Australia Books

As a fan of Alec Guinness, it gave me additional insight to this great actor's life. It made me want to learn more and more about him, read books on him and see his movies again A great actor.

Sir Alec writes beautifully and simply about the his life through the lives that affected him. Funny, honest, and thought provoking. He's not at all the stereotypical stuffy Englishman, but a regular person with a huge amount of talent and alot of great stories to tell. This book should be back in print!

BLESSINGS IN DISGUISE stands out in my reading as one of the most enjoyable autobiographies I've ever encountered. Unlike so many actors, Alec Guinness is a truly modest man, and his wry humor and ability to laugh at himself are extraordinarily refreshing. Guinness is worth reading even if you've never seen one of his movies or plays or television appearances. It is a damn shame that this fine book is apparently out of print.

Alex was an amazing man. I was privileged to meet and get to know him during the last year of his life. His wisdom, his honesty and his heart will never be forgotten my me or, I dare say, anyone who knew him. He gave me an autographed copy of his book and I have read it several times. This is not just a story, it's a remarkable man opening his heart, to share his experience, even though it hurt. He was never afraid of that pain, but faced it with courage, hope and a powerful love of life and the world and the people around him.

I heartily recommend this book, do read it.


Do Svidaniya, Rest in peace, Child of the Kulaks.

this book is sort of sad but it is also very suspicious and breathtaking i think that it is really good but its sad how many people die. two brothers go to china then to australian from russia.one dies but the other then returns to russia for a visit sixty years later!!!!

Alex Saranin's story is a vivid description of the first lost generation of Soviet Russia, millions of children lost their parents into the civil war, collectivization and other soviet human mills and it's aftermath. The great suffering endured by them and the waste of lives and souls is great evidence of these terrible whirling years into which a whole generation was engulfed.

Excellent book. The only thing is about Brazil. I lived in Brazil and only the super rich speak English and even some of the wealthy do not. If you go to Brazil, expect to hear Portuguese.

I use this book in my grade 4 classroom. The pictures and writing help my United State's students better understand the world around them. This book is a favorite in my classroom.

Stunning photographs, concise maps, and simple text that introduces the basics of a culture, a country, and a way of life make this book great "back seat" reading. Kids shouldn't be watching tv in the car anyway. Books like this will make the ride more enjoyable and enriching. It also would be a great addition to a pediatrician's waiting room, or a dentist.

It does not surprise me that Satyajit Ray has a double volume of detective mysteries, The Adventures of Feluda. One of the greatest filmmakers, Ray, a remarkable man, died in 1992 and within his many talents, he was a short story writer. These stories average 75 pages in length and were published from 65-95. Ray has said the stories were written with the young teen in mind, but parents enjoyed reading the stories too. Therefore, Satyajit Ray kept the stories clean, with minimal violence and no illicit love.

Feluda is a young, 30ish bright amateur detective, who travels and partners with his cousin Tapesh, a young teenage boy. Tapesh remains in the background and is in awe of detective Feluda. Tapesh usually knows what makes Feluda tick and he is well aware of his mentor's moods and motives.

Feluda is into yoga, jujitsu, karate and he reads photography, space travel, geometry, etc. He is an expert in aim with rifle shooting. He remains open to anything that can further his knowledge.

The stories involve mysteries in India, with titles as The Golden Fortress, Annubis Mystery, Curse of the Goddess, Emperor's Ring, Trouble in Gangtok, Locked Chest, etc. This is Volume I, with 16 stories. There is a Volume II. .....Rizzo

This is a tremendous book. The transalation is brilliant, no doubt, but the real credit undoubtedly has to go to the great Satyajit Ray for writing such brilliant stories.

The move in Feluda from an amateur detective in the first few stories to a serious, successful and reputed investigator can be seen as this book rolls along. Some of the stories like the Royal Bengal Tiger and Trouble in the Graveyard are just absolute classics. The style of writing, the suspense, and the depiction of Calcutta is just amazing.

This is a must-have book. If you're reading this, do yourself a favor and buy this book!

Satyajit Ray the famous Indian moviemaker was also a writer of great repute. The stories in this book introduce Feluda, the stylish detective who investigates problems all over India. The stories are part from the series published in a Children's Magazine founded many many years ago by Ray's father (maybe by his grandfather). Of course Satyajit Ray is known for his luminous films but that he was a man of numerous talents is amply proven by these racy stories - that remain very absorbing. The translation is ASTOUNDING! And Bengalis living abroad or in India must read this great classic by this multi talented master craftsman! Or anyone interested in Indian films! Excellent effort! Brilliant!

I loved this book. It is very funny, and hard to put down. It reminded me a bit of Bridget Jones Diary. The ideas in the book about changing your life are well thought out can be applied to many areas besides just becoming more healthy. Her story is inspirational and definitely makes you feel as if she can do it so can you.

Funny, inspirational, and right on the money. AJ describes all of the things that go into losing weight. You don't have to be obese to want to lose a few kilos and her description of cravings and working out are something everyone can relate to. She breaks down losing weight into something that not only seems plausible but fun and energizing.

I laughed and laughed and then took her advice to the gym. Truly an inspiration.

'Confessions of a Reformed Dieter' isn't a book that only overweight women should consider reading. It is a book that anyone who has ever faced the excrutiating challenge of trying desperately to reach a personal goal, while fighting the self descructive part in us that holds us back, will find inspirational and touching. AJ Rochester documents her daily, even hourly, struggles to lose weight, and shed the demons of her childhood which are so inherently tied to her obsession with fat-filled, unhealthy food and over eating. Humorous, uplifting, and oh-so human, the real woman in the pages takes shape (a progressively thinner shape..) before our eyes as she takes charge of her life and her eating.
NOTE - Look up AJ on her website to see the AMAZING before and after pictures of her 8 size weighloss! Truly inspirational.

This marvellous book is a must-read for anyone interested in this subject.

This book is a story of comradeship and fighting spirit among ordinary people in the face of tyranny and the most acute evil. The Summer of 1944, when Allied forces were sweeping towards Paris, was the beginning of the end for Hitler's Third Reich. However for a group of downed airmen evacuated from Fresnes Prison ahead of the advancing troops, the worst of the war was about to begin. 168 Allied airmen (including several from Australia and New Zealand) were transported illegally to the infamous Buchenwald concentration camp where they experienced first-hand the black heart of Nazism. Miraculously they survived the order for their mass execution, but not before members of their group had died through starvation, brutality and neglect. The author, Colin Burgess, has interviewed many of the survivors and carried out extensive research to create this gripping account of the full story - from tense days in the care of the French Underground through to the only recently resolved fight for proper compensation.

This book is a story of comradeship and fighting spirit among ordinary people in the face of tyranny and the most acute evil. The Summer of 1944, when Allied forces were sweeping towards Paris, was the beginning of the end for Hitler's Third Reich. However for a group of downed airmen evacuated from Fresnes Prison ahead of the advancing troops, the worst of the war was about to begin. 168 Allied airmen (including several from Australia and New Zealand) were transported illegally to the infamous Buchenwald concentration camp where they experienced first-hand the black heart of Nazism. Miraculously they survived the order for their mass execution, but not before members of their group had died through starvation, brutality and neglect. The author, Colin Burgess, has interviewed many of the survivors and carried out extensive research to create this gripping account of the full story.

It isn't too often that you find a book covering Australia and New Zealand primeval life, and especially a Harvard publication, for that matter. Some excellent visuals and examples of fauna, with a chart of genus.

As specified in the book title, it focuses on dinosaurs, so no flora representation, nor elaborate info on geologic time. It really is a book aimed at curious individuals, perhaps early to late teens, and something that is uncommon to find now days in subject matter. This was published following the time period of Jurassic park, where curiosity about genetic involvement with amber were all the rage. Such things are relegated to sci-fi, though it doesn't mean such intrigue about the dinosaurs must end in the 1990s. It's an excellent book, and one that I wish I knew of earlier on. Perhaps supplement this book alongside the first Dinotopia book? :)

RMP

DINOSAURS OF AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZELAND (ISBN 0-674-20767-X) by John A. Long, Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology at the Western Australian Museum, Perth, may at first glance seem primarily a beautiful picture book, because of the many fine photos and illustrations. BUT EXAMINE THE TEXT! The book is imbued with reader-friendly scientific insight and description. Not just dinophiles, but all lovers of ancient vertebrates will find a book to celebrate, one beautifully filling a hitherto serious void. Here is an admirable synthesis of quality information, technical data, and easily comprehended explanations that will prove a joy to both amateur and professional paleontologists. Furthermore, magnificent color photos of Australian dinosaur tracks, along with detailed descriptions, and photos of opalized dinosaur bones add a welcome dimension to this exciting 'journey' around the Land of Oz (as Australia is often called)during Mesozoic times. John A. Long, the well-known author of The Rise of Fishes: 500 Million Years of Evolution, can add one more feather to his hat. Meanwhile, we dinophiles should tip ours to him!

DINOSAURS OF AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZELAND (ISBN 0-674-20767-X) by John A. Long, Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology at the Western Australian Museum, Perth, may at first glance seem primarily a beautiful picture book, because of the many fine photos and illustrations. BUT EXAMINE THE TEXT! The book is imbued with reader-friendly scientific insight and description. Not just dinophiles, but all lovers of ancient vertebrates will find a book to celebrate, one beautifully filling a hitherto serious void. Here is an admirable synthesis of quality information, technical data, and easily comprehended explanations that will prove a joy to both amateur and professional paleontologists. Furthermore, magnificent color photos of Australian dinosaur tracks, along with detailed descriptions, and photos of opalized dinosaur bones add a welcome dimension to this exciting 'journey' around the Land of Oz (as Australia is often called)during Mesozoic times. John A. Long, the well-known author of The Rise of Fishes: 500 Million Years of Evolution, can add one more feather to his hat. Meanwhile, we dinophiles should tip ours to him!

My preschool students adore this book. The picture viewer gets them hooked from the very beginning.

My son loves to look at the viewfinder and has learned a lot from this book.

My son is 2 and loves Little Einstein. Thought the book might be a little young for him but he knows exactly what to do with the spinning circle. He just loves it

A very entertaining read about two young dare-devils. Interesting,informative and the author's dry wit is reminiscent of Bill Bryson

An amusing collage of adventures through New Zealand and Australia.

Drive-About is an attention engaging travelogue by Jeff Green of a road trip he took that introduced him to the sights, wonders, and cultures of New Zealand and Australia. From "crazy kiwis"; to lush rainforests; to meeting Aboriginals and sampling their "witchetty grub" (the larval stage of a large moth) as a snack, Drive-About is colorful, adventurous, exotic, which is especially recommended for armchair travelers -- and would well serve as a trip-planning template for anyone contemplating vacations in Australia or New Zealand.

A wonderfully entertaining memoir written by an unabashed free spirit. Popp recounts his romps through equatorial Australia in a delightfully playful narrative saturated with stories of friendships formed and loves lost. It is a great beach read!

this guy here, this popp character, someone every person should meet. at least thats how i feel after reading his book. its a great, easy read that'll keep you laughing throughout. this guy tells of his experiences while in australia for college credit, funniest thing about that: he didnt mention studying more than twice in the whole book! he is obviously a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants guy, which makes for hilarious antics and truly great guy book. this is totally for guys in college, guys recently graduated (i'm 26) or guys who just like being guys. and the girls will have a blast too...learning what guys actually say and do, to and about them!! i literally laughed out loud about 15 times. i couldnt put it down. it reminded me of my years in college, the things i did, the things i didnt do, and the things i should have done...in fact, i may go back to school just to have some crazy experiences like this guy!!

I recently purchased this book as something to flip through on the john. As a 26 year old male I figured if I can't drink and party in Australia why not read about someone who has and maybe I will one day venture to the land down under. Little did I know how much I would actually enjoy this book. I felt like I was right there with "Dooza" tipping back pints and sharing laughs with the locals. A truly laugh out loud book. The chapter on wingman and "D.U.F.F.S is probably the funniest thing ever printed ever. Enjoy