ADD Genetics, Neurology and the Brain

Diamond's persepective on human history contradicts most percieved wisdom, he explains that Western society developed due to chance rather than some speical attributes. Differences in geography and wildlife meant that humans in some areas developed agriculture and domesticated animals, and also suffered from and developed immunity to diseases. Settled, rather than nomadic, peoples used natural resources to create superior weapons to became imperialists.

I find denial does not come easily to me and this is has not always made things been easy for me. Denial helps people avoid personal pain in many ways. I see my inability to "do denial" as a feature of my ADHD and have always been aware of how denial has resulted in a long history of suffering and damage to millions of people and to our World. Denial is a normal "executive function" that looks more like a disorder to my ADD mind. In his book Cohen asks: why, in this world of increased information and knowledge about suffering, do we continue to accept, deny and ignore it?

Cornelia Fine combines cognitive science and behaviour studies to present fascinating insights on how the mind works, in a very readable style. Ideas and patterns reside in the mind to be drawn upon when required, they lie hidden, emerging sometimes when prompted by events, or remain obscure yet drive our behaviour. Fine defines the patterns as "Vain Brain", "Deluded Brain", "Immoral Brain", "Bigoted Brain"and describes how the brain manifests these conditions and where the trait originated.

Ratey's book is a little technical but is a great background on the brain's physiology, the majority of brain function and the pathologyand problems that may occur to brain regions. Ratey explains that the brain plays the key role in many disorders previously considered psychological in origin but also explains how drugs are not the only way to cure disorders of the brain. The book is concise and well structured.