Ritalin nation - Richard Degrandpre

This investigation of the epidemic of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and its most widely prescribed treatment, the pscyhostimulant Ritalin, sounds a warning: parents might be failing their children by treating symptoms and not causes with an ultimately unsatisfactory solution.;Drawing on findings from developmental, psychobiological and social scientific research, the author seeks to solve the problem of ADD by "solving" its history. He attributes the disturbing prevalence of inattention and hyperactivity in children to the societal consequences of a culture that has altered our perceptual expectations, our experience of time and our abilty to defer gratification. Our rush to more and faster stimulation leaves chilren vulnerable to "sensory addiction". This book exposes the shortsightedness of biological explanations of ADD and offers some practical guidelines for charting a more hopeful future in environments that deliberately "make time for time", cultivate a less hurried existence and promote a saner, safer community for children.