If Books Could Kill
Michael Hobbes & Peter Shamshiri
The Body Keeps The Score
SummaryIn this episode of If Books Could Kill, the hosts provide a critical examination of Bessel van der Kolk’s influential 2014 bestseller, The Body Keeps the Score. While acknowledging that the book serves as a vital resource for many readers by validating the physical symptoms of trauma and highlighting the importance of structural social factors, the hosts argue that the text is marred by outdated and scientifically debunked theories. The discussion focuses on several key areas where the author deviates from modern psychological consensus. The hosts analyze van der Kolk’s reliance on the "Triune Brain" model and the "polyvagal theory"—concepts they clarify have been largely discarded by contemporary neuroscience. Furthermore, they express significant concern over the author’s use of the Rorschach test, which they characterize as pseudoscience. The episode also critiques the book’s clinical vignettes, specifically an anecdote involving a Vietnam veteran that the hosts argue lacks necessary ethical context. By cross-referencing these claims with trauma experts and current research, the podcast challenges the validity of the book’s central scientific framework while exploring why such a flawed text achieved massive, long-standing popularity.
Updated Jun 18, 2026
About This Episode
You know that book your friend recommended? The one that rigorously describes the science of trauma, de-stigmatizes abuse and promotes effective treatments? Well here’s the thing: It doesn't actually do that.
Thanks to Emi Nietfield, Keith Cox, Lisa Starr, Kevin McGuire and everyone else who helped us research and fact-check this episode!
Where to find us:
- Our Patreon
- Our merch!
- Peter's newsletter
- Peter's other podcast, 5-4
- Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase
Sources:
- What the Most Famous Book About Trauma Gets Wrong
- Trauma: A Genealogy
- Remembering Trauma
- Advocates of Research-Supported Treatments for PTSD are Losing
- Tell Me Why It Hurts
- ‘The Body Keeps the Score’ offers uncertain science
- Your Brain Is Not an Onion With a Tiny Reptile Inside
- PTSD and complex PTSD: a review of reviews
- What Does It Mean When 38% Forget?
- Multiple Identity Enactments and Multiple Personality Disorder: A Sociocognitive Perspective
- The Brain Is Adaptive Not Triune
Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod
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More Episodes
Think And Grow Rich
SummaryIn this episode of If Books Could Kill, the hosts dissect Napoleon Hill’s 1937 classic, Think and Grow Rich. While often hailed as the spiritual progenitor of modern self-help and the manifestation movement, the hosts argue that the book is a poorly written, pseudoscientific manual rooted in the "New Thought" philosophy of the era. Hill famously claims his success philosophy was derived from a secret passed down to him by Andrew Carnegie—a narrative the hosts reveal to be entirely fabricated. The episode moves beyond the text to explore the chaotic and fraudulent life of Napoleon Hill. Through detailed research, the hosts expose Hill as a lifelong grifter, detailing his history of multi-level marketing schemes, stock fraud, embezzlement from prison charities, and a series of dubious claims regarding his connections to high-profile figures like Woodrow Wilson and FDR. They highlight the irony that Hill only achieved financial success after selling a book about becoming rich to others. Ultimately, the hosts dismantle the "ancient wisdom" of the book, framing it as the work of a serial con artist whose only true expertise was in self-promotion and deception.
The Millionaire Next Door
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Elon Musk Part 2
Elon Musk
Sapiens
How To Win Friends And Influence People
Thomas Chatterton Williams' "Summer of Our Discontent"
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Malcolm Gladwell's "Blink"
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