Now It All Makes Sense by Alex Partridge
Book Recommendation
I’ve been working in this space long enough to note the significant uptick in books about neurodivergence. With a more democratic publishing landscape comes a wealth of knowledge and lived experiences. However, as with the rise of podcasting, the flipside is that it makes it harder to discern what books are sincerely worth your time in terms of original insight and how you can apply them to your life.
Well, Alex Partridge is an outstanding example of standing head and shoulders above an oversaturated media landscape. He has interviewed over 150 ADHD experts on his podcast ADHD Chatter, and also been very open about his own personal experiences with ADHD – he has distilled all of this wisdom and lived experience into a wonderfully resonant book, Now It All Makes Sense, which I highly recommend..
Part memoir
What I particularly love about this book is that it’s part memoir. People like Alex sharing their experiences adds so much value to this space.
It seems like there is a disproportionate amount of content about ADHDers that focuses on the negative experiences of having the condition. Whilst this is important for making people feel seen and supported, it’s so refreshing to read from someone who harnessed their ADHD to become a huge success.
Alex Partridge is an entrepreneur and the founder of LadBible and UniLAD – so as well as bringing visibility to symptoms, he is a living example of the strengths of ADHD, which deserve as much recognition.
Alex also brings an admirable vulnerability to the book. The writing is both engaging and beautifully honest. As well as making you laugh and relate to his experiences, it packs an emotional punch, too.
Challenging the status quo
Part of the drive behind this book is his audience, many of whom are women with ADHD. You can tell Alex wants to challenge the idea that suddenly “everyone has ADHD” – indeed, historically, girls are often missed in ADHD diagnostic criteria. It’s great to see a male writer challenge this and recognise that, increasingly, women are figuring out why they feel so overwhelmed and burned out.
If you’re a female ADHDer or suspecting ADHD, this book will be especially good for you. Not only will you be able to relate to Alex’s experiences, but the distilled wisdom of the many experts (including yours truly!) that he’s had on his podcast add further validity and backing.
The Karen Doherty stamp of approval
I highly recommend reading this book, which is so readable and relatable that you can get hooked and read it in one sitting. Alex recounts his whole journey with diagnosis and his realisations since then, particularly being diagnosed with ADHD in adulthood. I see a lot of late diagnosis in the work I do, so it’s wonderful to read the perspective of someone who’s revelation has completely changed their life and wellbeing.
It’s a brave, personal perspective and I can see this book helping a lot of people who have been masking for a long time. Don’t hesitate to pick up this inspiring read which could be like looking in a mirror for you.
