Book Reviews

Persistence personified

Years ago I was privileged to hear Elizabeth Jolley speak about the craft of writing. She described it in housekeeping terms – of polishing and repolishing until an atmosphere of warmth and light had been created. This collection of her writing offers warmth, light and personal illumination in spades.

One of the best things about Jolley – and there are many good things – is the fact that she was first published when she was in her 60s, thus giving inspiration to thousands of determined scribblers who long to be published. She refused to rest on her laurels and was prolific in her output (some 15 novels and various other diaries, memoirs and stories) until her demise in 2007. Now comes Learning to Dance: Elizabeth Jolley, Her Life and Work selected and introduced by her former agent, Caroline Lurie. The strength of this collection is the writing. Jolley could write like a dream, and she was unafraid to confront unpleasant truths. She saw the downsides and upsides of life with a clear eye and non-judgmental heart, and reported her reactions truthfully. Jolley lived a rich life. She was an unmarried mother, an émigré, a cleaner, a door-to-door saleswoman. She used these experiences in her writing to express her concern for those who find themselves out of sync with their environment, or out of love with others. Learning to dance is a rich source of her thoughts, her memories and her delights, none as poignant as the celebration of grandparenting in A scattered catalogue of consolation.

Wise words from the doyenne of letters.

Elizabeth Jolley, Caroline Lurie
Penguin Australia
RRP: $26.95

Fond farewells

Edited by 70s wild child, Richard Walsh, Great Australian Eulogies is a compilation of witty, wise and warm words spoken at the funerals of the great – and the not so…

Most of us have probably enjoyed the experience of someone else’s funeral. Enjoyed may seem an unsympathetic, perhaps harsh, term for the solemnity occasion, but it can be appropriate when spirits are lifted by informed and loving, perhaps even naughty, remembrances of lives well lived. Richard Walsh has gathered together such a collection of eulogies, and offers them as examples of ways that lives can be celebrated as well as losses mourned. Two of my favourites are Jackie Weaver on Peter Wherrett, and Barry Humphries on Clyde Packer.

In his introduction, Walsh states he hopes to inspire readers to stay away from “stuffy” eulogies and inject the personal. If ever a book could help with the difficult task ahead of some of us – to create words to encapsulate another’s life and how it has affected our own – this is the one.

Funny, sad, and moving
Ed. Richard Walsh
Allen & Unwin
RRP $24.95

Align your chi

Declutter your home and rearrange your living space by following the simple philosophies of feng shui, and enhance your life.

The Feng Shui Way will give you a sound knowledge of the practices of this traditional Chinese art, to create a clam and rewarding lifestyle through your environment.

Juliana Abram guides you through the teachings and beliefs of feng shui master, Raymond Lo, answering all of your questions in a non-nonsense manner.  Find out what feng shui is, where it originated and how a few carefully applied rules can optimise the potential of your home, stimulate wealth and boost your relationship.

Feng shui has been practiced in China for at least 4,000 years, and in more recent years has been developed into a science.  Simple changes are all it takes to align yourself with the natural forces of good energy. The Feng Shui Way is a good place to start your life changes, with easy-to-follow instructions, clear definitions and simple tasks to improve your environment.

Harmonise your living space.

Juliana Abram
Feng Shui Shop
RRP: $29.95

Green house

Sustainability is not only the new buzz word in the construction industry, it’s also the best way to ensure your home is one for the future.

Your Home – Design for Lifestyle and the Future, has now been issued in its fourth (2008) edition. This technical manual is a “bible” for anyone interested in environmentally sustainable housing, and it’s Australian! Written by a wide range of local experts from the private and public, both state and federal, sectors.

Although it resembles a coffee table tome, with high production values, 356 pages all in colour, it is intended as a serious but easy-to-follow technical reference work. There are nine sections; Introduction, Sustainable Communities, Design for Life, Passive Design, Material Use, Energy Use, Water Use, Case Studies, Your Home Checklist and, finally, a very thorough nine page Index.

Opening with an excellent full colour page map of Australia’s Climate Zones and the Historical Perspective of our country’s built environment, the text moves to dispelling some current, common myths about such diverse but everyday concepts as passive design, lights, windows, insulation and weatherproofing, heating and cooling, water and landscaping. Even the more complex and contentious issues of carbon neutrality, zero energy and carbon positive houses are clearly explained in layman’s terms.

The entire volume is jam-packed with invaluable information which is complemented with a generous use of floor plans, diagrams, illustrations, charts and graphs. There is also an abundance of case studies ranging from new homes, including medium and high density, to renovations.

Highly recommended for anyone who is concerned with reducing their environmental footprint, whether it’s a specific upgrade to their existing home, or a new dwelling on a green field site.

Environmentally friendly building.

Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology, Sydney.
RRP $49.50

The future of food

Barbara Kingsolver writes like a dream. Best known for her award-winning African saga, The Poisonwood Bible, she now turns her hand to non-fiction, chronicling her year of eating “seasonally”

Part memoir, part research, part political diatribe, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle combines the observations of the author and her daughter, Camille, as the family returns to her husband’s farm to try to lead a sustainable and fulfilling life. As Kingsolver senior describes the changing of the seasons – something with which many of us city folk have lost touch – she becomes more and more aware of the “crimes” being perpetrated in the name of food production around the globe. Home is the hills of Appalachia in Virginia, but Kingsolver’s research roams far and wide as she considers the politics of food and how it is distributed from plot to table, and how much of the goodness is destroyed along the way. Camille’s younger perspective offers a nice counterpoint to Barbara’s indignation. Thrown into the mix are some fun recipes and a heap of resources for those interested in maintaining a sustainable planet. Eat, read and learn.

Journal with a purpose

Barbara Kingsolver with Steven L. Hopp and Camille Kingsolver
Harper Collins Inc.
RRP $24.95

Calling all green goddesses

Adopting a green lifestyle need not mean giving up on all of life’s little treats. Gorgeously Green gives eight simple steps to keeping healthy, staying beautiful and being earth-friendly.

Many of us would be happy to adopt a more environmentally friendly lifestyle, if only it wasn’t so time consuming! Sophie Uliano proves that going green is not reserved for tree-hugging planet-savers, but is a positive, personally fulfilling choice, even for the most committed of glamour pusses.

Gorgeously Green is a fun, up-beat, yet practical, guide to simple steps that can be taken to update beauty regimes, embark on a healthier lifestyle through diet and fitness, and create an ecological home, without destroying precious natural resources.

Packed with up-to-date information, Sophie Uliano offers you tips on at-home exercises, rethinking how you shop, healthy and tasty organic foods, guilt-free travel and beauty tips.

Written for an American market, the relevance of some of the websites suggested is questionable for an Australian readership, however, they may inspire you to look for alternatives. There are plenty of other sufficiently useful suggestions given to make it a worthwhile read for the busy, modern woman with an environmental conscience.

Go green, stay gorgeous

Sophie Uliano
Harper Collins
RRP $26.99

Keep the tax man happy

The best way to keep in the tax man’s good books is by having all your receipts and records in order. No mean feat in some cases, so just what records should you be keeping and what can be consigned to the recycling bin?

If you are not sure that you are keeping the correct records, then the ATO’s Keeping your tax records guide is a good publication to read. It explains why you need to keep records, what records need to be kept and for how long you need to keep them. Great for all the hoarders out there who keep everything forever.

It also advises on work related expenses, gifts, donations and contributions and medical expenses that can be claimed against your tax return. Available online, Keeping your tax records has handy links to other ATO publications which explain what you can claim and how it should be claimed.

View Keeping your tax records online.

So long rat race

We have all had a great idea at some point, but may have lacked the information to help us achieve it. The 4-hour work week provides a wealth of knowledge on how to escape the 9-5 grind and enjoy life to the maximum.

Making the New York Times best seller list, The 4-hour work week was written by Tim Ferris who gave up the rat race to find a better balance in life and a tidy financial fortune. Working 80 hours per week and earning $40,000(US) per year was just too much for Tim Ferris, who now works four hours per week and earns $40,000(US) per month!

So how did he do it? While it may appear to be a solely business-related book, and may take longer than four hours to read, there is a wealth of useful information on jobs, lifestyle, time management, how to learn a language in three months, and many other interesting ways to achieve your goals, whatever they may be.

The chatty, relaxed style of the author will have you thinking “how simple” and “I could have been doing this for years”. You will be amazed at what this book can teach you about yourself, life, and how to adjust your lifestyle to suit you! Whether you are an overworked employee, or an entrepreneur trapped in your own business, this book is the compass for a new and revolutionary world

A simple guide to business and life you will wish you had years ago!

Tim Ferris
Random House
RRP $39.95

Midlife crisis cars

Maybe you’re approaching your mid-life crisis, or laughing about the one you’ve just had.  Does the car you drive say more about you than you are willing to admit?

The kids have flown the coop, you have a few extra dollars in your pocket and you are trying to recapture your youth. Time to ditch the station-wagon and rev up the sports car! Top Gear’s Mid Life Crisis Cars celebrates and ridicules the time honoured tradition of blowing the children’s inheritance on a ridiculously flash car that you can barely get in, never mind drive! Matt Master has compiled over 50 classic cars synonimous with midlife crisis, in this lastest offering in the Top Gear series.

Have a giggle at the most impractical cars ever made, choose the car you’ve always longed for but could never afford and match your friends to the automobile which best defines their personality. This book is fun, frivolous, yet offers an insight into what goes on in a man’s mind as they reach middle age.

Laugh and be laughed at.

Ebury Press
RRP: $29.95

Life or death dilemma

To save the life of a beloved child, or seek vengeance for the murder of a daughter is a dilemma that thankfully most of us will never have to face. On the surface, it seems an easy choice, but grief is a powerful emotion.

In her latest book, Change of Heart, Jodi Picoult carries on the theme of her previous, thought-provoking novels, by making her readers give consideration to situations that on the surface seem black and white. Never shying away from contentious or emotional issues, makes Picoult’s novels hard to resist.

Change of Heart explores the contemporary issues of the death penalty and the role of religion in society.  Shay Bourne is an inmate on death row - New Hampshire’s first death row prisoner in 69 years - found guilty of the murder of Kurt Nealon and his step-daughter, Elizabeth. Bourne’s final wish to donate his heart to the daughter of his victim, is hampered by his choice of execution, lethal injection, and her mother’s reluctance to accept. 

Claire is just 12 years old and in desperate need of a heart. Her mother June is racked with grief and anger, struggling with the impossible decision; to grant the final wish of the person who has brought her so much pain in life and save her daughter or risk her daughter’s life for the sake of revenge. 

When Shay starts performing unexplained miracles in prison and quoting the little known Gospel of Thomas, many people begin to believe him to be the Messiah, this in turn leads to questioning as to whether or not he should be executed.

Change of Heart questions the idea of redemption and justice. Picoult does not disappoint in her most recent novel and there are many twists throughout, which have the power to completely change your opinion, just when you think you have figured everything out!

Be entranced by this story of love and redemption.

Allen & Unwin
RRP: $32.95

Life in film

Deciding to write your autobiography is never a task undertaken lightly.  You subject yourself and your life’s work to criticism, whilst your audience wants to be entertained and emotionally engaged.

I peed on Fellini is not the light-hearted, chatty “recollection” of David Stratton’s life in film promised in the sub-title.  It reads more like a well-researched tome of cinema, interspersed with amusing anecdotes of the extremely interesting and influential people Stratton has met throughout his life.

Emigrating to Australia as a “ten-pound Pom” in 1963 Stratton has dedicated his life to film, perhaps a little too much.  You get the feeling that movies are so important to him, that he has missed out on the excitement and glamour that the world of cinematography has to offer.  You quickly get a sense of his compulsive nature through his revelation that he has kept every film review ever written, from the age of nine.

Perhaps best known for his role as co-host with Margaret Pomeranz on the ABC’s At the movies, Stratton has dedicated his life to film.  As Director of the Sydney Film Festival for 17 years, he brought many of the best international movies to Australia, and his ardent opposition to film censorship gives the impression there is more to this man than the book reveals.

There are plenty of fascinating and amusing stories to make I peed on Fellini a worthwhile read for film industry buffs.  With a little more warmth and a less regimented and monotonous writing style, this could have been a fabulous read for all.

For movie lovers only.

David Stratton
Random House
RRP: $34.95

Saving the children

First published in 2001, Rescued by Angels is Bishop Alexis Bilindabagabo’s account of his mission to care for orphaned and traumatized Rwandan children. A refugee three times over, Bishop Bilindabagabo, his wife, Grace, and their children survived the Rwandan genocide of 1994 through what he describes as a series of miracles

This account, told to aid worker, Alan Nichols is a self effacing and confronting account of the good Bishop’s mission to become Father to the fatherless, and create a life for children who had lost their future. Establishing orphanages would have been against the cultural beliefs of Rwandans, so instead he set up Barakabaho foundation, a system of fostering within villages. This slim volume is an inspiring tale and and testimony to the power of one person determined to help others.

Takes “making a difference” to new heights

Bishop Alexis Bilindabagabo with Alan Nichols
Acorn Press
RRP $14.50

Kiss and tell

Some do, some don’t. Judith Pugh, former wife of artist, Clifton, does. Tell, that is. In Unstill Life she shares the inner secrets of a turbulent decade of love, art and politics, largely lived in Melbourne’s outer east community of mud brick houses, open marriages and fervent Labor support.

Those who remember the 60s will enjoy this book. First, however, you need to get over the author’s somewhat awkward writing style, (stiff and annoyingly self referential – “We were to become famous”) and just go with the flow of reminiscences of a time of great change – and creativity – in 60s and 70s Australia. Pugh was a man in his 40s when he met 25-year-old Judith. He bedded and wedded her in quick succession, and they enjoyed a central role in the artistic and political circles of the time. But Camelot did not last – Pugh had left a previous wife before settling with Judith, and within a decade he moved on again. Judith’s account of their years together can only ever offer one perspective of the relationship, and this is clearly a weakness of Unstill Life. But whichever way you slice and dice the scenes from the marriage, the glimpses of a time of great growth and change in Australian society are more than worth the cover price.

Judith Pugh
Allen & Unwin
RRP $32.95

Life after 50

Life on the “other” side of 50 is the topic of some 35 contributions to Growing Old (Dis)gracefully, a new offering from ABC Books. And whilst some of the offerings are a mere ramble on things that might go wrong, others offer excellent insights into the opportunities and fun to be had in the “second” half of life

Edited by Ross Fitzgerald and Lyndal More, and subtitled 35 Australians reflect on life over 50, Growing Old (Disgracefully) is a strangely uneven offering. At no stage do the authors make it clear how the contributors were briefed, indeed what question they were answering, so the diversity of responses may be due to poor commissioning or some respondents just going off-topic. Assuming the invitation was to reflect on life over 50, a disproportionately high number of writers chose to share their life story to date. Too many of the writers are fellow columnists of Ross Fitzgerald at the Australian newspaper, and the proportion of males to females is 2:1.

Many of the contributions are fascinating, but tend to dwell more upon life before 50 rather than after. Some obsess about physical impairment, in particular Lyndal More, and the resulting contribution seems awfully superficial. Others offer a list of things they want to do before they die – a sort of extended Bucket List – which again seems awfully self-indulgent and hardly likely to solve the woes of the world. In fact, if we are all as inward-looking as some of these writers, God help the future of the planet. But just when you think it is all a bit repetitive and pointless, a total gem, such as the offerings from Julie McCrossin, Robyn Lincoln, Ian Mc Fadyen and Jim McElroy shines through, and you become excited once more about the possibilities for older adults in today’s society.

A missed opportunity to explore themes of later life

Ross Fitzgerald & Lyndal More
ABC Books
RRP $35.00

Forever young

Eternal youth may not be within your reach but you can help yourself feel younger.

You staying young helps you understand how your body ages and explains ways to halt the ageing process and stay young.  The co-authors of the book, Rozien and Oz, are MDs in the USA, however, their opinions are just that, opinions, and should not be taken on a medical level.  Rozien and Oz take a practical, yet fun view to adding years to your life, and life to your years.

Often referred to in the book is your RealAge.  This is a formula designed to figure out you biological age, based on lifestyle factors.  You can take this simple, free test at http://www.realage.com.

Understanding how we age on a cellular level is the key to understanding how to stay young.  By examining and explaining the effects of diet, genes, environment and the natural ageing process has on you body, Rozien and Oz offer simple steps to help you regain your youth.

If you want to help yourself live longer and young, reduce your risk of illness, or reprogram your body to reverse the ageing process, then You staying young is a great place to start.

Live longer, feel younger and have fun.

Michael F Rozien, MD and Mehmet C Oz MD
Harper Collins
$35.00

Live longer

Advances in cardiovascular science and treatment has led to longer lives for many. Simple steps can help reduce your risk of heart disease.

Prof. Ian Hamilton-Craig has a family history of cardiovascular disease.  The discovery of this early on, and a treatment plan devised with the help of his doctor, ensured he was alive and well to collect a Nobel Prize in 1996.

Unclog your arteries explains the importance of good cholesterol and the danger to your arteries of bad cholesterol.  By examining the risk factors of heart attack and stroke and completing the simple questionnaire in the book, you can accurately analyse the likelihood of you suffering from heart disease.  Take advantage of step-by step treatment plans and preventative measures to see you on your way to a long and healthy life.

Using case histories to highlight the various degrees of cardiovascular disease and blood disorders makes the information given easy to digest and relate to.  As well as giving ways to prevent heart disease, Unclog your arteries gives advice on how to improve the condition of your arteries after a heart attack or bypass.

By explaining the different types of medication available, and how best to take them, Prof. Hamilton-Craig takes away some of the fear faced by people when confronted by the cocktail of drugs that can be required to treat heart disease.

This book is nicely finished off with a range of low-cholesterol recipes to help make your healthier lifestyle easier.

Take the strain off your heart by following simple steps.

Prof. Ian Hamilton-Clark
Newholland
RRP $29.95

A mother’s diaries

At 27 Zelda is dead, driven to commit suicide and leave behind her two young children, Ruth and Andy, who will never know their mother, until the secrets of her diaries are revealed.

Adopted by her artistic parents’ patron at only six months old, great things were expected from Zelda, the only child of Annie and Ed, famous but self-absorbed artists. Her artistic background and upbringing giving great promise to this privileged young woman.

The Steele Diaries weaves together the lives of three very different women, from very different eras.  After the death of her father, Ruth is contacted by a writer, keen to access and transcribe her mother’s diaries, given that there is a history between them. Unaware of the existence of such diaries, Ruth is intrigued enough to travel back to the small town she grew up in, to investigate their whereabouts.

Uncovering the diaries, Ruth learns about the complicated, passionate woman her mother was, rather than the flakey artist people knew her to be.  The unconventional life Zelda lived paints an evocative portrait of the Sydney art scene from 1930s to 1970s.  The relationship Zelda endured with her mother, Annie, gives Ruth an understanding of what led her to commit suicide, leaving her two young children behind.

Being back in her hometown, Ruther gets some time to reflect on what her life has become, the content of her mother’s diaries and the impact of what they uncover.

Written by Wendy James, The Steele Diaries examines the conflict just about ever woman understands, that between motherhood and career, your family and your own being.

Loose yourself in other people’s lives.

By Wendy James
Random House
$32.95

Magazine subscriptions under $50

Choosing something to give your mum on Mother’s Day is never easy. A subscription to her favourite magazine will always be appreciated.

isubscribe have a selection of magazine subscriptions that won’t break the bank. Many have free gifts, or special discounts that make them more affordable. For a gift that lasts longer than flowers and saves the calories of chocolates, visit isubscribe for some great gift ideas.

In search of answers

Being German in the last century carries a stigma that’s hard to escape but should a nation be held responsible for the ego of one man?

Defense office Hans Georg Klamworth was one of Hitler’s ardent followers, joining the SS in 1933, he was an experienced member of Abwher, the German Intelligence Service. Married to Else, a district leader of the NS-Frauenschaft – the Nazi women’s organization – they had nine children, all of which were of “German-Aryan descent and free of Jewish or coloured blood”, a fact of which they were very proud.

In August 1944, Hans was sentenced to execution for his part in the July 20 plot to assassinate Hitler. It was determined at his trial that although aware of the plot, he did nothing to stop it. Those involved had not turned against Hitler, but had seen the futility of his advance. Trying to secure and honourable end to the war for Germany, Killing Hitler seemed their only choice.

As a six year old when her father died, Wibke Bruhns was seemingly untouched by her father’s death, unaware of the soul that lived within him. A chance viewing of her father in a TV documentary about 20 July plot, later in life, brought her face-to-face with a man she didn’t know but could see herself in him.

Driven to find out more about her father and ancestors, and how her life had been shaped by events of the past and history of her country, she retraces the story of her family from the late 19th century to after World War II. Discovering photos, diaries and letters documenting a unique and epic tale, she uncovers emotions and beliefs she was oblivious to growing up.

This powerful story will both enthrall and appall, as a truly awful time in history is relived through the eyes of a family that worshiped and embraced Hitler’s anti-Semite views.

My Father’s country is a riveting tale of life in Germany through World War I and World War II.
Random House
RRP $35

Holocaust horror

Clara Kramer is 81 years old and every week gives a talk on her experiences during the holocaust. More than 60 years after the ordeal of Nazi Germany, she relives the horror every day.

Clara’s War is the memoir of Clara Kramer, who, as a fifteen year old girl, lived through the atrocities of the invasion of Poland by Hitler’s marauding army, in July 1942. With the aim of occupying Poland to facilitate his assault on the rest of the world, Hitler was responsible for the ethnic cleansing of over six million Jews, a fact that still horrifies even in this desensitised age.

Clara and her family hid precariously in a hand-dug cellar, living hand-to-mouth, while friends and colleagues were either slaughtered or transported to concentration camps. The key to the families success in evading the authorities was their unlikely protector, Mr Beck, a self-professed anti-Semite. Living above the family, Mr beck was a drunkard and a womanizer, yet throughout the war he risked his own life to protect his charges.

As well as fear of discovery and execution, life lived under Mr beck was never predictable. Surviving the house catching fire, dealing with Mr beck’s affair with Clara’s cousin and surviving the nightly SS drinking sessions in the room just above, became a way of life for the family.

In the space of two years, the Jewish community in and around Clara’s home village of Zolkiew, diminished from 5000 to 50. Clara’s respite from the harsh realities of war was writing her diaries. Using her diaries as an aid, Clara Kramer has retold her horrific yet positive story, her tales superbly captured by Stephen Gantz.  Her memoir is a story full of love, hope and courage, despite the traumatic times and is both dramatic and tearfully compelling.

A true insight into life in war-torn Polland.
Random House
RRP $34.95

Keeping afloat

Life’s never quite what you expect but your destiny can be in your own hands, you just have to make it happen.

The Swim Club by Anne de Lisle, is the sometimes tearful but ultimately uplifting tale of five everyday women who overcome adversity to turn their lives around.  Two years after her husband ran off with his 17-year-old pupil, Charlie is finally coming to terms with the gap left in her life, and those of her two young children. On hearing that her friend Karen’s husband has died in a drowning accident, Charlie realises that there’s always someone worse off.

Laura, the local GP is married to Sam and is Charlie’s aqua-aerobics buddy. In an attempt to get back to some kind of normality, Karen joins them both at their class and brings along her friend, Wendy, another school mum. Making up the five-some is Cate, the younger leggy pool attendant, envied by the others.

Each of the group has a secret or fear to overcome. They decide to focus on something other than lives problems by training for a triathlon. Dealing with death, divorce, dating, unplanned pregnancy and illness, the acquaintances become friends, totally in tune with each others’ lives and woes. With the friendship comes an understanding of what needs to change in their own lives.

As the day of the triathlon looms, there are tears and laughter, fun and sorrow. Enjoy the journey each woman undertakes as she struggles to overcome personal adversity and live the life she wants.

A good book to curl up with.
Random House
RRP: $32.95

Riveting snapshots

"True tales” is the subtitle of Georgia Blain’s book, Births Deaths Marriages and the sincerity of her writing and remembrances does indeed make this a book to treasure. Written as a biography of her family, Births Deaths Marriages highlights the childish desire to appear “normal” in the mistaken belief that other families are living straight forward lives. Set in the 70s, Blain chronicles life as her family faces the major challenges of separation and divorce, violence and mental ill health. Her mother, broadcaster and writer, Anne Deveson, and her father, Ellis Blain, host of radio program “Let’s Find Out” had very successful public lives – and a marriage falling apart at the seams. The children would dread the times when their father was around, yet the author manages to keep her objectivity about his pain and suffering as the family withdrew. The author offers fascinating snapshots of life in the 60s and 70s but the true strength of this gently written memoir is the searing honesty on how and why relationships can fail…

A touching tale of life in the 60’s and 70’s
RRP $$24.95
Vintage books

Family travels

Is there more to life than msn and Facebook? One mother decided a year-long camping trip around Australia would teach her kids there is – and given that she has eight (yes, EIGHT) children, that’s no mean feat

There are many better titles Kelly Denley and her editor could have chosen for her book, Almost Perfect. The reason was possibly a desire to cash in on the success of another Random House title, the best selling Almost French. But Denley’s story is good enough to stand on its own merits, rather than looking like a wannabee. Almost Perfect covers the family’s trials and tribulations from the time they learned of the imminent arrival of the eighth child, Paige. Suffering from post-natal depression, dealing with Cam and Scott’s Asperger’s syndrome, and recurring stressful situations forced the family to attend counselling – and evaluate the potential paths forward. The result was a decision to go back to High School and complete her secondary education. After achieving her HSC, the next big thing is the family trip – a full year on the road, bonding, and creating memories the children would have for a lifetime. I’m not sure if it’s the thought of managing all those children, or Denley’s breathless prose, but the pace of Almost Perfect is sometimes just a little too frenetic – so don’t try to read it in one go. Too many adjectives also get in the way of a good story, but, writing style aside, it’s a brave and engaging first book.

Read and give thanks for your own less pressured existence
RRP $34.95
Random House Australia

Best of Beer

If you appreciate the pleasure of cooking with fresh and local produce, you won’t be disappointed with the latest offering from Maggie Beer.

Even though it’s jam-packed with over 350 recipes, Maggie’s Harvest is more than just another cookbook. The beautifully embroidered cover immediately sets it apart from other books on the shelf and what’s inside is far from disappointing. The recipes themselves are delightful, using only the freshest seasonal produce in the Barossa Valley, and are easily adapted for those living elsewhere. Maggie has a passion for the Barossa Valley and the food produced there, and along with the recipes and the wonderfully warm stories of meals with friends, makes Maggie’s Harvest a great read, rather than just a cookbook.

This book is a little more pricey than your average offering from celebrity chefs and cooks, but it would make a wonderful gift for someone who enjoys cooking and has a flair for adding their own personal touch to a recipe. It’s also worth shopping around online for some great deals on this title.

A real gem of a cookbook
RRP$125
Penguin Australia

Harvest fayre

We may have reviewed The National Harvest Labor Guide 2008 recently, but this really is a great book to find out what’s going on around the country at harvest time.

Ever thought of the option of travelling whilst earning money? Exploring your nation while meeting great people along the way? This is all possible with The National Harvest Labor Guide 2008.
The National Harvest labor Guide 2008 offers a way for eligible workers in Australia at any age group to finance a convenient journey across the nation. With information covering harvest work opportunities, working conditions, transport and accommodation the guide gives travellers a great way to maintain a comfortable yet fit and healthy lifestyle whilst earning money and exploring Australia at their own pace. With many trails to choose from, harvest workers are able to meet people from around Australia and the world whether circling the continent or traveling the sun.
The guide provides great advice and information on the best times to travel where and includes tips on how to stay safe, healthy and most important of all, sane. 
Available free of charge from http://jobsearch.gov.au

Thanks to Eliza Keaney for this review

Community news

The Irish are one of the oldest and most established immigrant communities in Australia, they even have their own magazine, Tintean.

Tintean is a quarterly magazine, published by Australian Irish Heritage Network, to keep the Irish community up-to-date with news, views, events and generally all things Irish. Not only does it deal with current issues but it also carries articles on the history of Ireland and Irish society in Australia.

New to the market, the current issue is only the third one published. Tintean is geared towards providing it’s readers with the information and articles they need and want, and with feedback, should evolve into a much loved and read publication for those interested in the Irish community and Ireland.

For more information, click here.

Published by Australian Irish Heritage Network
$6 per issue

Finding your roots

Most of us can tell our roots from our surname, with perhaps the easiest to deduce being Irish! Once you’ve worked out from where you come, how do you find out from whom you descended?

Tracing Your Ancestors in Ireland is an incredibly useful guide put together by the Failte Ireland, to help make the most of any exploratory trip to search out your family’s genealogy. It advises the basic information you will need to start your search, useful websites so you can start your search before you head overseas, books that will give great advice and help you on your way and sources of information you can search once you reach Ireland.

With details of genealogy centres in each Irish county and useful Irish addresses, tracing your ancestors may not be easy, but this pamphlet gives you a great head start and can only improve your chances.

For more information, click here

Loss and love

As they sat down to dinner one night, Joan Didion’s husband collapsed and died of a massive heart attack. Didion spent the next twelve months wishing he would just come back and fill the shoes she steadfastly refuses to discard.

In The Year of Magical Thinking Didion offers a dialogue about marriage, friendship, loss and coping. John does not, of course, come back. And Didion’s luck is totally out. Their only child, Quintana, is gravely ill and Didion’s struggle with her loss is further complicated by managing Quintana’s treatment at various hospitals and rehabilitation clinics. Somehow she manages to avoid a maudlin account of her loss. Instead she carefully documents the process to returning to the world, of taking one step forward and three back, or wondering “What would I be able to discuss this with John? What would I give to be able to discuss anything at all with John? She also punishes herself for not making the most of her time with him – for not “sufficiently appreciating things” – life lessons we all struggle to learn. Didion’s book has now been performed as a one-woman play in London and New York by Vanessa Redgrave. This role will be filled by Robin Nevin in Sydney later this year

A short book which packs a large punch
RRP $22.95
Harper Perennial

Women rock!

If you thought rock’n’roll was a man’s domain, take a trip through musical history and rediscover the women who rocked the world!

Rock Chicks – the hottest female rocker from the 1960s to now, concisely covers all the great female rockers of the last five decades, from Tina Turner and Blondie to Australia’s very own Nathalie Bassingthwaighte. Telling stories of famous love affairs and sordid secrets, musical triumphs and power struggles, if music is your passion then Rock Chicks will not fail to delight.

Some tales will make your toes curl and some will bring tears to your eyes but there’s no denying that the lives and loves of artists such as Janis Joplin, Stevie Nicks, Chrissie Hynde and Madonna will enthral and entertain, regardless of your musical tastes. 

The accompanying pictorial journey through the rock years is curtesy of leading rock photographer, Tony Mott, and is as much fun and just as entertaining as the biographies themselves. You’ll find yourself transported into an era that good taste clearly passed by, the fashion was just as outrageous as the stars themselves!

Rock Chicks doesn’t give the glossy side of women in rock music, it doesn’t shy away from the evils of drugs and alcohol in excess that these lady rockers were just as susceptible to as their male counterparts but it does prove that women can do anything as well as men, if not better.

Worth it for the pictures alone
Rockpool Publishing
RRP - $39.95

Across the centuries

In People of the Book, Pulitzer prize winning author, Geraldine Brooks, follows the trail of a medieval manuscript discovered in the ruins of Sarajevo. But it is much more than a tale of a book.

It is the story of the lives of those who created, desecrated, stole, saved and finally restored this highly treasured prayer book. Brook’s heroine, Hanna Heath, is the book conservator asked to save the precious item. In Sarajevo she meets Ozren Karamen, the man who saved the Haggadah, and becomes involved in his sad experience of the recent conflict. Hanna’s search for the story behind the Haggadah reveals all of Brook’s skills as a narrator – and a researcher.

Strong plot, historical accuracy and seductive writing combine to create a highly intelligent novel.
RRP $32.99
Harper Collins

Achieving self knowledge

What would you give to see and understand yourself as you really are – and not as you have been trained to believe? Self-knowledge is the key to enlightenment and who better to lead the discussion than His Holiness the Dalai Lama?

In How To See Yourself As You Really Are, translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins, His Holiness offers a practical guide for those seeking to know and understand themselves better. This short (274 pp) book is divided into five main sections which cover the need for insight, undermining ignorance, the power of concentration and insight, ending self deception, how people and things really exist, and deepening love with insight. It is the Dalai Lama’s conviction that conflict over politics, religions and ideologies is a misuse of energy, that these different beliefs arose to help humans achieve happiness, and that compassion should always reign supreme over ideology. How to See Yourself as You Really Are offers a roadmap to achieving more beneficial personal insight, and to using this insight to spread compassion and love – qualities His Holiness describes as pillars of world peace.

An engaging and frank discussion of human frailties and how they might be overcome
Rider, an imprint of Ebury Publishing, Random House
RRP $39.95

Surviving the Odds

Every once in a while you pick up a book and literally can’t put it down. The Railway Man, Eric Lomax’s incredible tale of persistence, survival and forgiveness is one such book, sharing insights into the horrors of the POW camps of WW2, and the aftermath for the survivors.

First published in 1995 when Lomax was in his 70s, it describes his early years as a railway enthusiast in Scotland – his passion for steam trains, for railways, for the engineering and the miracle of transport. His training as a postal clerk led to his role during the war in Signals Corp, and his subsequent capture, on the Malay Peninsula, by the Japanese. Soon after he was sent to work on the infamous Burma-Siam railway, where his passion for mapping and rail lines resulted in a map which, when discovered by his Japanese captors, led to his torture and near death. The Railway Man is the story of his survival, his ongoing suffering, and need for revenge, and his eventual meeting with, Nagase Takashi, the man who interrogated him as he was bashed. Far from a gloomy or negative recount, Lomax offers an insight into the potential all of us have to forgive, if not forget.

Unputdownable!
Jonathan Cape
RRP $27.95

Who are you?

In the wake of the popular television series Who do you think you are? (SBS, Sunday, 7.30pm ) comes the book of the same name. Written by Angelo Loukakis this is a highly useful guide for those seeking stories of their family’s fame, shame, fortune or hardships – or perhaps all of the above!

Subtitled The Essential Guide to tracing Your Family History, for once the publisher’s claim is accurate. This comprehensive book is both a how-to and a compelling read. As well as detail on how to start researching your family tree, where to look, how to approach other relatives, and what to do if you find out something a little shocking. The story of similar searches by well-known Australians such as Geoffrey Robertson, Cathy Freeman and Jack Thompson intersperse the “how to” sections. Useful websites, genealogical societies and how to use census information is also included. Available at bookshops from March 1, this is sure to be a sellout.

Great value for budding historians
Pan Macmillan Australia
RRP $34.95

Can you make amends?

Should you see the movie or read the book first is the age-old dilemma. In the case of Ian McEwan’s Atonement there is no doubt.

McEwan is a master storyteller and he is at the height of his powers in this spellbinding novel which was short listed for the Booker Prize in 2001. We are taking another look at Atonement because of the popularity of the Oscar-nominated movie of the same name – and urge you to read the book first. Not because the movie is a poor adaptation – to the contrary it is excellent; with McEwan as screenwriter this is hardly surprising. No, the reason to read Atonement before seeing the movie is to give yourself a chance to grasp the subtleties of the twists and turns of the plot. McEwan does plot well – he’s not bad on character, setting, and a whole lot of other writing skills either, but the rapid turn of events during one fateful English summer day, misunderstood and exaggerated by a love struck teenager, lead to an unforgettably sad conclusion, played out against the background of devastation during the Second World War. The novel centres on Briony Tallis, an aspiring writer, overly curious about the relationship between her older sister, Cecilia, and their servant’s son, Robbie. Briony has a crush on Robbie, and when she witnesses moments of sexual tension, she misconstrues the actions of characters including her sister, Robbie, her cousin, her brother’s visiting friend, and many others. The results of her indiscretion and immature conclusions are disastrous. To tell more would be to spoil the narrative. Just grab a copy and set aside a day or two to immerse yourself in pr-war England, and the aftermath.

A riveting tale of betrayal.
Vintage
RRP $24.95

And for those who don’t prefer the book before the movie, see an extended movie trailer at You Tube here

Make hay…

Ever thought of the option of travelling whilst earning money? Exploring your nation while meeting great people along the way? This is all possible with The National Harvest Labor Guide 2008.

The National Harvest Guide 2008 offers a way for eligible workers in Australia at any age group to finance a convenient journey across the nation. With information covering harvest work opportunities, working conditions, transport and accommodation the guide gives travellers a great way to maintain a comfortable yet fit and healthy lifestyle whilst earning money and exploring Australia at their own pace. With many trails to choose from, harvest workers are able to meet people from around Australia and the world whether circling the continent or traveling the sun.

The guide provides great advice and information on the best times to travel where and includes tips on how to stay safe, healthy and most important of all, sane. 

Available free of charge from http://jobsearch.gov.au

Thanks to Eliza Keaney for this review

Easy internet

Internet Essentials for Beginners and Beyond is a compilation of common topics on CD, which are essential to every ‘new kid on the block’ in the world of computers.

Although basic, it relays the message that the operator knows what they are doing, inspires confidence and allows enough time to grasp the content.  It‘s a subtle introduction to the jargon of computer-talk, such as Parts of the Computer, Googling, Downloading, Printing, Burning and more.
With a pleasant voice over and topics in an understandable and sensible sequence, this CD is definitely a good investment, and would prove valuable to anyone wanting to widen their horizon via the web.  Giving the flexibility of self-paced learning and is available 24/7, help is never too far away! 

Black on White Productions (available from Yarraville Community Centre phone 03 9687 1650).
RRP $30.00 (plus $5 p&p)

Curing the clutter habit

Ever wish a professional organiser would just come in and clear your mess, creating an organised, functional and peaceful home in his or her wake? I sure have, so when Judi Culbertson’s The Clutter Cure landed on my desk, I thought my wishes had been answered.

Culbertson’s credentials are strong. A member of the US-based National Association of Professional Organisers, she was inspired to become a professional organiser after staying in a holiday house which contained just enough utensils to function, and then allow guests to relax for the rest of the day. Inspirational! So she decided to try to create this holiday house feeling in her real home. This led to a book helping people downsize (Living large in a small space), and now The Clutter Cure which assists readers to analyse their “stuff”, make decisions about their emotional commitment to these possessions, and make decisions to reduce those belongings which are taking up space for no good reason. As with Ditzler’s Best Year Yet, this book will ask you to make a commitment – and stick with it!

Fast track your streamlined existence
McGraw Hill
RRP $29.95

Your best year

Jinny Ditzler’s book on making your next 12 months your best ever is one of my favourite reads. It’s short, practical and eminently doable. Take three hours timeout now, read this book, and turn your dreams into a concrete plan for 2008.

Jinny Ditzler has spent nearly 20 years counselling adults on how to stop “wishing” and start acting to make effective life change. The beauty of this small book is that she does not just write for executives of multi-million dollar organisations, but also for students, homemakers, carers, anyone who wishes to clarify their goals and start working toward them. Her suggestions start with an audit of your last year’s accomplishments, disappointments and the major roles you play. Likening Your Best Year Yet planning to gardening, she asks the reader to “prepare the soil” by understanding successes and failures from last year as the best basis on which to create achievable intentions for the next 12 months. Reviewing past successes (not just failures) allows us to focus on the abilities we have, using them to achieve the things which matter most.

One of the best guides to creating and achieving your goals
Harper Collins
RRP $22.95

Food for thought

Some 220,000 Australians currently suffer from dementia, with this figure expected to triple by 2050. The good news is that improving your diet can protect your brain – and keep it young.

The Brain Food Diet by Dr Frank Ryan utilises new research which indicates a daily dose of the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oils can reduce mental decline by up to 50%. Introduction of these fatty acids can also reduce risk of Alzheimer’s and depression. But before you race to your pharmacist for the fish oil pills, read The Brain Food Diet for more about the research, and the many other ways to exercise your brain and rejuvenate your meals. Dr Ryan also offers a run down on the efficacy of different types of fish, from oil rich mackerel to less beneficial flounder and lobster.

Simple explanation of useful research
Allen & Unwin
$16.95

Achievable weight loss

Most people who have spent a few years on the planet reach the same conclusion. Diets rarely work as sooner or later you go off them! Try instead to change the way you cook and eat – and Jill Dupleix’s Lighten Up offers a wonderful starting point

The background to the book is almost as interesting as the book itself. Jill and her husband, Terry, are both foodies. Jill is an editor and writer and Terry a food critic. Both love eating in and out, and over the years this led to a certain increase in their waistlines. When Terry hit the scales at 116 kg he realised he need to lighten up a lot. Incorporating a proper breakfast, fewer carohydrates and more walking, Terry shifted 38 kilograms. Jill also slimmed down. The don’t consider the changes to be a diet, rather a “rethink”. And the 100 or so recipes in Lighten Up may just inspire your rethink. My favourite is the baked Greek meatballs in tomato sauce, but fish lovers, veggie fans and salad fanciers alike will all be inspired by the simple, delicious food that Jill’s recipes offer.

Sensible eating inspiration
Hardie Grant
RRP $39.95

Life-changing books

Editors, Jack Canfield and Gay Hendricks, asked 55 friends and colleagues to tell the story of the book that changed their life. The result is You have to read this book, a collection of wonderful books and the magic they have woven. Canfield and Hendricks have already sold millions of books in their own right, but wanted to celebrate the special life-changing magic readers can gain from one particular book.

If this sounds like hyped-up American ‘feel good’ self development, then please reserve your judgment. Your have to read this book is not just good – it’s a truly fascinating read for those who are interested in other people’s journeys and the books which have influenced them along the way. The range of contributors is impressive – and not at all predictable. Books listed include many written decades ago – and having had my interest spiked, I warn other readers, many are out of print. But the stories of how contributors found these books and the positive effect their reading of them has had on their lives is entirely heartwarming – and eminently readable. Consider this gem for the hard to buy for book lover for Christmas.

Inspiring and motivational
Collins
RRP $29.95

England’s greatest

One of America’s best writers, Bill Bryson, has tackled the subject of another Bill - England’s greatest Man of Letters, William Shakespeare.

Will’s legacy of a million words was short on biography, so Bryson takes this as a green light to delve into the story of Shakespeare, his life, his times and the myths which have built up around the great man. Bryson writes with affection, humour and impressive detail, describing Shakespeare in the Chandos portrait as “confident, serenely rakish – not a man … to whom you would lightly entrust a wife or grown daughter”.

Funny, engaging and informative
Harper Press
RRP $29.99

Australia now – and tomorrow

Hugh Mackay has been listening to the opinions of Australians for 30 or more years – the responses he has heard have encouraged him to analyse the forces shaping contemporary Australia in Advance Australia …Where?

No longer a front-line researcher, Mackay now feels free to offer his thoughts on key issues – global warming, parliamentary behaviour, the monarchy, public education, poverty and arts funding – enjoying the opportunity to not just listen, but to share what’s on his own mind.

Intelligent social and cultural insight
Hachette Australia
RRP $35.00

Canberra, Corruption, Characters & The Country

Veteran journalist Peter Gill, has drawn on his diverse working experience to produce his first piece of fiction. The Politics of Betrayal is a great contemporary yarn about the injustices that can occur when arrogant, self-serving politicians and compliant beauraucrats attempt to pervert well-intended, publicly-funded programs.

In this particular case, it’s the Commonwealth Government’s “New Horizons in Regional Australia” initiative, intended to help struggling rural and regional communities adjust to the rapid restructuring (read demise) of many long-established staple industries which have provided the income and employment in the bush.  If this all sounds painfully familiar and close to the bone, that’s because it is.  There are constant reminders of a certain former federal minister’s whiteboard and, even more sobering, recent revelations about highly questionable funding, heavily skewed to particular electorates.

At this point it’s probably advisable to reiterate that this is a work of fiction.

The author has drawn heavily on his rural roots, years of working on a federal minister’s staff and in the Canberra press gallery and his sojourn in far northern Queensland.  The characters are well drawn and plausible.  In fact, as you read through The Politics of Betrayal, you can’t help but smile at both the familiar idiosyncrasies and colourful language of the various protagonists.  Injected with gentle and dry humour, the book, nonetheless, has a serious message for all of us living in this country who take their democratic rights for granted, - don’t!

If the price of freedom is eternal vigilance, then the prerequisite for a truly functional democracy, is a healthy scepticism amongst its citizens and a determined and investigative professional media.

Published in the run-up to the federal election, this timely tale is a genuine Australian Christmas present.

The Politics of Betrayal - Peter Gill

RRP $29.95

Foodie’s delight

Greg – We’d like you to travel around China for us… actually …eat your way around China. And between 30-course banquets, shoot a few snaps for a food guide. Are you interested? Was he! Enjoy Greg Elm’s colorful account of his travels and travails in Snake Fang Salad.

One of Australia’s leading photographers, Greg finds his journeys around China both sweet and sour, leading to his creation of the concept of a “snake fang salad”. Far from the glamorous existence most of us imagine, the journey of this Lonely Planet photography across the backblocks of China was challenging, arduous and sometimes plain frustrating. Yet Greg’s prose manages to convey, above all, the mystery and serenity of this age-old culture, through snapshots of people, food and local culture, in words and hauntingly beautiful images.

Armchair travel par excellence
Read extracts at www.gregelms.com
Black Light Publications
RRP $29.95

Good fun

A Tad More Grass is Neville Odell’s collection of entertaining yarns, anecdotes, poems, stories and cartoons – all about lawn bowls.

The book aims to give non-believers an insight into the humour and spirit of fun in which the game is played. You’ll be allowed into the mysterious world of ‘the glide, slide and wick’, as well as discovering helpful hints such as the importance of beer as a relaxation technique prior to a game. And for the desperate bowler, there’s even a selection of bowling prayers!

At only $15 per book, this is an ideal Christmas gift for the bowling friend. Proceeds from the sale of the book are going to Alzheimer’s Australia research, so be a part of this fun, fundraising project by buying A Tad More Grass from bowls shops, Alzheimer’s Australia or from Neville Odell. Call him on (08) 9309 3108, email at or write to 45 Drayton Green Way, Kingsley, WA 6026.

Getting published

Aspiring writers who wish to attract mainstream publishers need look no further than the small book with a big message, A Decent Proposal:
How to sell your book to an Australian publisher by Rhonda Whitton and Sheila Hollingworth. This “how to” contains all the information you need to summarise your book’s content into a pithy and compelling proposal. Follow the authors’ step-by-step guide to creating your proposal and, if your writing is as good as the npropsoal, you could soon be calling yourself an author. Even better, an electronic version can be purchased online for AUD $15.00.

An indispensable guide
Books on Writing
RRP $20

Getting started

Computing for seniors in easy steps comes from the same publishing stable as the above book, this time covering general computer information. It’s perfect for the novice.

Read this clearly laid out and simple book to learn basic computer terms, get to know computer parts, understand software and discover the many functions of today’s computer. No longer merely a letter and report writing tool, your computer can now assist you to shop, manage your money, and organise and create photo albums and event invitations.

An excellent starting point
Computer Step (publishers)
RRP $34.95

Computer teacher

Just pop this ‘Internet essentials CD’ into the CD/DVD slot of your computer and pictures and audio will guide you through a wide range of basic computer and internet functions.

There are over 30 tutorials on this CD where you can learn about using a mouse and keyboard, setting up an email account, downloading and installing programmes, working with digital images and more. There is also a section on buying and selling online, which could come in handy this Christmas.

Discounts are available for bulk purchases. Most educational CDs sell for around $80 but this one is available for only $30 (plus postage and handling) from the Yarraville Community Centre in Victoria. Ph (03) 9687 1560.

Online is easy

This easy-to-read guide to the world wide web is a practical and useful tool – and could make a great Christmas present.

Internet for seniors in easy steps is designed to help older Australians do the types of things that interest them on the web. The topics covered include puzzles, chess and bridge, entertainment, arts and crafts, travel planning, family history and digital photography. The book also discusses the basics of email, creating a web page and internet security. It’s an accessible guide, set out clearly, with tips and reminders that can help you make the most of this incredible tool many now rely on.

Helpful information put simply
Computer Step (publishers)
RRP $34.95

Planning retirement

You’ll find much useful information in the Centrelink publication entitled, Are you planning for or needing help in retirement? It includes sections on the pension bonus scheme, grandparents who care for their grandparents and much more.

Other topics covered include how to claim a payment, help for veterans and residential aged care. This is a handy, general look at retirement from the Centrelink perspective.

When someone dies

We don’t like to think about it but, should you ever be confronted with such an situation, it’s important to have some idea of your entitlements and responsibilities.

Needing help after someone has died is a practical guide to bereavement payments and income support options, as well as exactly what to do when someone dies, who you should contact and what the procedure is from there.

Stories behind stories

Another great read for those who have already consumed many of the classics is Behind the bestsellers. Authors Jenny Bond and Chris Sheedy have chosen an eclectic range of fiction and non-fiction titles to explore what encouraged the various authors pick up a pen (or strike a keyboard) and begin their (subsequent) bestsellers.

The diversity of subject matter is one of the great strengths of this book, with tales of authors such as Jane Austen, JK Rowling, Peter Carey and Truman Capote and their struggles to achieve publication. Behind the Bestsellers is well researched, and offers fascinating glimpses into the life and times of the various authors, as well as hope for current aspiring writers.

Persistence pays off
Random House Australia
RRP $tba

Reader’s feast

Those who love to read – and, more particularly, those who love to read about reading – will delight in New York editor, Sara Nelson’s, So many books, so little time. No, this is NOT another book of lists – it’s far, far better than that. Instead, it chronicles one woman’s journey through 52 books in as many weeks, and celebrates that strange and indefinable magic which occurs when a reader engages with words on a page.

Nelson sets herself the task of reading all those books she has meant to tackle – but has never got around to it. But this is not a dry summation of the techniques of different authors and genres. This is a tale of someone who loves to read and how each book presents a lesson, sometimes a metaphor, for her everyday life. It is a hymn in praise of the power of words and ideas and how, in reading about others, we learn more about ourselves, our capacity, our weaknesses, our strengths.

As she reads, Nelson’s discussion ranges far and wide – about her childhood, her incredible bonds with her father, her first date with her husband, her struggles to teach her son to love to read as much as she does. Every so often you encounter a book which makes you long to meet the author – not as a potential new friend, but as a tried and proven old friend with whom you long to spend a lot of time. Sara Nelson’s So many books… worked its magic on me.

A total treat
Berkley Books
RRP $29.95

The big issues

Looking for a book to crystallize your thinking in the lead-up to the federal election? Then grab a copy of Hugh Mackay’s perfectly timed – and eminently readable – Advance Australia ... where?.

Applying the same dispassionate eye and forensic skill that made Reinventing Australia a best-seller 15 years ago, Mackay identifies and dissects the big issues that have affected us over the past 30 years (the gender and IT revolutions, the growth of consumerism, our descent into overwhelming busyness, the redistribution of wealth ...) and explores how they have shaped the national psyche. What he sees now is the gradual emergence of a yearning for things beyond the material, for something nobler, reflected in a growing interest in religion and the quest for more balanced lives. Uncharacteristically, he introduces himself into the book by concluding with his list of issues ‘We need to talk about’ – poverty, politics and arts funding included.

A stimulating reflection on the state of things
Hachette Australia 2007
RRP $35.00

Heaven on a rod

The Complete Fishing Bible deserves a place in the tackle box of every avid fisherman or woman. It’s a comprehensive reference for both seasoned anglers and those new to the delights of experiencing ‘the one that got away’.

This bible includes information on techniques for saltwater and freshwater fishing, fish species (and how to catch them!) and fishing tackle, as well as boating tips, seafood recipes and hot fishing spots!

This hardback coffee table book is packed full of tips, tricks and great photos to inspire you to reel in that catch of the day. With expert advice on such techniques as trolling, sounding, casting and cubing, you can’t help but learn something from this compendium of information. A great gift for the keen fisherman or woman in your life.

Everything an angler needs to know
New Holland
RRP $49.95

Remember these?

This new paperback collection of the most important speeches since 1900 is a wonderful reminder of great moments in recent history. Speeches that shaped the modern world covers the pivotal moments when leaders expressed their words of hope or regret to the world.

These classic speeches include Franklin D Roosevelt telling Americans that ‘the only thing we have to fear is fear itself’ and Winston Churchill inspiring ‘our finest hour’. More contemporary offerings include Nelson Mandela’s speech upon being released from prison and Jesse Jackson’s 1988 ‘Keep Hope Alive’ speech.

This book includes an introduction for each speech, which helps put it into context and sets the stage for the fascinating words to come. The speeches in this book have evoked hope, hate and sorrow; and many have gone on to bring peace, justice and political and personal freedom. They are truly inspiring.

History as spoken by our leaders
New Holland
RRP $29.95

The power of giving

Giving is former U.S. President Bill Clinton’s call to action. This remarkable book shows us just how many people are out there doing something, no matter how large or small, to make the world a better place. The book goes on to inspire us all to participate in this global flood of giving.

In this, his third book, Bill Clinton shares his own experiences as well as the stories of many others who have given gifts of time, skills, things and ideas to make change possible.

If you’ve reached ‘compassion-fatigue’, this book will re-inspire you to search out even the smallest way you can give something of yourself towards improving others’ lives – surely the true source of happiness and satisfaction.

For a man who no doubt has intimate knowledge of the worst of the political process, Bill Clinton outlines how important and possible it is that individuals help to change, improve or protect a government policy. He remains positive about the potential of the human spirit to be a powerful agent of change in the world.

A must read for all generations
Random House
RRP $39.95

Cheap and cheerful

Cath Armstrong lost her part-time job, the next day her husband lost his job and three days later they found out they were expecting their third baby. They had to learn to save and save quickly! Now Cath shares her Cheapskates philosophy in Debt Free, Cashed Up and Laughing.

The book is inspirational in its ability to make living on less seem possible and even enjoyable. Full of practical tips, it will show you how to save money on everyday household items, how to pay off your credit card and any outstanding debts and begin to save money so that life as a Cheapskate is fun and full.

The story is fantastic, because being a Cheapskate meant Cath re-learnt many of the ‘old’ skills, such as sewing and growing veggies. She also became the world’s greenest woman through her recycling and re-using everything she possibly could. Her imagination knew no bounds: she used bread tabs became clothes pegs!

You can read the full story in the upcoming edition of Your Life magazine, on sale 14 September 2007 – look for Maxine McKew on the cover. Or for more information on Your Life, click here . Also take a look at the Cheapskates website by clicking here

Worth every cent
ABC Books
RRP $19.95

Where there’s life, there’s hope

In It’s Never Too Late To Achieve Financial Security, author Peter Cerexhe offers simple ways to improve retirement finances. His message is especially pertinent for those who have had a ‘misspent youth’ when it comes to their finances.

The book covers topics such as saving money fast, maximizing super, how to get more tax deductions, plus a really important subject – how to find the motivation to bother with finances. For many, poor money communication between people is a real stumbling block and opportunities may pass them by. People can feel regret about past mistakes or guilty for not doing enough. This book is like a spring clean of your financial house – and once that’s done, maintenance becomes much easier and simpler.

If you are feeling some frustration talking to your partner about planning your financial future, or if you find yourself unsure of the balance between taking advice and making your own decisions, this is a good book for you.

Full of hope, motivating and do-able
Allen&Unwin
RRP $29.95

Make that change

Only you know the real reasons you want to save more money: is it to travel? To make that seachange a reality? To make more space in your life for your relationships through making the transition to part-time work? Get A New Life can help you define what you want to change, then assist you on the journey.

Get A New Life helps you take an overall look at your life – you may already be happy with most areas but have a niggling feeling that making a few changes in another few could improve the overall picture. You may know exactly what change you want to make but feel a little stuck. Unlike many self-help books, the tone of author Kaye Fallick’s book is neither patronising, nor does it assume that you must want millions and be prepared to give up everything you now have to get it.

It’s no use saving money if it’s not going to help create the life you want. This book can help you manage the inevitable changes that come with time, whether they forced upon you or whether you want to make them happen.

Inspiring information and resources
Allen&Unwin
RRP $29.95

Trading places

One red paperclip is a wonderful story of a young Canadian man who decided to trade a paperclip for something a little bigger. Then he just kept ‘trading up’ until he moved into a new house.

This is a true story which captivated the Canadian press as they followed him on what turned out to be an incredible adventure. Kyle continued to ‘trade up’, moving from biro to beer to machinery to trucks to jet skis to… but I won’t give away how he ended up trading himself into the house he’d always wanted. It’s too much fun to read the book.

You probably wouldn’t believe it if it was fiction, but this is a cracking yarn, perfect spring reading and one gift to consider for the hard-to-buy-for teenager.

One mad but clever idea
Ebury/Random house
RRP $35.00

Know your rights

The Easy guide to Australian law is a handy, informative resource for basic legal matters. You never know when it might come in handy.

From banking and insurance to motor vehicles, real estate and elder law, this clear and actually very interesting book could save your time and money should you ever need legal assistance. The basics it offers means you will be more likely to know when you need a lawyer and to ask the right questions when you meet with him or her.

The book covers important family matters such as Power of Attorney (get one now!) as well as consumer law and property law – an area many of us find ourselves thrust into when typical disputes over home fences and boundaries rear their ugly heads.

A worthwhile resource to dip in and out of
New Holland
RRP $25.00

Ignore at your peril

How to grow, manage and protect your wealth by Dominic Alafaci has the rather odd sub-title ’17 tips you can’t ignore’. These tips do explain important issues, however, and explain them clearly and succinctly.

At only 161 pages, this book takes you over much ground: as well as sound financial planning advice, it offers up-to-date information on changes to super, reverse mortgages and new Centrelink rules.

The book is written in a simple, clear format and is quick to read. This might be a plus for many, who don’t want to trawl through pages and pages to get to the really useful information. Alafaci does a good job at making his words come alive on the page, keeping it relatively entertaining for a financial planning book. The chapter on his background explains when the turning point came for him and he started taking charge of his finances once and for all. It makes the whole process of managing your money seem possible.

Up-to-date and easy-to-read financial planning guide
Wilkinson Publishing
RRP $24.95

When all seems lost

Pema Chodron is an American Buddhist nun and author of When Things Fall Apart and The Wisdom of No Escape. Whilst these two books cover slightly different subject matter, their underlying message is similar and can be immensely helpful for those struggling with a painful loss or protracted period of despair.

The beauty of Pema Chodron’s books lies in their simplicity of prose. Chodron refuses to gloss over the hard work we all need to do in order to grow and the fact that we must work through our pain – that there is not escape hatch. The Wisdom of No Escape is particularly easy to dip into for short lessons in the art of humanity. Written as a series of talks, which Chodron delivered during a one-month practice period at Gampo Abbey (Buddhist Retreat) in Nova Scotia, the message is how to be with oneself without harshness or embarrassment. When Things Fall Apart is a careful consideration of dealing with disappointment, small and large, and growing through the experience.

Accessible, heartwarming advice for those in need
Harper Collins
When Things Fall Apart RRP $24.95
The Wisdom of No Escape RRP $19.95

Need to know

The last 100 years has seen death moved from the front parlour, where loved ones could say their farewells, then prepare the body for burial, to the hospital and nursing home, where machines and people in uniforms are now in control. Consequently, most of us have no idea of the practical issues involved when a loved one dies.

Once again, Choice Books cut through the mystique and confusion with a simple guide to the practical matters associated with death. In What To Do When Someone Dies, author Stella Tarakson offers excellent advice and resources for those most in need.
It makes sense to have a clear idea of the steps, the legal processes (and paperwork!) and the questions to ask. This book answers important questions – what’s the first thing to do should a person pass away at home? What if they pass away interstate? What do you do if you are executor of the will? How do you get a death certificate?
Matters covered include grief, legal requirements, funeral arrangements, dealing with the estate, and, perhaps most importantly, the things you should do now, whether aged 18 or 80, to ensure your family are not left with a nightmare of paperwork and confusing bequests. The only pity is that our current societal attitude of denial of death will mean too few will purchase this book.

A must for every home bookshelf
Choice books
RRP $22.50

Death and the dollar

Barrister Robert Larkins has delved into the business of funeral homes and the ‘death-care’ industry to produce an incredible account of how the business of dying really works.

Funeral Rights asks many questions, such as, how can a funeral director charge $700 for a chipboard coffin worth only $80? The book reveals what our true options are and how to keep costs down, avoid traps from unscrupulous operators and ensure that ours, or our loved ones, genuine wishes are carried out.

It’s an eye-opening and often darkly amusing exposé, which demystifies death and dispels popular myths about funerals. But not all doom and gloom, Larkins offers us options for better ways to conduct our final acts of love.

A revealing investigation into a hidden industry
Penguin
RRP $32.95

The Attack

The author, nom du plume, Yasmina Khadra’s understanding of contemporary Middle East conflict informs this gripping read. Whilst his previous career as an Algerian army officer may partially explain the credibility of Mohammed Moulessehoul’s writing, considerable research into the Israeli/Palestinian ‘situation’ is also apparent.

The use of a narrator, our hero, the seemingly successfully, integrated and highly professional surgeon, Dr Amin Jaafari, is extremely effective. The reader is quickly engaged with, and sympathetic to, this Arab, of poor Bedouin antecedents, who has made good and lives in a nice house in one of the best suburbs of Tel Aviv. However, as much as Amin has attempted to shut out the ongoing war, it inevitably and shockingly thrusts itself upon him via his beautiful wife, Sihem. The tale is then one of our hero moving through denial, anger and near self-destruction and, finally, acceptance of his idolised spouse’s secret life.

Amin’s journey introduces us to other well-drawn characters, such as his closest friends: hospital director, Ezra Benhaim; Israeli police officer, Navid Ronnen and Dr Kim Yehuda. When Amin returns to what remains of his tribal lands, we also get to know his extended Arab family, with whom he has had little contact – Leila, his foster sister in Bethlehem, and her husband Yasser and son Adel; his cousin in Jenin, Khalil; another cousin Wissen; and, finally, the family patriarch, Omr and his granddaughter, Faten. 

All these characters are convincing; in fact, the entire book is refreshingly objective – none of the antagonists, Arab or Jew, emerges without their blindness and ingrained bigotry being conveyed. As such, The Attack provides not only a riveting read, but also, one suspects, an insight into how, the seemingly endless conflict between two peoples with so much in common, affects their contemporary lives.

A riveting and informative read
Random House
RRP $32.95

Mariam’s trials

Recent political history leads us to believe that the people of Afghanistan can only be leading lives of gloom and despair, punctuated by horrific bombings and unexpected attacks. First an invasion by the Russians, next the takeover by the Taliban, followed by interception by western troops, daily routines are almost impossible to maintain. Yet the strength of Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns lies in the understanding of life in the smaller towns as well as the bigger political picture.

Hosseini’s previous book, The Kite Runner, was a bestseller, and for good reason. This time he chooses to use a female protagonist to explore the ways in which human beings struggle to maintain dignity and hope in the face of crushing odds. It is possible he was more comfortable with a male voice in The Kite Runner – read and judge for yourself – but his portrayal of the courage of ordinary Afghanis never wavers.

A tale of loss, love and the power of family
Bloomsbury Publishing
RRP $32.95

Of sheikhs and spin

Paul Torday’s delightful tale of taking the impossible and making it happen is not only about fishing in the desert. The surface story of Salmon Fishing in the Yemen revolves around a Yemeni sheikh, Muhammad ibn Zaidi, who wants to bring the joys and rewards of salmon fishing to his native country. An unassuming British fishery expert, Fred Jones, is ordered by his masters to make this happen – with positive media coverage the perceived reward. Things are never quite as they seem in this intriguing narrative, and as the project proceeds there are victims and heroes aplenty.

The main hero of the book is Fred. At first he is aghast at the idea of transplanting salmon to the desert, but after meeting Sheikh Muhammad ibn Zaidi, he is sufficiently impressed his integrity to work out how it might be achieved. That the sheikh has a beautiful English assistant, Harriet Chetwode-Talbot, can only add to Fred’s enthusiasm – and complicate relations with his rather less gla