Australia Books

I am a Hayley fan; however, I did read the book objectively and critically. I put my status and emotions as a fan aside in this review. Overall I do believe the book is quite good. It is written well with good punctuation and syntax. In the beginning it leaves the reader as an outsider and about a quarter of the way through starts to pull the reader in and makes him feel a part of the action. Toward the end, the reader starts to become an outsider again, but only off and on. There are many times that you do not want to put the book down and eagerly await the next item with good anticipation. This is after you get drawn into the book. I am really glad the book does not get "braggy" or egotistical. It is pretty straightforward laced with enthusiasm, honest happiness, honesty and encouragement. The book does stay on course and target throughout. It is also interesting and presents situations and things that one would never suspect. One can think of it as a roadmap, not necessarily to stardom, but to help one visualize how another has made her way through an ever increasingly complicated "real world" and her help along the way and why personal networking is so important for everyone involved including parents, friends and supporters.

I would really like to think that Hayley completely wrote the book, but she did have a partner in Darren Henley and I don't know how much or what part he played in the effort. I think all writers have such a partner though. The book does sound a lot like Hayley and displays her focus, determination and smoothness in the author's style and choice of words.

I think anybody who reads this book will enjoy it and even find inspiration. I recommend it heavily for expectant parents and parents with young children. It will actually help them see what can be in the lives of their children and give such parents the encouragement and example to help their children develop and be successful in whatever endeavor is their calling. I also recommend it for Hayley fans for it gives an insightful glimpse into who she is, her development and what she has had to go through in her progress to stardom. She is no longer "little ole Hayley from Christchurch" though.

I do give this book a 5-star A+ rating even from the standpoint of a stranger.

On the negative side, I was introduced to Hayley through Celtic Woman and would like to have heard more about her life there, her interactions and why she left. That latter may have been answered in many clips throughout her book however?

I could actually see this book turning into an inspirational movie that only Hallmark or Disney could put together. That's a challenge for some screen writers recently returning from strike. I can actually see a "Hannah, Miley - Hayley" connection here. Kenny Ortega, if you are reading this, please take note.

Art D.

This autobiography covers the life of Hayley Westenra a young soprano from New Zealand. At the age of 16 she released her first international album, Pure. This book covers some of the more private parts of her life discussing her life growing up and her candid views of the world. The beginning of the book covers her life as a child where she constantly worked towards a career in singing. It then goes on telling the story of how she was discovered by Universal New Zealand to produce her first album, Hayley Westenra. The book covers her experiences of album production up to Celtic Treasure. One of the chapters of the book covers her trip to Ghana in which she realized the plight of the people there and promotes her bikes for young girls in Ghana project for UNICEF. Additionally the book covers her experiences with live performances including her performance for the Queen. Lastly the book covers her experiences with the mucis industry and is an interesting perspective of the industry.

The Amazon write-up lists the grade level for this book at Baby-Preschool. It is about 10-13 year old children stranded when a flood destroys their town. It is an excellent book with a strong moral lesson similar to Lord of the Flies. Definitely not preschool reading material!
I remember reading this story when I was a teenager, and it stuck with me as a thrilling adventure book. Now that I am a grandmotherly school teacher, I am enjoying rereading it. I find myself identifying with the elderly school teacher who is saved by the children.

Then you should read this. As a result of an argument, a whole class stays back from the annual town picnic to help their teacher find aboriginal paintings in a nearby cave. While in the cave, a violent storm breaks out and the group get stuck in the cave. When they come out they find their teacher and classmate have disappeared and their small town of Hills End has been devastated by floods. Their fight for survival in a devastated town where no adult is around, their experiences and the things they learn about each other makes a book that you will not forget in a hurry. This is one of the best books I have ever read. You won't regret it!

This information provided as LCCI description is incorrect. Table Of Contents: The Art of Dancing, The First Step, The Fox Trot, The Waltz & its variations, The Rumba, The Mambo, The Cha-Cha, The Tango, The Samba, The Merengue, Swing, Rock N Roll, Dance Secrets, Dance Etiquette, Dancing for Children. Drawings, diagrams.

Arthur Murray is perhaps the most acclaimed teacher of dance technique EVER. This book offers detailed text, illustrations and diagrams on a wide variety of basic and unique dance styles. A very usueful instructional/reference book!!

This book will encourage children to get going in the garden. The pictures add a zesty quality. Children will enjoy the happy and informative style.

This a book about gardening for kids, and how to grow things you can eat. Practical advice from a famous Australian TV personality. This is probably more use to people in the Australian climate. JR's illustrations are charming.

Australia's Aborigines are legendary hunters and trackers, but few outside of Australia have any inkling of what's involved in their art. Enger Pat Lowe, who migrated from England to Australia in 1972, and who met Aboriginal artist Jimmy Pike, spending three years with him in the desert hunting and exploring his country. Her Hunters And Trackers Of The Australian Desert thus provides a truly unique blend of observation and personal experience.

Superb look into the primitive world of Australia's legendary hunter/trackers, the Aborigines. This book is an oversized soft cover made with quality paper. The book is heavily illustrated with line drawings, B&W and color photography, with the later being prevalent. This book goes into great detail describing the lifestyle of these Bushmen (Pre and post contact with Europeans). It covers a substantial amount of information about the art of tracking, primarily how it is a body of various skills and knowledge (botany, primitive navigation, and understanding animal behavior, to name but a few skills). I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in culture, nature, and in particular tracking. I do have to say it is a very hard title to find, I ordered it three or four times with no luck (And it is listed as a obtainable title, so beware!), finally I had to purchase it through a used book dealer at more then double its cost. But it was worth every cent. I provided the table of contents;

***************
Acknowledgment
Introduction
1 - Why Track?
2 - The Hunter's Tool Kit
3 - Learning To Track
4 - What Tracks Say
5 - Tracking Clues
6 - Tracking News
7 - Fire
8 - The Flight Of The Crow
9 - Water
10 - Tracks And The Law
11 - A Search And A Short Story
12 - Yesterday And Today
Walmajarri Pronunciation Guide
Glossary Of Walmajarri Words And Phrases
Glossary Of Other Australian Terms
Further Reading
Index
(Total page count is 112)
***************

Zoe Caldwell OBE is one of theatre's finest living actresses with one problem. Outside the theatre circles, most people haven't the faintest clue who she is. Despite that she has won four Tony awards and is probably in the New York Theatre Hall of Fame, most people don't know who she is. In this book, she chronicles her modest upbringing from Melbourne, Australia and her experiences in the Australian theatre before venturing to Stratford to act in Shakespeare and finally to North America where she settled in Westchester, New York with her husband, producer Robert Whitehead and their two sons. She also worked as a stage actress. THe book stops by the time that she plays Cleopatra in Shakespeare's play. To her, the stage is the thing and the ultimate pursuit for the actor in their art. She doesn't go out and sell herself to endorse products. She doesn't get the roles that go to other equally trained and veteran actresses in the films and television nor does she care about that. She is quite happy being in the theatre. I was kind of interested in her experiences with Dame Edith Evans, Albert Finney, Jessica Tandy, Hume Cronyn, and others and her time abroad in England before coming to America where she has felt most at home in the theatre on stage mostly in New York. This quadruple Tony Winner is a winner in the field of drama where she pursues the ultimate experience as the actor in playing before the audience. She has never failed her audience.

Having just journeyed to Melbourne (from Sydney) to see Miss Caldwell in Durenmatt's "The Visit", which is part of the Melbourne Theatre Company's 50th anniversary season (she was also in their first production in 1953),I chanced upon her "semi-autobiography" in a local bookshop. This covers the first half of her dazzling life. Her prose is like her acting: direct, simple, intelligent, moving, riveting and unforgettable. Anyone even remotely interested in the theatre should take the opportunity to read this marvellous book. And if there is ever a chance to see the lady on a stage, RUN, don't walk, to get in line. A great book by a great artist.

There's a glut of fantasy on the shelves today -- and so much of it is just a poor copy of Tolkien, or Harry Potter, or Star Wars (itself little more than a bottomless maw of merchandising these days). For something with more originality & genuine magic, we have to go back 2 or 3 decades, when writers like Patricia Wrightson were creating forgotten jewels like this Young Adult fantasy novel.

Wirrun is a young man in Australia, an Aborigine with one foot in the white man's world. When ancient forces of ice awaken & threat the land of his ancestors, he's chosen to find & rouse the Eldest Nargun, an Aboriginal fire spirit, to restore the balance. On the surface, it seems a traditional coming-of-age fantasy story, done up in somewhat more unusual trappings.

But Wrightson doesn't settle for a rehash of the familiar. She develops the story slowly, letting us get a feel for the Aboriginal worldview, so very different than our Western preconceptions. There's far more characterization & exploration of culture here than lurid special effects duels or cardboard cutouts hacking at each other with generic swords. It's much more than a simplistic good guys vs. bad guys story!

Wirrun's journey is fraught with unexpected dangers, touched with surprising humor at times, and filled with the delights of a completely different mythology & outlook. You sense that Wrightson isn't just using the Aboriginal background as exotic set dressing, but hopes that the reader will come to understand & value an older way of life & experiencing the world. And I think she succeeds very well.

This novel is complete in itself, with a definite ending. But if you enjoy it, you'll want to seek out her two sequels to it, "The Dark Bright Water" & "Journey Behind the Wind." Both develop & deepen the character of Wirrun & his relationship to his ancestral world, rather than simply rewriting the first novel. Most highly recommended!

This is a quiet, contemplative book. There's not a lot of "action" and nothing blows up, which I found rather restful. The hero, Wirrun, sees the world through a traditional Aborigine viewpoint, and the book does a good job of portraying how different his world is from that of the white people who interact with him. A wealth of detail and some nice plot twists near the end kept up my interest, and by the end of the book I felt I was starting to get a "feel" for the way Wirrun thinks.

Those who love C.J. Cherryh's detailed portrayals of alien societies should love Patricia Wrightson's portrayal of a society equally "alien" to many "modern" readers, but much closer to home.

The most fun I've ever had on a trip I didn't make. This book reads is easy reading - never boring. The author in trekking around the Mediterranean seems to have almost a story a step. His local and historical knowledge is impressive. Each curve of the beach, inlet, cove or nearby island comes with an event or myth or legend - some originally recorded by Homer, some as reported recently in local or national media. The book is sprinkled with intriguing bits and pieces about famous people the rest of us have met only in museums and gossip columns. A plus - the writer's love of nature and descriptive powers whet your appetite for Mediterranean travel. If you go, do take the book with you - a great guide!

Taylor Chambers
Pittsburgh, PA

"Contemplative and entertaining, The Idiot traverses a very contemporary Mediterranean shoreline - though Greek gods and goddesses pop up along the way. Much more than a guidebook, Stratte-McClure's tale is saturated with history and humour. This mid-life meditation will appeal to adventurers and armchair travellers alike." - Linda Phillips Ashour, Author of Speaking in Tongues

"The Idiot and the Odyssey mixes an enjoyable walk with a little Greek mythology in a breathtakingly beautiful part of Europe. It encouraged me to get off the golf course and out of the pool to explore by foot a land steeped in history and natural beauty. I even felt that Bogart, the author's yellow Labrador, was there in spirit." - Des Baum, Low-Handicap Golfer, Master Swimmer & Founder/President of Covico (Antibes, France)

"In this midlife `coming of age' quest, we're invited to join Stratte-McClure on his extraordinary journey - trekking the Mediterranean through each creek and cranny as he weaves his observations of the physical world with his own inner contemplations. Readers are treated to meanderings filled with encounters, adventures and mishaps amidst a backdrop of musings abundant with wit and wisdom. An amazing and amusing read!" - Elizabeth Billhardt, Photographer/Author of Coastal Pleasures: Perusing the French Coastline

"If, as the Greek physician Hippocrates said, `Walking is man's best medicine,' then Joel Stratte-McClure's book proves it. Everyone who accompanies him will be healthier in mind and spirit. Slow down and read The Idiot and the Odyssey." - Alex Belida, Media Critic, Former Foreign Correspondent for the Voice of America and author of Regrets Only: An Africa Journal *

"Perhaps our perception of the world does not depend on the places we visit but the gait of our travelling. I never thought that, in an era obsessed with speed and technology, somebody could thrill me with his amusing observations, experiences and ruminations while tracing on foot the same route I travelled by car in 1968 to visit my aging grandfather at the other end of the Spanish coast. This is the best guide to the Mediterranean since Homer's The Odyssey and as informative as James Michener's Iberia." - Princess Beatriz de Orleans Borbón from Spain.

"An amazing read. With each step we learn more about life as we do not necessarily know it. We forget about the physical strength defined in the author's trek and are captivated by his soul, which is defined with every step of the way."- Tevia Celli, Founder and Owner, Body & Soul Workout and The Daily Core (West Hollywood, California)

"This amazing account of human stamina and daring do, where mythological references merge with the author's experiences, creates a brilliant correspondence between past and present. Woven seamlessly in this tale are courage, curiosity and personal reflection, often against a historical or cultural context that shuns all pretence. The trek illuminates the human adventure, comprehension of the self and understanding of `the other'." - Constantine Christofides, Professor at the University of Washington and the Institute for American Universities in Aix-en-Provence, France.

"This wonderful story of a journey through a fascinating part of the world, through time and history, is best of all a story of people. I learned much about the Mediterranean that was new to me and it gave me a new vision of the coast of France that I thought I knew so well." - Russ Collins, Founder and Editor, ProvenceBeyond.com

"I always knew Joel could tell a good story, but this is a real feat (although I don't quite remember the Moroccan incident in 1970 as he does). As a bookseller, I'm already looking forward to the next volume." - Henrietta Dax, Owner of Clarke's Bookshop (Cape Town, South Africa)

"A remarkable book that is equal parts travel guide, history book and charming memoir. Beautifully written, The Idiot and the Odyssey is a siren song to our peripatetic Australian psyche. Heracles would be ever so proud!" - Susie Dobson, President, Australians in Film (Hollywood, California)

"Reminiscent of The Great Railway Bazaar by Paul Theroux but on foot, this is a book you can savour, take to bed and roll around in your mind to learn about life's journey. Packed with information, loaded with humorous encounters, stuffed with life-changing revelations, this meandering walk is worth living vicariously. A great gift to inspire employees, friends and wives." - Charles Eisenhour, Commercial Director, Pepe Jeans (London)

"Having revelled in the sun, storms and special characters of the Mediterranean, I can attest to Stratte-McClure's insightful clarity. Without being tedious or sanctimonious, he introduces people and places as stereotypical, fantastic and ridiculous as could only be true in the Mediterranean. From one audacious and adventurous minga to another, I compliment him on his stable stride in an unstable but captivating region." - Ethan Gelber, Lonely Planet Author and President of BikeAbout-the Mediterranean

"With the Mediterranean as his muse, Joel Stratte-McClure embarks on travels intended not only to broaden the mind, but also to serve as a springboard for reconnecting with the wisdom of the past. An Odyssey that meanders from Greek philosophers to personal demons, a reflective, amusing and open-minded attempt to reconstrue existential questions we ask at the age of 20, some thirty years on." - Jill Harry, Editor of New Riviera Magazine

"Like slow food, the Herculean hike around the Mediterranean by Joel Stratte-McClure - no idiot, for sure - seems an improbable ambition. Yet, inspired by Odysseus, Chinese philosophy and his own mid-life crises, the account of his adventures is a triumph of travel writing - entertaining, witty, perceptive and informative. An enchanting read." - Marion Kaplan, Photojournalist/Author of Focus Africa and The Portuguese--The Land and Its People

"Joel Stratte-McClure maintains it would be unreasonable to think anyone can achieve Nirvana after walking less than 5000 kilometres. Wrong! I felt enlightened from the first page to the last of this inspiring and motivating book as I faithfully accompanied the author on every step and stumble of his remarkable journey. And it's a delight to see pesky French women finally taken off their pedestal." - Margaret Kemp, Editor at Large/Critic of Bonjour Paris

"A great book. Concept clearly explained, curiosity quickly alerted, classical mythology very effectively utilized with a clarity that will hold the ignorant as well as the cognoscente. And light of touch as well as erudite." - Michael Knipe, Former Foreign Correspondent of The Times of London

"A brave and unique story from a naturally talented writer, weaving with commendable, self-deprecating humour hard-won lessons drawn from the author's colourful life, with those gained on this amazing hike around the Mediterranean, all of it laced with erudite seams of wisdom from Homer's The Odyssey. This deserves a prize for originality and sheer daring." - Francis O'Hara, Author of Be My Guest

"Reading The Idiot and the Odyssey provides a hugely entertaining perspective of the world's oldest and greatest journey, conjured millennia ago by Homer. The book is a reminder that the Mediterranean, even today, is a wild and fascinating place." -Tony Perrottet, Author of Route 66 AD: On the Trail of Ancient Roman Tourists

"Reading The Idiot and the Odyssey made my feet hurt but my imagination soar. It sparked a long-dormant wanderlust that inspired me to hastily stuff a backpack and head for the Mediterranean. Then practicality set in and I realized the task is far too Herculean for a mere mortal. Luckily Joel Stratte-McClure, who must have been infused with the power of the gods, was up to the challenge and let me vicariously feel like an adventurer through his awe-inspiring exploits." - Adam Rifkin, Writer/Director, (Look, Detroit Rock City, Mousehunt)

"This book puts the `soul' into walking, capturing the spirit of place and enabling you to feel that you are on every step of this adventurous journey. It provides real insights to the people, the culture and lifestyle found around the shores of the Mediterranean. Inspiring as it makes travel fun." -Peter Robinson, Radio Personality and Editor of San Francisco Books & Travel

"The whimsical author, a serial hiker in the midst of a mid-life crisis, embarks on an epic undertaking with determination, a sack full of Homeric quotes and Buddhist wisdom. You'll be glad you came along on a journey of discovery that is both entertaining and inspirational. Onward!" - Tony Rocca, Author of Catching Fireflies

"The brazen tale of this eccentric author smacks of attitude both audacious and foolhardy, yet he emerges, through his hilarity and touching humanness, wiser and more virtuous. A marvellous narration, one breathing ancient literature into a modern and real theatre, it connects myth with geography, history with legend and life-affirming purpose with the old bugaboo, the concept of impossible Quest. I'm so confident that The Idiot and the Odyssey will become a classic that it's already required reading for my advance placement students." - Gerald Rodgers, English Curriculum Coordinator, Santa Maria High School District (California)

"Joel Stratte-MeClure's The Idiot and the Odyssey is a wonderful book. By turns whimsical and profound -- and more than occasionally laugh-out-loud funny -- it defies all the conventions. It is at once an adventure story, a work of history, a philosophical treatise and an unflinchingly honest memoir." - Harry Stein, Screenwriter and Author of The Girl Watchers Club: Lessons from the Battlefields of Life

"A delightful, soulful memoir-cum-guide of the birthplace of modern civilization. Veteran journalist Stratte-McClure takes readers along the sometimes rugged and often-urban coastline of the Mediterranean and, with his well-honed reporting skills, peppers the adventure with wise words from our greatest philosophers, history lessons of coastline sites, colourful descriptions of the characters he meets and tales of his own rugged life. It makes you want to put on your hiking boots and hit the path yourself. In search of what? As Stratte-McClure understands more clearly with each day of his years long trek, that is the eternal question." - Dana Thomas, Former Newsweek Correspondent and Author of Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster

"Joel Stratte-McClure's didactic but sensitive voice simultaneously describes and contemplates the Mediterranean landscape he traverses and the individuals who inhabit it. He combines a knowledgeable guide's eye of historic and cultural detail with a tourist's awe of the fascinating scenery and people. Homer would love it!" - Vince Tomasso, Classics Department, Stanford University

"From the turquoise-tinted water and zillion dollar yachts of Saint-Tropez to the intrigue of the Kasbah in Tangier, Joel Stratte-McClure takes the reader on a delightful spiritual journey around the Mediterranean that is filled nudists and Buddhists, the obscenely chic and the exotic. The Idiot and the Odyssey is such a terrific antidote to the middle age melancholia that if Homer could do a sequel, Odysseus would probably jump ship to join Stratte-McClure's MedTrek instead." - Craig Unger, Vanity Fair Contributing Editor, Author of The Fall of the House of Bush and Fellow at The Center on Law and Security at New York University's School of Law

"Stratte-McClure goes way beyond sharing an amazing personal adventure with us. He delivers an endless stream of wit and wisdom with such selfless honesty that we are compelled into self-examination. Every stressed corporate exec should read this! His creative energy is infectious and guaranteed to inspire innovation. Life changing!" - Mitch Waite, Founder and Creative Director, IntuThink

"Homer and Lao Tsu may be the author's go-to guys, but as I read this enchanting book I was reminded of Cervantes. The humorous adventures, the piquant observations, the dreamlike buoyancy of memories jostled by travel - Joel Stratte-McClure is Don Quixote with his head screwed on right." - Jeff Wheelwright, Author of The Irritable Heart: The Medical Mystery of the Gulf War

"Like travel writer Paul Theroux's Happy Isles of Oceania: Paddling the Pacific, journalist Joel Stratte-McClure's The Idiot and the Odyssey invites us along on a wonderfully entertaining pilgrimage around a legendary sea, undertaken by a recently-divorced middle-aged man hunting for fresh adventure, renewal and the meaning of life. The fleet-footed McClure finds his share of all three, and a dream experience of a lifetime. It's worth every ebullient, blistering step!" - Tom Moore, Editor-in-Chief, Reader's Digest Australia.

"Joel's fascinating account of his trek round the Mediterranean foreshores from Monaco to Morocco is part wry observation, part history, and part rumination and reflection. It makes you wish you could have been with him as he walked." - Lucienne Joy, former radio announcer and author of Ulterior Motives

This book offers important insights into the debate about reciprocity. Weiner provides a great discussion of related social theory besides introducing her insights about reciprocity. An important book.

Annette Weiner does an amazing job with this book. For anyone interested in social relationships and economics, this book is for you. She reinterprets age-old anthropological data (upon which most current anthropology is based) with an entirely new focus. Rather than reciprocity being the foundation of society, the paradox of "keeping-while-giving" is what defines our social and economic lives, our histories, and our ancestries. She's bold and amazingly intelligent -- good work Annette!

The book is as great as all his others, I'm a big fan of Nick Waplington, He can see things that looks hidden for closed minds. This book is the conjuntion of places in South America and I can tell you that his work is amazing

this is a truly amazing piece of work by nick.truly scrumptiou