The Body Keeps the ScoreThe Body Keeps the Score
Score Modern
What it's about
Psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk spent more than thirty years working with survivors of war, abuse and disaster, and this is what he learned: trauma isn't only a memory, it reshapes the brain and the body, leaving people stuck in fear long after the danger has passed. He walks through the science of how that happens, then through the treatments that are helping people recover, from talk therapy and EMDR to yoga, theater and neurofeedback.
Why it's worth reading
It changed how a whole generation understands trauma, and readers often say it helped them make sense of themselves or someone they love. It's serious science written with deep compassion.
You'll love it if you liked
The Anxious Generation
When Breath Becomes Air
The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of CancerGood to know
It describes abuse and violence in clinical detail, which can be hard going for readers with their own trauma. The middle chapters are dense with research; the later chapters on healing are the most hopeful.
By the numbers
- Readers92 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller89 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz100 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #2 of the 119 science and ideas books we rank
- #9 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #17 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking, Practical
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Science and ideas booksTop 25 · 119 ranked
Modern booksTop 25 · 1,573 ranked
Books of the 2010sTop 25 · 736 ranked
Fantasy booksTop 25 · 459 ranked
Mysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 555 ranked
Literary novelsTop 25 · 309 ranked
Memoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 ranked
Science fiction booksTop 25 · 313 rankedQuick answers
Is The Body Keeps the Score worth reading?
Yes. It changed how a whole generation understands trauma, and readers often say it helped them make sense of themselves or someone they love. It ranks #17 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 92.1 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Body Keeps the Score about?
Psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk spent more than thirty years working with survivors of war, abuse and disaster, and this is what he learned: trauma isn't only a memory, it reshapes the brain and the body, leaving people stuck in fear long after the danger has passed. He walks through the science of how that happens, then through the treatments that are helping people recover, from talk therapy and EMDR to yoga, theater and neurofeedback.
How long does it take to read The Body Keeps the Score?
About 12 hours (466 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Body Keeps the Score?
If you liked it, try The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt, When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi or The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee.