9780062877499
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Divergent Mind audiobook

  • By: Jenara Nerenberg
  • Narrator: Tegan Ashton Cohan
  • Category: Mental Health, Psychology
  • Length: 6 hours 37 minutes
  • Publisher: HarperAudio
  • Publish date: March 24, 2020
  • Language: English
  • (2678 ratings)
(2678 ratings)
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Divergent Mind Audiobook Summary

A paradigm-shifting study of neurodivergent women–those with ADHD, autism, synesthesia, high sensitivity, and sensory processing disorder–exploring why these traits are overlooked in women and how society benefits from allowing their unique strengths to flourish.

As a successful Harvard and Berkeley-educated writer, entrepreneur, and devoted mother, Jenara Nerenberg was shocked to discover that her “symptoms”–only ever labeled as anxiety– were considered autistic and ADHD. Being a journalist, she dove into the research and uncovered neurodiversity–a framework that moves away from pathologizing “abnormal” versus “normal” brains and instead recognizes the vast diversity of our mental makeups.

When it comes to women, sensory processing differences are often overlooked, masked, or mistaken for something else entirely. Between a flawed system that focuses on diagnosing younger, male populations, and the fact that girls are conditioned from a young age to blend in and conform to gender expectations, women often don’t learn about their neurological differences until they are adults, if at all. As a result, potentially millions live with undiagnosed or misdiagnosed neurodivergences, and the misidentification leads to depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and shame. Meanwhile, we all miss out on the gifts their neurodivergent minds have to offer.

Divergent Mind is a long-overdue, much-needed answer for women who have a deep sense that they are “different.” Sharing real stories from women with high sensitivity, ADHD, autism, misophonia, dyslexia, SPD and more, Nerenberg explores how these brain variances present differently in women and dispels widely-held misconceptions (for example, it’s not that autistic people lack sensitivity and empathy, they have an overwhelming excess of it).

Nerenberg also offers us a path forward, describing practical changes in how we communicate, how we design our surroundings, and how we can better support divergent minds. When we allow our wide variety of brain makeups to flourish, we create a better tomorrow for us all.

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Divergent Mind Audiobook Narrator

Tegan Ashton Cohan is the narrator of Divergent Mind audiobook that was written by Jenara Nerenberg

JENARA NERENBERG lectures widely on neuroscience, innovation, sensitivity, leadership, and diversity. Selected as a “brave new idea” presenter by the Aspen Institute for her work on re-framing mental differences, Jenara is also the founder and host of The Neurodiversity Project. She holds degrees from the Harvard School of Public Health and UC Berkeley. Her work has been published in Fast Company, New York magazine, Susan Cain’s Quiet Revolution, Garrison Institute, Elaine Aron’s HSP, Healthline, KQED, and elsewhere. In addition to her work as a journalist, Jenara is a frequent workshop facilitator, speaker, and event host for institutions including the Stanford Graduate School of Business and elsewhere in the San Francisco Bay Area.

About the Author(s) of Divergent Mind

Jenara Nerenberg is the author of Divergent Mind

More From the Same

Divergent Mind Full Details

Narrator Tegan Ashton Cohan
Length 6 hours 37 minutes
Author Jenara Nerenberg
Category
Publisher HarperAudio
Release date March 24, 2020
ISBN 9780062877499

Subjects

The publisher of the Divergent Mind is HarperAudio. includes the following subjects: The BISAC Subject Code is Mental Health, Psychology

Additional info

The publisher of the Divergent Mind is HarperAudio. The imprint is HarperAudio. It is supplied by HarperAudio. The ISBN-13 is 9780062877499.

Global Availability

This book is only available in the United States.

Goodreads Reviews

Tucker

May 24, 2020

Many thanks to HarperOne for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest reviewYES! YES! YES!I loved that. Every page! I know that most of my audience isn't as passionate about psychology as I am so I understand if you don't understand why I love this book which is totally fair.I love this book because it really spoke to me and made me feel understood. I have, as the author put it, a divergent mind. The systems that the world uses don't work for me and why they don't work for most people.I loved that Nerenberg explained all of the ways the brain functions out of the norm and how to deal with this. How to, as the title says, thrive in a world that isn't currently designed for thinkers like us.If you ever think to yourself Why do I struggle so much with... or Why does everyone else... or How come my brain does..., this book is for you!Happy reading!| Goodreads | Blog | Pinterest | LinkedIn | YouTube | Instagram

Beth

March 02, 2022

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 throughout is that we are not alone, we are not broken.

Kristen

August 14, 2022

This was a great read on neurodivergence in adult women, specifically those with autism. It did cover some with ADHD, but there were more stories about those with sensitivity conditions. It gave me a much greater understanding of the scope of autism and masking and how it is possible for a woman especially to go her entire life without being diagnosed but still struggle with some of the issues presented with having it. I really appreciated both the deep dive into some of the different types of therapies as well as the solutions some workplaces and communities are looking at to better accommodate and plan for neurodivergence. Highly recommend this book for, well, just about anyone, since we likely all know someone who is neurodivergent.

Amber

December 03, 2021

It does a wonderful job of explaining various neurological “disorders” through the lens of sensitivities and establishes a great foundation for the neurodiverse framework. Highly recommend for anyone who has been diagnosed (self or professionally) with ADHD, autism, sensory processing disorder, as an HSP, or who has ever felt that society was was not designed with their unique sensitivities in mind.

Andy

April 03, 2022

Fascinating book - many neurodivergences are underdiagnosed in women, and this book explains why. These differences manifest differently in women, so they look different too. As a parent with a special needs daughter, this book has a lot of great advice.

Samantha

April 15, 2021

A fantastic resource and comfort for someone who has experienced many of the traits covered and identified as neurodivergent but without a label or support. I recommend to any girl/woman/parent wondering why your strengths can sometimes feel like weaknesses- whether its hyperfocus, sensitivity, disorganisation....this book is the lightbulb you need!!

Phoenix

March 30, 2021

I have listened to it on the Audible. Sometimes was very realistic and with beautiful life examples. Also was provided with advice and exercises to help yourself if there is a need.

Meredith

June 11, 2022

The last sentence sums up my inner experience quite well - “what once felt like a hidden alternate enclave blooms to become an enveloping universe that feels like home, that you’ve longed for, and that you embrace with awe.” Nerenberg crafts a personally revolutionary piece of work that gathers a multitude of voices in the neurodivergent space. I had to stop multiple times on my walks to absorb the words that were driving into my subconscious and cracking through the shame, self-hatred, and pain I had built up over years of trying to squeeze myself into spaces and conversations that were not comfortable and safe to me. Thank you to my friend, Anna, who sent this book to me. The pages within brought healing and self-discovery that is only the beginning ! I highly recommend this book for ANYONE, even if you don’t consider yourself to be neurodivergent. It will undoubtedly help you understand yourself, those around you, and the new research that is providing care, comfort, and support for neurodivergent folks.

Katie

January 11, 2022

This book was excellent. Nerenberg shared the definitions of and qualifications for multiple neurodivergent sectors, including autism and HSP (highly sensitive person)—especially how they function in women. I found her insight fascinating and appreciate that she brought to light the commonality and depth of neurodivergence. It was pretty academic, which isn’t always my forte, but it was nice that the author interwove primary examples into her findings. I listened via Libby audiobook and the narrator was great!I would recommend this to anyone and everyone. We all—neurotypical or neurodivergent—must learn more about how neurodivergence shows up so that WE can show up for each other wherever we are—work, friendships, relationships, etc. It’s a little mature in writing style, but the content is for everyone.

Fernanda

February 21, 2023

Una maravilla para poder entender mejor mi propia neurodicergencia.

Justin

June 12, 2021

Given the traditional medical model that looks at conditions like autism, ADHD, sensory processing, and other "sensitivities" as pathologies, Divergent Mind is an important read in offering another lens to reframe these experiences as part of human diversity. Nerenberg is a journalist and was diagnosed as an adult with autism. Her main premise also highlights the gap between what professionals understand and the experiences of those who are neurodivergent. For starters, most research is based on men (and those with majority identities) and generalized to women and other marginalized groups, who often go undiagnosed. Nerenberg highlights a philosophical shift to honor the subjective experience of neurodivergent people in contrast to the "objective" and rigid diagnoses created by observers outside of the community. Since neurodivergence is such a large area, the author gives a general overview of autism, ADHD, synesthesia, and sensory processing disorder mixing research with anecdotes. Although the book hooked me from the beginning's premise, Nerenberg repeats herself and doesn't go as in depth or practical as I'd like, often being an idealist in how society could be better if it was made for neurodiversity. Nonetheless, neurodivergence is an important topic and Divergent Mind is a great starting point for those unaware of the topic.

Karly

November 06, 2022

I love reading books that make me think, “if everyone read this we could be a much kinder and inclusive society.” While this book is excellent for that, it’s also powerful for those of us with late in life diagnoses that have answered our life’s question of “what’s wrong with us?” and especially those who haven’t yet had those diagnoses and are still in search of the answer.

Clare

May 05, 2020

I found this a fascinating introduction to neurodiversity, and surprisingly resonant. The book is packed full of useful resources, tips, how-tos, and further reading, and is an excellent introduction to a world that we should all know more about, whether we consider ourselves neurotypical or neurodivergent.What the author does in this book is introduces us to neurodiversity in a way that gives us the tools - mainly the language, frames and mental models - to be able to explore this further at home, in the workplace, and in wider society. And goodness knows this is needed right now. The book also resonated from the perspective of creating a language to talk about something. While not referencing the work of George Lakoff, the author’s use of framing, reframing, and shifting the narrative to achieve social change is straight out of the Lakoff-ian handbook. Without the linguistic tools to effectively communicate, how can we address issues, let alone shift the way society perceives and approaches them?

Melanie

September 16, 2022

I found this audiobook immediately after my adult ADHD diagnosis. As a 27 year old woman, I have lived my life masking to fit into society, and listening to the author discuss her experiences as well as recounting many other neurodiverse women’s experiences, made me feel much less alone. This book also taught me so much about neurodiversity and how it shows up in the world, which ultimately has made me a much more compassionate person. I love when a nonfiction book changes my life perspective, and this one absolutely did. I’m grateful that this book exists and that I found it at a time where I was exploring how ADHD shows/has shown up in my life, as well as navigating what it means to get that diagnosis. Highly recommend to any woman who is neurodiverse or has interest in neurodiversity in any way.

Erin

March 06, 2022

What I like about this book:-The focus on neurodiversity as an asset, something to shift society into working with instead of a problem to be solved without altering the structures that already exist.-How the author writes about her own experiences, such as how she was fired from a series of jobs and struggled before being diagnosed. What worked to help her find work in which she could thrive.-Touching on history, specifically the history of mental health as something related to morality and personal failing, and how treatment was, and sometimes still is, largely about control. Nerenberg also discusses how mental health has almost exclusively been limited to the needs of men.-The amount of time spent detailing what works and what in our society doesn't work for sensitive people, and how changes to accommodate neurodiversity would be beneficial to neurotypicals too, or at least wouldn't take anything away from NTs.What I dislike about this book:-The inclusion of nonbinary and trans women reads as a last-minute catch-all placed at the front of the book to me. The language throughout the rest of the work is so centered on women that I felt, an someone who is nonbinary, a little misaligned from the writing.-I realize the focus of this book is largely on people who have succeeded in spite of the barriers that exist between neurodivergence and larger society, and as such most of her contacts would be people who succeed in their careers, but it felt a little hollow to not think of success as more than the performance of skilled work.Overall I enjoyed reading this and think it absolutely provides value. Would recommend.

Heidi

September 09, 2020

This book was a really helpful look at what it means to create neurodiversity friendly environments and cultures in our homes, schools, communities, and families. It broadened my view of neurodiversity and the author thoughtfully compiles research while not presenting herself as an expert but an advocate. If you know or love anyone with autism spectrum, ADD/ADHD, anxiety, or sensory processing struggles, I highly recommend it. If you are interested in understanding more about the impact of our sensory processing system on our mental health, this is also a good read. This is an approachable overview of various perspectives including those experiencing neurodivergence and researchers in the field.

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Research showcasing the brain health benefits of reading on a regular basis is wide-ranging and undeniable. However, research comparing the benefits of reading vs listening is much more sparse. According to professor of psychology and author Dr. Kristen Willeumier, though, there is good reason to believe that the reading experience provided by audiobooks offers many of the same brain benefits as reading a physical book.

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It varies. The easiest way depends on a few things. The app and service you use, which device, and platform. Speechify is the easiest way to listen to audiobooks. Downloading the app is quick. It is not a large app and does not eat up space on your iPhone or Android device.
Listening to audiobooks on your smart phone, with Speechify, is the easiest way to listen to audiobooks.

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