“A highly entertaining, sometimes harrowing, but always acutely honest account of a family with several neurological diagnoses, ADHD and schizophrenia among them. Livingston's writing bristles with life, and her insights are invaluable. Like many of us, she has had her share of pain, and confusion, but humor is never far off, (she is very funny), and there is a quality to her writing that I can only describe as a generosity of spirit, gracing every page. I found aspects of my own life in here, no surprise, and want to buy it for everybody I love.” -ABIGAIL THOMAS, author of Safekeeping; A Three Dog Life; Still Life at Eighty: The Next Interesting Thing
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Drowning in the unrealistic demands of motherhood, this English Professor steals her son’s ADHD medication and watches it transform her life—for good and bad. She experiments with functional medicine to learn her brain’s potential and biohacks her way to a healthy body and mind. Livingston’s story is for parents who are overwhelmed, embarrassed by their messy house, or worried about labeling and medicating their children; for teachers seeking insight into the mind of that quiet back-row student; and for families dealing with each other’s divergent brains. Walks Like a Duck is a tale of chaos and order, a journey toward taking control.
"One of the most funny and engaging accounts of ADHD I've ever come across. Livingston’s honesty combined with self-acceptance provides a wonderful balanced view of living with this type of brain. Every woman that has ADHD or thinks she might, should read this book." -KATHLEEN NADEAU, PhD, Founder of the largest private ADHD specialty clinic in the US; Author of Understanding Girls with ADHD and Still Distracted After All These Years
My Story
Wary of the ADHD mental health label, I fought my young son's doctor decades ago. "We can call it whatever you like," the doctor said. "But if he walks like a duck and talks like a duck, they're all going to know he's a duck."
Today I write what I call brain memoir, believing that our stories of neurodiversity, of ADHD and schizophrenia, of addiction, depression or anxiety help us all understand each other and move toward healthier, more peaceful lives.
