ADHD IS AWESOME
- Anish Khare
- May 15
- 5 min read
By Penn & Kim Holderness
Book Review of "ADHD is Awesome: A Guide to (Mostly) Thriving with ADHD"
As an ADHDer, have you ever wondered why you failed to finish a book you started six months ago, despite craving information and having an extremely curious nature? You love buying a book because it releases dopamine when you add it to your bookshelf, but then you soon go on a guilt trip when you find other books you purchased earlier covered in dust, screaming for your attention. No matter how hard you try, you have barely moved through a few pages, even though you genuinely have the intent to read it. Do not worry; this is a classic ADHD trait which I learned about while reading this book—ADHD is Awesome by Penn and Kim Holderness.
Isn’t it fascinating that an ADHDer’s brain is generally hungry for knowledge and being hooked on its passions, in fact, going toward borderline obsessions, but failing miserably in executing a task toward it? Penn Holderness, the author of this book, who is an ADHDer himself (and see, he still managed to write this amazing 292-page thick book beautifully), talks about his own traits which I could strongly relate to, and which I am quoting below:
“I love books. Books are one-pound miracles that transmit information from one brain to another without any surgery or wires…. However, my nightmare is being confronted with long passages of dense text.”
He later goes on to give a solution to minimizing your distraction and boredom factors while reading heavy books in an effective way, for which you must read this book. The Holderness Family is currently a social media brand managed by this successful, lovely couple- Penn and Kim. Penn is popular for composing music and songs and for his creative edge in humorous lyrics. Kim, who manages the niche activities behind running a house and the business, is the co-author of this book and often provides her insights regarding her life with an ADHDer spouse. She remains honest about her challenges and gives a second-person view of how it feels to deal with a member of the family who has ADHD.
While Penn, who has ADHD himself, provides the perspective of living inside a body with this condition, it is what makes this book special. There are various books published by psychologists defining ADHD in medical terms and giving technical characteristics of a neurodivergent brain, which is all way too boring and in fact sad, too—for us to read. It can be quite depressing to learn that you have been diagnosed with a so-called “disorder,” and quite uncool! Penn adds color to this gloomy portrayal and depiction of ADHD, which is often made to sound very negative. As the title of the book suggests, ADHD is indeed awesome if you learn to harness the potential superpowers.
In a society like India, talking to family members about mental health can be far more difficult than discussing physical health. That is why a book like this helps: instead of presenting ADHD as a purely theoretical subject, it explores the life of a successful and creative music artist, making it a more accessible entry point into understanding the neurodivergent brain.
Penn’s chit-chat and intrusive thoughts in the book are fun to read, along with his humorous style of recalling shameful events from his past. This is the first step toward acknowledgment and embracing flaws, rather than regretting mistakes or blunders, which can further shatter self-esteem. Penn is empathetic throughout the book, and as you progress, you may feel like you are slowly healing and understanding yourself better.
I have personally tried therapy, and it helped at first. Over time, however, I found it difficult to ignore the feeling that it is easier for a therapist to offer advice without having experienced ADHD firsthand. There will always be a certain gap between a skilled professional and someone who lives with ADHD directly. That does not reduce the importance of psychologists; if anything, it highlights the challenge of helping people through knowledge, training, and practice alone. In fact, without their work, a book like this might never have been written. Penn also refers to several psychologists throughout the book and consulted his own therapist before publishing it.
This book is divided into three main sections: Getting to Know ADHD, Changing the Narrative, and Thriving with ADHD. By the third section, it becomes more of a self-help book, although the author makes a clear distinction between reading a book and booking a 1:1 session with a therapist or a coach. Hence, refrain from using this book as a substitute for a therapist, as the traits of ADHD can vary from person to person.
Besides the connection you form with the author during the slow process of reading and digesting multiple confrontations and extremely relatable instances from his life, this book offers you a breakdown of complex theory in an easy and playful manner.
What can keep an ADHDer hooked to a book, given that ADHD is not a lack of attention itself, but an abundance of attention struggling to narrow down to one task and space?
Hands-on activities? Puzzles? Graphics? Colors? Caricatures? Images? Different means to prevent boredom!
Probably all of the above. If I could give an additional prize to this award-winning, best-selling author, it would be for having the most interesting, coolest, and most aesthetically pleasing layout design.
As an ADHDer and designer, I appreciate the creativity involved in designing this book. One thing that I could not help noticing often was the pattern in which different fonts, text colors, and themes were used. This requires additional effort even if it appears easy. I immediately remembered my Planning Practicum Report, which I kept revising for over a month prior to final submission. As the only architect on my team, which was filled with Urban Planning students during my graduate school at Michigan State University, I was probably annoying my team members quite a lot. But the hard work paid off, and the professor recognized my creativity.
Penn states that if ADHD were a tribe, we would probably need a different planet to build our own ADHD-friendly world, but Earth would become dull without us. Do you see what he just did there? He made you feel good about yourself! But that does not mean it isn’t backed by facts; in fact, many actors, artists, and scientists had ADHD, including Albert Einstein!
Reading this book is a journey of light-hearted laughter, enjoyment, and learning.
This was an extremely well-written review, very intelligently highlighting the unique and lived in experiences of the author, while also not missing on the actual layout & composition through the sections. To be factually backed with scientific informtion, while maintaining the reader's intrigue & infact boosting their self-optimism, is indeed what makes a book great & simply attractive. If the review feels such intresting of a read, I'm sure the book must be a thousand folds better!!