# The Body Keeps the Score

> A trauma book became a meme; its publisher later reported over 3 million copies sold.

- Owner: Bessel van der Kolk (author); Viking / Penguin Books (publisher)
- Kind: Book
- Sector: Media & publishing
- Seed date: 2014-09-25
- Observed peak date: Week of Sep 29, 2022
- Date basis: Observed peak within the documented measurement window; not an all-time maximum. Dates use the stated precision; chart positions are date anchors.
- Spread Score: 33 (Niche), v1.2
- Mechanics: Platform jump, Press loop, Maker origin, Controversy

## Summary

The book appeared in 2014 and later spread through memes and TikTok recommendations. Its highest seven-day Wikipedia total in the available December 2019 to October 2022 window ended in September 2022. Penguin later reported over 3 million copies sold.

## Timeline

- 2014-09-25 — Bessel van der Kolk / Viking (Retail) — Viking published The Body Keeps the Score in hardcover and ebook.
- 2014-11-05 — New Scientist / Shaoni Bhattacharya (Press) — New Scientist reviewed the book's account of trauma and treatment.
- Week of Sep 6, 2021 — US book buyers (Retail) — The weekly BookScan chart reported 15,259 copies sold and 376,435 year-to-date for the US paperback.

The full timeline, metrics and sources are on the case page, or via the Pro API (https://howitspread.com/developers).

Canonical URL: https://howitspread.com/cases/the-body-keeps-the-score

Cite as: How It Spread (2026). “The Body Keeps the Score.” Case HIS-01318. Spread Score v1.2: 33/100. Updated 2026-10-22. https://howitspread.com/id/HIS-01318