Rei
I had never read a book that felt like it hated its readers, until I read this one.
I had never read a book that felt like it hated its readers, until I read this one.
A decent book for those looking for an introduction to trauma and the brain. It does a good job of normalizing and depersonalizing trauma response as a part of the human condition. It presents the neuroscience of trauma in a simple and relatable way and gives readers actionable suggestions.
I liked the addition of a Buddhist perspective, but would have liked more direction to Buddhist resources. After all, sangha is part of healing, and a secular take on Buddhist psychology lacks much of the deeper wisdom and long-lasting change that Buddhist practice can provide.
Overall, it's a decent book for those who are fairly new to the concepts or those who have never sought professional mental health support. So, why only three stars?
First, while I have no issue with the book's casual tone, or even the profanity (although, if every other word is an F-bomb, it really loses all meaning and emphasis), it's with the lazy grammar and usage. Someone with a PhD writing a work of non-fiction should know how to use ‘literally' correctly and that it's ‘strength' not ‘strongness'. Seriously, where was the editor?
The other thing that bothered me applies only to the audiobook edition. Unfuck Your Brain is hands-down the worst audiobook I have ever heard. It sounds like it was recorded at max gain on a phone in a closet and then edited by the neighbor kid. The noise floor is ear-ringingly high, the sound quality is poor and the editing is a hot mess. You can hear doubled up words where the reading was spliced and even hear someone else speaking in the background and giving cues. At some points it sounds like a family member walks in and starts casually speaking. It's also read by the author and, well... let's just say that it makes a clear case for knowing when to diy and when to bring in a professional.
This book may be for you if you're looking for a simple intro to the brain science of trauma related in a very casual, irreverent way. If that's not you, you can safely skip this title and spend your time better elsewhere. Whatever you do though, don't listen to the audiobook.
A decent book for those looking for an introduction to trauma and the brain. It does a good job of normalizing and depersonalizing trauma response as a part of the human condition. It presents the neuroscience of trauma in a simple and relatable way and gives readers actionable suggestions.
I liked the addition of a Buddhist perspective, but would have liked more direction to Buddhist resources. After all, sangha is part of healing, and a secular take on Buddhist psychology lacks much of the deeper wisdom and long-lasting change that Buddhist practice can provide.
Overall, it's a decent book for those who are fairly new to the concepts or those who have never sought professional mental health support. So, why only three stars?
First, while I have no issue with the book's casual tone, or even the profanity (although, if every other word is an F-bomb, it really loses all meaning and emphasis), it's with the lazy grammar and usage. Someone with a PhD writing a work of non-fiction should know how to use ‘literally' correctly and that it's ‘strength' not ‘strongness'. Seriously, where was the editor?
The other thing that bothered me applies only to the audiobook edition. Unfuck Your Brain is hands-down the worst audiobook I have ever heard. It sounds like it was recorded at max gain on a phone in a closet and then edited by the neighbor kid. The noise floor is ear-ringingly high, the sound quality is poor and the editing is a hot mess. You can hear doubled up words where the reading was spliced and even hear someone else speaking in the background and giving cues. At some points it sounds like a family member walks in and starts casually speaking. It's also read by the author and, well... let's just say that it makes a clear case for knowing when to diy and when to bring in a professional.
This book may be for you if you're looking for a simple intro to the brain science of trauma related in a very casual, irreverent way. If that's not you, you can safely skip this title and spend your time better elsewhere. Whatever you do though, don't listen to the audiobook.
