The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog

After reading this book, I changed my entire view on how the brain works and how easily those around us can shape us. Dr Perry talks about some of the worst cases of childhood trauma and neglect.

In one story, a boy was raised as a dog, so he grew up believing he was one. This shows how our environment shapes us during our formative years. We are the products of our upbringing; for some, that’s great, but for others, we grow up to tell stories about ourselves that aren’t ours.

So, people never go on to do what they… show more.

I had been wanting to read this book for a long while but knew that it deserved setting aside a good chunk of time to really appreciate it! I finally picked it up during the first COVID lockdown and was fully engaged from the very first page.

This is the very best book that I have ever read on childhood trauma. For me, this book was like doing a specialist course in neuroscience. I learned so much about how adversity and extreme stress affect a child’s brain. However,  despite dealing with harrowing material, the authors never lose their focus on… show more.

This is an important book for anyone working with children and youth. High-risk youth do not just appear; they have had very difficult and traumatic experiences starting at a very young age.

The stories shared in this book are powerful and help illustrate how the brain works for children growing up in, or experiencing, toxic environments. This will help social workers, psychologists, youth workers, outreach workers, foster and adoptive parents, teachers, police, childcare workers, and coaches to understand and make sense of what is going on for these children. It can help to not take things personally when children and… show more.

A harrowing series of accounts outlining the impact trauma has on children. As someone who has little capacity for hearing horrible stories of damaged lives because it makes me so sad, Perry has been sensitive and gentle. Read this to understand trauma, and to learn how to build resilience.

Despite its sobering title, this book is both uplifting and inspiring. Bruce Perry has worked with traumatized children for most of his professional career, and has trained hundreds of therapists and other professionals. These stories are both fascinating and hopeful, and provide a template for helping children who have been wounded by life and by those they trusted—and unfortunately, there are many such children in this world. Whether you’re a parent, a professional, or simply someone who wants to understand what happens to us along the road of life, this book is a valuable read.