Fast Minds

How to Thrive If You Have ADHD (or Think You Might)

By: Craig Surman, Tim Bilkey, Karen Weintraub

Narrated by: John Pirhalla

Fast Minds is an acronym for common symptoms that are often seen in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Millions of adults have ADHD or some of its traits, but they are under-recognized, under-treated, and often under-supported.

This book empowers people with ADHD, or some of its characteristics, to adapt and thrive. By working through the program in this book, you will develop personalized strategies to take control of your life.

Forgetful. Achieving below potential. Stuck in a rut. Time challenged.

Motivationally challenged. Impulsive. Novelty seeking. Distractible. Scattered.

If any or all of these symptoms are making it difficult for you - or someone you know - to live life to the fullest, then the clinically proven, cutting-edge program in this book will help you understand your struggles and challenges. Whether you have been diagnosed with ADHD, think you may have it, or just exhibit many of these traits, Fast Minds will help you:

• Figure out what isn’t working in your life, and the keys to fixing it.
• Build personalized strategies for managing your time, tasks, and relationships.
• Learn organizational habits that work for you.
• Stop communicating poorly, making impulsive choices, and taking pointless risks.
• Eliminate negative thinking patterns that waste your mental energy.
• Create environments that support your challenges.
• Make the most of both medical and nonmedical resources (medication, coaching, cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, support groups, lifestyle change).

With inspiring stories of real people who have adapted and thrived using the methods in this book, Fast Minds will help you create the kind of life you want to live.

This audiobook includes a downloadable PDF that contains the illustrations, appendices, workbook, and endnotes from the book.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2021 Craig Surman, Tim Bilkey, Karen Weintraub (P)2021 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Finally, somebody gets ADHD!” (Patricia Quinn, MD, director, Center for Girls and Women with ADHD)

“[An] easy-to-read yet sophisticated guide to what will help you most if you have ADHD.... A superb book.” (Edward Hallowell, coauthor of Driven to Distraction)

“A great resource for adults with ADHD and their loved ones. This book offers clear, effective, solution-focused strategies for dealing with the challenges of ADHD.” (Kathleen Nadeau, PhD, coauthor of ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life)

Great Advice & Examples

This book allows us with Fast Thinkers to see themselves in other people’s experience. It breaks it down on how the traits manifest in everyday life, how real people have responded, the impact and deflation one feels, the insight one realizes when they know how to use their Fast Mind gifts for their good and how they can advocate for themselves and others who have ADHD or traits.

A book for those who are early in their discovery

This is a good book for those who are just learning about adult ADHD or early in their own diagnosis. I think it also could be good for those who know someone with ADHD to help understand the other's uniqueness. I felt, as someone who has been diagnosed and dealing with this for 10+ years, it was not a great resource as it seems like it was for more recent diagnosis or those exploring the condition. I have used or have heard of most of these things for years. But that's OK, not a knock on the book, just trying to explain who I think would benefit the most. I do think it would be a good book for those at that early point. Some points were highly repetitive but the work sheets were helpful. I dont necessarily think repetition is a bad thing, just be aware of that. My biggest beef was the reader. His put on voice when he read a woman was horrible. Just read the quote. Please get a new reader, someone who doesn't try to "sound like a woman" when he is reading. Not every woman just has a high pitched voice.

The mansplaining is just too much

I couldn't finish this. there were some good tips, but any time the voice actor got to a bit explaining ADHD in women, the tone was super condescending.