Search results for ""Allen Unwin""

When actress Debbie Reynolds died a day after her beloved daughter, Carrie Fisher, the world diagnosed it as 'heartbreak'. But what's the evidence? Does emotional upheaval affect the heart? Can love, or chocolate, really heal our heart problems? And why do we know so much about heart attacks in men, when they are more fatal in women? Heart and lung surgeon Dr Nikki Stamp takes us into the operating theatre, explaining what she sees in patients with heart complications and how a life-saving transplant works. Stamp fell in the love with the heart as a child and continues to be fascinated by its workings and the whole-of-life experiences that affect it. Rich with anecdotes, and insights for maintaining heart health, Can You Die of a Broken Heart? is a blockbuster from a uniquely positioned young specialist.

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When Tom's neighbour gives him a brown bulb, Tom can't believe it will flower. 'That's not a daffodil!' says Tom. 'Well,' says the old gardener. 'Let's plant it and see.'Elizabeth Honey has created a playful story that little children will enjoy again and again - about an inventive boy, a kindly gardener, a growing friendship and the promise of a bulb.

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This isn't just about me. It's also about the other people in my life - my mother, my father, my dead sister Sky, my penpal Denille, Rich Uncle Brian, Earth-Pig Fish and Douglas Benson From Another Dimension. These are people [with the exception of Earth-Pig Fish, who is a fish] who have shaped me, made me what I am. I cannot recount my life without recounting elements of theirs. This is a big task, but I am confident I am up to it.Introducing Candice Phee: twelve years old, hilariously honest and a little ...odd. But she has a big heart, the very best of intentions and an unwavering determination to ensure everyone is happy. So she sets about trying to 'fix' all the problems of all the people [and pets] in her life. Laugh-out-loud funny and wonderfully touching, My Life as an Alphabet is a delightful novel about an unusual girl who goes to great lengths to bring love and laughter into the lives of everyone she cares about.

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Marcus Atkinson is a super swimmer (not!). But his dad is convinced that Marcus has magic in his arms and legs. Marcus is a Maths whiz who is not good at sport. His dad is a self-help author who thinks Marcus can achieve anything he sets his mind to...with hilarious results. In illustrated diary format, Marcus's gentle, satiric humour and comic drawings will have readers laughing out loud while learning a surprising amount about sport. For ages 7 to 11

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'Clear, wise and kind - a major achievement. Treats puberty with a whole person viewpoint' - Steve Biddulph, author of Raising BoysHave you ever noticed, now that you're growing up, that your parents want to sit you down and have these embarrassing kinds of conversations with you about sex? Or they leave those 'educational' books about growing up lying around the house? Or you've got some questions about what's happening to your body but you just can't hack the thought of talking about it with your mum?Well, Puberty Boy sidesteps embarrassing conversations and gives the full low down on what it means to be growing up. And it's written just for you.In this book, real men and boys share their stories about puberty. This lighthearted, plain speaking and honest book tells you what puberty is, when it happens and how your bodies will change. It explores the thinking and emotional changes that are happening alongside the physical and even tackles how to talk to girls! There's a brain shift happening inside you at puberty and Geoff Price makes sure that you know about it and are equipped to handle it.Puberty Boy explains the transitions that boys need to go through to become healthy young men in a unique, colourful and commonsense way. It is an essential guide for boys - and your parents, carers and teachers might even find it useful as well! (Hey, leave it lying around for them to find.)

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A deadly plague is spreading across the land...__________________As the year 1349 approaches, the Black Death continues its devastating course across England. In Dorseteshire, the quarantined people of Develish question whether they are the only survivors. Guided by their beloved young mistress, Lady Anne, they wait, knowing that when their dwindling stores are finally gone they will have no choice but to leave. But where will they find safety in the desolate wasteland outside? One man has the courage to find out. Thaddeus Thurkell, a free-thinking, educated serf, strikes out in search of supplies and news. A compelling leader, he and his companions quickly throw off the shackles of serfdom and set their minds to ensuring Develish's future - and freedom for its people.But what use is freedom that cannot be gained lawfully? When Lady Anne and Thaddeus conceive an audacious plan to secure her people's independence, neither foresees the life-threatening struggle over power, money and religion that follows...'Wonderful and sweeping, with a fabulous sense of place and history.' Kate Mosse on The Last Hours

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'How to find the right words to frame this horror? How to understand why men do what they do to women? How to comprehend this malign force that seems to seep from the male psyche and infect us all? . . . That is the central hope, the appeal, embedded in this book: that other men might join me in this investigation and ruthless self-interrogation-and in doing so, become part of the change that is so urgently required.'David LeserIn February 2018, the Good Weekend cover story by David Leser, 'Women, men and the whole damn thing', had an extraordinary response. David received hundreds of personal messages from readers around the world - both women and men - urging him to expand his story. Here is that book: a brilliant, impassioned, unflinching account of the firestorm of #MeToo, how we got there and where we must now go.In this essential and incisive investigation, Leser unearths the roots of misogyny, its inextricable links to the patriarchy, and how history brought us to the #MeToo movement and the wave of incandescent female rage that is sweeping the world. Crucially, he also interrogates his own psyche, privilege and culpability as he bears witness to the 'collective wound of the world' and asks how we can move towards healing and profound and permanent change.

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The Magnolia Kitchen community requested more amazing images of her stunning creations and more how-to instructions, and Bets has delivered. In Magnolia Kitchen Design Bets takes you on a journey of inspiration through several cake design projects, each described in detail with a written brief, mood board, design sketch and the completed cake.There are also step-by-step instructionals for key design techniques such as stencilling, lace work, using fresh florals, stacking a three-tier cake for travel, hand-painting and more. With great new recipes for cakes, icings and fillings, this book is the complete package to inspire bakers and cake designers at every level. It's another beautiful creation from Bets and will be loved by her fans, old and new.

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Drawn Out is a hilarious, heartbreaking, heart-warming account of Tom Scott's tragicomic childhood, his manic student-newspaper days, his turbulent years stumbling through the corridors of power, his fallings out with prime ministers, his collaborations with comic legends John Clarke, A.K. Grant and Murray Ball, his travels to the ends of the earth with his close friend Ed Hillary, and more...'A first-class memoir of a highly memorable life. Here is an important (often hilarious) writer and immensely gifted cartoonist, insightfully chronicling quite momentous changes in our political and social landscape.'Jim Mora, New Zealand Books

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We live in an ageing world. The average life expectancy in Australia is now far beyond the allotted three-score years and ten . Age-related conditions are increasingly impacting on our community, with enormous personal, social and economic costs.Around 165 000 people in Australia are now suffering from dementia and the prospect of becoming senile is one that genuinely terrifies people contemplating a lengthy old age.It is important to remember, however, that while most dementias are currently irreversible, this does not mean that they are untreatable. Dealing with Dementia offers a down-to-earth, comprehensive and compassionate resource for anyone struggling to come to terms with a diagnosis of dementia and what it means. Filled with practical advice on drug treatments, complementary therapies and residential or respite care, Dealing with Dementia will be an invaluable tool for anyone worried about their own symptoms or those of a loved one.

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'Oh my God, I'm turning into my mother!'Why do our personalities so stubbornly resist our efforts to change? Is it our genes, or the way we were brought up? Why do we ignore the eerie 'coincidences' which offer us insight into the patterned, predictable nature of our lives?Rarely has anyone written with such eloquence about the dilemmas and choices we all face in our relationships. Hugh Crago deftly traces the unbroken circle of life and death, illuminating his account with lively personal touches, fresh insights into the personalities of famous figures and case studies of ordinary people. He argues that we can control our lives, but only when we understand the mysterious emotional patterns that link us with our parents, our partners and our children.'A lucid and reassuring exploration of the cyclic nature of human life.Crago tells stories about our lives that I recognise.' - Patti Miller, author of Writing Your Life'This book draws from a wide range of ideas to paint a fresh picture of the family's journey from the cradle in one generation to the grave in the next. Everyone, whether parent, student or expert, will find much that is new, interesting and helpful in this highly readable account.' - John Byng Hall, consultant child and family psychiatrist at the Tavistock Clinic, London, and author of Rewriting Family Scripts

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Every year hundreds of talented amateurs devote hours to preparing entries for cookery competitions run as part of 600 or so agricultural shows across Australia. In their quest for a precious blue ribbon, they use recipes based on generations of experience and strict judging codes that demand absolute perfection.In this follow-up to her first award-winning book, The Blue Ribbon Cookbook, Liz Harfull brings together 70 tried and true recipes from some of the country's most enthusiastic and talented show cooks. But more than that, in The Australian Blue Ribbon Cookbook Liz shares their heart-warming stories, and the wisdom, knowledge and generosity of spirit that brings success, even for novices. Whether it's a traditional Mixed Mustard Pickle or Madeira Cake, mouth-watering Sausage Rolls or Pumpkin Damper, Jenny's Jam Drops or Cousin Barb's Jelly Slice, there is something delicious for everyone to try.The end results may even win you a blue ribbon!PRAISE FOR THE BLUE RIBBON COOKBOOK 'The spirit of the Australian country show permeates the pages of this marvellously nostalgic collection of show recipes, judges' hints and vintage images.' Gourmet Traveller'Here is race memory and the faith of the mothers rewarded - a harvest of thanks made with flour measured out in an old cup without a handle, kept in the kitchen dresser. The secret ingredient is love.' Peter Goers, Sunday Mail

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AUSTRALIA'S FIRST INTERNATIONAL SUPERSTAR When most Australians think of Nellie Melba they picture a squarish middle-aged woman dressed in furs and large hats, an imperious Dame whose voice ruled the world for three decades. But there was much more to her life than adulation and riches.To succeed she had to overcome social expectations, misogyny and tall-poppy syndrome. She endured the violence of a bad marriage, was denied by scandal a true love with the would-be King of France, and suffered the loss of her only child for more than a decade, stolen by his angry and vengeful father.Against all odds, Nellie Melba became the greatest opera singer of her time on stages across Australia, America and Europe.

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Winner, Best 2020 Non-fiction, ACT Notable Awards As you climbed the rickety stairs of an old woolshed at Sydney harbour in 1944, you would hear the thrum of clicks and buzzes. Rows of men and women in uniforms and headsets would be tapping away vigorously at small machines, under the careful watch of their young female trainers. Presiding over the cacophony was a tiny woman, known to everyone as 'Mrs Mac', one of Australia's wartime legends.A smart girl from a poor mining town who loved to play with her father's tools, Violet McKenzie became an electrical engineer, a pioneer of radio and a successful businesswoman. As the clouds of war gathered in the 1930s, she defied convention and trained young women in Morse code, foreseeing that their services would soon be sorely needed. Always a champion of women, she was instrumental in getting Australian women into the armed forces. Mrs Mac was adored by the thousands of young women and men she trained, and came to be respected by the defence forces and the public too for her vision and contribution to the war effort. David Dufty brings her story to life in this heartwarming and captivating biography.'[An] incredible and inspiring life... Dufty's new biography captures her unwavering dedication in the face of adversity.' - Professor Genevieve Bell, Australian National University 'A cracking story about the famous Australian radio engineer you've never heard of.' - Dick Smith, entrepreneur and philanthropist

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'I can't wait to revisit Stringybark. The Wrong Callahan embodies Karly Lane's passionate rural voice, reminding us of the value she is to Australian fiction. A must buy for all Aussie readers.' - Mrs B's Book Reviews THE CALLAHANS OF STRINGYBARK CREEK - Book 1 It had been two long years since Lincoln Callahan had stood in front of the gates to Stringybark Creek. He was in the army then - a lifetime ago. Linc had always been the unsettled Callahan, looking for danger, the one who couldn't wait to leave the family farm.Linc's little brother, Griffin, was the dependable son, the one who stayed at home, the one who did the right things. And, now, the one who has feelings for rebellious city girl, Cash Sullivan.When Linc locks eyes with Cash at a family dinner, their swift attraction floors him. But Cash is his brother's girlfriend ... what is he thinking?As Linc, Griff and Cash form an uneasy triangle, each of them have personal demons to face before they can open their hearts.'A very enjoyable read and a good introduction to the Callahan family. I'm definitely looking forward to the next book and seeing what happens...I really liked the setting and the small community and the way the love triangle played out.' - 1 Girl 2 Many Books'Character driven stories are a strength for Lane, she always makes sure that we get inside the heads of her characters and work out what really makes them tick.... a well-paced tale of love, betrayal, family, PTSD and small town communities.' - Beauty and Lace

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The Judeo-Christian tradition has created and underpinned the moral and legal fabric of Western civilisation for more than 2000 years, yet now we've reached a point in both Australia and many parts of the West where Christianity has become a minority faith rather than the mainstream belief. It's a situation that's fraught both for Christians and our wider society, where the moral certainties that were the foundation of our institutions and laws are no longer held by the majority.At this point of crisis for faith, God is Good for You shows us why Christianity is so vital for our personal and social well-being, and how modern Christians have never worked so hard to make the world a better place at a time when their faith has never been less valued. It carries a vital torch for Christianity in a way that's closely argued, warmly human, good humoured yet passionate, and, above all, convincing.

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They don't make them like Ted anymore. He's the quintessential bush storyteller; he has rubbed shoulders with some of the best-known and least-known of his countrymen and women, and he can wring a heart-wrenching song out of a beer carton. In Outback Songman, Ted Egan recounts the story of his rich and extraordinary life. Born to a working-class family in Melbourne's Coburg, he has never had a music lesson. Nonetheless, he has composed some of the first original songs about Australian history and ethos, many of which are now classics.Through his stories of growing up during World War II, teaching in a bush school, working with Aboriginal people in the Gulf Country, and performing in Alice Springs and around the country, Ted Egan brings to life an Australia that has largely disappeared. His encounters offer insights into national politics and everyday life over the past eight decades. His generosity of spirit and his deep understanding of his country shine from every page.'Ted Egan is a national treasure.' - Russell Crowe, actor'Ted Egan is a gifted natural born storyteller and a wonderful writer.' - Geraldine Doyle, singer and comedian

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The extraordinary story of the Thai cave rescue is now the subject of a major feature film, The RescueKeen to go exploring after soccer practice, the boys of the Wild Boars soccer team ignored the sign at the cave entrance warning visitors not to enter during the monsoon season. What followed was a high-stakes international mission that very nearly didn't succeed.The ordeal riveted millions around the world. First came the awful news that twelve Thai boys, aged 11 to 17, and their young coach were missing. Then the flickering video of the huddle of anxious and hungry boys found by a pair of British divers nine days later. But the most difficult part was yet to come. Monsoon rains had raised the water level in the cave system, and the boys were trapped in an air pocket, surrounded by rising muddy water, over two kilometres from the cave entrance. None of them knew how to dive.Expert British, Australian, American, Chinese and other international divers joined the Thai Navy SEALs and hundreds of local volunteers to mount one of the most risky and complex rescue operations the world has ever seen. Australian doctor Richard Harris and his dive partner, Craig Challen, were among the last out of the cave, 18 days later. Massola recreates the drama, tension and inspiration of the days in July 2018 when the eyes of the whole world were trained on a remote Thai mountain.

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There's no other motor-racing circuit in Australia that holds the same magic as Bathurst's Mount Panorama. It's been home to the Australian Grand Prix, the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix and TT, the Australian Hill Climb Championship, the Bathurst 1000 and now a round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge. To win on the Mountain is still the pinnacle of Australian motorsport achievement.As a motor-racing journalist for more than 40 years, John Smailes has had extraordinary access to the Mountain and to the leading motor-racing names who competed there, both past and present. When Jack Brabham celebrated his three world championships, when the Bathurst 1000 was born, when motorcycle greats Mick Doohan, Wayne Gardner, Warren Willing and Gregg Hansford tested themselves, John was there. He has reported on every victory by Peter Brock, Allan Moffat, Larry Perkins and Dick Johnson and he's covered the careers of contemporary stars Craig Lowndes, Jamie Whincup, Mark Skaife and the incredible father-and-son duo Jim and Steven Richards. In Mount Panorama, John Smailes gives us the definitive account of the Mountain, taking us into the pits, the workshops and the boardrooms to reveal the stories behind the circuit's conception and the champions and legendary races that have made it so famous. It's the Mountain brought to life.

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What can you see? Follow the clues that landscape, seasons, weather, the stars, the moon and the sun give to navigate bush tracks and find the Australian animal.A lyrical, fun story about tracking animals in the bush featuring vibrant illustrations by Balarinji, Australia's leading Indigenous design studio.Ros Moriarty, author of the acclaimed memoir Listening to Country, is also the founder of Indi Kindi early literacy education.

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What's that there? That's the rushing river's curly bend, cried the sea eagle perched on a knotted branch, swaying. There, look! What's that there? That's the cliff face sharp with sun-scorched stones, glinting, shrilled the hawk, gliding on summer winds. There, look!An exhilarating celebration of the Australian landscape as seen from the sky featuring vibrant illustrations by Balarinji, Australia's leading Indigenous design studio.Ros Moriarty, author of the acclaimed memoir Listening to Country, is also the founder of Indi Kindi early literacy education.

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'A very readable history of an important group of Australian pioneers' - Graham Seal, author of the bestselling Great Australian Stories For the early settlers who came from Britain's crowded cities and tiny villages, it must have been extraordinarily liberating to pack their belongings onto a bullock dray and head beyond the reach of meddlesome authorities to claim new land for themselves. Settlers spread out across inland Australia constructing windmills and fences, dry-stone walls and storehouses, livestock yards and droving routes, the traces of which can still be seen today. The fortunate and indomitable succeeded, while countless others succumbed to drought and flood. Those who were successful became a class all their own: the scrub aristocrats. Barry Stone has scoured through diaries, journals and newspapers, and sorted myth from legend. He tells the stories of pioneers whose vision and hard work built pastoral empires running thousands of head of stock, providing meat for a growing colony and wool for export, a rural juggernaut that would lay the foundations of a prosperous nation.

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'Very few public figures can claim the level of fame, or infamy, that Pauline does. So much so, her surname isn't needed. Everyone knows her, or knows of her, and nearly everyone has a passionate viewpoint about her; she doesn't engender indifference.'So who is Pauline Hanson, the woman and politician? Does she really stand for the battler, or has it only ever been about her personal pursuit for power and infamy? Has she duped her loyal supporters, who have kept her in the public eye and propelled her back into parliament because she 'speaks for them'? Pulling no punches, and with a finely developed sense of the absurd, Kerry-Anne Walsh's conclusion is an emphatic yes.Through all the ups, the downs, the downs and the ups, Kerry-Anne probes and prods the evidence to uncover the many faces of Pauline Hanson: her time as an accidental local councillor, her emergence as a surprising national figure in 1996 and her resurrection in 2016, her careful profile-building through the media during the intervening years, the friends she's used and discarded, the men who control her, the money trail of her party and her personal finances. And then there's the rise and rise of the disaffected voters who now control political destinies, and the collapse of trust in the system that has allowed chancers such as Hanson to flourish.Perceptive, surprising and revealing, get ready for Hoodwinked to take you on one wild ride.

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The life of a private investigator is seldom plain sailing, and it certainly doesn't help when someone unknown is trying to cancel your licence. Cliff Hardy needs to find out why, and he also needs to get to the bottom of the case of missing schoolteacher Brian Madden.Finding answers to both questions takes all Hardy's resourcefulness and contacts - police, underworld and press. Dangers - and bodies - appear all over Sydney and Hardy is lucky to keep both his life and his licence.

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My dog has demonstrated a grand theory about life's simplest activities. He acts out the meaning of life by actively living it. Do not think so much about yourself, he tells me. Know where you're going, and just get up and go. Be playful and joyous.Starting a new life in a new city, in a new country, Ying Ying and her family adopt a stray dog, the much loved Max. As changes in Ying Ying's life bring frustration and sadness as well as surprise and joy, quite unexpectedly she realises that what remains most constant in her life is her dog.Starting With Max captures the journey of a migrant in mid-life crisis struggling to come to terms with her new identity in a foreign land. Ying Ying finds herself driven by her dog to pursue a life of action and meaning, persistence and determination. She must not just survive, but thrive and it is her faithful four-legged friend who has become her source of wisdom and strength at this most fragile period of her life.This is not just another book about life with a dog, but a quest for deeper understanding of humans and their dogs. In her contemplation of her four-legged friend and all that he is, Ying Ying reflects on matters of significance such as love, faith, beauty, ageing, mortality and creation.

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The renovations to 34 via del Duomo now complete, Marlena de Blasi, the bestselling international author and woman with the 'fairytale life', longs to find time and space to finish a book. Lured by a friend's offer of a simple stone cottage in a remote province of western Tuscany and distant from the distractions of everyday life in Orvieto, she sets off for a period of solitude. Enter Antonia. Imperious, tempestuous, Antonia is the still-stunning elderly matriarch of a complicated family of four generations of beautiful blue-eyed, high-bottomed, high-strung hellions, each with a story of her own. Mistrustful of tourists and outsiders, Antonia baits and clashes with Marlena, sets out to destroy her fragile peace and send her packing. Yet the two are drawn to one another. Walking together in the pre-dawn Tuscan light over the high meadows to forage for wild herbs, cooking and feasting with the family, an affinity grows between them, a sympathy which belies the differences in their ages, cultures, characters and histories and inspires Antonia to reveal her terrible secrets. Evocative, powerful, haunting, the narrative gives compelling insight into Tuscany's recent past and an uncensored look into one extraordinary woman's story.

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Now in board book format, perfect for small hands! Look out of the window, what do you see? When Baby-o wakes up there are games to play and lots to discover in the busy back garden. Let's Go, Baby-o! is a joyful board book for sharing words and conversation with little children.

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Emil and Hannah live their lives amid the turmoil of twentieth-century history. Emil, a German veteran of the Great War, has returned home to a disturbed nation. As inflation and unemployment edge the country near collapse, Emil's involvement with the resistance ultimately forces him from his family and his home. Hannah, soaked in the many languages of her upbringing as a Russian Jew in the West End of London and intent on experiencing the world, leaves home for Europe, travelling into a continent headed again towards total war. In Brussels, she meets the devastated Emil, who has just crossed the border on foot from Nazi Germany, leaving tragedy in his wake. All too briefly, they make a life in England before war strikes, and Emil, an enemy alien, is interned and then sent away. Hannah, determined to find him, prepares herself for a lonely and dangerous journey across the seas. Hannah & Emil is a moving love story of courage and conviction - riven by the powerful currents of history.

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The thought was coming more often. That wherever he was, he was at the centre of a cage. He couldn't have said when the notion first entered his head. Some time in the last months. It was more now than a notion, he could see the damn bars. They were grey steel, the height of a man on horseback. In a dream he'd ridden out of a clump of boulders and caught them just before they retreated, how he knew what they looked like.It is 1865. For three years Ben Hall and the men riding with him have been lords of every road in mid-western New South Wales from Bathurst to Goulburn, Lambing Flat to Forbes. But with the Harbourers' Act made law, coach escorts armed now with the new Colt revolving rifle, and mailbags more often containing cheques than banknotes, being game is no longer enough. The road of negotiated surrender is closed. Jack Gilbert has shot dead a police sergeant at Jugiong. Constable Nelson, father of eight, lies buried at Collector, killed by John Dunn. Neither time did Ben pull the fatal trigger, but he too will hang if ever the three are taken. Harry Hall is seven. Ben has not seen the boy since his wife Biddy left to live with another man, taking Harry with her. The need to see his son, to be in some way a father again, has grown urgent. But how much time is left before the need to give the game away and disappear becomes the greater urgency?A spare, epic work of haunting beauty that breathes life back into legend and confirms Shearston as one of Australia's finest writers.

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Set during a time of floods, this evocative and stunningly beautiful picture book recreates the scary, surreal atmosphere of the floods with a unique child's-eye perspective.

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Can economics help you lose weight? How does an emissions trading scheme work? Why are bananas so expensive? What really goes on inside the federal budget lock up? How can you spot a zombie bank? Does Australia take too many refugees? Why do boy bands make so much money?From asylum seekers to bananas, Jessica Irvine's weekly Irvine Index in The Sydney Morning Herald uses fun facts to get to the heart of our biggest political and economic debates. Part economics lesson, part quirky observation on modern life, this collection of easily digestible, bite-sized nuggets of factual goodness will help transform even the most economically illiterate person into an insightful commentator at their next work drinks or weekend barbeque.'Jessica has a rare ability to communicate complex economic theories in a simple and entertaining way. But I still don't understand her obsession with zombies.' - Ross Gittins, Economics Editor, The Sydney Morning Herald

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If you look, really look, and see the lines and shapes that things are made of, you can draw anything.

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Set against the turbulent background of China in the first half of the 20th Century, this reads like a romantic novel; but it's a true story. The reporter is the intrepid Australian journalist Will Donald, who arrived in Hong Kong in 1903 and by 1908 was Managing Editor of the China Mail. As a freelance journalist based in Shanghai, Donald then became advisor to a number of influential public figures, including Sun Yat-Sen and Chiang Kai-Shek, entangling himself in their power struggles. He participated in the armed struggle to overthrow the last emperor of China and then wrote proclamations for Sun Yat-Sen, who ultimately became Provisional President of the Republic of China. Will Donald's most intriguing alliance was with the swashbuckling Manchurian warlord and morphine-addicted womaniser, Zhang Xueliang. The lives of these two extraordinary men became entwined over the decades and provide a compelling narrative. The role of both Australian and American advisors in these events has a particularly modern resonance.

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'Why did Bluebeard kill his wives? Because that's what he did. It's a given. It's the plot. Until the lucky one, who is saved. The even more interesting question is: why did Mrs Bluebeard feel utterly unable to resist opening the door? Don't we all think, when it comes to these stories, that we'd have made it work? So much freedom, and one tiny forbidden thing. Not important, a token in fact. So easy to obey so small a prohibition. We think, if I had been Eve I wouldn't have picked the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, I wouldn't have given a piece to Adam. I and my progeny down the millennia would still be multiplying fruitfully in the Garden of Eden.'Life in all its richness is reflected in this superb new collection from one of Australia's most acclaimed short story writers. Love and loss, sex and death, and the great pleasures of food, wine and reading all populate its pages.Shooting the Fox is brimming with surprising characters - the virgin and the pornographer, the adulterer, the translator, the defecting diplomat - and the inconveniences of modernity. In the end, though, it is a collection of stories about happiness, its circuitous routes, its surprising outcomes, and the consequences when we fail in its pursuit.

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'Aigner connects the inner journey of leadership with the external realities in a readable, useful, practical guide for anyone leading change' - Ron Heifetz and Marty Linsky, co-authors, Leadership on the Line and co-founders, Cambridge Leadership Associates'World-leading thinking on leadership' - Carl Harman, Academy Dean, Leadership and Talent, National Australia BankGood intentions are not enough. You want to change things in your organisation or in the world, but despite your best efforts you run into obstacles and resistance.The temptation is to see the challenges as lying outside ourselves. We grasp at a model or a tool, or we find other people slow to get the point or worse - obstructive. But the real challenge we face is often ourselves.Drawing on deep experience of developing leaders from a wide range of public sector, private sector, community and non-government organisations, Geoff Aigner identifies the inner tensions and work involved in making change. He challenges common assumptions we make about ourselves and our motivations, and offers strategies to explore approaches to leadership and develop effective and truly compassionate ways of pursuing change.

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The End of Certainty is a classic study of power, personality and national destiny. From boom to recession, Hawke to Keating, and Labor's victory for the 'true believers' in 1993, Paul Kelly has written the ultimate inside story of how the 1980s changed Australia and its political parties forever. His detailed scrutiny of the inner working of the Hawke-Keating partnership and its slow disintegration, his unravelling of the crippling rivalries for the Liberal Party leadership and his burrowing into cabinet room struggles over the deregulation of Australia's financial system reveal the brutal realities of Australian politics and how it is played at the very top. But above all, he reminds us of the sheer pace of economic and social change the country lived through and the wake of uncertainty it left behind. Joining The Hawke Ascendancy, this second instalment in Paul Kelly's analysis of modern Australian politics, remains as compelling and incisive as when it was first written.

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Simone Kirsch, ex-stripper, sleuth and bad girl, is back in business - and before she has time to crack a bottle of cheap champagne to celebrate the opening of her very own detective agency, she's up to her neck in lethal fun and games. It all starts off quite innocently, when a best-selling crime novelist, Nick Austin, wants to follow her around for a few days as background research for his next novel. But the day after he, his ex-wife and her new lover all appear on the same panel at a writers festival, his ex-wife is found brutally murdered and Nick disappears, leaving Simone with more trouble than she can handle. While she can take murderous bikies, desperate publishers, poetry slams and a crystal meth-addicted psycho killer with literary ambitions in her stride, Simone is also juggling her very pregnant and possibly hormonally unbalanced best friend, Chloe; her ongoing attraction to ex-cop, Alex; and her boyfriend, Sean, who wants her to give up her agency and move to Vietnam.

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This book explores the origins of the universe and the solar system, and the evolution of life on Earth: 4 billion years of evolution simply told in words and pictures. A must for adults or children.

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Forget the myths and misinformation, respected health writer Nicky Pellegrino has done the work for you in this empowering and honest book. It includes the latest research on everything from hormone replacement therapy to natural therapies and hot flushes, and the lowdown on how menopause can affect everything from your weight to your memory and sleep, to skyrocketing anxiety levels and your missing libido . . .In this wonderfully candid, warm, and witty investigation into the realities of menopause, Nicky shares her own insights into this often-challenging phase of life, and interviews the experts for the latest, credible research on the many options out there to help women make the right choice for themselves.Taking an upbeat approach to managing 'the change', Don't Sweat It will help reshape how women experience menopause and perimenopause and show how life can be even better for it.

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Grief comes in many different forms. You may have lost a loved one, you may be experiencing a separation or relationship breakup, you may have had a major change in your life, you may be battling through health issues, you may have a friend or loved one who is grieving, or maybe you work with people experiencing grief.Whatever your reason, Words of Comfort is here to help. Treat it as a companion in your grief, an empathetic safe space and a beacon of hope. All of your feelings are welcome here.This book explores the experience of grieving and the emotions and thoughts that may surface. It offers strategies to help you navigate through your grief, and takes a look at some of the things we can learn from the journey. I hope you find some comfort in these pages.

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This brilliant selection of photographs and stories describes what it means to stare down the most famous ritual in sport, from the perspective of those who have been there. Facing the Haka examines the significance that the All Blacks' haka has in the wider rugby world, as well as the deep respect opponents have for the team.This is about standing in front of the haka, meeting the All Blacks on those key occasions, and reliving the stories of the games that followed. Facing the Haka covers many crucial moments in rugby history with great storytelling, fresh insights and all the information a fan could ask for.

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In 1937, F. Scott Fitzgerald was a troubled, uncertain man whose literary success was long behind him. In poor health, with his wife consigned to a mental asylum and his finances in ruin, he struggled to make a new start as a screenwriter in Hollywood. The last three years of Fitzgerald's life, often obscured by the legend of his earlier Jazz Age glamour, are the focus of Stewart O'Nan's heartfelt new novel. With flashbacks to key moments from Fitzgerald's past, the story follows him as he arrives on the MGM lot, falls in love with brassy gossip columnist Sheilah Graham, begins work on The Last Tycoon, and tries to maintain a semblance of family life with the absent Zelda and their daughter, Scottie. Fitzgerald's orbit of literary fame and the Golden Age of Hollywood is brought vividly to life through the novel's romantic cast of characters, from Dorothy Parker and Ernest Hemingway to Humphrey Bogart. Written with striking grace and subtlety, this wise and intimate portrait of a man trying his best to hold together a world that's flying apart, if not gone already, is an American masterpiece.

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When you think of AI, you might imagine a walking, talking robot or you might think of a giant computer that wants to take over the world, but the reality is that AI is a brilliant human invention that can be found in nearly every modern device from our computers to our cars. AI can seem scary at times, so working out where we use AI and why is an important part of making the best of this exciting technology. So, what is an algorithm and can it help you choose pizza? Can ChatGPT do your homework? And when you watch TV, is it watching you back? All these questions and more about AI are answered in a fun, funny and engaging way.Dr Matt Agnew has a Doctorate in Astrophysics and a Masters in Artificial Intelligence, and believes in making STEM accessible for everyone.

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A no-holds-barred memoir that charts the rise and fall - and rise - of one of Australia's most iconic music performers.You think you know Deborah Conway? You think seeing her scowling and striding and smouldering in her music videos over the years means you know who Deborah Conway is? She figures you probably don't know the half of it. If you have listened to any of Deborah's iconic songs and were curious about their origins; if you ever wondered what happened to that chick who covered herself in Nutella and was photographed shovelling cream cakes into her mouth; if you gave a nanosecond's thought to whose bare arse adorned the giant billboard ads for jeans in the 1980s and how much someone got paid to do that; if you liked Tracy Mann's vocals in Sweet and Sour but asked yourself, 'did she really sing them?'; if you thought Running On Empty was a classic before it became a cult phenomenon and need behind-the-scenes gossip, now's your chance to find out all this and so much more.Conway pulls back the curtain on the fevered world of 1980s post-punk and the spectacular rise and fall and rise of one of the more obstreperous women in Australia's music industry, a woman who has straddled the high arts and the low without losing her footing or her mind. A woman who said no to the system and whose fierce independence has seen her produce her best work.Welcome to the good, the bad and the ugly of an extraordinary life from the vantage point of a music insider (and outsider) with a deep need to tell the truth about it all.'An enthralling, unputdownable read.' Toni Collette'A witty, searingly honest testimony of what it really took to become one of Australia's most beloved storytellers.' Clare Bowditch'Candid and revealing, witty, wise and full of wonder.' Brian Nankervis'I appreciated every honest, emotional, human page.' Sofie Laguna'A wild ride through sex, love, birth, death, business, friendship, creativity and the magic of song. She is as sharp, honest, brave, funny and brazen on the page as she is on stage or at her table, offering nourishment for all comers.' Ramona Koval'Deborah has been surprising me since she was 13. This brave and passionate book has done it yet again.' Caroline Wilson

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Weddings, at their heart, are about two people joining their families and communities together in the name of love, good times and the future. But when couples start planning their big day, they often find themselves contending with waves of unsolicited advice, old-school rhetoric and overwhelming decision fatigue. Enter Get Wed: the wedding-planning bible to help you navigate everything from budgets to venues, traditions to vows, and run sheets to vendors, to plan a wedding that says 'this is us'.With practical information, thoughtful first-hand experiences and sage advice off the back of thousands of weddings, Get Wed takes the unknown out of wedding planning to ensure your milestone moment is smooth-sailing, perfectly personal and positively brimming with good vibes.

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