Rarely do I come across a book that inspires me just as much as my kids. However, Whats Your Red Ball is that book. This book is like no other book you’ve ever seen.  It is about how to overcome adversity and find your true passion.  As an adult, we all need to do this too, so this book, while geared at kids, can certainly get you thinking as an adult.  The author of this book, Kevin Carroll, went from an abandoned child with a love of sports to working for the Air Force, Philadelphia 76ers, and Nike.  His story, which is how the book starts, makes you want to be all you can be.  The book itself gives you the material to make your own “box of magic”.  This box is all about your gifts, your talents, your aspirations, your interests, and your hopes.  The rest of the book tells you how to figure out how to decorate and fill your box.  There are questions you need to answer and excercises you need to do, but by the end, you will have figured out whats your red ball.

Your age does not matter for this book.  At 31, I find inspiration in it.  This book is perfect for anyone who has lost their path in life and for those who are just finding it now.

Did you know that a lot of what you use to make ourselves look better is actually doing the exact opposite? A lot of the time they contain toxins and preservatives (everything from synthetic fragrances to petrochemicals to formaldehyde) that are bad for you and even worse, bad for the environment. The Green Beauty Guide is a book that tries to show you the way to a natural beauty. By reading this book, you will learn how to decipher product labels without needing a masters degree and avoid the really bad chemicals (check out the toxic ingredient list). I especially learned a lot in Chapter 3 about understanding what you are paying for. They completely breakdown who all gets your money when you buy a product and how much the ingredients for said product really are. It will floor you when you realize how many middleman there really are. Not only does this book tell you what not to use, it lets you know what products are good and safe for you and environment. It has all the latest research on the best organic products including makeup, hair care, tooth care, skincare, sun protection, and baby products just to name a few. There are even some DIY recipes to try out.

This is a book all women should get their hands on. It is very scary to see what ingredients our makeup has that is doing harm to both us and environment. However, this book can also send us to a better path for makeup and other items that are green. It is definitely a good, informative read.