Australia Books

...and it's dedicated to me, so I kind of had to read it. Still, I'm glad I did. It was more interesting than I expected, discussing the evolution of settlers to being "native" to North America and the Antipodes. About a chapter into it, I stopped reading out of fillial duty, and kept going because I was interested. (How could I resist the events on-board the H.M.S. Bounty being described as "a crisis in labor relations"?)

Now, I'm going to have to read his other books. So, in my unbiased opinion, buy lots of copies so that I can go to grad school.

...and it's dedicated to me, so I kind of had to read it. Still, I'm glad I did. It was more interesting than I expected, discussing the evolution of settlers to being "native" to North America and the Antipodes. About a chapter into it, I stopped reading out of fillial duty, and kept going because I was interested. (How could I resist the events on-board the H.M.S. Bounty being described as "a crisis in labor relations"?)

Now, I'm going to have to read his other books. So, in my unbiased opinion, buy lots of copies so that I can go to grad school.

From this book I learned more about the territory, the Pacific region, the United States, and Faleomavaega. This man has worked toward a positive direction for American Samoa with regards to the Pacific and U.S. Much of the content of this book can still be applied today in the territory. For Samoans in the U.S. we all have ties back to Amerika Samoa in one way or another. This book covers a few of the issues that effect Samoa, compromising traditional cultural values and the influence of the modern world.

Few Americans know that the United States still owns a relic from the Age of Colonialism below the Equator, and that this "possession" is not faring so well after 101 years of benign neglect. Congressman Faleomavaega is a gifted writer. Few people could cram quite so much information into 142 pages and still have the result highly readable. But it's not a happy story when for 51 years the proud people of American Samoa had their Governor appointed by the US Navy, and then for another 26 years their Governor was always a personal friend of the Secretary of the Interior. Yet the author is basically an optimistic person, and he continually cites the many accomplishments of Asian and Pacific Island Americans, and the success of local initiatives in agricultural development, commercial policy, and educational achievement.

I was really surprised that a Member of Congress could endorse the pagan and gruesome Ritual of the Tatau. The current medical literature suggests that severe physical punishments during initiation rites can be life threatening. And then after such a persuasive plea for Americans to take Pacific policy seriously, the Congressman asks for only half a loaf. After 101 years of being required to be Americans, the people of American Samoa deserve Commonwealth or Statehood status. If their price for joining the Union is permanent protection of the Samoan tradition of communal property ownership, it is doubtful that very many Americans would object.

This book received an Award of Merit from the American Society of Landscape Architects Professional Awards program in 2004.

The author of this book, Catherine Bull, is the Professor of Landscape Architecture at the University of Melbourne. She has a distinguished career as a consultant practitioner and subsequently at Queensland University of Technology, in Brisbane. She holds a masters degree from the University of Melbourne, and a doctorate in design from the GSD at Harvard, USA.

For many people, Australia is somewhat of an enigma- seemingly generously endowed with natural resources, enjoying a mild climate and fine cities, yet it is left conspicuously `unpopulated'. When asked about this, my best response is to say that the enticing shots of Sydney Harbor in the tourist brochures are but one aspect of a wondrous and intriguing landscape. I suggest they venture further afield, out west, beyond the package tour sites, and imbibe some of the quotidian landscapes of Australia- the suburbs, the country towns, the surf coasts, the eucalypt forests: these are places of every day landscapes. But exactly where: Australia is such a huge country?

With this book by Professor Bull in your backpack, and with sufficient time and resources, you could make a grand journey of revelation- and find in every corner of the Australian continent, some revealing place to explore. The book shows and discusses a very diverse range of landscape design projects, from Darwin in the north to Launceston in the south (but don't miss out on Hobart- arguably one of the most captivating urban settlements in the world), from Perth in the south-west to Palm Cove in the north-east, and many places in between.

One particular aspect of these projects is that most of them are about public use areas, in the `public realm', that is, free and open to the community. Certainly there are private gardens of merit in Australia, but arguably the projects shown in this book represent a far more important aspect of Australian culture: the quality and amenity of public spaces. This reflects a fundamental attitude and belief, that the ordinary lived -in public places are important, cherished and worth protecting. Despite contemporary pressures for reduced government spending and privatization of public assets, this commitment is generally being maintained. Perhaps for visitors, this is one of the joys of visiting places such as Sydney Cove, illustrating a principle that is not irrelevant to Korean cities.

There are certainly some gaps in the coverage of the book. It under-represents the influence and value of recent immigrant cultures from south-east Asia, which is very apparent in the larger cities. Aboriginal cultural traditions are minimally represented. I doubt that these omissions reflect the overtly retrograde mode, recently seen in contemporary Australian social and political processes! Some of the more remote locations, such as the Kimberley region in the north-west, or the west coast of Tasmania, regions where there are significant landscape projects, would have been valuable additions. But this is a small quibble, there are so many possibilities, and the projects that are included are many and varied.

From this book, it appears that Australia is seemingly and somewhat belatedly finding its bio-social `space'; and this through landscape projects. By this I mean that, in many of the projects, both `natural' space and `social' space can be discerned as melding and complementary. It may even be said that, in many of these projects, landscapes are prompting or initiating a pivotal re-orientation in Australian's cognition of itself.

The quintessential project that illustrates this point is the Riawunna Aboriginal Studies Centre, at the University of Tasmania's Launceston campus (p. 148). This tiny space, as much community facilitation as a design, by Sinatra Murphy and Urban Initiatives, exposes an essential primordial relationship of culture and environment. The design was developed with the Aboriginal community. But, as importantly, it addresses the wider immigrant community. We see a landscape of rocks, stone, shells (middens) and plants. In lesser hands, this may have amounted to a parody, but here it elicits recognition. We understand a representational space about extended time (dreamtime?), adaptation and subsistence with resources, and opportunity for social connections.

On the other hand, at the National Museum of Australia, Canberra, in the Garden of Australian Dreams, there are a plethora of memetic signs, but not much signified. (p. 144). There is a cacophonous assemblage of words and objects- representations of the settlement of other places; the intent however is obscured by reliance on semiology which engages the viewer through metonymy, a trompe-l'oeil of signs, which verge on mere verbiage. The `marking out' of the garden also downplays a pivotal aspect of the process of occupation of land in Australia, then and now, and that is the overt `ethnic cleansing' which was and is a fundamental aspect of the European occupation of Australia. In this context, the naming of places, which is emphasized in the garden, whether using European names or under official policy employing Aboriginal names, is relatively unimportant. I am also drawing a direct analogy between the historic `ethnic cleansing' of Aboriginals and the current incarceration of recent immigrants; both processes directed at ensuring a white (only) occupation of preferred localities. But I guess that's an argument for another day.

For these reasons, Professor Bull's book is far more that an inventory for a tourist, and I really should not suggested that. The fundamental value of the book is the way in which it points toward designed landscapes as a vital aspect of self-cognition for Australians and along the way, it captures the knowledge and innovation, at the hands of landscape practitioners and clients, which make it possible.

This can be seen in the final chapter in particular. Professor Bull concludes the book at a high pitch indeed. Between the lines of the placid prose there is an impassioned plea, for what the author lays out is a challenge. Professor Bull asks for - and seeks positive answers through designed landscapes- a society that understands and enjoys its diversity and capacities, its natural processes and cultural adaptability.

FROM THE PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION:

Is it possible to offer a single comprehensive view of modern economic life and of the changes that are shaping its future? Mr. Galbraith in this volume proves that it is. He begins with the world of advanced technology highly specialized manpower, and the five or six hundred giant corporations which bring these into use. He shows how these firms supply themselves with capital, how the men who comprise them are motivated, how organized intelligence has replaced ownership as the source of power in the modern enterprise. He shows how the market has declined as a guiding influence in economic life, to be replaced in substantial measure by planned decision as to what will be produced, at what prices and for whom.

Government in the industrial state, Mr. Galbraith makes clear can be understood only in light of the needs and goals of modern large-scale organization. And this profoundly shapes the prospect for trade unions, political parties, education and the larger culture itself. Only as we see the goals of the industrial system in a clear light will we avoid the danger of subordinating too much of life to their service. Only then will we exploit the opportunities inherent in well-being.

...

The publisher's description goes on to herald The New Industrial State as Galbraith's "most important book." The implicit comparison is with his earlier and immensely popular work, The Affluent Society. But the two books are quite closely related, as Galbraith mentions in the foreword: "I must again remind the reader that this book had its origins alongside The Affluent Society. It stands in relation to that book as a house to a window. This is the structure; the earlier book allowed the first glimpse inside."

And indeed, that is largely the truth. This book provides a framework for understanding Corporate America; its real and public purposes, its organization, history, strengths, and weaknesses. Surprisingly little of the book seems aged (of course the book exludes all mention of the last forty years, and the Soviet references seem a bit antiquated), and much of it, with minimal substitution (e.g. "War on Terror" for "Cold War" as the bogeyman for justifying the massive military outlays which feed the industrial system) is eerily applicable to the early 21st century.

All of that said, this book is not for everyone. It is quite dense (especially the first third), and most of us will need a dictionary close at hand. This is a book which requires hard thinking and more than one reading. But if your purpose is to understand the type of economy we really live in, your efforts will be richly rewarded.

John Kenneth Galbraith didn't respect the literary conventions of economics. He didn't express himself in math, he made sweeping generalizations about society (not always backed by strong evidence), and he freely drew on the insights of history, sociology, and politics, paying little heed to interdisciplinary boundaries. For that reason, many economists looked down their noses at him. And for that reason, his books are still in print and enjoyed by readers decades after they first appeared. Galbraith was more than an economist. He was a great social critic, a great debunker of cant, and a superb prose stylist. He was the Veblen of post-World War II America.

He was at the top of his powers when he wrote "The New Industrial State" in the 1960s. The book came as close as anything did to summarizing the Galbraithian "system." Parts of it are outdated, such as the assertion that financial markets have little influence on big corporations, or the strained argument that the American and Soviet economic systems were "converging." Other parts, however, are as relevant today as they were 40 years ago, such as the critique of advertising and consumerism, or the analysis of how our gigantic defense industry shapes policy and influences the Pentagon. In a time when the Federal Reserve is bailing out banks and scrambling to protect the economy from the miscalculations of the financial sector, it's good to be reminded that the private sector looks to government to keep the economy on a even keel, no matter what the official ideology of the private sector may be.

Most of all, "The New Industrial State" displayed Galbraith's genius for stepping back and asking big questions. These continue to haunt economics, even though textbook writers bury them in footnotes. Why DO we treat GDP is an adequate measure of social welfare? Why DO we choose to consume higher productivity in the form of goods rather than leisure? Why DOES our pedagogy emphasize "perfect competition" when the economy is dominated by big firms? Why DO we assume that workers and managers are motivated solely by pecuniary considerations? And on and on.

"The New Industrial State" is a trove of intellectual riches, expressed in masterful and witty prose. Every undergraduate economics student should read it. So should every educated citizen. It's a 20th century classic.

You will want to go to New Zealand after you have visited the South Island through Mary Bull in her book New Zealand Tales and Tours: South Island Adventures. She draws the reader into the landscape through descriptions of land, sea, people and weather as well as history and stories of the region.The pictures are lovely and enticing to make the trip - a Mt. Cook Lily from the mystical area of their highest mountain to a successful fisherman showing the NZ fish "rig".

Bull invites the reader to become "family" as she quotes poems or includes personal photos from her own travels around the South Island. Small animal pictures bring the material alive. I want to put on my hiking shoes, sun hat, warm sweater and find some sheep to walk the back roads.

This book is well written by a local resident who loves her corner of the world and dares to share secrets of these warm and welcoming people; so as a traveler, you will want to return many times.

If you are planning a trip to New Zealand's South Island, you will want to take this book with you. I really like it.

I actually bought this for friends who plan to visit New Zealand soon, but found myself reading it cover to cover, loving the author's personal approach and regretting that we had not visited the South Island when we visited the North Island a few years ago. The author and her husband have spent half of each of their last 24 years living on the South Island and she recommends 4 road trips lasting one month for travelers who want to thoroughly familiarize themselves with the country's dramatic landscapes and unique history, culture, plants, and animals. The trips start and end in the city of Christchurch, but most of the travel is through fascinating small towns. The author provides helpful details about the lifestyle, accommodations, and unique activities of each community and tips about driving and changeable weather conditions. She also includes Maori myths, local legends, personal experiences, a glossary of New Zealand terms and information about topography, sheep farms, farm stays, fishing, winter and summer sports, and wineries, as well as original sketches of the flora and fauna, numerous photos, and listings of web sites. As a retired library director I would highly recommend this travel book.

Like the previous reviewer, I could hardly put this book down. It is an amazing story told in cinamgraphic detail. It would have been a good book written as fiction, but to know the stories are all true (I confirmed the outline with an RAAF offical obit) brings a part of WWII to life. Well done Peter Dornan, in taking in so much oral history and weaving it into a compelling story.

Nicky Barr's life and the courage he showed, were almost too unblieveable to be true. His biography by Peter Dornan is wonderfully written and impossible to put down. Nicky Barr was a quiet, unassuming man, but a fierce, aggressive fighter to his enemy in battle, and a great friend to those who knew him. The reader will come away feeling like the latter.
His wife and true love, Dot, passed away in May 2006 and Nicky joined her in June.
Thanks to Peter Dornan, for allowing me to know them both!

As a history teacher and historian I read numerous books on World War II and have a particular fondnss for memoirs. Charlwood's "No Moon Tonight" ranks as one of the finest works I have yet read. His prose is delicate and moving, the pace quick but rich with insight and feeling. He displays a genuine gift for writing. The story is vivid and engossing as the chronology unfolds. His time in Lancasters and that spent in contemplation on the ground are equally captvating. In short, this ex-navigator has crafted a moving story that will engage both the heart and the mind, and leave the reader closing the cover with a quiet salute to the author and to those he remembered with such reverance. The work reminds me of "Serenade to the Big Bird" but crafted with greater depth and insight. Well done Mr. Charlwood, and thank you!

Don Charlwood's quiet, masterly storytelling of his experiences as an Australian navigator in RAF Bomber Command dwells less on the archetypal stiff upper lip than on the real fears, worries and triumphs of he and his crew.

Written in a style of self-deprecation and self-analysis, Don bares his soul and leaves the reader with a personal sense of pain when he describes the losses of his fellow airmen, many of them thousands of miles from their homes.

Don's sister (perhaps "daughter" would be a better description) volume JOURNEYS INTO NIGHT should be taken in conjunction. Together, they give a powerful insight into the dark days of Bomnber Command, seen through the eyes of men who , whilst describing themselves as "ordinary" were far from so.

Loved everything about this book. Fantastic recounts of how life was in early territory days, crossing swollen creeks and driving through the desert before any of the technology we have now. An amazing woman to have worked as a publican in those days.

This is such an easy read, you just can't wait to read more. She has a great way with words. This tale tells the story of Maisie's life from when she was a child, travelling around Australia in the early years with her family. Mum cooking in the most raw conditions and children sleeping on a piece of canvas stretched between four rough hewn pegs to keep them off the ground away from the creepy crawlies and cold. She ended up in the Northern Territory, running her own pub at a time when women publicans were really unheard of. Maisie gained the respect of many locals and travellers alike, a hard working woman, with a great generous heart. I work in a public library, where i saw this book censored by a reader. She was an elderly woman who disliked greatly some of the words Maisie used in her book. To the average wide reading person, the words were what we see every day but this lady took it upon herself to black out all the words she did not like with a black texta colour. At least she did not deny doing it when approached! although she did not like me giving her a small telling off for censoring the book. Anyway, back to the story, if there are any others like me who dive on anything set in early Northern Territory, outback life, grab this, you will love it. Up there with the good ones, like Tom Ronan and Tom Cole.

Any almanac of Australian political history will tell you something like this (usually next to an asterisk): on Remembrance Day, 1975, Australian Governor-General Sir John Kerr, the unelected representative of the British Queen, dismissed Australia's Labor Party prime minister, Gough Whitlam, the elected leader of the national government. Whitlam's successor, conservative Malcolm Fraser, called an election immediately and served as PM until 1983. What the almanacs don't tell you about is the sheer level of passion which consumed and polarized the nation for the better part of 10 years after the Dismissal. Kerr was vilified; a figure of universal hate for those on the Left. Fraser, whom Whitlam tagged "Kerr's cur," was hailed as the country's savior by loyal Tories throughout Australia's suburbs. Whitlam, whose government had staggered through several notorious financial and personal scandals, lost another election and retired from politics in 1978 , but to this day is hailed as a God-Caesar by armies of fervent loyalists. Kelly, an Australian journalist, does not delve into these latter day issues; instead he conducts a piece-by-piece reconstruction of the constitutional, legal and political forces which from 1972 conspired to bring about The Dismissal. Some of his personal interviews from the players brought about real scoops, such as the revelations about those who secretly counseled Kerr on the propriety of his actions. Another bombshell is the realization that Whitlam could so easily have "won" on November 11 itself, even after Kerr had sacked him, with deft application of parliamentary procedure. This is not for the neophyte: a familiarity with Australian politics is assumed.

For all Australians, November 11, 1975 shouls stand as a day simultaneously full of fear and of pride.

On that day the Governor General, Sir John Kerr, sacked the democratically elected government of Gough Whitlam. Kerr was given his job by Whitlam; if Whitlam got to the phone first to call the Queen, he could havfe sacked Kerr.

Of course this Constitutional Crisis did not all happen on one day. Paul Kelly has excelled himself in documenting the background to this crisis and biographing main players. He takes an even handed approach to the political situation and has written an unexpectidely readible book.

November 11, 1975 is a day of fear because it was the day democracy stopped happenning; it was a day of pride because Australians didn't degenerate into a violent mob.

Democracy returned to Australia when a General Election was held on December 13, 1975. By the way, Whitlam lost.

Kelly's book is vital reading for: 1. All Australians, 2. All who love a good political read, 3. All students of Government.

A well told, well illustrated, children's book that explores the concepts of mass and water depth.

Mr Archimedes is puzzled at why his bath overflows when he has a soak with his animal friends. After eliminating each animal as the cause of his wet floor, "Eureka" Mr Archimedes discovers the answer.

A fantastic book. Highly recommended.

By the author of 'Who Sank The Boat?' This is a fun way of learning about Archimedes Principle. He hops in and out of a bath with, variously a kangaroo, goat and wombat, examining the water level each time, and trying to understand why when ALL the friends are in the bath it always overflows.

Well illustrated. And, yes, he shouts "EUREKA!"