Jenara Nerenberg

4.5 stars

I really liked this book. After reading two other books that were very basic, introductory level books on neurodivergence (one of which heavily pathologized it and the other of which was not very useful), this book felt like a breath of fresh air. The author approaches neurodiversity from a positive perspective and highlights both her own story and the stories of other neurodivergent women throughout the book as she discusses ADHD, ASD, SPD and other neurodivergences. I really show more enjoyed reading about her interviews with different mental health professionals who shared their insight and work, and some of her own ideas resonated as well.

This is not an in-depth book about every "disorder," nor is it a psychiatric how-to manual for living, but I did find it to be an enjoyable, uplifting read that helped me to feel seen, understood and less alone as an entrepreneur with a recent diagnosis and as a person with an unconventional vision for a healthier world. I also came away with a long list of resources, books and ideas to pursue next in my own research.

There are a few (6) minor profanities scattered throughout, which may be off-putting to some readers, and she does use the outdated term "Asperger's" in the book (Asperger's is a diagnostic term that was removed from the DSM-V in 2013 and has some problematic ties). The book might not resonate with some people who are more severely disabled by their diagnosis(es) or with people whose life experience is drastically different from the author's. show less

I read this as a free book through Prime Reading.

If I hadn't already had an autism diagnosis a few months ago, this book would have convinced me of that truth. Divergent Mind is a breezy, approachable read for women who are or suspect they may be neurodivergent, which includes not only autism but ADHD, high sensitivity, synesthesia, and other things that have all too often been dubbed mental illness or other negative labels. I appreciated the positivity of the book. The biggest message show more throughout is that we are not alone, we are not broken. show less

This wasn’t as engaging as I’d hoped, although it does provide some good information. As she says throughout, acceptance of neurodivergence is key; unfortunately I don’t see this yet in real life but rather just in her fairly obscure examples. I hope this continues a conversation that’s much needed but not yet where it should be.

As someone coming to grips with the extent of their neurodivergence as an adult, this book was tremendously helpful and felt more like it was reading me than I was reading it.