Rating: 
Summary: Taking Charge of Adhd: The Complete, Authoritative Guide for
Review: This book was recommended from our team of doctors at Children's Hospital in Philadelphia. It has been the best step in educating ourselves as we approach meetings with educators and specialists at the school. Although our child was diagnosed with BORDERLINE ADHD of the inattentive type - with mild severity...this book has helped us to identify and begin to rectify some of the issues we have been having. It is easy to read, and understand. I highly recommend it for anyone who is in the beginning stages of diagnosis and treatment.
Rating: 
Summary: Very thorough, but leans on the pathological.
Review: This is an incredibly thorough and educational book. Barkeley is a pioneer in research on ADHD and a genuine authority. But he leans too much on the pathological/medical view of ADHD, and by the end of the book, I was exhausted just thinking about the road ahead of me in raising two boys with ADHD. Fortunately, I read the review here suggesting other books (like Driven to Distraction and the Thom Hartman books), and I expanded my reading education about ADHD considerably by reading those books, too. However, I do recommend starting with Barkeley - to get facts and ideas about management of ADHD, especially if you have young children. But take his suggestions with a grain of salt, too - my gut tells me that asking my child's teacher to implement an elaborate "chips and points" type program at school is not really the way I want to go. Also, Barkeley is a little dry and if you are an adult with ADD, you might put this one down before you finish. Nonetheless, it is a well researched and thoughtfully presented book, and I recommend it highly, so long as you read other books about ADHD/ADD, too.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent discussion of ADHD as behavior inhibition
Review: This is the best discussion of ADHD as a medical disorder that I have read. Dr. Barkley explains ADHD as a problem with behavior inhibition where the distractability, inpulsivity and hyperactivity are the results of the underlying problem. He then gives a thorough discussion of how parents can help themselves and their children with behavior modification techniques. He also discusses various medications that are used to treat ADHD.The reason that I do not give this book 5 stars is that it is not a complete picture of ADHD. The medical disorder model is not the only way, and not neccesarily the best way to view this condition. I can only think of one paragraph in the whole book that mentions positive traits which are associated with ADHD. You really need to read a wider range of books to get a more complete picture. Hallowell and Ratey's "Driven to Distraction" gives a wonderful look at the many different ways that ADD can affect people and some idea of what it feels like from the inside. Thom Hartmann's "Attention Deficit Disorder: A Different Perspective" views ADHD as a personality trait with distinct advantages under the right circumstances rather than a disorder. These books will help expand Dr Barkley's important viewpoint.
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