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| View Larger Image | Ritalin Nation: Rapid-Fire Culture and the Transformation of Human Consciousness
by Richard J. Degrandpre
| | List Price: | $14.95 | | Price: | $11.66 | | You Save: | $3.29 (22%) |  | | Available: | Usually ships in 24 hours | | | | | Sales Rank: | 222794 | | Studio: | W. W. Norton & Company | | | Binding: | Paperback | | Number Of Pages: | 288 | | Publication Date: | December 31, 1969 | | Publisher: | W. W. Norton & Company |
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EDITORIAL REVIEWS |
Book Description
By the year 2000, the USDA predicts that 15 percent--8 million--of our children will be on their way to using Ritalin. In this illuminating investigation of the epidemic of attention deficit disorder (ADD) and its most widely prescribed treatment, the powerful psychostimulant Ritalin, psychologist Richard DeGrandpre sounds a warning: we may well be failing our children by treating symptoms and not causes with a quick-fix and ultimately unsatisfactory solution. Drawing on the latest findings from developmental, psychobiological, and social scientific research, DeGrandpre "criticizes America's obsession with performance and quick satisfaction and the country's reliance on Ritalin [as] a performance-enhancing drug" (Natural Health). He cautions that our society-wide rush to more, and faster, stimulation leaves children especially vulnerable to "sensory addictions." Ritalin Nation exposes the shortsightedness of mere biological explanations of ADD and offers some practical guidelines for cultivating a less-hurried existence and promoting a saner, safer community for our children. |
CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 13 reviews)
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a different and very worthwhile perspective 
I had read many other fine books that debunk the ADHD myth, and thought that those other authors had covered all aspects pretty well. However, after reading this book, I was surprised to learn just how much our modern culture of 'I want it now!' plays in promoting inattentive and fidgety behaviour. My only criticism of the book is that it was slow to begin with, but I am glad I stuck with it, because it picked up. I highly recommend this book.
July 25, 2007 | |
Stimulant medications can reduce symptoms and improve ability to complete tasks 
I read Dr. Degrandpre's first book before I attended his talk at a local book store. He came across as genuinely kind and sincere, but at the same time I found it frustrating to listen to him tell the audience that AD/HD is not a brain disorder, that it is inappropriate to treat AD/HD with stimulant medication, and that AD/HD is the unfortunate result of the environment that we live in.
Thanks to the support of my husband, I live in an ideal environment and I still struggle with symptoms of AD/HD. Over the past fifteen years, I have met many others like myself, more than 3,000. We exchanged information about what worked, and what didn't. What I learned is that there are many approaches to living with AD/HD symptoms and that when stimulant medication works well, nothing works better.
I also learned that medication alone is not enough for some of us. I experienced additional relief from my symptoms after I added a basic vitamin regimen of a multi, B-complex, C, E, a calcium/magnesium/D/K/mineral formulation, and fish oil. Medication, afterall, does not treat vitamin deficiencies. A good, first read on the benefits of nutritional supplements for the brain is Your Miracle Brain by Jean Carper.
It has also helped to follow the advice of others: get enough sleep; eat regular, healthy meals; exercise; treat yourself and others with courtesy and respect; work hard; find time to play; make time for family and friends; and surround yourself with work, people, and interests that "make your heart glad".
All helpful, but the reality is that untreated AD/HD and, to a lesser degree, treated AD/HD - (there is no cure, only a reduction in symptoms) - interfers with the ability to consistently do all of the above.
Living with the symptoms of AD/HD means falling off the horse again and again, and getting right back on if you're smart. I think AD/HD is best described as an "inconsistent performance disorder". Do all people experience this? Yes. Do all people experience this to the same degree that people diagnosed with AD/HD do? No. That's how we define AD/HD as a "difference", a "condition", or a "disorder".
My favorite quote of late is by John Wooden: "Do not let what you cannot do interfer with what you can do.".
I periodically read both pro- and anti-biopsychiatry books. The problem with the books that argue strongly against taking stimulant medication is that they fail to discuss or even acknowledge that there are many people who have improved their quality of life by privately taking stimulant medication over long periods of time. To date, I have not found a better treatment. I think it wrong to discourage people diagnosed with AD/HD from trying the short-acting stimulant medications. If the first stimulant doesn't work well, often the second or third stimulant tried will. It's then just a matter of adjusting the dosage.
If you choose, like I do, to read books with differing viewpoints, I encourage you to read at least one pro-biopsychiatry book. Daniel Amen's book, Healing ADD, provides a fascinating look into what Dr. Amen has learned from the 10,000+ SPECT brain scans of his patients. And it offers guidance on which medications and nutritional supplements to try first for each of the six sub-types of AD/HD that he describes in the book and treats in his medical practice.
For parents, I recommend any book by Mel Levine, M.D. I also recommend the parenting techniques described in Howard Glasser's book, Transforming the Difficult Child, The Nurtured Heart, eventhough it, sadly, like Degrandpre's book, is opposed to treatment with stimulant medication.
And for those adults who continue to struggle with symptoms that sometimes accompany the core symptoms of AD/HD, particularly anxiety and/or anger, many have benefitted from the cognitive-behavioral methods taught by Recovery, Inc. groups throughout the U.S. and elsewhere since the 1930's. Meetings are non-religious, weekly, and are supported by free-will offerings. The group uses the book, Mental Health Through Will Training by Abraham A. Low, M.D. It's very dated, but the principles are as true today as they were then. It's a classic work.
September 27, 2006 | |
This book has no scientific basis, and it is almst hypocritic!! 
This book is nostalgic and has no scientific basis on anything.
I do agree with the author in one point: Ritalin is given away without any battery of exams.
The author complains about the fact that society is too fast paced!
The book is highly based on the author's opinion. DO NOT PURCHASE IT if you are trying to find a real sociologial or scientifical explanation for this disorder!
April 25, 2006 | |
This book might change your life 
I cannot make a long story short - you need to read this book to understand why the medical community perpetuates the belief that there was such an entity like ADHD without providing convincing scientific evidence. It gave me great relief that I have not been the only one refusing to do what we have been trained to do in current in pediatric residency programs - to label children with non-favored behaviour as ill. The disorder is within our communities - unfortunately not only in the US - other societies are catching up. Fortunately, there is a new review of the (lacking) scientific evidence in the December 2005 issue of the Journal of Child Neurology, which will hopefully spurn a wider discussion. But beyond questioning the existence of ADHD, the book helped me to value the gift of time - and sharing it especially with children.
February 08, 2006 | |
If you have ADD, please read this book
If you have ADD, I strongly encourage you to read this book. Don't' just read this one, read as much as you can about ADD so you can make the best decision possible. As a man diagnosed with ADD, this has proven to be worth its weight in gold.
The books main premise is that ADD is not a true disorder, rather it stems from a culture that is plagued with the need for quickness. He makes a strong argument saying our culture produces the effects of ADD. He goes against what others in the ADD field claim. Other ADD pundits claim that people with ADD have brains that are not working correctly. Before Ritalin Nation, I read "ADD and Romance" which said ADD people must take medication. Completely opposite view points, but it is good to get both sides of an argument.
Since I have read Ritalin Nation I have not taken any medication. It has changed my views on the subject. What I find interesting, is when I asked my Doc. if there are any other solutions besides taking strong mind altering drugs, and she told me no. This is exactly the kind of the close mindedness Degrandpre speaks of.
January 25, 2006 | |
SIMILAR PRODUCTS |
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