West of Jesus

"A wonderful and engaging book, West of Jesus provides a unique window into the neuroscience of belief. Woven into an enthralling surf narrative, Kotler's quest will appeal to anyone interested in understanding the connection between science, sport and spirituality."—Dr. Andrew Newberg, director of clinical nuclear medicine, University of Pennsylvania, and author of Why God Won't Go Away

"Steven Kotler's struggle with Lyme disease leads him on a journey, on a surf trip of sorts, where stories of a Conductor who can control the weather and the waves lead inexorably to a place where physics and metaphysics converge. Here is a strangely exciting tale of coincidence and serendipity sub-populated with shamans, Tibetan White Buddhists and kahunas at the intersection of Stoke and Karma. The Surf Quest, for Kotler, is experienced as a disturbingly real search for the Holy Grail."—Drew Kampion, author of The Way of the Surfer and The Lost Coast

"Laying to rest the myth of the illiterate beach boy, Kotler's absorbing book speaks to the kind of surfer/reader I've always known: intelligent, complex, curious, spiritually inclined, extraordinary. An unexpectedly moving treat, West of Jesus is just plain wonderful."—Joy Nicholson, author of The Tribes of Palos Verdes and The Road to Esmeralda

"After surviving a battle with Lyme disease, Kotler finds himself searching for a reason to live and turns to his love of surfing. The novelist and journalist travels to Mexico, where he hears a story about a magical being called 'the Conductor,' who controls the surf. Having heard the same tale eight years earlier while surfing in Indonesia, Kotler decides to seek out the legend's source while researching the inherent mysticism of surfers and their sport. Detailing his journey and findings, Kotler creates a work that combines the most compelling elements of memoir, travelogue and scholarly abstract into an accessible tale of physical and mental adventure. Up for anything, Kotler seeks out big waves, bungee jumping and a risky helicopter ride. He also delves into far-flung topics: surfing's history, Joseph Campbell's work on myths, Jungian psychology, Zen Buddhism, government 'weather modification' experiments and the religious beliefs of islanders like the Maori and Hawaiians. The book reaches its peak when Kotler focuses on the inner workings of the human brain. His reasoning of how genetic and biological factors combine with physical and emotional experiences to create the spiritual 'funkytown' feeling unique to surfing is both enlightening and inspirational."—Publishers Weekly