Whoopi Goldberg is the author of the Sugar Plum Ballerinas books, as well as
Whoopi’s Big Book of Manners, illustrated by Olo. She has won a Tony, an Emmy, an Oscar, and a Grammy, as well as two Golden Globes. In 2001, she was awarded the prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. Whoopi Goldberg has appeared in scores of films and is a host of ABC's
The View. She lives in New York and Vermont.
M. E. Hecht, MD, is a renowned surgeon continuing to bring innovation and healing to the world. A published author, freelance writer, and orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Hecht is a recognized expert with degrees from Yale, Columbia University, and The State University of New York, in addition to advanced study in Davos, Switzerland. After receiving her medical degree, Dr. Hecht became the Assistant Chief of Orthopedics at Elmhurst Hospital, an affiliate of Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Always a brave innovator, she created the first ambulatory care unit for Cabrini Hospital and later established the country’s first group of surgeons devoted solely to rendering second opinions for elective surgery, The Hecht Group Second Surgical Opinion Institution.
Now in her nineties, Dr. Hecht continues to present, write, and contribute as a medical expert to a variety of international publications on strength, exploration, care, and aging. Her philanthropic endeavors abound, including helping young artists by cofounding The Singers Development Foundation. She believes in growing older, growing into it, but never “out of it.” Her promise to do no harm still goes strong.
