Here's a book that is just superb, in my book! Scaer is a retired medical doctor who no longer gives a rat's butt about being censured by the AMA. Just my kinda guy! And he has definitely NAILED all the ways that unresolved embodied trauma directs virtually everything in our lives from the kinds of work we do, to the kinds of parents we become, to the kinds of health issues and illnesses we encounter, to the kinds of friends and life partners we end up with. An amazingly, coherent, comprehensive account by someone who has unquestionably cleared out a lot of his own embodied trauma along the way.

What makes this book very good is, indeed, very very good: A perhaps never-before-done truly readable biological breakdown of WHY and HOW trauma physiologically "hurts"... I say "perhaps never before" because, frankly, a lot of what he covered in this book might have been extrapolated from his initial foray, "The Body Bears the Burden", a true 5-star book.

Please don't misread or misunderstand this review: I do, actually, highly recommend you get this book, and read it well -- especially if you're in the caring fields. In fact, it should be required reading for physicians, nurses, aides, and anybody else who comes into daily contact with those in need, or those hurting -- both those with physical ailments as well as those in more psychiatric settings.

This book provides explanations that have been sorely lacking, on paper and in black and white for those struggling to find "proof" for WHY they feel certain ways -- something solid to hand to a doctor or nurse with the words, "so please, will you listen to me, because this has scientific basis -- THIS is why my body does THIS after THIS happened, etc. But then, we all know that in general such things are unheard of. Regardless, this book sheds light on what truly holistic and enlightened practitioners ought to see trauma as, and perhaps give them pause to think about how to "fix" it.

The error in this book, I think, is probably an error only because the explanations were done so well: After Scaer methodically and judiciously plows through the hows and whys and wherefors, he breaks off almost nary a word to "how to fix C, given the inputs of A plus B". While there are quite a number (way too many, WAY too many) of books on the treatment of trauma, so few practitioners see trauma in the holistic light that Scaer does that without further direction, at least, the book feels like "a good beginning" missing the second half. This is regretful, because what is there shines through as highly lucid and well-researched, caring instead of callous... It is a rare rare book that can seem "caring" without seeming (for lack of a better word) "fruity", that is scientific and detailed without being inscrutable.

... I wish half-stars were possible, because it truly deserves 4.5 stars... and I'd give it 5 stars were it not for what I find lacking (a reply or suggestions of some sort at the end of his study). Do pick this book up, and pick up the book he wrote before it; they go very well together.

In the meanwhile, I will be waiting eagerly for the next installment, or what I hope will be the next logical installment: how to permit and encourage the "unfreezing" and thus enable healing, perhaps, of those who were stopped before the process could be effected naturally -- or maybe suggestions on ways through diet that one may affect or counter ("retrain the body, as it were") the levels of cortisol and other useful-when-appropriate, but harmful-under-chronic(ptsd,eg)-situation substances in the body that are related to prolonged stress & trauma levels.

All in all, I highly recommend this book, espeically if you're looking for answers to the WHYs of PTSD and related conditions... as long as you don't expect to find the "fix" also included.

I liked the book but did not read it all because it was bought as a gift for a friend. I was surprised to get 3 copies having ordered only 2. It meant paying postage to return it and it wasn't my mistake! ECA