What Happened to You?What Happened to You?
What it's about
Bruce Perry, a psychiatrist who studies childhood trauma, and Oprah Winfrey, who survived abuse as a child, talk about how early experiences shape our brains and lives. They argue that instead of asking 'What's wrong with you?' we should ask 'What happened to you?', and explain how understanding trauma can help people heal.
Why it's worth reading
It was a Goodreads Choice finalist and a bestseller. It's an accessible introduction to the science of trauma.
You'll love it if you liked
The Body Keeps the Score
What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing From Complex Trauma
The Anxious GenerationGood to know
It's written as a conversation. It discusses abuse.
By the numbers
- Readers90 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller66 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 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
- #17 of the 85 self-help and business books we rank
- #27 of the 119 science and ideas books we rank
- #63 of the 481 new books we rank
- #352 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Practical, Thought-provoking
If you like this, read next
Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity
Four Thousand Weeks: Time and How to Use It
The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture
The Let Them Theory
Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know
Atomic HabitsExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Science and ideas booksTop 25 · 119 ranked
Self-help and business booksTop 25 · 85 ranked
New booksTop 25 · 481 rankedBooks of the 2020sTop 25 · 555 ranked
Fantasy booksTop 25 · 459 ranked
Mysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 555 ranked
Literary novelsTop 25 · 309 ranked
Memoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 rankedQuick answers
Is What Happened to You? worth reading?
Yes. It was a Goodreads Choice finalist and a bestseller. It ranks #352 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 80.7 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is What Happened to You? about?
Bruce Perry, a psychiatrist who studies childhood trauma, and Oprah Winfrey, who survived abuse as a child, talk about how early experiences shape our brains and lives. They argue that instead of asking 'What's wrong with you?' we should ask 'What happened to you?', and explain how understanding trauma can help people heal.
How long does it take to read What Happened to You??
About 8 hours (304 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after What Happened to You??
If you liked it, try The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk, What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing From Complex Trauma by Stephanie Foo or The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt.