Now It All Makes Sense | Book Review

Now It All Makes Sense: How An ADHD Diagnosis Brought Clarity to My Life
By Alex Partridge
Memoir, Self-Help

ADHD isn’t exhausting.
Pretending you don’t have ADHD is.

Now It All Makes Sense by Alex Partridge

Alex Partridge is the creator behind the podcast ADHD Chatter, and its social media accounts. He is also the founder behind two other content-creation powerhouses which grew to international fame long before his ADHD diagnosis at the age of 34. In his book, Now It All Makes Sense, Alex looks back on his triumphs and struggles with the realization that he owes many of his greatest achievements and deepest pains to his brain’s neurodivergent wiring.

Alex lifts the curtain on his struggles with rejection sensitivity, relationships, and addiction, to offer help and hope to others who have been made to feel that they are broken and defective. He also includes professional wisdom and advice from the various experts who have appeared on his podcast, backing and balancing his personal stories with fact-based explanations and strategies. Topics you’ll find in this book include: RSD; addictions; the ADHD tax; navigating love, relationships, and parenting with ADHD; and navigating the workplace with ADHD.

Credits (The Good Stuff):

• This memoir is very vulnerable and real, which is something that I think we all crave in a world of polished social media personalities.
• While the author can only speak from personal experience, he pulls in quotes and research from ADHD experts, that give additional weight and perspective to the topics.
• This book contains a lot of practical, every-day advice for adults navigating ADHD.
• This book contains suggestions of common work accommodations that you can ask for at your job.

Cautions (Be Aware/The Bad Stuff):

• The author uses the phrase “find your tribe,” which was popular for time, but is generally considered in poor taste.

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Personally, I struggled to enjoy this book. I’m not sure if it is because I didn’t really connect to the author’s writing style, or if it’s because it didn’t go as “deep” as I was hoping, but for some reason this book kind of fell flat for me. I didn’t enjoy it as much as I enjoy the author’s social media account. That said, I do think this book could be a great starting point if you are on the fence about pursuing an ADHD diagnosis for yourself. I think you’ll find it relatable, and it might give you the confirmation you need to book that assessment appointment.

Overall, I would say this is a decent “beginner book” for adults who are curious about ADHD, but that seasoned ADHD-ers may find it a little too introductory.

But there is a saying, the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is right now. So congratulations to everyone who’s received a late diagnosis and has decided to plant their tree at the second best time.

Now It All Makes Sense by Alex Partridge

©Ashley Lilley
This blog was written by a human being (me!) without the use of generative AI. I do not consent to having my work used for AI training purposes. Thank you for supporting human writers.

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