Colors of Influence Reviews

"The Two Oceans" by Martin Tiongson is a thoughtful blend of memoir, philosophy, and practical guidance on life, finance, and business. Through a series of personal stories—ranging from fostering a timid cat to navigating business negotiations and financial setbacks—Tiongson explores universal themes of resilience, self-discovery, and the search for meaning. Drawing inspiration from Stoicism, Zen Buddhism, and Jungian psychology, he reflects on the importance of mindfulness, balance, and embracing change as tools for navigating everyday challenges and persevering through adversity. The book's title symbolizes the balance between inner and outer worlds, consciousness and the unconscious, and the interplay of opposites such as yin and yang. Tiongson writes that he was inspired by the image of two whales circling each other as he set out to chronicle his personal journey toward self-discovery, harmony, and temperance. Grounded by emotional support from family and friend...

For men who have inherited and internalized harmful scripts about masculinity, unlearning generational patterns and encouraging accountability is the work of a lifetime. Catherine McNeil dedicates her latest book, "I've Got Nothing to Say…," to her son SJ as she explores the complexities of manhood, emotional vulnerability, accountability, and breaking generational cycles with remarkable tenderness and unflinching honesty. McNeil uses the format of a heartfelt letter, blending storytelling with practical advice and reflective prompts to create an intimate conversation with her reader. Throughout the book, she emphasizes that men are not defined by their past or inherited patterns, but by the choices they make moving forward. She encourages breaking the silence, embracing vulnerability, and building a legacy of honesty and growth. The book serves as both a personal message to her son and a universal call for men to closely examine what constitutes ideas and manifestatio...

A ghost reflects one’s feelings, a jellyfish longs for a life she never lived, and estranged friends share homemade meals in a busy city. "With the Heart of a Ghost: Stories" offers moving, heartfelt reflections on loss, grief, and personal transformation. This debut short-story collection by South Korean author Lim Sunwoo, translated by Chi-Young Kim, includes eight stories centered on characters living in cities where genuine connection can be difficult to find. Yet each story shows how people continue to seek understanding, comfort, and belonging despite loneliness and emotional distance. Through small, everyday moments, the book reveals unexpected joy, tenderness, and clarity. With touches of fantasy and magic, the collection opens a window into the emotional lives of its characters. It explores the lengths people will go to in order to avoid pain or sadness, while also showing how grief can lead to self-awareness and a deeper human connection. I especially appreciat...

In "How Western Christianity Got It Wrong," Randy Woodley examines how Christianity has been exploited by oppressive regimes throughout history to advance colonial aspirations, justify racial hierarchies, and legitimize land dispossession. Woodley dismantles flaws in how modern Christians understand the gospel by addressing commonly misunderstood concepts, such as biblical authorship and doctrines of war. He guides readers through the development of Western theology, historicizing how present-day beliefs about sin and salvation evolved. Woodley argues that “Platonic dualism” created dogma that justified societal inequalities and environmental degradation. Drawing from his decades-long ministry in Native American Christian churches, Woodley reclaims Christianity’s Indigenous roots. He draws parallels between the teachings of Christ and Indigenous knowledge to illuminate a spiritual movement originally anchored in right relationship, hospitality, generosity, and kindness tow...

Janis A. Fairbanks, a member of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, offers a heartfelt memoir that recounts cherished summers spent with her grandmother on the reservation. Through intimate recollections, “Sugar Bush Babies” captures the deep connection between family and land. She relays a bond to places and people whose love and nurturing stand in sharp contrast to the hectic pace of city life in Duluth, Minnesota. Fairbanks’ memoir is an important contribution to Indigenous literature, as she adds a vital personal voice to a genre that has long been underrepresented. The book is organized into three chapters named after the places that shaped her understanding of Fairbanks’ world as a young Indigenous woman: Bena, Duluth, and Fond du Lac. The memoir traces the author’s journey across these interconnected spaces. She weaves in her grandmother's stories of boarding school experiences, her father’s work as a lumberjack, and interaction with her young friends. In eac...

"Healing the Land Teaches Us Who We Are" by Maceo Carrillo Martinet, PhD, is a compelling and timely exploration of Indigenous wisdom as a living, practical science — one with deep implications for how humanity responds to the climate crisis. Martinet’s central argument is both simple and radical: Indigenous peoples have always known how to care for the Earth, and the world would do well to listen. From the Maghreb communities of Northern Africa, whose age-old practice of “blooming the desert” coaxes life from parched landscapes, to the Karuk tribe of the Pacific Northwest, whose tradition of “good fire” has long nurtured healthy forests, Martinet draws on rich fieldwork and case studies to illuminate how communities around the world are re-membering and reclaiming Indigenous science to restore damaged ecosystems. Reclaiming land-based cultural traditions of ecological restoration opens the way for cultural resistance and sovereignty. Martinet challenges dominant Weste...

Granddaughter Crow’s "Hózhǫ́" offers a refreshing framework for self-understanding rooted in Indigenous wisdom rather than Western psychology. As a well-respected Navajo medicine woman, the author (Dr. Joy Gray) presents four bodies of existence—physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual—each with its own intelligence that operates independently yet relationally. This integrated approach forms the foundation for healing and authentic living. The book’s embedded journal prompts transform it from a theoretical text into a practical guide for genuine self-exploration. In my experience decolonizing spaces, I found the author’s approach particularly insightful for those unlearning colonial mindsets, no matter where they are on the journey. What distinguishes Hozho is Granddaughter Crow’s layered authority and hybridity. As a biracial woman who navigated her Native identity and Dutch heritage, she was also raised as a Christian yet answered her calling to shamanic practice. In h...