Rating: 
Summary: I have this book and it's the light of my life.
Review: I was lost in my symptoms of trauma, not knowing what to do. I didn't know I had PTSD, but I bought this book anyway and lo and behold it explained my symptoms very comprehensively. Some of the book is not written for the survivors, I just skipped those chapters. This book is a must have for those lost at sea with PTSD symptoms. It saved my life.
Rating:
Summary: A "must-read" for just about everyone
Review: If you have experienced trauma or know people who have (which, unless you live a very limited life, you do), you need to read this book. It provides tremendous insight into the symptoms and internal dynamics of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)--especially severe or "complex" PTSD--and provides comfort to those who live in a society that rejects victims and their illness. When a trauma victim and his/her family feel confused and alone, a dose of Trauma and Recovery is good medicine. I find the second half of the book "Stages of Recovery" less helpful than the first half. It is dated. I wish Dr. Herman would write a new edition in which she would turn her compassion on the large number of people with complex PTSD who do NOT recover as well as highlighting new hope resulting from recent research.
Rating: 
Summary: Shows great courage
Review: In terms of the description of PTSD, this is an outstanding book, as everyone says it is. I won't summarize the plot again, as that has been done so well by other reviewers. My only problem (and why I'm giving it 4-stars) is that Herman does not credit her sources well enough. For example, Herman does not seem to credit Florence Rush with raising awareness that Freud chose to disbelieve his patients. This is a significant omission because the Freud story is so central to the story of trauma and recovery. But there are 2 things I'd really like to praise Herman for: 1. Having enough courage to stand up to the FMSF and take their opposition as a badge of honor (from the 1997 afterword). Thank you, Dr. Herman! Therapists have collapsed all over the place and given into their fears and refused to even let sexual abuse be discussed any more. I really appreciate that Herman has courage, which seems to be in short supply these days. 2. Asking the question 'where is the awareness of trauma as an important social problem? and who will care about it when we are gone?' also from the 1997 afterword. Herman is correct that today's generation of scientists seem obsessed with scientifically legitimizing their field, with rare exceptions, and as they do the 5000th study of brain chemicals involved in this or that memory process, one wonders: where has all the passion gone? And the social commitment? I am grateful to Herman for asking this question in print.
Rating:
Summary: A close analysis of traumatic stress
Review: In Trauma and Recovery, Herman takes a careful look at traumatic stress and prolonged trauma and redefines post-traumatic stress disorder, leading to one of the most influencial books for psychologists in any area. The book's audience is not, however, limited to the psychological world, for the subject of trauma and its societal impact is one of great importance. Herman is possibly the ultimate source concerning traumatic stress, and this book makes that very clear.
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Summary: Trauma Unraveled
Review: Judith Herman has succeeded in demystifying and de-genderizing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) through her analysis of survivors of incest, war, and domestic abuse. Her careful attention to rigorous research methodology coupled with a wholistic treatment of the social and individual legacies of incest and trauma through this work and Father-Daughter Incest has left a legacy of hope for survivors of PTSD. In a sea of well-intentioned but utterly lugubrious self-help books on PTSD and incest, Herman has managed to bring reason to the controversy surrounding both phenomena.
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Summary: Always Start with This Classic on PTSD!!
Review: Judith Herman has to be a Renaissance Woman, because this is a multi-dimensional, wide-ranging, compassionate, and brilliantly useful book that no therapist nor patient should be without. The examples come from years of clinical work and - very wisely - from works of literature too, which often do a better job of explaining this intense and baffling condition. Deserves it's reputation as a great classic in the field, and it's held up well over the years, too.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting, moving, and useful for survivors and therapists
Review: Judith Herman's book is an excellent resource for trauma survivors and their loved ones. As a social worker and a childhood rape survivor, I find Herman's perspective on human healing to be very important both professionally and personally. Herman is an exacting researcher, a compassionate clinician, a holistic thinker, and a hopeful comrade. I, for one, am deeply moved and helped by her book.
Rating:
Summary: therapists and survivors: read chapter 5
Review: Just read ch. 5 and you will be sold. As a person who has worked as a therapist with a variety of people and a variety of problems, I was stunned by the way that this book explains the impact of trauma. You need to read the concept of "complex ptsd," presented in ch. 6. Chs 5 and 6 elegantly present a framework for understanding people who have grown up in the fear of a terroristic household, whether with sexual abuse or not, whether with notable physical abuse or not. This framework acounts for the various problems suffered that are often described by clinicians as "borderline personality disorder," "somatization disorder," and other difficult/lets-ignore-them diagnoses. My feeling is that if you grew up in a scary, terroristic home, if you read chapter five you will believe this author was observing the whole time, and you may gain some insight into your own adult life and personality.
Rating:
Summary: So far, the Bible of Psychological Trauma Studies.
Review: Many might be turned off by the author's outright use of feminist pronouns when describing many of her case studies. However, being "turned off" by seeming feminist jargon is not going to be enough to discredit this deeply penetrating and important cultural work. Psychological trauma (despite trumpeted charges commanding that we see everything as "just fine") is, in my view as a student of psychology, at least 80% of the story of human civilization. This book begins with an excursion through the history of how psychiatrists first began to work with "hysterics" and continues on to describe how greater awareness of these concepts proliferated due to war veterans who exhibited a peculiar cluster of psychological symptoms. Herman continues with how awareness was spread as a result from such movements that dealt with civil and human rights. All of this information is useful and begs the question as to why studies of psychological trauma are rarely included in college undergrad curriculums for psychology. But the most meaningful and helpful aspect of this book for survivors and lay people alike is it's use of language. Rarely do we get a descriptive account(especially in the clinical arena) of the true sensorium of the traumatic event and it's aftermath. This takes a great deal of skill and devotion to do. Usually we find this in the work of underground poets or war movies that rely on graphic reality to express it's message (Stanley Kubrick's "Full Metal Jacket" comes to mind). The chapters are brave as they expose reality in the face of institutions and other demographics who would definitely punish such "pesky psycho-social critique." Herman is talented in being able to write about extremities without coming across as sensationalistic or melodramatic. The chapter on Child Abuse is especially helpful since, let's face it, most do not care to pursue or acknowledge the total experience of millions of children in America who are subject to brutality ranging from mere beatings with a belt to getting their skulls smashed in with hammers. Herman addresses these issues and affectively reels in the flaying, forgetful, and inattentive consciousness of those members of the masses who have a shread of compassion and intellectual insight.
Rating:
Summary: So far, the Bible of Psychological Trauma Studies.
Review: Many might be turned off by the author's outright use of feminist pronouns when describing many of her case studies. However, being "turned off" by seeming feminist jargon is not going to be enough to discredit this deeply penetrating and important cultural work. Psychological trauma (despite trumpeted charges commanding that we see everything as "just fine") is, in my view as a student of psychology, at least 80% of the story of human civilization. This book begins with an excursion through the history of how psychiatrists first began to work with "hysterics" and continues on to describe how greater awareness of these concepts proliferated due to war veterans who exhibited a peculiar cluster of psychological symptoms. Herman continues with how awareness was spread as a result from such movements that dealt with civil and human rights. All of this information is useful and begs the question as to why studies of psychological trauma are rarely included in college undergrad curriculums for psychology. But the most meaningful and helpful aspect of this book for survivors and lay people alike is it's use of language. Rarely do we get a descriptive account(especially in the clinical arena) of the true sensorium of the traumatic event and it's aftermath. This takes a great deal of skill and devotion to do. Usually we find this in the work of underground poets or war movies that rely on graphic reality to express it's message (Stanley Kubrick's "Full Metal Jacket" comes to mind). The chapters are brave as they expose reality in the face of institutions and other demographics who would definitely punish such "pesky psycho-social critique." Herman is talented in being able to write about extremities without coming across as sensationalistic or melodramatic. The chapter on Child Abuse is especially helpful since, let's face it, most do not care to pursue or acknowledge the total experience of millions of children in America who are subject to brutality ranging from mere beatings with a belt to getting their skulls smashed in with hammers. Herman addresses these issues and affectively reels in the flaying, forgetful, and inattentive consciousness of those members of the masses who have a shread of compassion and intellectual insight.
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