Book Review: “How to ADHD: An Insider’s Guide to Working with Your Brain (Not Against It)” by Jessica McCabe

Sep 2

Håfa adai! Welcome to my review of How to ADHD: An Insider’s Guide to Working with Your Brain (Not Against It), by Jessica McCabe.

This book review consists of two parts: a brief summary of content followed by my personal takeaways. I may go into detail about some parts of the book, but I will leave out the greater nuance. I want to share my opinions of the book and encourage you to purchase a copy of your own.

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Summary of How to ADHD

The world we live in is not designed for the neurodivergent. For those with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), a neurodevelopmental disorder where attention management and regulation is disrupted to the point of impairing daily function, “working smarter” in a neurotypical world is often akin to working against our own brains. Instead, we must learn to work with our brains.

Jessica McCabe’s How to ADHD consolidates nearly a decade of content from her award-winning YouTube channel to share incredible insights and strategies she has learned to let her work with her ADHD brain instead of against it. She presents a genuinely warm and non-judgmental discussion about the many struggles people with ADHD tend to share, such as losing and forgetting things, sleep disorders, difficulty with self image and interpersonal relationships, and more. Jessica McCabe invites individuals with ADHD (who she refers to as “Brains”) as well as those who care about someone with ADHD (or “Hearts”) to learn more about living with or alongside this very common disorder.

My Thoughts on How to ADHD: 5 stars!

I was introduced to Jessica McCabe’s work through her YouTube channel, How to ADHD, shortly after I was first diagnosed with ADHD in 2023. I vividly remember rushing to my computer to learn everything I could about the disorder, reading many peer-reviewed journal articles, and watching dozens of YouTube videos. Learning about ADHD from clinically-trained professionals was incredibly enlightening in regards to understanding the current research on the disorder. But the material that stood out the most to me was from independent content creators with ADHD sharing what it was like to have and live with ADHD.

Jessica McCabe’s YouTube channel (along with several others) has been integral to my understanding of what it means to have ADHD. In that first week after receiving my diagnosis, I learned quickly that I bought into many misconceptions about how ADHD effects a person’s focus and attention, how ADHD shapes personality and sense of self, and how ADHD presents in boys and girls. I also learned that I was not alone in how exhausted I felt every day since childhood just trying to fit in. In her TEDx Talk, Jessica McCabe poignantly describes the experience of living with ADHD as putting “more effort into life than everyone else and falling farther and farther behind.” The content created by Jessica McCabe and others helped me feel seen. When she announced in one of her videos that she would be pouring what she learned after years of YouTube into a published book, I was ecstatic.

I pre-ordered my hardcover copy of How to ADHD—I later purchased the audiobook because I kept forgetting to make time to read the hardcover—and I was not disappointed. Jessica McCabe’s prose is welcoming and her formatting is incredibly accessible. The 13 chapters of How to ADHD are designed to function independently of each other. Meaning that you do not have to read the chapters in chronological order to benefit from their content.

I give How to ADHD 5 out of 5 stars! How to ADHD is wonderfully written by someone with ADHD for those with ADHD (Brains) and for those who care about someone with ADHD (Hearts). Jessica McCabe puts incredible thought, care, and respect into weaving together current research and lived experiences. The insights, strategies, empathy, and validation offered throughout this book can be incredibly useful to Brains and Hearts. I recommend How to ADHD to anyone and everyone who wants to have a better understanding of ADHD.

Dångkulo' na' saina ma'åse'! Thank you so much for reading my review of How to ADHD: An Insider’s Guide to Working with Your Brain (Not Against It) by Jessica McCabe.

Rating Cheat Sheet

4.75 - 5.00 stars: Everyone should read this book! (If you’re into that sort of thing.)
4.00 - 4.50 stars: I appreciated many aspects of this book. I recommend it!
3.00 - 3.75 stars: I liked some aspects of this book. I won’t revisit it, but someone else might really like it.
2.00 - 2.75 stars: There were some things I appreciated about this book, but I do not recommend it.
0.25 - 1.75 stars: I do not recommend this book. I did not enjoy or appreciate the experience of it.

Post Date: 2 September 2024