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HERE'S TO NOT CATCHING OUR HAIR ON FIRE by Stacey Turis

HERE'S TO NOT CATCHING OUR HAIR ON FIRE

by Stacey Turis

Pub Date: Jan. 11th, 2012
ISBN: 978-0983827504
Publisher: Bohemian Avenue

Turis’ memoir is a bright-side report from the dark side of attention deficit (hyperactivity) disorder—also known as AD(H)D.

Although none of us really knows what “normal” is, we can usually spot “different” a mile away. Folks with AD(H)D are definitely different, with brains and bodies that operate according to their own rules. But what is AD(H)D, and why does it matter? Turis answers these questions frankly in this insightful, amusing glimpse into atypical intelligence. The work starts by presenting the harsh bottom line: “Families, marriages, jobs, relationships…they all display the scars from the battle that is AD(H)D. Nothing comes out unscathed—absolutely nothing.” Turis’ examples of this are so honest that the book is sometimes painful to read, but that serves its purpose. Folks afflicted with the syndrome will recognize themselves in Turis’ story and find comfort in her upbeat attitude, while “normal” people will gain knowledge toward understanding and accepting the “billion gifts and…gazillion heartaches” that go with AD(H)D. Readers unfamiliar with the condition will learn what all those letters mean. The title captures their essence, and from both title and subject one might expect the narrative to be jumpy. But, in fact, it flows smoothly through Turis’ ups and downs, with lucid descriptions of psychic states that most anyone can to relate to. At times the tone gets puerile, with an overabundance of references to body noises and excreta, salted with profanity. That aside, Turis’ voice is vivid and engaging and her content informative. The book contains fewer typos than average for self-published works, but the consistent misuse of “that” for “who,” for example, will annoy grammarians. They are not the intended audience, however. Turis speaks to anyone associated with AD(H)D and offers her life as illustration of how to succeed despite its burden. For Turis and her fellow sufferers, getting through daily rituals and social or career obligations is like climbing Mt. Everest during a tornado. She offers a model for how it can be done, loaded with laughter and sobered by tears. A forthright, energetic memoir about AD(H)D.