BOOK REVIEWS

A Mind of its Own – Cordelia Fine

Book review

Cornelia Fine combines cognitive science and behaviour studies to present fascinating insights on how the mind works and how it fools itself. It a very easy read on a complex subject and though not about ADHD gives some great fuel for thought into our different neurology. 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. Many of these conditions are formed in childhood then remain fixed even when given compelling evidence to the contrary.  Though the human species evolved to live in groups, our brains are primarily concerned ego-centrically with ourselves. When we succeed “we deserve to”, but when we fail, we rationalise the defeat in many ways. The “Weak-willed Brain” makes any excuse for failing to carry out intentions, we give up easily as goal-seeking makes too heavy demands on already over-taxed mental resources.

I have always maintained that people with ADHD are more honest with themselves and struggle(?) more with denial, so found some differences in my own experience. But in her conclusion I could not agree more – that we should not trust or assume we have control of our “unscrupulous” and “unreliable” minds.

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ADHD Coach, Andrew Lewis

Andrew Lewis

Andrew Lewis is an ADHD Coach, writer and founder of SimplyWellbeing. He has over ten thousand hours and fifteen years of experience in coaching ADHD executives, business professionals and creatives. His expertise with ADHD is personal, with decades of his own experience, bringing up an ADHD child, running a large support group and in coaching clients often for years He has published his writing via this website and has ADHD online courses in development. His business expertise comes from a twenty years career in software, from programming, through marketing, sales and running a few start-ups.

Further reading

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Hallowell's (author of Driven to Distraction) very effective and warm guide to parenting ADHD
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A guide to overcoming procrastination from a screen writer's personal experience
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Sympathetic and helpful advice for adults with ADHD, from manager of ADHD clinic, with ADHD himself
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A helpful guide for couples where one partner is ADHD
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Aimed at college, university students and those helping them through higher ed
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Some very ADHD-like advice in this awesome short book Mark Forster offers advice on time management that is amazingly tuned to the traits of ADHD. It seems that Forster does not realise that many of the people with the disorganised issues he mentions are most likely ADHD – struggling with weak executive functions of poor motivation, […]
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