"Thomas Edison was expelled from school for behavior that today would label him as having Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), but his mother understood how to salvage his self-esteem and prepare him for a lifetime of success. 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 and useful skill set that well served our hunting and gathering ancestors. In The Edison Gene Thom Hartmann shows that these characteristics have also been critical to the survival and development of our modern civilization and will be vital and necessary 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. Hartmann offers parents concrete strategies for helping their Edison-gene children to reach their full potential and shows that rather than being "problems," such children are an important and vital gift to our society and the world."--Jacket.