My top 5 books for adults (and teens) with ADHD - and why I recommend them.

I regularly get questions about what book, gadget, planner, or app I would recommend for someone with ADHD. I decided the simplest way to share them is to create a blog post that I can update regularly.

I want to make it clear that each of these links is an affiliate one and I get a tiny percentage of any purchase you make.

It does not cost you any extra and is a way for me to top up the costs of running the podcast and other free materials.

When it comes to understanding ADHD, having a collection of books rather than just a single one can be incredibly useful. Each book brings a different perspective, looking various aspects of this very complex condition. By exploring multiple sources, readers are exposed to a wider range of information, coping strategies and insights.

Consider starting with a couple of essential reads. The combined cost is often modest, around £30 for both or free if you borrow them from your library, and the return on investment can be priceless. These books collectively offer a treasure trove of advice that can make a lifelong impact.

Why try Multiple Books?

• Diverse Perspectives: Each author offers different insights, research, and experiences, enriching your understanding.

• Comprehensive Coverage: Different books focus on different aspects, from managing daily life to understanding the neurological underpinnings of ADHD.

• Practical Strategies: With multiple resources, you have a broader spectrum of strategies to test and refine what works best for you.

Investing in a range of books equips you with a well-rounded toolkit, empowering you to navigate ADHD more effectively.

My top 5 books

1. The ADHD Effect on Marriage: Understand and Rebuild your Marriage in Six Steps - by Melissa Orlov

2. Smart but Scattered Guide to Success: Use your Brain’s Executive Skills to keep up, stay calm and get organised at work and at home by Peg Dawson and Richard Guare

3. ADHD 2.0 - New Science and Essential Strategies for thriving with distraction - by Ed Hallowell and John Ratey

4. A Radical Guide for Women with ADHD: Embrace Neurodiversity, Live Boldly and Break through Barriers by Sari Solden, Michelle Frank and Ellen Littman

5. Still Distracted After All These Years by Dr Kathleen Nadeau

You can see excerpts from each of these books by clicking on the covers below with my explanation of why I have chosen them.

I’ve read ALL of these books (and so many more) but here are the ones I go back to regularly.

Why someone with ADHD should ALSO Read These Books

Having someone who is going to read books on ADHD alongside the person dealing with it can be incredibly beneficial for many reasons.

Shared Understanding and Language

When both of you are basing their knowledge on the same book or research, you develop a common understanding and language. This creates more effective communication, enabling everyone to discuss strategies and challenges more clearly.

Collaborative Strategy Development

By reading together, they can help identify and support you developing strategies tailored to your unique needs. This collaborative approach is empowering - giving you time to brainstorm and implement effective solutions together.

Enhanced Empathy and Patience

Understanding the weird paradoxes and contradictions of ADHD can really increase a supporter’s empathy and patience. Knowledge about how ADHD actually impacts our lives allows them to better appreciate the challenges faced every day, leading to more supportive and compassionate relationships.

Informed Decision Making

Both of you can make more informed decisions about treatments and coping mechanisms when you share the same informational foundation. This can improve the success rate of interventions and behavioural strategies.

Building a Supportive Environment

When someone close to a person with ADHD is well-informed, they can contribute to creating a more supportive and understanding living or working environment. This inclusive atmosphere is crucial for the individual to thrive effectively.

The ADHD Effect on Marriage by Melissa Orlov

At the root of all relationships is a need for connection, trust, respect and warmth. Melissa writes - and coaches - expertly on all of this and more.

She is one of the rare guests on my podcast ADHD Powerful Possibilities and I don’t hesitate to recommend this book to any adults in relationships: as she says, ‘marriage’ just means any relationship.

If you are finding that your one to one relationship is feeling like hard work right now, start with this.

ADHD 2.0: New Sciences and Essential Strategies for Thriving with Distraction - from Childhood through Adulthood by Edward Hallowell and John Ratey

If you want an easy to read, easy to digest, easy to implement book then you really can’t go wrong with this one.

Designed to be read in short bursts and with information that applies to anyone at any age with ADHD, this is one of my favourite introduction books.

Everyone has heard of Dr Hallowell - who introduced the ‘race car brain with bicycle brakes’ metaphor for our busy ADHD brains and started popularising the idea that ADHD wasn’t always a BAD thing to be ashamed of. If you’re looking for more strategies than information, you might prefer ‘Delivered from Distraction’ but it’s a longer, more in depth read.

The Smart but Scattered Guide to Success by Peg Dawson and Richard Guare

There are several ‘smart but scattered’ books and this one is listed because I think it’s easiest for using across a wider range of ages and settings. The book can be used by adults who are newly diagnosed, who are ADHD parents and/or with ADHD kids, at home and at work.

Although I don’t offer ‘hacks’ (insert shudder) I do think that there’s a place for trying different strategies and the ones in this book are often simple enough to play and try out without feeling like you’ve invested in a whole eco-system that doesn’t actually work.

As always, these recommendations are not guarantees that they are the right book for YOU but ones I’ve found useful myself.

A Radical Guide for Women with ADHD by Sari Solden, Michelle Franks & introduction by Ellen Littman

I know there are HUNDREDS of books about ADHD for and by women these days. Several are written by excellent ADHD coaches, psychologists and late diagnosed women who have found that their diagnosis has changed how they see themselves, their lives and empowered them to make changes.

This book is the one that I would recommend to any woman (or someone socialised as a woman) particularly if they are diagnosed after 25. Perhaps the experience will change as future generations are diagnosed earlier but there’s something really warm and transformative about this one in particular.

Still Distracted After All These Years by Dr Kathleen Nadeau

I would recommend this book to ALL adults with ADHD - and the people who love them. Dr Nadeau has put her years of experience, research and that special knack for explaining important scientific information in simple terms into this book that gives you practical advice on how to embrace life as an older person with ADHD - and by that, I mean anyone over 45.

A special guest on my podcast, Dr Nadeau is one of the foremost researchers on ADHD and was leading the charge on understanding ADHD in women and girls - now she’s focusing on older adults whose diagnosis was missed in their early years and who are living with the physical, mental and emotional - and financial - impacts of not getting the support and information they needed early in life.

How should someone with ADHD approach reading Self-Help Books?

I’ve seen people get REALLY overwhelmed when they get a new book about ADHD - and feel worse when they can’t make the changes the author is promoting. When you get into self-help books, especially for people with ADHD, taking a strategic approach can make a world of difference - let’s explain how you can do that.

Think of Them as Reference Guides

Instead of reading these books from start to finish like a novel, treat them more like a toolkit or a cookbook. Leaf through the pages and locate the sections that resonate with your current challenges. By focusing in on specific strategies or "recipes" that address what you're experiencing, you can apply these techniques immediately and more effectively.

Engage a Support System

It's SO helpful to involve a trusted friend or family member in the reading process. This way, you're not navigating the journey alone. By discussing insights and strategies together, both of you can actively search for useful techniques, creating a supportive environment for implementing change. Make sure they know that some of us find ‘suggestions’ a guaranteed way to NOT do something, even if we want to, so make sure your supporter knows how you respond to that.

Experiment and Iterate - use MVP/rapid prototyping

ADHD often means we have to try different approaches to find what works. Don’t hesitate to experiment with various suggestions offered in the book. If one doesn’t work out, there’s always another method to explore.

By using these tactics, people with ADHD can maximise the benefits from self-help books, transforming insights into actionable life changes without getting overwhelmed or feeling down if we can’t put them into action.