Reviewed by Norrie Sanders The Great Recession of 2007 – the one that Australians call the GFC – was a boon to economists. Book sales boomed as the very economists who had failed to predict the crash, tried to convince us that they knew why it occurred. If only those same economists could have predicted
Reviewed by Ian Lipke Heroes in literature, flawed though their personalities might be, usually follow a personal honour code. They are most often the main character of a literary work who, eschewing or disregarding injury or death, combat adversity through feats of human courage or the application of intellectual reasoning. These are sufficient to bring
Reviewed by E. B. Heath ‘Hawke was a vivid fellow; and entertaining by his very nature’. Tom Keneally Remembering Bob, edited by his eldest daughter, Sue Pieters-Hawke, is a compilation of one hundred and thirty-eight eulogies of praise for Australia’s 23rd Prime Minister. Reading it was akin to attending a long memorial service, while wondering,
Reviewed by Antonella Townsend It is a shame that a book such as Respect: Consent, Boundaries and Being in Charge of YOU needs to be written. But it is clear that it does! Teaching children that they can take charge of their bodies, and, if need be, over-rule adult behaviour, is a heavy subject. But
Reviewed by Rod McLary QualityLand was a best seller when it was first published in Germany in 2016. It has now been translated from the German to English and is to be published around the world. The story is set sometime in the near future in a world which is largely run by robots and
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke This is the second historical fiction novel by Martha Hall Kelly inspired by the life of World War heroines. Her earlier book, Lilac Girls, published in April 2016, became an international bestseller. It introduced readers to the real-life heroine Caroline Ferriday, from the famous Woolsey family of New York City who were
Reviewed by Antonella Townsend At its simplest, the act of cooking is an act of love; an act of indulging those you love with something delicious. The above is a quote from the introduction of Matt Preston’s latest cookbook – More, which is all about vegetables, nuts and grains. He promotes vegetarianism without the finger
Reviewed by E.B. Heath The title implies life and death, so unsurprisingly, Springtime: A Ghost Story, does not have the usual elements of the ghost narrative. No creepy houses, or deathly apparitions menacing from the shadows. Michelle de Kretser’s novella places the reader in the dazzling light of Sydney in the spring, teeming with energy,
Reviewed by Patricia Simms-Reeve After so many years writing thrillers set in the Cold War era, in his 25th novel, Agent Running in the Field, the master has not lost his touch. From the beginning, this book is tense and gripping. His command of the language of spies, the protocols of MI6, is formidable and
Reviewed by Ian Lipke I had not heard of this artist until I attended an art history class at the University of the Third Age in Brisbane a couple of years ago. While weeks of studying the old masters had sharpened my analytic skills and broadened my knowledge of those things that make an artist
Reviewed by Rod McLary The epigraph to this new book by JP Pomare is a quote from the infamous Anne Hamilton-Byrne: I love children. Hamilton-Byrne was the leader of the notorious cult called ‘The Family’ which existed in the 1970s and 1980s in Australia. She ‘acquired’ children whom she later adopted and to whom she
Reviewed by Patricia Simms-Reeve As the author states, ocean racing involves multiple skills: like combining football, flying and surfing. Add to this the luck of the draw that comes with playing poker and the skill of a chess player who plans a forward strategy, and you have the formula! His book pays homage to
Reviewed by Wendy and Ian Lipke Yellow – the History of a Color is the work of Michel Pastoureau, a renowned authority on colour, and forms part of a series involving the colours blue, black, green and red. His latest work, Yellow – the History of a Color, is a square, black, hard-covered book with
Reviewed by Ian Lipke Distinguished by his abominable acts, Richard III lives on as the king men and women love to hate. His crimes are many, some unproven, yet considered guilty anyway. Almost every critic, armchair or academic, has focused on those terrible two years prior to the killing of this king by his Tudor
Reviewed by Angela Marie “Gratitude means being thankful for the good things you have in your life and truly appreciating them. It could be a person or an event or a delicious treat. Can you think of three things you are grateful for?” Our talented Australian designer and illustrator, Beci Orpin, has created a beautiful