The Edison Gene: ADHD and the Gift of the Hunter Child

by Thom Hartmann, Lucy Jo Palladino

Thomas Edison was expelled from school for behavior that today would label him as having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), but his mother understood how to salvage his self-esteem and prepare him for a lifetime of success. In The Edison Gene Thom Hartmann shows that the creativity, impulsiveness, and distractibility that are characteristic of ADHD are not signs of a disorder at all, but instead are components of a highly adaptive skill set utilized by our hunting and gathering ancestors. These characteristics have been critical to the survival and development of our modern civilization and will be vital as humanity faces new challenges in the future.

Hartmann, creator of the “hunter versus farmer” theory of ADHD, examines the latest discoveries confirming the existence of an ADHD gene and the global catastrophe 40,000 years ago that triggered its development. Citing examples of significant innovators in our modern era, he argues that the children who possess the “Edison gene” have neurology that is wired to give them brilliant success as innovators, inventors, explorers, and entrepreneurs. He offers concrete strategies for helping Edison-gene children reach their full potential and shows that rather than being “problems,” such children are a vital gift to our society and the world.

Genres: Psychology, Adhd, Nonfiction, Self Help, Science, Parenting, Mental Health

280 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Thomas Carl Hartmann is an American radio personality, author, businessman, and progressive political commentator. Hartmann has been hosting a nationally syndicated radio show, The Thom Hartmann Program, since 2003 and hosted a nightly television show, The Big Picture, between 2010 and 2017.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Changing my perspective on people with ADHD. Perhaps we have it all wrong. This was a complete paradigm shift for me and will forever change the way I view ADHD students in my classroom. I love the perspective "it's not that they aren't paying attention to you, it's just that they're paying attention to everything else as well." Great book for teachers and anyone with a family member diagnosed with ADHD.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably the best book I've read on ADHD yet! This book had chapters of fascinating stories about the difference between "Hunter" people and "farming" people. It's a trip back in time by tens of thousands of years. He spent a lot of time explaining the weather patterns on the earth as well, in that they are sudden changes of 3-12 yrs lasting for the next 750-1500 yrs, not long gradual cycles. (He is predicting a new ice age as a result of global warming)

Its premise is that the gene that allowed for thousands of years of great hunters and explorers is once again cropping up more abundantly in our society. (Not by accident, but by positive selection...see Darwin) 50% of ADHD is gene-related, and 50% of it is environment-related. (food, toxins, stress, etc.) But this is not a BAD thing. The author points out that these people are the innovators, creators, scientists, and thinkers of our human history. These unusual people who act and think out of the box are the ones who could potentially save the world. And our world needs saving!

The book ends with comparing the life/childhood of Thomas Edison to the typical child of today and pointing out that if all children with ADHD had the support/love/understanding of parents and educators instead of condemnation and mind-numbing drugs, they could become the NEXT Thomas Edison, instead of depressed kids who hate learning.

My favorite part of the book was being reminded of what I had previously learned from "Smart Moves" by Carla Hannaford. Stress and negative emotions/experiences literally causes BRAIN DAMAGE in our children. Their brains are continually reacting to their environment. Kids go through period of a great CULLING when neural connections of the brain not needed are wiped out. Which PART of the brain gets wiped clean depends on the environment the child lives in. When exposed to large amounts of Cortisol,(created from stress) children tend to be more reptilian-brained. (instinct: fight or flight: continually moving AWAY from pain) Whereas when children live life with positive support and experiences, when they feel completely safe and secure, they are able to develop their neocortex and fully develop their prefrontal lobes which allows them to become deep thinkers and more fully use their god-given gifts and talents.(Instead of moving away from pain, their core motivation will moving towards pleasure =love of life & Learning). This is one of the reasons that I do home education. I do not believe the stress-induced environments of public school are healthy for young children.

It is always so neat to find evidences for what I believe to be scientifically proven in various books that I come across. This book accurately delineated the brain development espoused by "A Thomas Jefferson Education" in the different phases of learning that children progress through.

Exciting, helpful, entertaining, and enlightening read!!!

[Pam · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thom Hartmann’s basic premise in this book is that Thomas Edison and others with ADHD have unique characteristics that provide many advantages to our society. While I agree with his premise, in this book Hartmann appears to have used reverse scientific methods by first choosing the premise and then looking for any information that might support his claim. What results is a chaotic book with no apparent organization that bounces between theories of human development, evolution, weather, climate change, genetics, brain development, etc. In case the wide variety of data fails to convince the reader, he then has added several doses of conspiracy theories to scare them into believing. It is a shame that Hartmann has chosen to profit from the natural frustration many parents and teachers face trying to raise and educate children with ADHD in this educational climate of one style fits all. There is good information in this book but unfortunately it is difficult to figure out what is science and what is wishful thinking on Hartmann’s part.

[Dina Benedetto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where do I start? This book should be required reading by all college students going into the teaching profession.

[Kari · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm only 50 pages in (started yesterday) but am already amazed by this book. It gives refreshing perspective on ADHD, not as a disorder or disability but as an incredible gift, one that is very misunderstood. On a personal level, I've always considered my child's ADHD as an amazing gift. In this book, he compares the functioning of a brain with adhd to that of the hunter, always scanning his environment, active in thought. I wish I had a "hunter" brain. Alas, I am a "farmer" through and through.

This is my first book by Thom Hartman, sure not to be my last.

[Ezra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading the DSM-IV about ADHD sounded to me more like the behavior over a typical boy than a mental illness. Thom theorizes a gene came about which allowed our ancestors to survive an intense period of ice ages. This gene, when triggered, exhibits behaviors teachers find abhorrent in the Prussian style education system of the Unites States better geared to producing soldiers and factory workers than scientists and creators.

[Peyton Stafford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insightful, historically-based view of the advantages of having a mind that won't stay still but rather moves rapidly, and powerfully, from task to task. I love the way Thom Hartmann can see the positive side, the opportunity, hidden in a way of being that is anathema to educators.

[Desirée · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of this book is that people who are diagnosed today with ADHD probably have a similar genetic expression to hunters from back in the day. I like the hypothesis, and I think it's well explained. I also enjoyed the parts of the book that discussed practical parenting, schooling, and relating to people with more stimulation-needy minds, as well as modern accouterments that exacerbate the problem. I didn't like that the book seemed to jump from hypothesis, to modern-day practical, to climatology, to evolution, and back and forth, etc. I got where the author was going, but I think a larger, more research-heavy book would've done the subject justice; this was just a little pathos heavy for my taste. I especially didn't like that the author kept referring to the hindbrain as the "reptilian brain." I thought it was 1. a little silly, 2. took away from the academic potential of the book, 3. made things more confusing for someone who already knows the proper names for regions of the brain, and 4. was more than a little dehumanizing. There were also several typos in the book. Overall, though, I thought it was an excellent book for understanding and appreciating individual differences, preferences, and needs. It's also a great read for parents and teachers all around, because it addresses universal principles instead of specific disciplinary tactics.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book for my medical library at the request of one of our psychologists, and had absolutely no intention of reading it myself. But the blurb on the back was so intriguing, I couldn't help cracking the book open, and I found it truly fascinating. The author argues that ADHD children have a gene that was adaptive for the hunter-gatherer tribes of the past who had to constantly scan the environment for risks and change direction at a moment's notice. He believes that this gene can still be adaptive in our society -- in fact, is often associated with high creativity, achievement and innovation -- when parents and schools are flexible enought to allow these children to reach their full potential. He uses Thomas Edison's life story as an example. I found the writing very accessible, and I learned a lot of genetics and evolution in a pretty darn painless fashion.

[Abi Collins · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was expecting more out of this book. I appreciate the positive view the author takes of kids with ADHD, however, I could have done with less of the political conspiracy theory type feel. Also, there was a lot less information about dealing with ADHD and much more information of the author just trying to back up his "theory". Don't buy it. Get it at the library, and SKIM it.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the most amasing book that I have ever read! I actually read it in three days cause I couldn't put it down!

[Sally Kilpatrick]

I have a lot of thoughts and feels about this book.

On the one hand, a lot of what Hartmann has to say about kids with ADHD is true. If we could look at smaller classroom size, for example, that would help A LOT. Y'all don't even know the difference between teaching a class of 30 and a class of 20. Worlds of difference.

On the other hand, labeling people as hunters or farmers strikes me as entirely too simplistic. I'll go for the fact that the "hunters" (folks with the ADHD gene) have valuable contributions to make to society. On the other hand the "Yesterday's Child" thing about Edison? Sappy, manipulative, and, in some ways, dangerous.

Oh, and this book is ALL OVER THE PLACE. Sometimes you get something really fascinating like the tales of the Sng'oi and the possibility that those with the hunter gene have a special connection to nature and the subconscious. Sometimes you get a whole history of the world.

As a former teacher, I object to the characterization of public schools even as I know a lot of what Hartmann is saying is true. I have no don't that No Child Left Behind was a creative way for testing businesses to make lots of money. That said, the characterization leaves out all of the good teachers out there, all of the ones who are trying their best to move kids around and appeal to different learning styles.

Then, at the end, you get the whole "we're all going to die" section on climate change. I'm supposing this has to do with how, earlier in the book, Hartmann argued that hunters were better suited to the Ice Age and farmers to our current clime. We're all going to hell in a hand basket so we need am Edison child to fix things. It ain't that simple. I don't think all farmers are stupid. Heck, I don't even believe in a farmer/hunter dichotomy.

I was hoping to gain greater insight on what the thought processes of a child with ADHD are--and I got some of that--but a lot of this did not pertain. Oh, and my favorite person in the book is Hartmann's wife, Louise, who should really write a parenting book for the rest of us. She's boss.

[Alice · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting book. I'm not sure there's much "hard" psychology in it, but it's an interesting theory.

Basically, it suggests that some children are better suited for being farmers, while other children are better suited to be hunters. Until fairly recently, this was not the problem that it is now. One supposes that what a person could take from this is idea that young people who have "ADD" should be steered towards jobs where they will be on the move, and not behind a desk all day.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hartmann details some very interesting theories about human evolution.

At times, I thought Hartmann's glorification of ADD was a little excessive, but given that most other books look down on ADD as a disorder, the praise is welcomed.

[Kyle Wild · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of utmost importance.

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really interesting book. It explores so much more than just ADHD.

[Scott Just · Rating 5 out of 5]

AWESOME!
Genetic adaption not an anomaly, finally someone puts the "story" in its proper perspective.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

more fire for my activism... and, another explanation for my personality

[Keli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the positive attitude the author has about ADD.

[Sema Dural · Rating 4 out of 5]

“İnsanlar, ya avcı ya çiftçi genine sahip olarak dünyaya gelirler. Ancak okullar çiftçi genine sahip çocuklar için düzenlenmiştir. Dikkat Eksikliği ve Hiperaktivite Bozukluğu ile yaftalanan çocuklar, aslında avcı genine sahip olanlar. Bu çocukların beyinleri sınıfta oturup bir saat boyunca ders dinleyebilecek şekilde çalışmıyor. Derste otururken pencereden bahçede yaprakları süpürdüğünü gördükleri adamı izlemeleri, dersi dinleyememelerinden değil, bir adamın bahçede yaprakları süpürmesinin içeride anlatılan dersten daha ilginç olmasından geliyor. Sanıldığı gibi dikkat eksikliği olmayan, dikkatleri sadece, çiftçi genine sahip çocuklardan daha farklı işleyen, kısa dikkatleri bir tarayıcı kadar hızlı ve başarılı çalışan, yeteneklerine uygun yaklaşıldığı takdirde son derece yaratıcı işler ortaya koyan çocuklar avcılar.

Avcı genine sahip Thomas Edison, 1855’te ilkokula başladıktan sadece üç ay sonra, sorularından ve dersi bölmesinden bunalan öğretmeni tarafından beyni bozulmuş olarak yaftalanıyor.

İyi eğitimli ve zeki bir kadın olan annesi Nancy Edison, oğlunu evde kendisi eğitiyor. “

[Sarai Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

My middle son struggles every day with emotions and actions that he can't control. Most people call him a wild child or a bad kid. We call him son. People have a certain perception when it comes to my son. They look at me like I'm a bad mother and that my son is going to grow up to be the scum of the earth. This is far from the truth.

I have read many books about ADHD and how to deal with it. They all say the same thing, there is nothing we can do and we have to learn to deal with it. This book gives me hope. This book tells me that there is more beyond ADHD and that my son could have the Edison gene.

After reading this book, my family changed the way we dealt with my son's out bursts. Its only been a few days, but we have had the most peaceful days we've ever had.

Even if you don't think your child has the Edison gene, not all kids with ADHD do, this book still has a lot of insight into the origins of ADHD and how to deal with situations that arise from it. Read it, love it, do it. Its that simple.

[Melissa Kapow · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn’t a “this is what you should do if you think you have ADHD book,” it’s a theoretical exploration of potential causes for ADHD in the modern world and historically. The overlying belief is ADHD is just having a hunter brain vs a neurotypical farmer brain and that the modern world is designed to create good little farmers and punish ADHD hunters. It bounces around a lot, which is kind of nice if you have ADHD because you won’t be bored! I worry that many the books he’s referencing are outdated, pseudoscience, or outright claptrap (I was researching a lot of them on GR and realizing they were dead ends) but there are some great things to ponder in this book.

I especially enjoyed the chapter on spirituality and the idea that perhaps ADHD people have a more intense mystical and personal experience of God, which is relatable to me but I had never thought to make this connection!

[Tonya Lippert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting. I'm more of a show-me-the-science person.

[Misty Madonna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic read, especially if you’re interested in genetics and evolution in relation to ADD.

[Emel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helpful and enlightening - felt quite out of date at times but it was certainly thought provoking.

[Lisadunbar22 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Outdated

[Chanda Norman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mostly a history lesson on ADHD and how it effected evolution.

[Gerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book for any parent... interesting topic of human nature and how it has changed.

Oh yeah, some insight into ADHD too.

[Fenix Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book. A great view on ADHD that makes you wonder what other brain configurations and skill sets that are deemed abnormal and disordered and approached with drugs and coercion to conform are really adaptations with genetic and environmental components that intertwine.
This book is filled with so much but in an easy to read style that flows and captivates.
There is a great section on brain development and how environment influences it as well as stress and trauma.
Another section gives ideas on how to better approach Edison-gene children to enable them to benefit from their skill set and how well they can do when approached from the idea that they are not abnormal but normal kids who just have a different way their brain functions. I think that is important for all children, to allow for diversity in teaching and learning styles, and that education should not be about tests but discovery and the building of basic skills. Memorizing for a test isnt learning.
In our society it is too easy to paste on labels and then only see the labels and not the person, to view only teh difficulties and not the assets, or that many of the difficulties are from society itself. To easy to follow pharma and their view that drugs will fix everything and make everyone the same. Yet to do so harms not just individuals but society as a whole.
We need a diversity of people with a diversity of skill sets and ways of seeing and approaching the world, especially with humanity at a crossroads or precipice or perhaps both.

[Summer B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciated the concept of this book, giving a very positive theory to explain ADHD. As anyone with ADHD or a child with ADHD knows, we are not always the most appreciated part of society. So it's nice to have an alternate theory to explain how fabulous our racing minds, extra energy, and risk-taking impulsivity is.

However, I found that a lot of it is just theory, and then the author continues on as if he's convinced us of his theory just because it might be true. Sure, it's possible that there is a high prevalence of ADHD in America and Australia because a person with ADHD (risk taker) would be more likely to make that journey. But it's not a given. I also felt like he was very down on the idea of medication, which is discouraging to anyone who has decided after careful thought and consideration to take medication for ADHD.

It's an interesting enough read, but only because I like theoretical thinking. If you prefer facts and stats, I'd advise taking it as it is, an interesting proposal to think about, but by no means a factual representation of what ADHD is, or where it came from.