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Reviews
Cabo & Coral’s Secret Surf Spot!
The moment I opened Cabo & Coral’s Secret Surf Spot! by San Diego surfer Dr. Udo Wahn, I couldn’t help but smile. The first page of this educational and inspirational children’s book featured young Cabo in a peace sign T-shirt taking a summer surf trip with his parents—in an electric Volkswagen bus with a license plate that said, “Aloha.”
This delightful adventure embodies the true meaning of Aloha through love, respect, kindness, and living in harmony with nature. Beyond catching incredible waves, the children in the book learn the value of a clean beach as they remember the three Rs: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. And leave only footprints in the sand!
Illustrator Hanna Daly’s vibrant art inspired me to linger on each page to appreciate the detail of her work, drawing me into the characters’ magical world of adventure. As the family camps out on a gorgeous site along the coast and gazes at the darkened sky, I, too, was able to identify the Big and Little Dippers illuminating the night.
The spiritual element of surfing is eloquently woven into this tale, bringing it depth while remaining lighthearted and fun as dolphins play and seagulls swoop upon a dreamlike surf spot that makes me want to run to the ocean—never mind that it’s winter!
As an environmental activist, Dr. Wahn puts the valuable lessons of this stellar children’s book into action by donating a portion of all proceeds to the Surfrider Foundation. Cabo & Coral’s Secret Surf Spot! is a must for any child or ageless lover of the ocean.
Cabo & Coral’s Secret Surf Spot! $17.95, is available through caboandcoral.com. – EP
The Hero and the Goddess
Life can be seen as a journey of personal transformation — a landscape upon which we experience painful setbacks and thrilling successes. It is often through the challenges that we grow and become stronger. This is how everyday heroes come to be.
The Dark Age of Greece gave rise to Homer, the epic poet who introduced us to Odysseus. On his journey home from the Trojan War some 3000 years ago, Odysseus encounters many struggles in The Odyssey on what becomes an arduous path to self-discovery. The Hero and the Goddess: The Odyssey as Pathway to Personal Transformation, by Jean Houston, is an inspiring retelling of this classic tale.
As the principal founder of the Human Potential Movement, Houston has dedicated her life to the study of human experience and development. She presents Odysseus as not only a hero, but as an archetype to propel us on our own journeys. With a foreword by Marianne Williamson, this enlightening book delivers a step-by-step guide to achieve transformation. Each chapter contains an exercise with suggested music, script and materials in which you might find yourself dressing up in costume or enjoying chocolate mousse (recipe included)! Who ever said that integrating the ancient wisdom of Homer’s Odyssey into our modern-day lives couldn’t be fun?
Houston has given us the tools and it is now up to us to follow that path and manifest the hero within us.
The Hero and the Goddess, $16.95, Quest Books, is available at questbooks.net. For more information on Jean Houston, visit jeanhouston.org. – DG