Kook: What Surfing Taught Me About Love, Life, and Catching the Perfect Wave
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Description
With grit, poetry, and humor, Peter Heller, acclaimed author of The River and The Whale Warriors recounts his remarkable journey of discovery—of surfing, an entirely new challenge; of the ocean’s beauty and power; of the strange surf subculture; of love; and, most of all, of how to seek adventure while crafting a meaningful life. Author of the New York Times bestselling novel The Dog Stars Winner of the National Outdoor Book Award for Literature Having resolved to master a big-hollow wave—that is, to go from kook (surfese for beginner) to shredder—in a single year, Heller travels from Southern California down the coast of Mexico in the company of his girlfriend and the eccentric surfers they meet. Exuberant and fearless, Heller explores the technique and science of surfing the secrets of its culture, and the environmental ravages to the stunning coastline he visits. As Heller plumbs the working of his own heart and finds joy in both love and surfing, he affords readers vivid insight into this fascinating world, with all of its perils and pleasures, its absurdity and wonder. Exhilarating, entertaining, and moving, Kook is a love story between a man and his surfboard, a man and his girlfriend, a not-so-old man and the sea. Read more
Publisher : Free Press
Publication date : July 13, 2010
Edition : 37565th
Language : English
Print length : 336 pages
ISBN-10 : 0743294203
ISBN-13 : 01
Item Weight : 10.4 ounces
Dimensions : 5.5 x 0.9 x 8.44 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #52,653 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #5 in Surfing #64 in Nature Writing & Essays #1,263 in Memoirs (Books)
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Top Amazon Reviews
Format: Paperback
Hello. Cute book full of sweet stories,surfing facts,sagisms. The author writes well, Compelling,Suspenseful until the end. I underlined & wrote notes in the book. Inspirational & Educational & Comforting, Even Humorous. I appreciate the author for writing this book- His narratives brought me joy !
Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2025 by Ana Calzadilla
Format: Paperback
A 48 year old journalist gets hooked on surfing and drops out of his normal life for 6 months to see how good he can become. That's the simple story but not the nuanced more complicated story. With him comes his current girlfriend, a real beauty he clearly loves but cannot decide the right course of action to move to the next step. Well, a 6 month trip living in the hardships of a VW van might test the relationship. Making her learn to surf also when it clearly isn't her dream can certainly test a budding relationship. So this book takes you through the nuances of surfing and relationships and shows how they are intertwined. For experienced surfers I'm not sure this book does anything for them other than mention quite a few great surfing spots in Mexico they may or may not know about. But for beginning surfers or those wanting to hear of spots other than Southern California, you can ignore the relationship parts and really dive in to this learning experience, the ups and downs, the break-through moments where you are suddenly on a wave at speeds never before achieved. I think the highlight of this book is the technical points mentioned that allow him to reach new levels. Little things like when to drop your chin in launching for a wave. Also, he was lucky to get sponsored and take down various sized boards creating a whole new level of advancement but also an entirely new set of problems on speed and paddling out as well as making the wave. This book was a welcome break for me that I enjoyed quite a bit and I recommend it for those interested in surfing or learning of the West Coast of Mexico.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2011 by Rick Spell
Format: Paperback
This book is an ocean of adventure, laughter, and thought. It is for people who love to laugh, big hearty addictive laughs. The kind of involuntary laughter you get when being tickled, you know what I mean...at least I hope you do. Tucked between the front and back covers of this book lives a celebration of life and a bit of self-help for your soul (and if relative, relationship). If you are old enough to read and learning to surf this book is absolutely essential to your growth. I'm not saying you are going to land that wave and ride it to shore or not purl. Rather it may help your psyche. It may let you know there is as much machismo out there as fear, that surfing just standing up on the board and riding a wave any wave is going to take time and lessons and the right board. It is not going to be easy, but it is going to be magical. When you surf you become part of a community and Peter Heller not only gives you directions to where this community lives, he invites you in. He challenges you to have a good time with life and pay attention. He and his girlfriend Kim are people you want not only to camp and surf with after reading this book (or maybe just 20 pages in), but people you want to get to know as neighbors or pen pals. Peter Heller is not perfect and he readily admits that, but who is and frankly who is going to fault someone who says you know what I'm not, but I'm so excited about so many things (surfing, the environment, travel, food, and his girlfriend) and I'm honest. Just do yourself a favor this winter and read the book. For $15 it is well worth it. I just loved it.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2011 by sharonk
Format: Paperback
Bought this as a gift for a friend who surfs, but usually doesn’t read. He loved it! He took it on his last surfing trip and said it was the perfect read while he was relaxing after a good day of surfing.
Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2025 by Jen Jela
Format: Paperback
Kook is a well written book and was entertaining to read. Near the end, Heller argues with himself whether the book is about love or surfing. I'd say it's really about neither. I thought the book was really about "mastery"--a concept Heller touches on and about which he writes somewhat perceptively. Heller doesn't seem as interested in surfing as in becoming a master surfer. He semi-idolizes the accomplished surfers he meets, notes how they seem "larger than themselves". He has a nice section where he notes we admire doctors, pilots, soldiers, shamans because they've "given themselves to a larger power" and let themselves be shaped by it, as surfers are shaped by the ocean. Heller clearly wishes he'd started surfing as a child. This is where the book kind of grated on me--Heller's personality irritated me, at least. He's having an admitted mid-life crisis at 45-48. While he seems to enjoy surfing, what he really craves is having mastery of the sport that would make him feel better about himself and ooze cool in the presence of others. This desire to be hipper than Thou is off-putting, for me at least, and apparently for a good number of other reviewers. Heller is obviously an accomplished writer and outdoorsman who's devoted many hours to being good at both. Why can't he be satisfied with that? What is so much better about surfing anyway? He never tells us and never seems to really reflect deeply on that question either. How would he feel about someone who decided they'd become an accomplished, and well reviewed author in six months? Hmmm? As other reviewers have noted, Heller can be very rude to other surfers and inconsiderate of his wife/girlfriend. Mastery in the field of general, human decency might be a good future goal for the author, as he seems to appreciate this quality in the other surfers he meets. In my own field, I've seen mid-life crisis, second career types eager to race to the head of the line-up and be recognized for their mastery and incredible coolness at having picked up something that usually takes a lifetime to figure out that you'll never really figure it out. That's well and good, except you get the sense they don't really love the subject as much as they love the idea of being better at it than anyone else and kind of lording that over the "kooks". Some things like medicine, flying, surfing, theology really take a lifetime to master and as Nathan from "Surfing" mag tried to tell Heller--it's really about a life path more than specific skills. If Heller had learned this lesson, it would have made a much better book. Sadly, he doesn't seem to have quite figured it out. Having also read and enjoyed much more "Dog Stars" my guess is that Heller's next mid-life crisis hobby was flying, and that he might have finally gained something like humility along this path... "Dog Stars" is a vastly better book than "Kook"! Finally, he never seems to get that his own embrace of surfing will produce more tacky resorts that destroy more mangroves, serve up more seafood from unsustainable fishing techniques, contribute more CO2 to the atmosophere, warm the planet further and hurt the oceans more. Heller (and his "aloha" lifestyle) are part of the problem, not the solution, especially with his very hefty carbon footprint from his new-found love of surfing. He claims surfing was about "loving the ocean". Uh... how exactly? All the flying, the driving with the old, high polluting "Beast" is making the situation worse. If you really love the ocean and the environment, stay home in Denver, travel less, and take more satisfaction in your writing and outdoor lifestyle, Peter! You're far more likely to achieve "mastery" in something you've loved and done all your life than in something you cotton on to in middle age... and the mark of a true master in any speciality, is usually that they don't make a big deal of mastery--they're too absorbed in doing what they truly love.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2013 by P. Martin
Format: Kindle
I enjoyed Heller's Dog Stars and really liked his writing style and the humanity that he conveyed in that story. Kook popped up on my suggestions list, and I decided to give it a try being a fellow kook myself. I enjoyed the beginning parts particularly, because he starts out learning to surf in Huntington, Bolsa, and Seal, which is where I surf most days. It was fun to read his descriptions of the various characters that you run into (if they are nice enough to talk to you). Heller also captures in writing the ephemeral joy that happens in just brief moments when you surf. You can really hear his addiction and attraction to it. There are times in the book where he gets sidetracked and preachy about the environment, but I do agree with him that surfers are also stewards of the ocean and must take an active stance on protecting it. His personal growth and development with his marriage was also insightful and a great part of the book. All in all it was a good read. If you are interested in surf and surf stories, I would highly recommend Finnegan's Barbarian Days as well.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2018 by Ferdinand Arcinue
Format: Paperback
A truthful book full of honest, hard-earned lessons told from the point of view of an endearing, humorous, driven man for whom the outdoors and adventure are as essential as breathing. It is about love for the ocean on the eve of her and our own extinction, about love for a woman, and about love for surfing. Although I tried and failed to surf only once in my life, by twenty pages into this account, I was convinced that the sport was the most sensuous and thrilling encounter with natural forces available to man or woman. Heller introduced me to a whole new lexicon of water words. He imbues each wave and beach with its own personality, and we see him adapting to and growing in prowess and humility with each encounter.
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Reviewed in the United States on November 28, 2010 by Julene Bair
Format: Kindle
An amazing journey from an extremely talented writer. As a once upon a time surfer from the 60s, I still remember the thrill of surfing and being near the ocean that the writer brought back so well. Loved every minute of reading his story!
Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2023 by Suzanne Kalafat