words to explain what I’ve been experiencing for decades.”
This passage says it better:
“I had zero vocabulary about neurodiversity—and no one else around me had that vocabulary either. I felt judged, criticized, and undervalued by my coworkers and by society as a whole.”
Content-wise, this book gave me a little more light. It wasn’t compelling or earth shattering, and that’s ok. What I got from it help.
I do recognize and acknowledge the book was written from the perspective of the under researched and under diagnosed community of women who have been frequently brushed aside by medical providers. I was not the target audience. My therapist thought it would help me and I appreciate the recommendation.
This passage says it better:
“I had zero vocabulary about neurodiversity—and no one else around me had that vocabulary either. I felt judged, criticized, and undervalued by my coworkers and by society as a whole.”
Content-wise, this book gave me a little more light. It wasn’t compelling or earth shattering, and that’s ok. What I got from it help.
I do recognize and acknowledge the book was written from the perspective of the under researched and under diagnosed community of women who have been frequently brushed aside by medical providers. I was not the target audience. My therapist thought it would help me and I appreciate the recommendation.
HSP is not a real thing, stop trying to make it happen. Using HSP and Aspergers as labels actually furthers the stigma against Autistic people
The book has encouraged me to work with my wiring, not against it. I am even more committed to good noise-cancelling headphones, feel less guilty about my occasional bouts of sensory overwhelm, and have since purchased a weighted blanket.
I've had an ADHD (inattentive type) diagnosis for over a decade, and have since made many friends who are various types of neurodivergent. The framework through which Nerenberg worked to understand neurodivergence has helped me make sense of the sometimes confusing overlap amongst different diagnosis, and sees ND as potential strengths that can be harnessed when better understood.
Another book that had given me a similar sense of "this can be the opposite of a disability" was [b:Faster Than Normal: Turbocharge Your Focus, Productivity, and Success with the Secrets of the ADHD Brain|33914151|Faster Than Normal Turbocharge Your Focus, Productivity, and Success with the Secrets of the ADHD Brain|Peter Shankman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1489795947l/33914151._SX50_.jpg|54879886]. In contrast to Faster than Normal, which was much more about hacks that... Probably work best just for Shankman and men like Shankman, Nerenberg's book is focused on women (not a criticism of Shankman, they each wrote from their own perspective), and includes interviews and research that have furthered my understanding of my own wiring.
I've had an ADHD (inattentive type) diagnosis for over a decade, and have since made many friends who are various types of neurodivergent. The framework through which Nerenberg worked to understand neurodivergence has helped me make sense of the sometimes confusing overlap amongst different diagnosis, and sees ND as potential strengths that can be harnessed when better understood.
Another book that had given me a similar sense of "this can be the opposite of a disability" was [b:Faster Than Normal: Turbocharge Your Focus, Productivity, and Success with the Secrets of the ADHD Brain|33914151|Faster Than Normal Turbocharge Your Focus, Productivity, and Success with the Secrets of the ADHD Brain|Peter Shankman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1489795947l/33914151._SX50_.jpg|54879886]. In contrast to Faster than Normal, which was much more about hacks that... Probably work best just for Shankman and men like Shankman, Nerenberg's book is focused on women (not a criticism of Shankman, they each wrote from their own perspective), and includes interviews and research that have furthered my understanding of my own wiring.
Interesting read that will prompt me to do more research.
informative
medium-paced
Pretty good book taught me some new things about the spectrum I didn't know and gave me new insights to why I operate the way I do sometimes. It does spend a lot of time talking about other authors, experts, and books which is great as a recommendations but I feel like we could have benefitted more from the insights of the author overall as I enjoyed those parts most.
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced