Scorn has a long and humorous history. But a new book on the subject, featuring quotes from Kanye West, Christopher Hitchens and of course, Donald Trump, rather lacks contemporary wit.
Qunta advocates a reparations fund to accelerate corrective policies, that schools be freed from colonial indoctrination and that African culture should be mainstreamed, especially African languages.
DeLillo’s latest novel dwells on the implications of accelerating technology – including the practice of freezing dead bodies in the hope that one day, they could become immortal.
All to often, true crime books have glorified male violence and reproduced crude sexist stereotypes.
Jari Schroderus
The genre that brought us the writings of Mark “Chopper” Read isn’t known for its impeccable gender politics. But two new books cast a critical eye on a culture of male violence.
Cecil John Rhodes: master of all he surveys - but not of a secret society.
Reuters/Eddie Keogh
The book contains major flaws, the chief of which is the lack of solid, supporting evidence. Brown claims that ‘Rhodes documented everything’ – which was not actually the case in this regard.
In a new book, former prime minister Paul Keating makes it clear that, from a young age, he was interested in power and the gaining of it.
AAP/Daniel Munoz
Kerry O'Brien has provided the platform for Paul Keating to define his political career, explain what drove his reform agenda and cement his position as one of Australia’s greatest leaders.
What better way to spend your year-end holiday than absorbed in a good book or ten?
Shutterstock
There isn’t a lot of time for recreational reading when you’re running a university. But when year-end holidays roll around, Africa’s vice chancellors can finally read for pleasure.
One of Tony Abbott’s first acts on coming to office was to remove Martin Parkinson (left) as Treasury secretary.
AAP/Saeed Khan
Debate, serious discussion and deliberation are valued highly in a democracy not just for their own sake, but because they are considered essential to testing the quality of ideas and arguments.
Jonathan Coe’s sales are four times higher in France than in the UK.
Viking
Faction Man is a product of Black Inc. From their perspective, Bill Shorten – and his fascination with grimy Labor machine politics – is an alien figure.
China is Australia’s most important trading partner and a growing source of investment.
AAP/Lukas Coch
The “national interest”, at least as far as economic policy is concerned, has always been a contested compromise and a consequence of the relative political influence of domestic forces.
Electricity is only one of the marvels brought to us by science. But even that’s not enough to convince some of its value.
Michael Wyszomierski/Flickr
Nobel Laureate Peter Doherty’s new book explores why so many people today selectively reject science, and in the process gives a behind the scenes look at how science really works.
B.A. Santamaria (left) is the subject of a new biography by political commentator Gerard Henderson.
Wikimedia Commons
Gerard Henderson has produced a rounded and at times fascinating portrait of B. A. Santamaria. His broad conclusion is that Santamaria was a compelling, skilled and persuasive man who was enormously devoted to his causes.
Sacks’ works have introduced readers to the marvellous complexities of the mind.
Mars Hill Church Seattle/Flickr
The popular neurologist revealed earlier this year that he only has months to live – a statement which casts his recently-released memoir, On the Move: A Life, in a new light.
Selling students short comes at an important time for higher education in Australia: funding uncertainties and questions over academic standards have never been more pronounced.
from www.shutterstock.com.au
Richard Hil’s Selling Students Short: Why You Won’t Get the Education You Deserve is a timely exposé of the difficult conditions facing students at Australia’s increasingly corporatised universities.
Salman Rushdie claims not to have realised his GoodReads ratings were public.
EPA/Helmut Fohringer
Negative reaction by other authors to Salman Rushdie’s book ratings demonstrates how sensitive writers can be. But why shouldn’t an author give however many stars they like to a book?
The Latham Diaries remains a seminal piece – not only having revealed the ALP’s inner workings, but having highlighted policy issues and structural problems which continue to be of concern.
Under former president Hamid Karzai, Afghanistan was little more than a ‘vertically integrated criminal organisation’, according to a new book.
EPA/Parwiz Sabawoon
Some 23 years after his death, Australian artist Brett Whitely’s vision continues to have resonance and will likely remain a defining representation of late 20th century Australia.