Learning Outside The Lines：Two Ivy League Students with Learning Disabilities and ADHD Give You the Tools for Academic Success and Educational Revolution

EditorialReviewsAmazon.comCriticismforthepublicschoolsystemintheUnitedStatesisnothingnew;kidsofallskilllevelsareslippingthroughthecracksateveryageandineverycity.Ratherthanattemptingtochangethesystemorpointoutit'sfailures,JonathonMooneyandDavidColehavecreatedapracticalguidetohelpkidsjumpthroughthenecessaryhoopstoachievewhateverlarger,postschoolgoalstheymayhave.Whilemuchofthematerialiswrittenforkidswho'vereceivedthelabelLDorADHD,manyofthesuggestionscanbejustashelpfulforthosewho'vebeenlabeled"gifted,"oranyotherstudentwhofeelsfrustratedwiththedailyroutineofstandardeducation.Theintroduction(personalhistoriesoftheauthors)isgreatreadingforparentsofLDorADHDkids,andmuchofithasahumoroustonethatmakesitequallyappropriate(andapproachable)fordiscouragedadolescents.Fromtheterrorofweeklyspellingteststothefewinspiringteachersandtutorsthetwoencountered,thetalesareequalpartsentertaining,poignant,andencouragingtootherswhomaywellbeexperiencingquitesimilarevents.There'slittlediscussionofwhatmethodsarerightorwrong--ultimately,bothauthorstakeafundamentallypragmaticview,andit's"right"ifitworked.Asteadyfocusonstudyskillsfillsthemajorityofthebook,andMooneyandColetakewhataregenerallyprettyfamiliarstandsonnote-takingandtestpreparationandbreakthemdownintoeasilydigestibleconcepts.Withdifferentmethodsfordifferenttypesoflearners(visualthinkersareencouragedtousemapsandbrightlycoloredmarkers),studentswillfindplentyofhelpincreatingnotebooks,focusingtheirattention,andevenappropriatewaysofconductingtheinfamousall-nighter.Includinginformationonhowtorecoverlostclassnotebooks,howtomakethemostofasyllabus,and"TheSevenHabitsofHighlyDisorganizedPeople,"LearningOutsidetheLinesprovidesstudentswithplentyoftoolstofurthereachreader'spersonalideaofsuccess.--JillLightnerProductDescriptionLearningwithYOURpurposeinmind--notyourparents',notyourteacher's,notyourschool'sEveryday,yourschool,yourteachers,andevenyourpeersdrawlinestomeasureandstandardizeintelligence.Theydecidewhatcriteriamakeonepersonsmartandanotherpersonstupid.Theydecidewhowillsucceedandwhowilljustgetby.Perhapsyoufindyourselfoutsidethenorm,becauseyoulearndifferently--but,unlikeyourclassmates,youhavenosysteminplacethatconsistentlysupportsyourabilityanddesiretolearn.Simplyput,youareconsideredlazyandstupid.Youareexpectedtofail.LearningOutsidetheLinesiswrittenbytwosuch"academicfailures"--thatis,twoacademicfailureswhograduatedfromBrownUniversityatthetopoftheirclass.JonathanMooneyandDavidColeteachyouhowtotakecontrolofyoureducationandfindtruesuccess--andtheyofferallthereasonswhyyoushouldpersevere.Witty,bold,anddisarminglyhonest,LearningOutsidetheLinestakesyouonajourneytowardpersonalempowermentandprofoundeducationalchange,provingonceagainthatrulessometimesneedtobebroken.