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More Decent Obsessions: The Small Things That Tell the Big Picture
by Bernard SaltHave you ever become engrossed in a trashy magazine at the dentist, only to realise that it is a decade old?Why do 'mates rates' always favour the buyer and never the seller?Have you noticed the new trends in the language of cafe menus?Over the years Salt has charmed Australian readers with his unique blend of social insight and down-to-earth observations.In More Decent Obsessions Salt channels our innermost thoughts and helps us understand ourselves a little bit better. If not Salt, then who else would tell the Australian people the truth about the Goat's Cheese Curtain, ticket etiquette at the deli counter or how to navigate the introduction of the unisex loo?Join Bernard Salt on a playful yet insightful journey that takes us forward to the 2030s and back to the 1960s examining life, manners and more to sketch a bigger picture of modern life in Australia.'Bernard is a highly amusing bellwether. He leads the rest of us sheep down a gentle path of truth.' - Ray Martin
Islam and Contemporary Civilisation: Evolving Ideas, Transforming Relations (Islamic Studies Series)
by Dr Halim RaneIslam and Contemporary Civilisation examines the most complex debates and dilemmas facing Islam today, both internally and in its relations with Western civilisation.Halim Rane provides a concise and comprehensive introduction to Islam and modern developments in Muslim thought, and tackles questions of Islamic law, human rights, democracy, jihad and the Israel-Palestine conflict in the context of Islam-West relations.In confronting these challenging issues, Rane proposes a way forward that has far-reaching implications for advancing mutual understanding and finding common ground between the Muslim world and the West. Islamic Studies Series - Volume 7
Great Game On: The contest for Central Asia and Global Supremacy
by Geoff RabyGreat Game On is the story of the remaking of the world order. Historically, China has sought its security by building dominant relationships with pliant states that accept its pre-eminence. Its expanding role and influence in Central Asia has been as incremental and piecemeal as it has been deliberate. Without firing a shot, China could potentially end the United States' international primacy to become the most consequential global power. With its emergence as the leading power in Eurasia based on its inexorable economic rise and Putin's folly in Ukraine, China has been released from its past existential anxieties about land-based threats from Eurasia. It now has the chance to project its power globally, as the US did from the early twentieth century when it became the dominant power in the western hemisphere. What threats and risks must China address? And what happens when China becomes the established, stable, dominant power in Eurasia? Australia's former ambassador to China, Geoff Raby, takes the reader on a journey across Eurasia to understand the forces shaping its geopolitics. Raby enriches this analysis by weaving his own travel stories, experiences and adventures into the fabric of his narrative. This book is geopolitics on a grand canvas, written from the ground up.
Forgotten People: Liberal and conservative approaches to recognising indigenous peoples
by Damien Freeman Shireen MorrisThe Forgotten People challenges the assumption that constitutional recognition of indigenous Australians is a project of the left in Australia.It demonstrates that there may be a set of reforms that can achieve the change sought by indigenous leaders, while addressing the critical concerns of constitutional conservatives and classical liberals. More than that, this collection illustrates the genuine goodwill that many Australians, including Major General Michael Jeffery, Cardinal George Pell, Chris Kenny and Malcolm Mackerras, share for achieving indigenous recognition that is practically useful and symbolically powerful.
Narrative of Denial: Australia and the Indonesian Violation of East Timor
by Peter JobThe Indonesian invasion of East Timor in 1975 led to a prolonged conflict, severe human rights abuses and a large loss of life. From 1975 to 1983 the Indonesian military's campaign of 'encirclement and annihilation' destroyed rural food resources, creating the famine that took most of the lives lost during the occupation. The Australian governments of Gough Whitlam and Malcolm Fraser presented themselves as advocates for human rights and the international rule of law, while viewing relations with Indonesia as key to their foreign policy objectives. These positions came into conflict due to the Indonesian invasion of East Timor. Based upon an extensive study of Australian foreign affairs archives, as well as interviews, A Narrative of Denial demonstrates how the Australian government responded to the conflict by propagating a version of events that denied the reality of the catastrophe occurring in East Timor. It worked to protect the Suharto regime internationally, thereby allowing it to continue its repression relatively unhindered. This remarkable story will unsettle existing perceptions of how Australia operates in world affairs.
Loving Protection?: Australian Feminism and Aboriginal Women's Rights 1919–1939
by Fiona PaisleyIn the 1920s and 1930s, there was a highly visible network of white women activists who vigorously promoted the rights of Australian Aboriginals. In this little-known campaign—by middle-class women's organisations such as the Australian Federation of Women Voters—Anglo-Australian women, among them Bessie Rischbieth, Edith Jones, Constance Cooke and Mary Bennett, took to the world stage to expose the plight of Aboriginal women. Their campaign made headline news, and Australian state and federal governments were shamed into action. One important outcome was the 1934 Royal Commission into Aboriginal Status and Conditions in Western Australia, at which white women activists presented compelling evidence of the need for reform in Aboriginal policy. These women strongly opposed assimilationist policies of the time such as child removal, institutionalisation and dispersal, promoting in their place assimilation based on universal and specific rights. Loving Protection? breaks new ground, highlighting white women's challenges to federal Aboriginal policy, and their attempt to complement men in the running of modern Australia.
Killing: Misadventures In Violence
by Jeff SparrowHow hard is it to kill, as a hunter on a Kangaroo cull, as a worker in an abattoir, as an executioner in a prison, as a soldier at war?Ninety years after World War I, police in a Victorian country town uncover the mummified head of a Turkish soldier, a bullet-ridden souvenir brought home from Gallipoli by a returning ANZAC. The macabre discovery sets Jeff Sparrow on a quest to understand the nature of deadly violence. How do ordinary people—whether in today's wars or in 1915—learn to take a human life? How do they live with the aftermath?These questions lead Sparrow through history and across Australia and the USA, talking to veterans and slaughtermen, executioners and writers about one of the last remaining taboos. Compassionate, engaged and political, Killing takes us up close to the ways society kills today, meditating on what violence means, not just for perpetrators, but for all of us.
Our Bodies, Our Babies: The Forgotten Women's Movement
by Kerreen ReigerThis is a wonderful book . . . read it and consider what has been won, and how much more needs to be won, in the childbirth revolution! Barbara Katz Rothman, City University of New York Kerreen Reiger is absolutely right to see the childbirth movement as the forgotten women's movement, and the great pleasure of this book is to find in every chapter the right questions being asked. Janet McCalman, University of Melbourne For most of the twentieth century, childbirth and the care of mothers and babies in Western countries was controlled by doctors and a hospital system headed by men. In Our Bodies, Our Babies, Kerreen Reiger traces the struggle of Australian women and others to change approaches to childbirth, to claim their right to choices in childbirth, and to educate themselves about birth and breastfeeding. She explores the movement which radically changed our maternity care practices, allowing fathers to participate in the birth of their children and babies to 'room-in' with their mothers. This absorbing story draws on interviews with mothers, midwives and doctors, and on archival material from relevant women's organisations. It shows how the childbirth and breastfeeding movements are relevant to feminism and women's rights. Much has been achieved, but Reiger sees a need for still more political action. Any woman who has given birth, and anyone who has cared for mothers and babies, will want to read this book.
Vogue Factor
by Kirstie ClementsIn May 2012 Kirstie Clements was unceremoniously sacked after thirteen years in the editor's chair at Vogue Australia. Here she tells the story behind the headlines, and takes us behind the scenes of a fast-changing industry. During a career at Vogue that spanned twenty-five years, Clements rubbed shoulders with Karl Lagerfeld, Kylie Minogue, Ian Thorpe, Crown Princess Mary, Cate Blanchett, and many more shining stars. From her humble beginnings growing up in the Sutherland Shire in Sydney to her brilliant career as a passionate and fierce custodian of the world's most famous luxury magazine brand, Clements warmly invites us into her Vogue world, a universe that brims with dazzling celebrities, fabulous lunches, exotic locales and of course, outrageous fashion. Amidst the exhilaration and chaos of modern magazine publishing and the frenzied demands of her job, Clements is always steadfast in her dedication to quality. Above all, she is always Vogue.
Facing North Volume 2: 1970s To 2000
by David Goldsworthy Peter EdwardsFacing North is the first substantial history of Australia's relations with Asia since Federation. Volume 1 (2001) chronicles Australian-Asian relations from 1901 to the 1970s. Volume 2 now carries the story through the last decades of the century. Both make extensive use of official government sources and of the private collections of ministers and public servants. This volume discusses the changing relations between Australia and Asia in the period from the 1970s to 2000. Over this time, integration became a dominant theme as Australia looked increasingly to its near neighbours to form political, social and economic alliances. An important driving force behind this direction was the economic opportunities presented by Asia. At the same time, Australia championed the rights of Asian countries to self-determination, economic development and an independent role in international affairs. The book combines the discussion of broad policy themes with detailed analysis of policy-making in relation to particular issues such as human rights, and episodes such as the crisis in East Timor. At home, a key concern was the question of difference between Australian and Asian values. As Australia began accepting significant numbers of immigrants from the region, the country's national identity, and the extent to which it identified with Asia, became matters of intense debate. Australian society itself has changed as a result. Facing North is essential reading for anyone who wants to better understand Australia's present relations with Asian countries, and our future choices.
Observing Australia
by Ken InglisKen Inglis is one of Australia's most admired and warmly regarded historians. For forty years he has looked with a sharp but sympathetic eye at how we came to be who we are. Written with style and wit, Observing Australia is a collection of his short pieces. They come from many sources, for Inglis's engagement in our continuing conversation about Australian life has always been expressed through the mainstream press as well as in scholarly journals and his books. Of those books, The Stuart Case related how the life of an Aboriginal man, wrongly condemned to death, was saved, while Australian Colonists set a new path for Australian social history. Later came Inglis's penetrating history of the ABC, and his role as a creator of the massive bicentennial history Australians: A Historical Library, and his recent multi-award-winning Sacred Places: War Memorials in the Australian Landscape. This collection reflects the breadth of Inglis's interests: the making and remaking of Australian nationality, war, memory and ritual; the lives of colleagues such as Manning Clark and Stephen Murray-Smith; religion, multiculturalism, and finding the right word.
History Of Australia (Volumes 5 & 6): From 1888 to 1945
by Manning ClarkManning Clark's six-volume history is one of the masterpieces of Australian writing. It is also one of the most passionately debated visions of Australian history, in which the struggle to realise an Australian nation is played out on an epic scale. A History of Australia: 1888-1945, covers Federation, the Boer War and World War I's Gallipoli. It finishes with the story of an emerging Australian identity at the point of its greatest trial-the outbreak of World War II. This is not a general Australian history-it does not attempt to cover all aspects-and it is not a definitive or quantitative analysis. It is a work of art, a living and breathing account of the remaking of a primitive continent, history come alive.
Time to Die
by Rodney SymeMedical science now allows us to live longer than ever before. So living with pain and dying well have become major concerns for the general community, health practitioners, church groups and politicians. Should these issues be decided in private by individuals or must we legislate ethical guidelines? Rodney Syme has been an advocate for medically assisted dying for more than twenty years. In Time to Die he reflects on those living and dying in pain and shares their stories. Syme makes a powerful case for extending the right to die to those whose suffering is unbearable.
Sweet Sorrow: A Beginner's Guide To Death
by Mark WakelyThis remarkable book-at times heart-breaking, at times humorous-is dazzling for its profound honesty. Like most of us, Mark Wakely had always put death in the too-hard basket. Around death he was painfully awkward, strangely self-conscious: death-shy. He was curiously distanced from his own parents' deaths. Thirty years later, he went on a journey to confront one of the most intensely personal yet universal experiences: our own mortality. With Mark as our guide, we are introduced to morticians and embalmers, rabbis and doctors, coffin makers and gravediggers. He reveals the fashions and the fads, the rituals and the deep emotion in a heartfelt and whimsical investigation into this timeless subject. All you need to pack for the trip is a curiosity about life.
Word Bytes: Writing in the Information Society
by Carolyne LeeWords matter. And good writing matters. Especially in the information society, in which more writing than ever is disseminated and read. There may be a lot of dross out there, but we can also find writing that stands out from the rest. It lodges in our heads because of its simplicity and style, and because it says something worth reading. This is 'word byte' writing, a term that Carolyne Lee coins, defines and explains in this book, and which she and her contributors encourage their readers to achieve. A wide range of genres of public and professional writing; including magazine profiles, newspaper articles and blog posts; is covered in Word Bytes. The contributions from other professional writers, magazine and newspaper journalists through to a blogger and web-editor, will inspire and teach all those who want to learn to recognise and produce word bytes; writing that gets noticed and read in a world of information overload.
Poverty Law and Social Change: The Story of the Fitzroy Legal Service
by John Chesterman'Law for the Poor' and 'Lawyers for the People' declared the headlines that announced the opening of the Fitzroy Legal Service in December 1972. In a dingy town-hall basement in one of the poorest suburbs of Melbourne, this new legal service set out to do the unthinkable: to provide free legal advice to all comers. Almost a quarter of a century later, under an equally radical Liberal government, the Fitzroy Legal Service has found itself cast in the unlikely role of a defender of the status quo against reforms that threaten judicial independence and restrict the availability of legal aid. John Chesterman traces the evolution of the Fitzroy Legal Service from a thorn in the side of the legal profession to a valued contributor to legal debate. In this process, he provides an entertaining and perceptive account of the forces that have prompted legal reform in Australia from the early 1970s, particularly in the development of legal aid.
Australia's Bid For The Atomic Bomb
by Reynolds, WayneThis very important work is a fundamental rewriting of Australian history from 1943 to 1968. It argues that after World War II, Australian defence policy was premised on Joint nuclear weapons development with the United Kingdom; and that while this endeavour failed, it shaped domestic and foreign policy until the end of the 1950s. Nuclear weapons have traditionally been seen as American and British concerns, and various official histories have held that the development of rockets and atomic weapon testing were essentially British exercises. But author Wayne Reynolds reveals an entirely new perspective on Australia's role in these events. Australia's Bid for the Atomic Bomb examines the implications of this for major social, political and security issues and developments in Austalia's recent history. This work will arouse considerable media interest, and will appeal to anyone interested in Australia's political and military history.
Minum Barreng: The Story of the Indigenous Eye Health Unit
by Tess Ryan Tim SeniorThings happen during the life course to make vision loss increase, and many of these reasons can be traced to a lack of care, a lack of access to care, and the impact of colonisation. Minum Barreng: The Story of the Indigenous Eye Health Unit shines a light on the determined team who have worked with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples since 2008 to prove that Australia has the will, the means and the moral obligation to close the gap in this serious health inequity. This is a story of vision in both senses of the word-and of strength and opportunity.
Land Boomers
by Michael CannonBoom or bust? What was the truth of the great land booms that swept Australia in the 1880s and 1890s? How was it that some speculators amassed prodigious fortunes, while others went so spectacularly broke? Seventy years after the events, historian Michael Cannon began sifting through thousands of records and documents, long since filed and forgotten. He pieced together an incredible trail of corruption and roguery, rarely if ever equalled in any parliamentary democracy. When the bare bones of this expos� were first published in 1966, it caused an immediate sensation as the forebears of many well-known families were involved. Never before had any Australian historian been able to document such unbridled greed and over-riding ambition. Extended and revised, The Land Boomers is generously illustrated with cartoons, photographs and etchings of the time, and includes an introduction by the author on how he came to research and write the book.
Urban Botanics: An Indoor Plant Guide for Modern Gardeners
by Maaike Koster Emma SibleyHave trouble keeping house plants alive? Struggling to find your green fingers? Fear not! You can still have a beautiful plant-filled home with this stunning guide to indoor plants. Whether you are looking to cultivate an entire indoor garden, or simply wish to know more about your single cactus, you can be sure to find the right information for you amongst the seventy-five plants in this stylish guide. And the best bit? All the plants are easy to maintain so even the most timid of gardeners can enjoy turning their hand to this green-fingered pastime. Learn how to care for succulents, cacti, flowering and foliage plants even with a full-time job, with this unique gardening guide that is made to fit alongside our modern-day schedules. With endless inspiration to brighten up your home,desk or office, this beautiful book of plants from across the world is a must for lovers of art and design, as well as plants.
Lady Gaga: Behind the Fame
by Emily HerbertThis revealing biography goes behind the popstar persona to tell the inside story of Lady Gaga’s rise to fame.A true original, Gaga found fame the hard way, playing the grimy bars and burlesque shows of New York City, before finally relocating to Los Angeles to begin work on what would become her debut album The Fame. Constantly en vogue and always in the public eye, this is the biography of the rise of Gaga, from her early life as a teenage protégé, to her life as one of the most respected musicians and most recognized entertainers on the planet. This book lifts the lid on Lady Gaga, going beyond the familiar narrative to reveal new insight into her vision, artistry, and business savvy.
Squadron: Ending the African Slave Trade
by John BroichThis naval history reveals the story of Victorian-era officers and abolitionists who fought the illegal slave trade in the Indian Ocean. Though the British Empire outlawed the slave trade in 1807, many British ships continued the practice for decades along the eastern coast of Africa. The Royal Navy&’s response was to dispatch a squadron charged with patrolling the African coast for rogue slave ships. In Squadron, John Broich tells the story of the four Royal Naval officers who made it their personal mission to end the still-rampant slave trade. The campaign was quickly cancelled when it began to interfere with the interests of the wealthy merchant class. But in time, a coalition of naval officers and abolitionists forced the British government&’s hand into eradicating the slave trade entirely. Drawing on firsthand accounts and archives throughout the U.K., Broich tells a tale of defiance in the face of political corruption, while delivering thrills in the tradition of high seas heroism. If it weren&’t a true story, Squadron would be right at home alongside Patrick O&’Brian&’s Master and Commander series.
The Great Ordeal: Book Three (The Aspect-Emperor Trilogy) (The Aspect-Emperor Trilogy #0)
by R. Scott BakkerAn empress seeks her lost son as rival factions prepare for war in the long-awaited third novel of this acclaimed fantasy epic.As Fanim war-drums beat just outside the city, the Empress Anasurimbor Esmenet searches frantically throughout the palace for her missing son Kelmomas.Many miles away, Esmenet's husband's Great Ordeal continues its epic march further north. But in light of dwindling supplies, the Aspect-Emperor's decision to allow his men to consume the flesh of fallen Sranc could have consequences even He couldn't have foreseen.And, deep in Ishuäl, the wizard Achamian grapples with his fear that his unspeakably long journey might be ending in emptiness, no closer to the truth than when he set out.
Florence Under Siege: Surviving Plague in an Early Modern City
by John HendersonA vivid recreation of how the governors and governed of early seventeenth-century Florence confronted, suffered, and survived a major epidemic of plaguePlague remains the paradigm against which reactions to many epidemics are often judged. Here, John Henderson examines how a major city fought, suffered, and survived the impact of plague. Going beyond traditional oppositions between rich and poor, this book provides a nuanced and more compassionate interpretation of government policies in practice, by recreating the very human reactions and survival strategies of families and individuals.From the evocation of the overcrowded conditions in isolation hospitals to the splendor of religious processions, Henderson analyzes Florentine reactions within a wider European context to assess the effect of state policies on the city, street, and family. Writing in a vivid and approachable way, this book unearths the forgotten stories of doctors and administrators struggling to cope with the sick and dying, and of those who were left bereft and confused by the sudden loss of relatives.