TITLE: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: JUDY HERMAN: TRUTH & REPAIR

I’m writing to recommend a remarkable new book, Truth and Repair: How Trauma Survivors Envision Justice (Basic Books—Hardcover, Kindle, eBook, Audio CD, Audible.com Audiobook), by a giant in our field, Dr. Judith Herman.

Here’s a brief bio:

Judith L. Herman M.D. is a Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and co-founder of the Victims of Violence Program at The Cambridge Hospital, MA. She is the author of two award-winning books: Father-Daughter Incest (Harvard University Press, 1981) and Trauma and Recovery (Basic Books, 1992) which have been translated into numerous languages and reprinted editions. Considered one of the world’s leading experts in the field of psychological trauma, Herman has lectured widely on the subject of sexual and domestic violence. She has received numerous awards including: a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1984, the 1996 Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, and the 2000 Woman in Science Award from the American Medical Women’s Association. In 2007 she was named a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.

The reviews have been stunning. Here’s a small sampling:

“Herman has written some of the most seminal, life-changing books on violence against women. Here in her new book, Truth and Repair, she does something even more radical. She listens to the survivors themselves and skillfully shapes their voices and wisdom into a practical and truly enlightened road map for our future. Every word rang true and essential.” ―V (formerly Eve Ensler), playwright of The Vagina Monologues

“For thirty years, every single book written about the impact of trauma has stood on the shoulders of Herman’s groundbreaking book Trauma and Recovery. Now, thirty years later, we receive a bookend to that masterpiece, examining how survivors of gender-based violence seek justice and healing. Truth and Repair is a deeply researched and thought-provoking book offering hope and healing for victims of violence, many of whom have felt betrayed, ignored, or retraumatized by existing larger societal institutions.” ―Michelle Bowdler, author of Is Rape a Crime?

“Herman’s earlier studies of abuse of women and children recast our understanding of trauma. Now, in Truth and Repair, she comes full circle in describing how initially powerless victims can, through innovative social arrangements, achieve hard-won survivor justice. In the process, we learn much about what justice really means for traumatized people. Herman’s perspective is deeply humane and grounded in historical and political reality. Her work stands alone in its arc and originality.” ―Robert Jay Lifton, MD, Columbia University

“Three decades after the publication of her foundational Trauma and Recovery, Herman brilliantly confronts us with another vital, but much ignored, aspect of recovery: social justice. Justice is an essential component for healing the godforsaken sense of humiliation and abandonment so central in traumatizing experiences. When justice is denied, trauma’s imprint is likely to fester in the form of helpless rage. A magnificent and inspiring contribution with profound implications for the healing professions and for society at large.” ―Bessel van der Kolk, MD, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Body Keeps the Score

“This book is a revelation. With careful precision and dogged research, Judith Herman offers us not only a diagnosis of our most pressing social ailments, but a prescription for healing. Rarely does a book offer this level of insight, hope and remedy.” ―Rachel Louise Snyder, author of No Visible Bruises

“Through masterful storytelling, Judith Herman charts the course from trauma to justice and compels us to follow it. An inspiring and practical call to action, Truth and Repair celebrates survivors’ wisdom and their power to heal themselves and the world we live in.”
―Anita Hill

The book can be pre-ordered (it’ll be out March 14) from Basic Books, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, etc.

PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU ORDER TODAY THROUGH JANUARY 27 AT BN.COM, YOU CAN GET 25% OFF WITH CODE PREORDER25!

It would be great if everyone would pass the word about this new contribution to any lists or individuals who might be interested. Thanks!

Ken Pope

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