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79th out of 137 books
—
502 voters
Here's to Not Catching Our Hair on Fire: An Absent-Minded Tale of Life with Giftedness and Attention Deficit - Oh Look! A Chicken!
by
Stacey Turis (Goodreads Author)
Did you know that if you forget to pay a speeding ticket you WILL get arrested—in front of your kids, the neighbors—the dog—and anyone else who happens to be there? True story. And the thing is, Stacey Turis has a million of them, and she imparts these and other nuggets of wisdom to offer others suffering from ADHD some hope in knowing that they are not alone.
A belly-laugh...more
A belly-laugh...more
Paperback, 230 pages
Published
January 11th 2011
by Bohemian Avenue Press
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Content warning: This book contains stories of child abuse.
Alternating between laugh-out-loud hilarity and tear-invoking "I can totally relate to that" moments, this is certainly not a boring book. The difference between being a total disaster and keeping some sanity seems to be having a good support system. Turis has this, especially in her husband, but also her parents (before their divorce, apparently).
"...when someone tells you that you can do anything (as my parents did), then you truly bel...more
Alternating between laugh-out-loud hilarity and tear-invoking "I can totally relate to that" moments, this is certainly not a boring book. The difference between being a total disaster and keeping some sanity seems to be having a good support system. Turis has this, especially in her husband, but also her parents (before their divorce, apparently).
"...when someone tells you that you can do anything (as my parents did), then you truly bel...more
Jul 29, 2012
Em
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone who has ADHD or cares about someone who has it.
This book had my attention as soon as I read the title - it's different, it's fun, it's honest and it's a fantastic read.
Never before have I read a book and felt like yelling out 'me too' on so many occasions! I laughed, I cried and I began to understand more about the ADHD brain. This is a fantastic story, super readable, super hard to put down. One of few books I've had to stay up into the wee small hours reading because I just *had* to finish it.
If you know someone with ADHD and want some in...more
Never before have I read a book and felt like yelling out 'me too' on so many occasions! I laughed, I cried and I began to understand more about the ADHD brain. This is a fantastic story, super readable, super hard to put down. One of few books I've had to stay up into the wee small hours reading because I just *had* to finish it.
If you know someone with ADHD and want some in...more
As an adult with ADHD, I loved reading this book! I could really relate to many of Stacey's experiences, such as switching jobs a lot, being forgetful, and having difficulty with subtle social skills like the expectation that when someone is crying you should hug them. (Spontaneously hugging someone who is neither a child or a pet goes against my nature, so it usually never occurs to me to try and comfort someone that way!)
People who DON'T have ADHD may sometimes be confused while reading this...more
People who DON'T have ADHD may sometimes be confused while reading this...more
From the title (I have caught my hair on fire! And I've been distracted by a chicken too!) I thought this would be a fun read.
It was not. I'm really not sure why I finished it. I would not spend that much time listening to a person in real life who could not go 6 sentences without a string of swear words. It's even less endearing in a book. Her stories of abuse, being drugged, drinking too much, flitting from job to job, and drug use were just not funny. Her life wasn't funny. Her book isn't fun...more
It was not. I'm really not sure why I finished it. I would not spend that much time listening to a person in real life who could not go 6 sentences without a string of swear words. It's even less endearing in a book. Her stories of abuse, being drugged, drinking too much, flitting from job to job, and drug use were just not funny. Her life wasn't funny. Her book isn't fun...more
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I wish I could rate this more highly. Certainly, it was a major feat to accomplish for the author, whose rough childhood, self-destructive impulses, and short attention span are hurdles enough to inspire my admiration. However, I found myself constantly wishing that she had turned her manuscript over to a decent copy editor before publication. Her brutal honesty and self deprecation charmed me, even as her crudeness and all-over-the-map lack of focus drove me away. I had a hard time finishing th...more
I really enjoyed this book. It was a freebie from Amazon Kindle so I figured I had nothing to lose by downloading it. I'm really glad I did. If you know anyone that suffers from ADD/ADHD this book will help you understand how their brain processes things. Her writing style is almost manic in its pace. Her thoughts are jumbled and tend to take off in different directions without warning (to you OR her). I found her memoir to be delightful! I think she is an extraordinarily brave person to have wr...more
May 21, 2012
Darlene
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Others with ADD/ADHD
Recommended to Darlene by:
Kindle freebie
I have to admit that I had no intention of reading this book and merely pick it up because it was free and I loved the title. I don't know about the H part but I have at least ADD and am super easily distracted. I can't even have ordinary conversation as the slightest thing will catch my eye and I will lose where I was or where the conversation was going. I heard someone call the distractions "shiny things" and had adopted that theme for my life. My husband understands and can go with the flow o...more
Stacey gives a rundown of her life through her ADHD colored glasses. How she struggled with her own limitations and gifts, but learned to work with them over the course of her life. This is a humorous account of her life as she sees it, and she laughs out loud a lot.
If you have ADHD or know someone with ADHD, you will appreciate this book - and possibly see a bit of that person in her story.
The book flows just like her brain - kind of jumping from one topic to the next. In the end, it all seems...more
If you have ADHD or know someone with ADHD, you will appreciate this book - and possibly see a bit of that person in her story.
The book flows just like her brain - kind of jumping from one topic to the next. In the end, it all seems...more
This book was a somewhat interesting read from a woman who has ADHD. My husband also has ADHD, and I found myself wanting him to read many of the parts. She mentions at one point that she had been "mis-diagnosed" with bipolar disorder at some point, and I can see how this could happen based on some of the things she shares in the book. As a mental health professional, I was interested in what led to the ADHD diagnosis instead, which she didn't get into. Darn.
The author herself admits that she cu...more
The author herself admits that she cu...more
Wish this was better written, but I laughed out loud at parts and I talked to at least two clients about this book, so it's worth the quick read. I loved the inside look into the life of a "functioning" ADHd-er....it annoyed me that she also insisted on "diagnosing" herself as "Gifted" as if that somehow qualified her to write this book, instead of just relying on her own crazy stories and unique sense of self. By the end, I began to wonder if her "diagnosis" of Gifted was just another way of sa...more
[NOTE: for the GoodReads 2013 Reading Challenge this book is considered to be the first book I read of 2013; however, I read all but the last 2-3 chapters and epilogue in 2012 and finished the book on New Year's Day 2013.]
I was made aware of this book by ADD Crusher on Facebook, which shared a link for a free Amazon Kindle download of it in mid- to late-2012. The price was right, and since I was in the midst of an effort to explore and come to grips with my own AD(H)D issues, I figured I'd read...more
I was made aware of this book by ADD Crusher on Facebook, which shared a link for a free Amazon Kindle download of it in mid- to late-2012. The price was right, and since I was in the midst of an effort to explore and come to grips with my own AD(H)D issues, I figured I'd read...more
1 like · like · see review
Having married into a family of ADHD sufferers, and the mother of two children with ADHD, I found this fascinating and informational. The author lets the rest of us in on her lifelong battle with ADHD and Giftedness. The realization of how the brains of people with this disorder function so differently from the accepted norm was a real eye-opener. As I read the book I kept catching myself nodding my head and saying "yes, yes, there they are".
I recommend this book to anyone who lives/loves/works...more
I recommend this book to anyone who lives/loves/works...more
At times we all may feel as if we have Attention Deficit Disorder. The author very honestly tells about her life being gifted and having ADD. It is at times hilariously funny yet terribly sad. I have focus issues possibly related to menopause...I get horribly frustrated when I can't remember what I was saying or where I was going or what I am doing in a certain room. Living with ADD would be like having a too much noise in your head.
I laughed at how jumbled the ideas and writing could be, since it matches how my own brain works. I got really turned off at the end, however, when the author started ranting against science and evidence-based medicine in favor of homeopathic "remedies," which I found to be a really bizarre tangent. I couldn't finish it after that point. I'd give it 2.5 stars if I could, instead of three.
My expectations for this book were too high. Though not poorly written, I had it in my head that it would read more like a Sloane Crosley novel. When it didn't, I got bored and couldn't bring myself to finish it. I might pick this up again in a few months, but for now this is going back on my (digital) book shelf.
Reading this book (what half I did read) was like having a conversation with someone who talks about people she thinks you know but you don't. I found her style of storytelling overwhelming and fast-paced. Not what I was looking for in a book.
I wanted to love this book, and for the first half, I did. It's funny and poignant. But somewhere around the midpoint, it becomes loopy, random and self-satisfying. Turis goes from a smart sympathetic and important heroine to a whiny absentee participant in her own life, constantly blaming her ADHD for all of life's problems. The first half is amazing, the second not so much.
Interesting, would recommend to others, especially those who are close with people who have ADD/ADHD. Beginning is sad, but it seems that Stacey is a strong person and keeps moving forward - which I think makes this book.
I am "finished," although I did not read the entire book. As an adult, I can deal with some off-color language, however, the story has to really enchant me to make it worth my while. This one was just not enchanting enough to put up with the repeated use of the "F" word. Sorry.
Jun 05, 2012
Jessi Bevan
added it
I could totally relate to everything she was talking about in the book. I really found it funny and yet honest. I got it as a kindle freebie (borrowed) and only wish I had bought it so I could let my mom borrow it!
Seriously funny & hit way close to home! Told my husband that if he read it, it would help him understand things about me. She articulates what happens to me better than I could myself.
Got about half-way through and just could not finish it. The introduction started out great but it turned out to be too much of a play-by-play memoir than essays or any sort of "lesson" on how to live with AD(H)D.
A fun, quick read.
Parts were disappointing, and I'm not sure why"Gifted" is included in the title. I don't think she touched on that much at all.
It was still a good read.
Parts were disappointing, and I'm not sure why"Gifted" is included in the title. I don't think she touched on that much at all.
It was still a good read.
Feb 25, 2012
Cathy B
added it
Good read. Informative and entertaining at the same time. Her stories were told very well and was able to see her AD(H)D her eyes. Funny lady.
Disappointing. Sounds like every misfortune in her life (and there've been many) is due to her "zany" mind. Lots of bad language.
Feb 27, 2012
Cathy
marked it as to-read
I should maybe read this book....I did read the summary on my Kindle and it sounds like she is talking about me.
Trigger warning on the first few chapters for descriptions of child abuse.
Borrowed it free for Kindle and just couldn't finish it. Got bored with the tone after awhile.
Borrowed it free for Kindle and just couldn't finish it. Got bored with the tone after awhile.
Awesome book that describes Adult ADHD in a fun and humorous way!
I enjoyed relating to so many stuff on this book and the last few lines were of great help, I only disliked how it got boring at times, but it was still fun though!
Cute and funny -- just not great!
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As an adult living with ADHD and Giftedness, Stacey's an expert on being weird. After thirty-five years of daily battle with her quirks, she finally decided it was time to hug it out and accept her differences for a more peaceful existence. Stacey has successfully learned to view the world of AD(H)D and Giftedness through her "special eyes" and maneuver through life accordingly. She no longer feel...more
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“Not that I'm bipolar, but that I'm two people, and not just two people, but two people at odds with each other. The mom and the kid, the homebody and the explorer, the strong and the weak, the logical and the emotional, the funny and the sad, the angry and the calm, the open and the closed, the loved and the hated, the hot and the cold, the alive and the dead, the beautiful and the ugly. It's exhausting. I. Am. Exhausting.”
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5 people liked it
“Just doing the audition was going to be an experience, and I am a true collector of life experiences. I live for life experiences. I put them in my pocket like shiny rocks, and take them out every now and then to appreciate and reflect on them. I once read an article that the Eastern Indian culture considers those with AD(H)D to be old, wise souls that are coming to the end of their reincarnations, so they must pack as many life experiences and lessons into their few remaining lifetimes as possible. Makes sense to me--that's why we always have so much shit going on!”
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3 people liked it
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