Australia Books

This book is a fantastic, easy to read, weight loss and general health book. It covers all aspects of weight loss and exercise, it is all based on science, not hearsay, Shane has a Masters in Sports Nutrition and really knows what he is talking about.
I reccommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about how to lose weight and stay healthy. It is also a great tool for Personal Trainers to use with their clients as it is so well written and easy to understand.
I look forward to the next book by Shane.

This is a worthwhile read. It details the effect of European expansion on Pacific cultures, and the southern hemisphere in general. It is divided into three parts-
1) Tahiti, which chronicles the successive voyages of Captain Cook and later explorers, and their effects on the supposed 'Noble Savage' existance (not altogether noble when Captain Cook attended a human sacrifice, for example). A detailed discussion is made of the way of life of the Tahitians before the arrival of Europeans, which is revealing and refreshing. It wasn't altogether noble, but there were many aspects of societal and family arrangements, which was envied by the Europeans.
2) Australia, and the effect on the aborigines-especially the Tasmanians. A good discussion is made of aboriginal culture here also, and finally
3) the Antarctic, and the effect Cooks' search for the elusive southern continent had on the abundance of whales and wildlife which he saw, decimated from 1790 onwards.

The title sums it up-the effects of exploration and expansion was devastating. Introduced diseases, misguided missionaries, imposition of inappropriate culture, alcohol-without the attendant level of acquired tolerance, one-sided treaties, indiscriminate slaughter of wildlife such as whales and seals, and so on. Painters such as Ganguin try to capture the loss of spirit of the Tahitians for example, after having their life and culture withered away, and the arguments for and against the 'noble savage' existance are revealing. This was the time of Rouseau, Diderot, and the French Revolution, and there were many myths propagated in Europe about the southern seas. Island paradise, or voyage of the damned?

It is *very well written*, balanced and refreshing-something often lacking in similar texts. (Never under-estimate what a good writer can do with a good story, and what a bad writer can do to a good story). Also, the best edition is definitely the illustrated version-with a number of paintings from Ganguin and others, and original sketches from those who travelled on the voyages of exploration themselves etc-these add much to the text, and it is recommended one search around to get the colour illustrated edition.

It is suprisingly and refreshingly good.

Jeffrey Paine has written an amazing book, which is both sophisticated in its analysis and insightful in its perspective. Yet, the narrative is racy and easy to read - possibly because of his background in journalism.

Paine traces the careers and Indian adventure of eight well-known persons who were either Westerners or were Indians influenced by the West to begin with, but later became deeply influenced by India. Yet in the process, they also influenced India itself. The list includes Lord Curzon, Mahatma Gandhi, E. M. Forster, Shri Aurobindo, Mira Behn (Madeleine Slade), Mother (Mirra Richard), Carl Jung, V. S. Naipaul and Annie Besant, all well-known figures in India and outside.

In the process he weaves a magical yet sophisticated tapestry showing why India exercised a near-fatal charm for these people and how it changed them. He also adds a lot of tid-bits about their personal lives, and idiosyncracies, their struggles, their failures and their successes. Surprisingly, and without noticing it, by the time you finish the book, you would have developed a pretty good perspective on how India has affected and deeply influenced Western world through these people. A remarkable intellectual feat indeed.

His handling of each character in the drama is confident and skillful. He has a definite format to follow, and this adds rigour to a book, which could have become a maudling, sentimental journey otherwise. The connections he makes with other contemporary characters and happenings are simply astounding and marvellous.

However, he becomes less sure of himself as he comes closer to the present, possibly because the processes are still going on, and the advantage of hindsight is not available. As a result, his handling of the chapter on Shri Aurobindo and his spiritual companion, the Mother, is less deft. He also fumbles with the conclusion, possibly because India is an incredibly complex phenomenon and Paine is after all a mere mortal.

Notwithstanding this slight blemish, an excellent book, worth the time and money, for anyone interested in understanding India and the West.

This is an enchanting book about growing up during the depression in New Zealand's rain forest. The authors father was in the lumber business and stationed with his family in the forest. Ruth grew up surrounded by interesting people, Maori friends, and nature. The book kept me engrossed during a 12 hour plane trip.. I was swept away to another time and place.

Although this book refers only to Australian festivals and events, it's loaded with management lessons, concepts and strategies that are universal. This is the best book I've been able to find on a subject that is scarcely written about (referring to large festivals). Thank you Johnny Allen, William O'Toole, Ian Mcdonnel and Robert Harris for sharing your knowledge.

Jason Bosch
Director of ArgusFest

Generally field guides serve one purpose; to identify animals in the field. However it is a rare occurrence when one finds a field guide that is as useful to identify species as it is to educate. Bill Branch has written such a book about the reptiles of southern Africa. The author has provided informative sections on identifying and collecting reptiles, and on the vegetative habitats of southern Africa which determine the distributions of many species. In addition the book briefly covers the evolution and breeding biology of reptiles. The photographic plates are separate to the text and allow one to quickly scan the pages to identify the species of interest. The text section of each species covers distribution, breeding biology, taxonomy and interesting facts of relevance. Whether you are visiting southern Africa or a resident, this book will spur your interest in herpetology and allow you to identify reptiles with confidence.

I work at David Fleay Wildlife Park on the Gold Coast and this is the book I suggest for those after a book to identify birds they come across in their backyard or ones they hope to spot on holiday. Sensational realistically looking coloured diagrams allow an easy comparison to birds in front of you or in photographs you previously have taken. Information about each of the birds is also included.

You can also get this book in a compact edition which has every bit of information as its bigger sibling. The compact edition isn't that compact and is in fact the exact same height but is a lot narrower, in fact half the width. The only real difference is that pictures of the birds are in with the text whereas the full size edition has information on the left pages and the illustrations on the right pages. I actually prefer the compact edition but either format is good.

Covering the frogs of the entire comtinent, this book is surpisingly compact (great for taking in the field) yet packs in the information and photographs! I found it extremely helpful in the field as there are often several photographs of each species- which helps in identification of species often variable in appearance throughout their range.Great book, containing all the usual field guide info and more!

This is a fantastic field guide for Horticulturists and others interested i these amazing trees....the only drawback is that it can be bought for under one hundred bucks new in australia....which equals about seventy five USDolls....Hmmmmm...

Full of useful information for tourists, including ratings and reviews of places to stay and sites to see. The authors have a very down-to-earth, honest approach to the reader and some of their comments had me laughing out loud. For example, in commenting on the kangaroo, the book reads:

"To give you an idea of what you're dealing with in a tame kangaroo, just watch them with children--even when...[they]...pull their ears and walk on their tails, they just get up and walk away. If they wanted, they could open the kids up like a tin of sardines--they have claws like a saber-tooth tiger's tooth."

Combined with the Frommer's Australia books (both the 4th edition and the 'for about $50 a day' edition) I've found tons of useful information and probably won't even need to resort to a travel agent next time we visit.