I found this to be a very rich book in story and in 'place'. Nancy Cato's telling of an Australian girl's growing up in turn of the century Australia, in city and in bush is reminiscent of Willa Cather's writing of turn of the century Midwestern pioneer life (Song of a Lark and My Antonia come to mind). Both draw you into the characters' lives with richness and tenderness. Both have strong female characters who reach out to explore life, who love nature and art , and find themselves trying to encorporate both in their lives. I recommend this book partucularly to women and girls who love nature and beautiful words and are particularly fond of dreaming.

Most Americans know Frank Moorhouse, if at all, from a little-seen movie from the 1980s: "The Coca Cola Kid" with Eric Roberts. This is the collection of stories upon which Moorhouse based the screenplay. "The Coca Cola Kid" is a somewhat hapless corporate rep from Coca-Cola in Australia. But the best stories don't actually feature this character: a story about a fanatical home craftsman (and home cheese maker and home winer maker) who can't sustain a relationship and a story consisting of letters to the 1960s model Twiggy (that become progressively more insane and pornographic) are two of the finest short stories you'll ever read. The Twiggy story will make you laugh outloud.

The first time I read this book was a few years ago. And I still browse the shelves to find it so I can read it again. I thought this book was excellent, honestly, it was fascinating reading the life of someone in and out of jail, her robberies, he life. I was hoooked as soon as I read it, I would read it again anytime. It doesnt get boring at you, as you want to keep reading it as soon as you start. An excellent book

This is a delightful series. It has such a good story and also a lot of insight into people's hearts. It is a "can't put down" book.

I wish there were more books like this that inform teens and their parents of the dangers of different substances! And it's even more important that it's true because it touches my heart even more! Although i didn't know anna, i wish i did! I can relate her story to my life so accurately! My life is so much the same as hers! What a champ she is! I wish i could've met her! Love forever Becky

David Walker's 'Anxious Nation' is a particularly interesting, entertaining and humorous investigation of Australia's relationship with Asia. In fact, it is one of the more innovative and insightful studies to come out on this topic in recent years. By exploring Australia's encounters with Asia, both real and imagined, Walker has revealed the complexities of the Australia-Asia encounter. By investigating themes such as: travel, trade, population, place, space, climate, 'race degeneration', intermarriage and invasion, he not only delineates Australian anxieties in regard to Asia but also outlines the extensive links that formed between Australia and its northern neighbours. Although Walker's study focuses on Australia and its relationship with Asia, it locates that particular relationship within the broader framework of relations between 'East' and 'West'. For example, the book draws out numerous American parallels and points of reference: appeals to Rooseveltian notions of manhood, the visit of the Great White Fleet, 'yellow peril anxieties', Nordic fetishes and links with the Insitute of Pacific Relations. As a result, 'Anxious Nation' will be of particular interest to anyone fascinated by the intricate and multi-layered history that surrounds interaction between 'Occident' and 'Orient'.

At first I felt awe, then dismay, at the amount of literature available on this most-studied culture, the Aborigine of Australia. The culture has been of intense interest since the ealiest days of formal ethnological and anthropological enquiry. Hiatt's book has given me a perspective into the history of scholarly enquiry that informs and conditions my reaction to the work of others. His format is subject-oriented according to his own scholarly interest in the Aborigine but is prefaced in each chapter by a review of the prejudices and aspirations of his predecessors. The book is highly readable and very stimulating. I consider it essential, at the least, to others like myself who have no formal anthropological training but who must discern and rely on the work and opinions of scholars.

The Kluge-Ruhe collection, housed at the University of Virginia, is among the largest and most diverse Aboriginal art collections outside of Australia. This book, the first published guide to the collection, highlights many of the important works held by the Kluge-Ruhe, covering many Aboriginal cultures and regions with a strong focus on Arnhem Land and the central desert. Thought provoking essays by many of the top scholars in the field accompany beautiful color images of many sigificant pieces. Unlike many introductions to Aboriginal art, this guide discusses themes in depth, providing solid meaningful analysis which places the art in its social context, rather than the usual 'Bark Painting of a Bird' type annotation, which provides no insight into the culture which produced it. Highly recommended--you will not be disappointed.

Bill Jenkings only ever wanted to be one thing, a reporter. He well and truely achieved that goal, rising to the very top of his area, crime reporting. "As Crime Goes By" is his biography, detailing the bizarre, often comical, but always colourful profession which he led. From ordinary beginnings to a career at the "Daily Mirror" newspaper in Sydney, Mr Jenkings had covered some of Australia's biggest stories, including the Graham Thorne kidnapping, the Wanda Beach murders, and the Bogle-Chandler case -- to which he insisted he knew the solution.

Names such as Ray "Gunner" Kelly, "Chow" Hayes and Darcy Dugan pepper the pages. Bill Jenkings knew them all. His was a fascinating life, and this is a fascinating book. It is well worth a read.