It’s simply a matter of learning to manage ADHD naturally and work alongside the physiology we were born into. This all starts with awareness. Awareness of where we’re at and the awareness of how to move forward toward missions that fulfill us.

But that’s OK. Because traditional schooling and desk jobs aren’t what we were meant for. These are the things that the farmers of the world thrive at. And the ADHD-as-diabetes story is one without hope. Juvenile-onset diabetics face a profoundly difficult life, filled with danger of early death. Quite literally, every day is a life-and-death struggle. If they have hope, it’s hope that a pancreatic transplant or cell transplant cure may be discovered, but mostly the hope is simply that they’ll remember to give themselves the right dose of insulin at the right time and stave off gangrene, blindness, and aphasia.

Recommended by ADHD: Hunter in a Farmer's World with Thom Hartmann

Arcos-Burgos, M.; Acosta, M. T. (2007). "Tuning major gene variants conditioning human behavior: The anachronism of ADHD". Current Opinion in Genetics & Development. 17 (3): 234–238. doi: 10.1016/j.gde.2007.04.011. PMID 17467976. The first half was actually very good. It was well laid out and interesting with some ideas and thinking I’d not come across before. I Disregarding that traits are labelled ‘hunter’ or ‘farmer’ it was interesting to hear more about how they developed and why they might be under utilised in a modern office environment. I identified strongly with certain characteristics from both archetypes, which I don’t think is surprising or unusual. To go through a list parallel to those of a Hunter (see my last article), we find that a good Farmer: Worse, think what a disaster it would be to put either in the other’s job. The Cultivator doesn’t catch the little signs of the impending invasion, and the Lookout can’t pay attention long enough to weed the garden.

These behaviors are not the result of neglectful parenting or child abuse, although severe child abuse can produce some symptoms that are sometimes mistaken for ADHD. The second half of the book is a bit more generic, and you’ll probably find that your interest correlates negatively depending on how many other adhd type books you’ve read. Could it be, I thought, that ADHD was adaptive? That it was a collection of neurologically mediated behaviors that would make a person successful in a primitive hunting environment, but are not useful in a modern classroom? This (ADHD: Hunter in a Farmer’s World) is a book that belongs in the hands of every educator, counselor, doctor, and parent.” But if ADHD is a genetic disease or an abnormality, it’s a popular one, possibly afflicting as many as 25 million individuals in the United States. With such a wide distribution among our population, is it reasonable to assume that ADHD is simply a quirk? That it’s some sort of an aberration caused by defective genes or child abuse? Where did ADHD come from? The answer is: people with ADHD are the leftover hunters, those whose ancestors evolved and matured thousands of years in the past in hunting societies.Brewis, A.A.; Meyer, M.C.; Schmidt, K.L. (2002). "Does school, compared to home, provide a unique adaptive context for children's ADHD-associated behaviors? A cross-cultural test". Cross-Cultural Research. 36 (4): 303–320. doi: 10.1177/106939702237304. S2CID 144435579 . Retrieved 2022-07-22. People with ADHD often grow up with strong negative feelings about themselves. Thom Hartmann offers hope, help, and positive solutions to those with ADHD… Once again, Thom casts a bright light on ADHD, showing us all that by looking at the positive in ourselves we can lead more fulfilling, productive, giving lives. This book is inspirational and a must-red for those who have ADHD or care about someone with ADHD.” Imagine something that you know you will be doing in a week or two (it can be something routine, like showing up at work, although a specific event like going to a party or play generally produces a clearer result). Now extend your dominant arm and point with your index finger to where you “see” that imagination.

People with a confused timeline, though, will spot these events all over the place, often seemingly in random places. Since ADHD is a collection of skills and predilections necessary for the success and survival of a good Hunter, we’re left with the question, “What about non-ADHD people?” Where did their skills evolve from, and why do they represent the majority of the people in our culture? When new concepts occur, they often become prone to dualistic thinking. The ADD/ADHD criteria seems too rigid to me and I propose that it may be the regulatory mechanism that requires further examination. So far, I've spent nearly an hour thinking about how to respond... There’s “Now” and “Some Other Time.” The difference between a week from now or a month from now is almost meaningless: it’s all “some other time.”As the human race moved from its earliest ancestors, two basic types of cultures evolved. In the areas that were lush with plant and animal life and had a low human population density, hunters and gatherers predominated. In other parts of the world (particularly Asia), farming or agricultural societies evolved. This book helped me better understand ADHD and gave me practical strategies on how to deal with these children in the classroom. Anne Bennett