What Happened to You? - Oprah Winfrey & Bruce D. Perry

What Happened to You?

By Oprah Winfrey & Bruce D. Perry

  • Release Date: 2021-04-27
  • Genre: Psychology
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 452 Ratings

Description

ONE MILLION COPIES SOLD
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Our earliest experiences shape our lives far down the road, and What Happened to You? provides powerful scientific and emotional insights into the behavioral patterns so many of us struggle to understand.


“Through this lens we can build a renewed sense of personal self-worth and ultimately recalibrate our responses to circumstances, situations, and relationships. It is, in other words, the key to reshaping our very lives.”—Oprah Winfrey

This book is going to change the way you see your life.

Have you ever wondered "Why did I do that?" or "Why can't I just control my behavior?" Others may judge our reactions and think, "What's wrong with that person?" When questioning our emotions, it's easy to place the blame on ourselves; holding ourselves and those around us to an impossible standard. It's time we started asking a different question.

Through deeply personal conversations, Oprah Winfrey and renowned brain and trauma expert Dr. Bruce Perry offer a groundbreaking and profound shift from asking “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?”

Here, Winfrey shares stories from her own past, understanding through experience the vulnerability that comes from facing trauma and adversity at a young age. In conversation throughout the book, she and Dr. Perry focus on understanding people, behavior, and ourselves. It’s a subtle but profound shift in our approach to trauma, and it’s one that allows us to understand our pasts in order to clear a path to our future—opening the door to resilience and healing in a proven, powerful way.

Reviews

  • Good book, especially understanding trauma with children

    4
    By Al3xis7
    The book does a great job in explaining how our brain reacts to trauma in general. And helps you understand things that can trigger trauma. The blog gives examples of different situations of traumatic events people went through in life and how certain behaviors they have are due to those traumas. I could not relate to the examples of trauma in the book. I personally wanted to see how my past and what happened to me affects my behaviors. Some things from the book I could relate to, but really have to take a deeper search. This book is great for those who want to understand child trauma and how that affects behavior.
  • Clinical/ Personal Development

    5
    By MkZ004
    This book goes into detail about what it is like working with people who have suffered from depression, anxiety disorders and traumatic experiences during their lives and how to support them through therapy and other interventions that can improve their lives and give them a chance to heal, improving their quality of life. This book is also great for anyone working in the mental health field who needs some help in relating more with their clients experience and understanding how they can be more effective at improving treatment options.
  • An Empathetic Question to Ask in Abnormal Situations

    5
    By MRSmithDen
    The best book I have ever read! It speaks to me as an individual on all levels of my human existence. I recommend it for personal, social, spiritual, and even political improvements. This content needs to be share and implemented within every human community. It contains the key to the healing and our world needs.
  • Gain a better understanding to “What happened to you?”

    5
    By fhiatldeaurcz
    I was recommended this book by my therapist while I was going through my postpartum depression stage. Parenting opens up and brings to the surface all of the childhood trauma and generational trauma that you hadn’t yet resolved. This book then helps you gain an understanding of “What happened to you?” Hence the title. It has made me think, made me open up my eyes and has reminded me to go back to forgiving myself and then forgiving others. I hope this books helps others as it has continued to help me.
  • A profound book!

    5
    By Miragroane
    One of the most profound books I’ve read in a long time. After reading this book, I look at people and their behaviors through a different lens.
  • Deep dive into understanding self & others

    5
    By MDWarner
    I loved every word in this book! It is so eye & soul- opening. The reader is able to self- reflect while also thinking of those close to them in a more loving and compassionate manner. It gives hope for the future generations that healing as a individual & nation can happen - if we first recognize the truths of what happened to us to then we can begin to understand what type & order of healing we need. This book is informational, explorative & revolutionary!
  • I read the whole book in one sitting

    5
    By iliana crager
    Amazing book!
  • Thank You Oprah and Dr. Perry….

    5
    By DahliaOlivia
    I know they will probably never read this…. But this book has changed my life in ways unimaginable. I recommend this book to everyone I know that has gone though something because it has helped me to break though so much emotional trauma that I have gone through in my life. It helped me to organize why I do what I do and how I react and why I react to things the way I do. It has helped me to break the generational trauma of my life and now that I am expecting a little one, it has opened my eyes and my heart to view the future in a more positive way. I cannot thank them enough. It truly has changed my life for the better.
  • A Remarkable Culmination of Memory-Making and Collaboration

    5
    By sunspower
    The personal and professional trajectories of Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Bruce Perry have crossed and run parallel long enough to culminate in this manifestation of wisdom informed by memories of research, stress, loss, grief, humility, resiliency, and practice. The application of this wisdom not only addresses how individuals resolve their memories of suffering, but how families, communities, nations, and even the human species may reach their potentials.
  • 💯 Ahmazing

    5
    By Fitnguapa
    What a remarkable and insightful read. I was fascinated by the way Dr Perry broke down the brain and it’s functions. I was truly at awe! The way you two wrote ethics book was just beautiful. I felt like you both were sitting along side me the entire read having a conversation and allowing me to par take in it. Thank you deeply for this gift to allow us to begin and understand trauma and how deeply connected to our brains. I was definitely touched, moved and inspired by many of the stories including Oprah’s. Thank you O as always for your authenticity and vulnerability. You have not only guided and mentored me from afar, but you have loved me as well. Namaste, Dinorah