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"Art is the only way to run away without leaving home."
--Twyla Tharp

Mojo is energy and power, and the big question is how does a burned- out mom find a starting point that will allow her to reconnect with her inner power source?

The good news is that the answer does not have to involve more work, it involves play. I believe that creativity is the underutilized secret weapon of motherhood.

Sure, we play with our kids all the time, but it's not the kind of play where we let ourselves go. When we play with our kids we're usually still guiding them, watching out for everyone, making sure to stay "appropriate." What moms need is a chance to let our minds roam freely, to think wild thoughts, to have a taste of mental privacy.

In Mojo Mom I explore many ways to bring a sense of creativity into our lives. I truly believe that all mothers are artists. When you rev up your mojo it can flow to other areas of your life. Art, whether it's music, dance, crafts, or drama, generates sense of joy that permeates the rest of your day.

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When my kids were younger and I wanted to have a difficult conversation with one of them, I would wait until we were driving alone in the car. I found that it was easier for me to broach the subject when my gaze was fixed on the road, and it was more likely I would get some feedback if my son or daughter didn't have to make eye contact either. In that circumstance the avoidance of eye contact fostered intimacy.

But most of the time intimacy is, for me, precisely about eye contact. I need to see facial expressions, even the mouth moving, in order to continue the conversation, and I need to see something in the eyes in order to go deeper into my feelings. People in love are all about eye contact. Eye contact is also the source of the momentary intimacy of two strangers acknowledging that, for example, that they both found the way a fellow customer was behaving out of line, or that they both noticed how cute the cocker spaniel in the middle of the sidewalk is.

Internet intimacy is something new for me, both disconcerting and intriguing. Virtual communities offer none of the visual cues I am used to. But they also eliminate other - often harmful - visual clues that enable someone to judge someone else by looks, accent, or station in life. In terms of content, there are almost no barriers, and no consequences. For women in particular, it is exhilarating to express ourselves without concerns for propriety or hurt feelings.

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April is National Autism Awareness Month, and the entire globe celebrated World Autism Day on Thursday, April 2.

The National Institute of Health (NIH) describes autism as "a developmental disorder that appears in the first 3 years of life, and affects the brain's normal development of social and communication skills."

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has identified a spectrum of related disorders. "Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), also known as Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDDs), cause severe and pervasive impairment in thinking, feeling, language, and the ability to relate to others. These disorders are usually first diagnosed in early childhood and range from a severe form, called autistic disorder, through pervasive development disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), to a much milder form, Asperger syndrome. They also include two rare disorders, Rett syndrome and childhood disintegrative disorder."

The genesis of the disorder is a hot-button issue amongst parents and medical professionals, and the subject of extensive research and heated debates. At Penguin we have a number of books by a variety of authors that inform, educate, sympathize and share the inspiring and heart-breaking experiences of families affected by autism.

Today, in honor of National Autism Month, we are featuring Jenny McCarthy's new book entitled Healing and Preventing Autism, and her other titles that discuss her opinions and experiences of autism, a disorder that has affected her life in a very personal way.

» Bryan Burrough discusses his book about the big Texas oil families and whether or not the myths about Texas oil wealth are true.

» Listen to other Penguin Podcasts.

» Read more about The Big Rich

Bryan Burrough, The Big Rich, Podcast