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The Disorganized Mind cover art

The Disorganized Mind

Written by: Nancy A. Ratey, John Ratey MD - foreword
Narrated by: Virginia Wolf
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Publisher's Summary

For the millions of adults diagnosed with ADHD, The Disorganized Mind will provide expert guidance on what they can do to make the most of their lives. The inattention, time mismanagement, procrastination, impulsivity, distractibility, and difficulty with transitions that often go hand-in-hand with ADHD can be overcome with the unique approach that Nancy Ratey brings to turning these behaviors around. The Disorganized Mind addresses the common issues confronted by the ADHD adult:

  • "Where did the time go?"
  • "I'll do it later, I always work better under pressure anyway."
  • "I'll just check my email one more time before the meeting...."
  • "I'll pay the bills tomorrow - that will give me time to find them."

Professional ADHD coach and expert Nancy Ratey helps listeners better understand why their ADHD is getting in their way and what they can do about it.

©2008 Nancy A. Ratey; foreword copyright 2008 by John J. Ratey, MD; afterword copyright 2008 by Sam Goldstein, PhD (P)2017 Tantor

What the critics say

"Ratey has produced a valuable resource for people addressing the daily challenges caused by the neurobiological condition of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder." ( Library Journal)

What listeners say about The Disorganized Mind

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This lady KNOWS what she is talking about

I loved this book. The advice is sound and useable. Very encouraging to find anywhere

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3 people found this helpful

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Eye opening

I did not know this book is about ADD. I picked up this book for help to "organise" my brain. What I've learned from this book explains why I do what I do and what I can do about it. I recommend it for someone like me who never researched ADHD. Very engaging to listen to.

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Hits home

Lots of really practical work arounds to try and a very realistic presentation of what it’s like to live with ADHD. If you’re on the fence as to whether you have it or tendencies it’s a good listen. I was surprised to find how much it has effected my life and that there are methods we can use to improve basic functioning.

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Fantastic!!

I have just recently been diagnosed with ADHD, and I will go through this book a few more times, because there is no way I caught everything (wandering brain 😂) but let me say, this has not only helped me learn more about my brain, but also helped me already see bad habits, and I’m learning to change them! I 100% recommend this book!!

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3 people found this helpful

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Highly recommend this for people with ADHD

I have been reading about ADHD for a couple of years now and because I struggled with so many things in my daily life and not having any support from my family or a specialist in this area close by, I needed to find ways how to deal with it myself. I wasn't able to have a full-time job or find the right medication or coach and was desperate for information and ways how to make my life better without getting crazy. I have heard the narrator Virginia Wolf before and she is a suitable voice for this topic. I have listened to John Ratey's audio book Driven to Distraction as well a few years ago but I felt that this book helped me more. Nancy gives so much information that I had to listen to it in parts. And you really have to listen to it more than once and if possible while doing nothing else, just to be truly focussed on the topic. I learned very much and many ways to handle certain daily things for work and relationships and I wished I had found this book 30 yrs ago when I was a young adult, it would have helped me a lot and have given me more confidence in life. If she was ever to write another book about this topic I would not hesitate to buy it again. She gave me the confidence that I lacked for over 40 years and I regret that so many family doctors wouldn't work a little harder for people living with this disorder that makes your life daily a nightmare. It sucks all life and energy out of you and I am confident that many others dealing with this rollercoaster life will be enjoying Nancy's tips to make your life going smoother, more organized, getting more accomplished and earn a little bit more respect from others. Thank you, for bringing this book out in Audio, it's especially appreciated by people with ADD! I could not remember the last time I finished reading a book until the end! She really understands how it feels and the effect of it mentally.

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17 people found this helpful

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Full of useful strategies

Nancy Ratey provides a framework of clear, pragmatic steps to develop personal agency and productivity for people who have ADHD. It's up to the reader to implement these strategies, but everything is broken down into clear, accessible parts, and each component is useful on it own. I recommend keeping a notebook, and pausing to do the written exercises as they are described. Completing the little bits of "homework" in the early chapters is enjoyable, and ensures that you get maximum benefit from the rest of the book. I'm so glad I read this!

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Lengthy “Intro”

About an hour and a half of the book is about the background of the author and how good ADHD coaching is. As someone with ADHD you’d think the author would know an ADHD person would just want to get on with the how. Maybe this is easier to skip/breeze through when reading a physical book but it’s a miracle I got through the first part and kept listening.

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8 people found this helpful

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Good tips, not for everyone though

This was an enjoyable listen and there are great tips for coaching yourself. There are great suggestions and workthroughs for finding where you struggle and suggested exercises for finding out the best way to personally manage.

The biggest flaw is the assumption that everyone listening to this will have the foundational executive functioning skills that are required for self-coaching. So, in that regard, this is not for every ADHD person.

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is this a cover letter?

After 3 chapters, there are very few actual tips or tricks on ADHD and paragraph after paragraph about the author's professional resumé and accolades. I could not role my eyes further into my head hearing yet again the phrase "this will change your life"

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8 people found this helpful

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Hard Pass

Saturated with personal stories and personal reflections.

I skipped chapter after chapter looking for strategies for how to cope with my ADHD ..but this book is just a memoir..it should have a different title.

Very misleading.

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