Overview

What if everything we think we know about America's health crisis is wrong? Hidden in government data lies a shocking discovery: childhood trauma is responsible for 1,401 American deaths every single day-more than tobacco, accidents, or stroke. Among the 11.4 million Americans who experienced severe childhood trauma, every one will die 24 years too soon. Nearly 90% of teen suicide attempts trace back to adverse childhood experiences. And this epidemic costs America $14 trillion annually-roughly 60% of our entire GDP. We've been counting the bodies wrong. When someone with severe childhood trauma dies of a heart attack at 55 instead of 75, we record it as heart disease. When they overdose, it's addiction. When they take their own life, it's suicide. But these aren't separate epidemics-they're symptoms of the same hidden crisis that's been destroying lives for generations. Michael J. Menard knows this crisis firsthand. Growing up one of fourteen children in a 900-square-foot home below the poverty line, he watched childhood trauma ripple through his family-claiming two brothers to addiction and leaving invisible wounds across generations. Yet from these origins, Menard rose to become a world-renowned inventor with fourteen patents, advising NASA and the United Nations, and serving as Vice President of Worldwide Engineering at Johnson & Johnson. Greater Than Gravity isn't just another trauma book. It's a meticulously researched exposé that connects dots no one else has connected-revealing how childhood trauma alters brain development, ravages the immune system, and creates cascading destruction across mental, physical, spiritual, and social dimensions of life. Menard brings his engineer's mind to humanity's greatest unaddressed public health crisis, transforming cold statistics into compelling human stories while offering concrete pathways to healing. With endorsements from leading trauma experts including Dr. Glenn Schiraldi, this groundbreaking work serves three audiences: survivors seeking hope and healing, loved ones who want to understand, and anyone ready to join a movement to end this epidemic. The numbers are irrefutable. The suffering is real. The time for action is now.

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9781968559014

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Reviews

""Truly a beacon of hope, illuminating the path to wholeness and self-empowerment."" As a therapist treating adults, I'm constantly seeking deeper understand- ing of trauma and healing pathways. Menard delivers exactly that-and more. Childhood trauma casts a long shadow on an individual's life, and this book illuminates every corner of that shadow with remarkable clarity. The detailed explanations and logical progression make complex trauma concepts accessible to any reader, regardless of background knowledge. What sets this work apart is its perfect balance: comprehensive in- formation presented through digestible methods that empower rather than overwhelm. Readers gain both understanding and actionable tools to combat this epidemic. I cannot recommend Greater Than Gravity strongly enough-it's genuinely eye-opening and transformative. Mary J. Dowd MA, LCAS, LCMHC, CCSEMDR Therapist & Clinical Supervisor, Treehouse Recovery Intensive Outpatient ProgramMICHAEL MENARD ""Hope remains, and this book is its voice."" In the ancient Greek myth, Zeus, ruler of the gods, was determined to punish humankind by sending Pandora to live among them with a sealed jar. Curious, she opened the seal, unwittingly releasing epidemics of sickness and famine and war. Since the turn of the 21st century, healthcare researchers and clini- cians have understood that sickness and violence and substance abuse and even early death have a common root, and that root is child- hood trauma. The original study that documented this truth has been replicated numerous times across a variety of cultures and countries. Yet somehow, policymakers and even many clinicians, have remained unknowing and thus powerless. In Pandora's jar, one thing remained: hope. Michael Menard's work is that hope. In Greater Than Gravity, he explains both the neurological and the societal impact of childhood trauma in ways both personal and accessibly academic, then offers a blueprint for a way forward. This is not only a book to be read-it is a book to be enacted for the sake of our children and our grandchildren. Hugh Marr, Ph.D., clinical psychologist Author of A Clinician's Guide to Foundational Story Psy- chotherapy: Co-changing Narratives, Co-changing Lives; and of Finding Your Story: Using Archetypes to Guide Your Personal Journey; co-author (with Carol Pearson, Ph.D.) of the Pearson-Marr Archetype IndicatorGREATER THAN GRAVITY ""This book will inspire action and foster the change our world so desperately needs."" In writing this (sadly) very necessary and important book, Greater Than Gravity, Michael Menard has demonstrated true bravery and dedication. With passion and purpose, he masterfully weaves lived experiences, personal stories, science, and a wealth of research to reveal the urgent need to address childhood trauma-not only for individuals, but for our communities and society as a whole. What touched me most is the clear emphasis on prevention and hope, especially the clarity given to the essential need for secure attachment in the earliest days of life. Greater Than Gravity is sure to make a significant contribution to the growing movement toward healing and prevention. Deborah McNelis, M.Ed. Author of The First 60 Days, Founder, Brain Insights and creator of Neuro-Nurturing

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