Executive Functions: What They Are, How They Work, and Why They Evolved

This was a terrfic lifeline pulling me up out of the personality mire accumulated over 70 + years living with EF deficits. The complexity and intricacy of nature, nurture and culture playing out on multiple levels is daunting. Barkley's call to scientists and clinicians to "get real" gives me hope for better diagnosis and treatment for people with uneven EF.

I am a neuropsychologist and I can tell you that Barkley nails it - giving those of us who are excessively "test focused" the ass whipping we so richly deserve. When I once asked one of my patients why he did so well on the tests I administered in my office and so poorly in the crucible of real life, he thoughtfully responded, "Well Doc, it's like this: Your tests are like a multiple choice exam. But my life on the other hand... well my life is like an essay test. I can handle the multiple choice exam. But I can't do the essay." This poignant and eloquent comment made a big impression on me - and the reason why he made it is richly and elegantly explained in this book. The book is not for those completely new to ADHD, brain injury, or the assessment of these conditions. There are many more appropriate books for that (try Coping with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury for an excellent mild TBI book for adults - and there are many superb books on ADHD). But for professionals in the field and researchers, this volume is a must.

Dr. Barkley does a great job of making the important seems simple and understandable. In my work in cognitive rehabilitation aid folks with brain injuries, this is very important – though I understand he comes from an ADHD experts background, there are lots of overlaps as he explains.

I purchased this book Executive Functions by Dr. Russell A. Barkley because his research and findings on Executive Functions as well as his other book on ADHD are just phenomenal. I would recommend anyone who needs to have an understanding about Executive Functions and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder to purchase these books. I plan to purchase many other books by him. I also told friends of mine about Dr. Russell A. Barkley's books.

Very clearly written, elegant theory with practical implications. It all fits together and makes sense of a confusing field. Well worth reading!

Very informative but some of the terms I had to look up. There is alot of good information in this book.

Easily one of the the greatest books I have ever read. I don't really know what to say. Sugar coating with superlatives is simply not enough.Read this book plus Stanovich's "rationality and reflective mind". I will be divining this artifact for all time.

This book is a clear simple straight forward description of the Executive functions of the brain and how it works.

Well written and comprehensive read; worth the time invested to understand this complex medical assessment.

Lo amo! Es pesado pero muy interesante.

Great book for parents and educators alike.

Good

Author didn’t use any real life examples to support his theories or explainations