Get personalized recommendations and earn points toward a free book!
Before you go...
Check Out These
21 Books You’ve Been Meaning to Read
See the List
Better Than Normal by Dale Archer, MD
Read An Excerpt

Look Inside

Read An Excerpt
Read An Excerpt

Better Than Normal

How What Makes You Different Can Make You Exceptional

How What Makes You Different Can Make You Exceptional

How What Makes You Different Can Make You Exceptional

By Dale Archer, MD

By Dale Archer, MD

By Dale Archer, MD

By Dale Archer, MD

By Dale Archer, MD
Read by Marc Cashman

By Dale Archer, MD
Read by Marc Cashman

Best Seller

Category: Psychology

Category: Psychology

Category: Psychology | Audiobooks

Paperback $15.00

Mar 12, 2013 | 256 Pages

Ebook $5.99

Mar 13, 2012 | 256 Pages

Audiobook Download $17.50

Mar 13, 2012 | 450 Minutes

All Formats
+
    Better Than Normal by Dale Archer, MD
    Paperback
    Mar 12, 2013 | 256 Pages
    See All Formats (2) +

    Paperback
    –

    • Paperback $15.00

      Mar 12, 2013 | 256 Pages

    Ebook
    +

    • Ebook $5.99

      Mar 13, 2012 | 256 Pages

    Audio
    +

    Buy the Audiobook Download:

    About Better Than Normal

    A New York Times bestseller that offers a groundbreaking new view of human psychology, showing how eight key traits of human behavior–long perceived as liabilities–can be important hidden strengths

    What if the inattentiveness that makes school or work a challenge holds the secret to your future as an entrepreneur? What if the shyness in groups that you hate is the source of deep compassion for others? What if the anxiety and nervousness you often feel can actually help energize you?
         Renowned psychiatrist and popular on-air personality Dr. Dale Archer believes that behaviors frequently labeled “ADHD,” “bipolar,” and “OCD” are often normal human qualities–and he contends that we all experience these and other psychological traits to some extent yet fail to leverage the significant advantages they can offer. Worse, we stigmatize one another for these aspects of our personalities.
         In Better Than Normal, Dr. Archer offers an empowering framework for redefining mental health. Drawing on his 20 years of clinical experience, he describes eight traits of human behavior, each of which occurs along a continuum rather than as a simple on-off switch. These are the aspects of our personality that we worry about the most, but these are also the very things that make us distinctive and different. Filled with engaging anecdotes and practical tools to help readers capitalize on their unique characteristics, Better Than Normal offers a new and liberating way to look at ourselves and others.

    About Better Than Normal

    A New York Times Bestseller

    A groundbreaking new view of human psychology that shows how eight key traits of human behavior—long perceived as liabilities—can be important hidden strengths.

    What if the inattentiveness that makes school or work a challenge holds the secret to your future as an entrepreneur? What if the shyness in groups that you hate is the source of deep compassion for others? What if the anxiety and nervousness you often feel can actually help energize you? What if the mood swings you sometimes experience can
    be the source of tremendous creativity?

    Renowned psychiatrist and popular on-air personality Dr. Dale Archer believes that labels for behavior like “ADHD,” “bipolar,” and “OCD” are normal human qualities—and contends that we all experience these and other psychological traits to some extent, yet fail to leverage the significant advantages they can offer. Worse, we stigmatize one another for these prevalent, widely shared aspects of our personalities.

    In Better Than Normal, Dr. Archer offers an empowering framework for redefining what constitutes mental health. Drawing on his twenty years of clinical experience, he describes eight traits of human behavior—heretofore known
    only as psychiatric diagnoses. Each of these occurs along a continuum rather than as a simple on-off switch (where “off ” means we’re fine, and “on” means we’ve got a problem). These are the aspects of our personality that we worry about the most, but these are also the very things that make us distinctive and different.

    According to Dr. Archer, each of us has a unique personality that emerges from our hardwired genetics and individual life experiences. With Better Than Normal, you can map your individual characteristics by taking the eight trait
    self-assessment quiz and see how what makes you different can indeed make you exceptional. Filled with engaging anecdotes and practical tools to help you capitalize on your unique characteristics, Better Than Normal offers a new and liberating way to look at ourselves and others.

    About Better Than Normal

    A New York Times Bestseller

    A groundbreaking new view of human psychology that shows how eight key traits of human behavior—long perceived as liabilities—can be important hidden strengths.

    What if the inattentiveness that makes school or work a challenge holds the secret to your future as an entrepreneur? What if the shyness in groups that you hate is the source of deep compassion for others? What if the anxiety and nervousness you often feel can actually help energize you? What if the mood swings you sometimes experience can
    be the source of tremendous creativity?

    Renowned psychiatrist and popular on-air personality Dr. Dale Archer believes that labels for behavior like “ADHD,” “bipolar,” and “OCD” are normal human qualities—and contends that we all experience these and other psychological traits to some extent, yet fail to leverage the significant advantages they can offer. Worse, we stigmatize one another for these prevalent, widely shared aspects of our personalities.

    In Better Than Normal, Dr. Archer offers an empowering framework for redefining what constitutes mental health. Drawing on his twenty years of clinical experience, he describes eight traits of human behavior—heretofore known
    only as psychiatric diagnoses. Each of these occurs along a continuum rather than as a simple on-off switch (where “off ” means we’re fine, and “on” means we’ve got a problem). These are the aspects of our personality that we worry about the most, but these are also the very things that make us distinctive and different.

    According to Dr. Archer, each of us has a unique personality that emerges from our hardwired genetics and individual life experiences. With Better Than Normal, you can map your individual characteristics by taking the eight trait
    self-assessment quiz and see how what makes you different can indeed make you exceptional. Filled with engaging anecdotes and practical tools to help you capitalize on your unique characteristics, Better Than Normal offers a new and liberating way to look at ourselves and others.

    Includes a bonus PDF with worksheets from the book

    Read An Excerpt

    Read An Excerpt

    Read An Excerpt

    Also by Dale Archer, MD

    The ADHD Advantage
    See all books by Dale Archer, MD

    Also by Dale Archer, MD

    The ADHD Advantage
    See all books by Dale Archer, MD

    Also by Dale Archer, MD

    The ADHD Advantage
    See all books by Dale Archer, MD

    About Dale Archer, MD

    Dr. Dale Archer is a medical doctor, a board-certified psychiatrist, and a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. He also has ADHD and has never used medication to treat it. Currently, he is the medical director for psychiatric services… More about Dale Archer, MD

    About Dale Archer, MD

    Dr. Dale Archer is a medical doctor, a board-certified psychiatrist, and a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. He also has ADHD and has never used medication to treat it. Currently, he is the medical director for psychiatric services… More about Dale Archer, MD

    About Dale Archer, MD

    Dr. Dale Archer is a medical doctor, a board-certified psychiatrist, and a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. He also has ADHD and has never used medication to treat it. Currently, he is the medical director for psychiatric services… More about Dale Archer, MD

    Product Details

    Category: Psychology

    Paperback | $15.00
    Published by Harmony
    Mar 12, 2013 | 256 Pages | 5-3/16 x 8 | ISBN 9780307887481

    Category: Psychology

    Ebook | $5.99
    Published by Harmony
    Mar 13, 2012 | 256 Pages | ISBN 9780307887474

    Category: Psychology | Audiobooks

    Audiobook Download | $17.50
    Published by Random House Audio
    Mar 13, 2012 | 450 Minutes | ISBN 9780307989635

    Inspired by Your Browsing History

    Also in Psychology

    ‹ ›
    The Second Mountain
    The Second Mountain
    David Brooks
    Late Bloomers
    Late Bloomers
    Rich Karlgaard
    Left to Their Own Devices
    Left to Their Own Devices
    Julie M. Albright
    365 Ways to Find Peace
    365 Ways to Find Peace
    Marcus Braybrooke
    Legislature by Lot
    Legislature by Lot
    Erik Olin Wright and John Gastil
    Dementia Reimagined
    Dementia Reimagined
    Tia Powell
    An Economist Walks into a Brothel
    An Economist Walks into a Brothel
    Allison Schrager
    Fall Down 7 Times Get Up 8
    Fall Down 7 Times Get Up 8
    Naoki Higashida
    Biased
    Biased
    Jennifer L. Eberhardt, PhD
    Zen beyond Mindfulness
    Zen beyond Mindfulness
    Jules Shuzen Harris
    Deep Creativity
    Deep Creativity
    Dennis Patrick Slattery, Jennifer Leigh Selig and Deborah Anne Quibell
    Meltdown
    Meltdown
    András Tilcsik and Chris Clearfield
    The Passion Paradox
    The Passion Paradox
    Steve Magness and Brad Stulberg
    Outsmarting Autism, Updated and Expanded
    Outsmarting Autism, Updated and Expanded
    Patricia S. Lemer
    Spaces of Global Capitalism
    Spaces of Global Capitalism
    David Harvey
    If I Live to Be 100
    If I Live to Be 100
    Neenah Ellis
    Braving the Wilderness
    Braving the Wilderness
    Brené Brown
    Countdown to College
    Countdown to College
    Monique Rinere
    The New Evil
    The New Evil
    Gary Brucato PhD and Michael H. Stone, MD
    This View of Life
    This View of Life
    David Sloan Wilson
    Mindset
    Mindset
    Carol S. Dweck
    The Buddha Pill
    The Buddha Pill
    Dr Catherine Wikholm, Dr. Catherine Wikholm, Miguel Farias and Catherine Wikholm
    Never Enough
    Never Enough
    Judith Grisel
    Cause
    Cause
    Gregory Simthsimon
    What's My Child Thinking?
    What’s My Child Thinking?
    Tanith Carey and Eileen Kennedy-Moore
    Good Reasons for Bad Feelings
    Good Reasons for Bad Feelings
    Randolph M. Nesse, MD
    The Self-Driven Child
    The Self-Driven Child
    Ned Johnson and William Stixrud, PhD
    Saving Talk Therapy
    Saving Talk Therapy
    Enrico Gnaulati
    Under Pressure
    Under Pressure
    Lisa Damour, Ph.D.
    Dear Friend, from My Life I Write to You in Your Life
    Dear Friend, from My Life I Write to You in Your Life
    Yiyun Li
    No Hard Feelings
    No Hard Feelings
    Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy
    Sex, Power, and Partisanship
    Sex, Power, and Partisanship
    Hector A. Garcia
    Bébé Day by Day
    Bébé Day by Day
    Pamela Druckerman
    The Orchid and the Dandelion
    The Orchid and the Dandelion
    W. Thomas Boyce MD
    Remembering
    Remembering
    Donald G. MacKay
    Notes on a Nervous Planet
    Notes on a Nervous Planet
    Matt Haig
    Off the Charts
    Off the Charts
    Ann Hulbert
    Some of My Friends Are...
    Some of My Friends Are…
    Deborah Plummer
    The Inner Level
    The Inner Level
    Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett
    Enlightenment Now
    Enlightenment Now
    Steven Pinker
    Advice Not Given
    Advice Not Given
    Mark Epstein, M.D.
    Love between Equals
    Love between Equals
    Polly Young-Eisendrath, Ph.D. and Polly Young-Eisendrath
    The Law of Small Things
    The Law of Small Things
    Stuart H. Brody
    The Handbook for Highly Sensitive People
    The Handbook for Highly Sensitive People
    Mel Collins
    No Hard Feelings Sticker Pack
    No Hard Feelings Sticker Pack
    Liz Fosslien

    Praise

    “A psychiatric pep talk guaranteed to rev up any reader.” – Booklist
     
    “Archer’s creative redressing of these pathologically considered conditions is compelling and will definitely capture the attention of readers eager to “re-diagnose” themselves using his spectrum scale.” – Kirkus Reviews

    “[An] extraordinary book.” -LibraryJournal.com

    “With his fresh approach and some interesting ideas, Archer normalizes personality characteristics too often seen as pathological.” –Publishers Weekly

    Looking for More Great Reads?
    Download our Spring Fiction Sampler Now
    Back to Top

    Visit other sites in the Penguin Random House Network

    Brightly

    Raise kids who love to read
    TASTE img

    TASTE

    An online magazine for today’s home cook

    LitFlash

    The eBooks you want at the lowest prices

    Read it Forward

    Read it first. Pass it on!
    First to Read

    First to Read

    Early access to Penguin Random House’s hottest new titles