Carolyn Scott Kortge is an award-winning journalist, a former competitive racewalker, a public speaker, and a cancer survivor. She is the author of The Spirited Walker: Fitness Walking for Clarity, Balance, and Spiritual Connection. Healing Walks for Hard Times is a jewel of a book for anyone who is seeking a healing balm. Kortge presents an eight-week guided program designed to generate renewed energy; physical fitness; emotional strength; and the healing of mind, body, and spirit. This walking program can be used by regular exercisers, non-exercisers, and even former athletes. Walking also provides us with a journey of self-discovery. Julia Cameron has written about this in The Vein of Gold:

"Walking opens us up. It feeds us. As we do the work necessary to shape and reshape our lives. . .we can walk our way out of 'problem' and into 'solution.' "

In the eight chapters covering the program, Kortge provides the following subject matter: A Healthy Step (the Immune System); A Healthy Spirit (Energy); A Healthy Mind (Mood); A Healthy Self-Image (Muscles); A Healthy Rhythm (Joints); A Healthy Attitude (Brains); A Healthy Heart (Heart); A Healthy Habit (Feet). She delivers thoughtful treatments of the value of cognitive override in the battle against inertia, integrating mindfulness into your walks, the importance of silence during exercise, maintaining discipline, the value of self talks, the connection between wellness and movement, and the impact of walking on aging.