Reviewed by Norrie Sanders Reading other peoples’ letters without their permission is probably a violation of modern privacy laws, but for those of us who enjoy that sort of thing, Postscript permits us to pry without guilt. The National Library of Australia holds millions of letters in its collections….by eminent and everyday Australians, [that] tell
Reviewed by Antonella Townsend My mother said, many times, that she was lucky, furthermore, it was better to be lucky than rich. Thankfully, on the subject of luck, I can now refer to a higher authority than mother, who incidentally would not walk under a ladder if her life depended on it. Nobuko Nakano, a
Reviewed by Norrie Sanders The world, Dom Thurbon tells us, is beset by lies, so how do we make truth happen? This very readable book, falling somewhere between self-improvement and philosophy, is a passionate defence of truth. The book is in two parts. The first explains why truth matters. The second, larger, part focuses on
Reviewed by E B Heath There is no time without the place, and no place without the time. Dr. J. M. Field is a Gamilaraay man, his book The Eagle & The Crow is not an easy read, but it is beautiful. He explains the sophisticated kinship systems of the Gamilaraay, how they are anchored
Reviewed by Ian Lipke Should one feel jaded or disillusioned about the state of Australian politics, the writer – rather the collector – of Dirty Politics claims to have the answer. As with everything political, readers really should accompany the contents with a pinch of NaCl. While being assured by the Macquarie National Dictionary team
Reviewed by Richard Tutin Sport is an integral part of Australian life. Everywhere you look some form of sport at whatever level you enjoy the most is being carried out on just about any day of the week. Sports require appropriate venues so that games can be conducted and both participants and audiences can be
Reviewed by Richard Tutin When a club or organisation is fortunate enough to celebrates its centenary, the usual starting point is the formation story. From there the rest of its story unfolds until it reaches the point or date when the centenary is celebrated. The 100-year period that Australian Football’s 100 Year Club marks is
Reviewed by Ian Lipke “Boobs are celebrated and scrutinised, fetishised and censored, worshipped and weaponised. As the saying goes: ‘Behind every great woman is a pair of boobs trying desperately to stay out of the conversation’.” The mood of this cheeky book, written mostly by Lisa Portolan, is reflected in the quote I have selected
Reviewed by Ian Lipke Debbie O’Shea is an experienced teacher of music who, over a lifetime, has taught students at all levels of exposure. While not necessarily documenting her life experiences, she has nevertheless provided a comprehensive picture of a busy teacher fully involved in her profession. Anecdotal material exists throughout the account to support
Reviewed by Richard Tutin When we watch a sporting event, we mostly see the players or in the case of motor racing the drivers. While they are the stars of the show because they are in the forefront, behind them are many whose talents and efforts keep the show on the road. Formula 1 (F1)
Reviewed by Norrie Sanders Most Australians agree that national security is high priority. And most agree that politicians aren’t trustworthy. So why do we entrust our most expensive budget item to a governments who won’t tell us how or why they are spending it? Even the AUKUS deal, which seems to be endlessly discussed, is
Reviewed by E. B. Heath The history of human relationships with dogs, has been less than ideal. There are sections of this book that are hard to read. But it ends well. Most societies are beginning to adopt an empathetic approach to all of nature, including our most valuable of companions, the dog. Although, this
Reviewed by Richard Tutin I have enjoyed watching cricket in its various forms for most of my life. It’s enjoyable to watch closely contested five-day test matches with scarce wickets and runs. In the games where Australia participates, the baggy green cap is frequently seen. Of course, not all players are wearing it throughout the
Reviewed by Clare Brook Indigenous linguists, Gari Tudor-Smith, Paul Williams and Felicity Meakins, give an account of the amazing diversity of Australian First Nations languages in Bina: First Nations Languages, Old and New. So doing they travelled throughout Australia studying fifty-six language groups. However, before colonisation there were over four hundred different languages, some as
Reviewed by Norrie Sanders In ancient times – before 1995 – one way to find a soulmate was a blind date. In that year, the first on-line dating service began and quickly evolved into the opposite of blind dating. Bios and pics mean that within milliseconds, you can know all about a person, sufficient to