The Boy Who Felt Too Much

Book Review of Lorenz Wagner “The Boy Who Felt Too Much”
Out November 19th
By Michael Uram, MA, LMFT, LPCC

Lorenz Wagner’s new book about Henry Markram’s pursuit of a treatment that will help his son is funny, heartwarming, and saddening. It is fascinating to read about the journey that a neuroscientist father and his son are going through to understand both of their challenging emotions and behaviors. So many families can relate to the obstacles to peacefulness that Kai faces; the loneliness, the rejection, the confusion.
In “The Boy Who Felt Too Much,” we follow the story of Henry, who is creating a working model of the brain that is leading to the rapid evolution of research on the human mind. He and his wife start noticing signs that his son is struggling in some areas and excelling in others. Henry has met his match with his impulsive, loving, caring, angry and unpredictable son. In their pursuit of answers, they are met with more questions. Throughout the book, he struggles to find an answer and hold his family together physically and emotionally; whether they are in Israel, the US, Switzerland or on sabbatical in India. The later chapters, which are a bit heavy on neuroscience, describe the scientific method in an intense yet kind parenting model that befuddles his fellow professionals.
Overall, this is an engaging and easy to read peek into the life of an unusual family figuring out how to adapt to an unpredictable and intense world that their son lives in. This book gives you a taste of the Intense World Theory of Autism, while telling it through a family narrative in a light-hearted, saddening, enlightening and hopeful journey towards understanding how to help someone with a brain that may have too many local connections and not enough global awareness to find consistent happiness.
Michael Uram, MA, LMFT, LPCC is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor that specializes in Asperger’s, ADHD and Autism in Southern California. He is the CEO of Uram Family Therapy, an assessment and treatment center that uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) to help individuals learn the skills to confidently be themselves and for couples and families to emotionally connect.
Michael requested and received an advance review copy of this title from Arcade Publishing.