Nadine Burke Harris

It is nearly impossible to understate the riches of this book. Dr. Harris accomplishes with aplomb the difficult feat of rendering scholarly medicine readable and understandable to the common reader. She is a lively stylist whose wise and humane insights offer much, again, to the common reader. However, I must say (I'm a special education teacher myself) that anyone who works with children, especially people who serve in inner-city schools, really must read this book for the sake of their professional development. To put this more forcibly, if you are a teacher in an inner-city school and have not read this book, you are like a carpenter without a hammer.

Have I mentioned that the book contains a blueprint for nothing short of changing the world?… (más)

Solid research woven together with powerful stories, I found this book a riveting read for my thesis project. Adverse childhood experiences impact each of us, directly or indirectly, in profound and often ignored ways. Because of the brilliant writing and generous tone, I'd love to have Dr. Harris as a friend, or at least lunch companion.

The book enjoys a wide and loyal readership I learned when I posted a pic of the cover on IG. So many people chimed in with praise, personal testimonies of change, and insight.

I'm going to keep reading about this intersection of medicine, psychology and public health. Up next, and with this in mind, The Body Keeps the Score.… (más)

the study of adverse childhood events (ACEs) on long-term health is a fascinating and important realm of medicine. burke harris's book does a good job unpacking the idea and sharing real-life examples, and the science behind how the body is actually affected on cellular levels (not just the 'it's all in your head' dismissal so many people hear). but the book falls short in its lack of guidance for actual 'healing'. burke harris clearly notes the keys to improved outcomes that can be taught and implemented for parents and young children in the midst of ACE trauma - which was helpful to read about. for adults (and, more specifically, adults who are not parents/parenting) struggling with long-term effects of ACEs, though, there is little on offer. i can see burke harris expanding the ideas of this book into a very useful workbook-type edition, with exercises and worksheets to support healing (like the CBT-based, terribly named Mind Over Mood, Second Edition: Change How You Feel by Changing the Way You Think) - that would be cool.… (más)