Body Bears the Burden

Post-traumatic stress syndrome, whiplash syndrome, and voodoo death are all examples of a "freeze" somatic responses to stress, according to a physician in practice for 30-plus years. Dr. Scaer presents his mind/brain/body model of traumatization, implications for therapy (including controversial "power therapies"), and case studies. Influences include Peter Levine (Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma, 1997) and Bessell van der Kolk (psychiatry, Boston U. School of Medicine); the latter supplies the foreword. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)