The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog
Is Bruce Perry’s new books, and as you might expect rich in anecdote and deep in insight. He makes the best case yet that the brain is a social organ. This one is a must for anyone interested in childhood trauma and development. More information is available on his web site.
What Works Here
Richard Manning’s essay detailing a successful intervention for traumatized children in Indian Country. You can read it here.
An Army colonel’s attack on denial
Col. Rich O’Connor’s battlefield experiences led to his writing a foundation paper on PTSD. Collateral Damage: How Can the Army Best Serve a Soldier with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?
Trauma, the Hidden Impact
An excellent book chapter that highlights the Adverse Childhood Experiences study by the Centers for Disease Control. The authors are Vincent Felitti and Robert Anda, the study’s principal investigators. You can read it here.
The Economics of Caring for Children
Nobel laureate James Heckman pours a lifetime’s worth of work into a major paper, arguing that a sound economy is based on treating children well. The charts and graphs at the end of the paper drive the point home. You can download a pdf here.
Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain
Forget what you’ve heard about endorphins. John Ratey compiles a book-length case drawn from cutting edge neuroscience and biochemistry to say exercise is the best intervention we have for PTSD, developmental trauma, anxiety, depression and ADHD, among others. Order it here.
