as absorbing as is Lillian Ng's narrative with its past lives, spiritual journeys and cultural comparisons, Swallowing Clouds is dominated by sex... Raw, manipulative, seductiion and erotic sex. It concerns Syn who in a past life in ancient China was drowned for committing adultery. In this life, Syn finds herself stranded in Sydney and unable to safely return to China because of the crackdown on students and dissidents after the Tiananmen Square massacre. She soon begins a torrid affair with Zhu, the local butcher, and for a while the relationship serves as a panacea for Syn's fantasies and desires, but gradually she finds her happiness waning, her identity disappearing and her life consumed. Restoring all these three is the crux of Ng's story and in telling it she offers an evocative portrait of Chinese history and modern Chinese life in Australia. Stuck between two cultures, Syn's struggle is timely, but also quite original, the ultimate reward for the reader being an arousing novel about the need to be needed, the desire for happiness and fulfilment and the importance of indivuality and respect.

This is a really terrific book, useful as much for the resident as visitor. It tells you about the best walks around the shores of sydney harbour, for example. For a large city to still have so much bush and vegetation so close to the city is a testament to the efforts of the residents and unions who fought to preserve so much through 'Green bans' in the 1960s and 70s. This book shows you how to enjoy those places, not only guiding you on the walks, but detailing the public transport routes to get to the beginning and from the end of each walk. Highly recommended. I use it to play tourist in my home town.

I was impressed with Tim Flannerys editing of Watkin Tenches journals of the first days and months in Sydney Australia. Tench an officer in the Marines is a keen observer of his men the other officers and their interaction with the Aboriginals around Sydney Cove. What impressed me was his description of events such as exploring the country on the Cumberland plain and his encounters with the Aboriginals.

Symbols of Australia is a wonderful reference book containing thousands of trademarks which are both unique to Australia and uniquely Australian. All the symbols date from pre 1980 when the book was published. I lived in Australia in the 1970s and Mimmo Cozzolino has done a superb job at creating a book that is both nostalgic and an excellent reference of trademarks.

Have you ever wanted to travel to Tahiti, but thought it might be too expensive? Did you want to experience the Polynesia of Gauguin and Bougainville, but thought it had gone forever? Did you think that island archipelagoes such as the Gambiers, Tuamotus and the Societies were beyond your reach?Well, David Stanley's 'Tahiti Polynesia Handbook' will dispel many of the myths you may have heard about this far flung corner of the South Pacific. Stanley's first law of independent travel, is that " the more you spend, the less you experience". This holds true for Tahiti Polynesia as much as anywhere else. Why would you want to stay in a luxury hotel on Bora Bora, which merely creates Waikiki Beach for twice the price?Discover the real Polynesia: be amazed by the myriad colours at Papeete Market. Take 'Le Truck' to travel and meet the Tahitians at work and play. Adjust to island time by taking the slow boat to Moorea: experience the surreal majesty of Matavai Bay on departure and the awesome backdrop that is Mount Rotui as it looms above the deep green of Cook's Bay on arrival.All this and much more is detailed in the Tahiti-Polynesia Handbook. Where to go? What to see? What to do? How to get there? The introductory historical, socio-political, economic and environmental and even gastronomical chapters, answer all of the questions you could ever possibly ask about the islands of Polynesia. Subsequent chapters are full useful hints and tips, aircraft/boat and bus timetables, maps, illustrations, artistic impressions and quotations about this fascinating group of islands. There is also a sprinkling of excellent colour photographs, though more of these wouldn't come amiss!I was originally introduced to the South Pacific through Stanley's much larger volume, the South Pacific Handbook. The Tahiti Polynesia Handbook is small enough to fit into your backpack, yet light enough to avoid excess baggage charges! Having read the book, I now feel the urge to explore outer Polynesia in much greater depth. Names such as Huahine, Raiatea, Rapa Iti, Rangiroa and Fatu Hiva are now within MY reach.Leave the tourist hordes behind and become an independent traveller; experience Tahiti-Polynesia for yourself and get a copy of David Stanley's Tahiti-Polynesia Handbook.

I just bought this book and really enjoyed it. It is made under the same scheme as "100 of the tallest buildings of the world", with great color pictures, diagrams, technical information, images of Lobbys, street plazas, etc. Contains information of around 100 tall buildings, most of them from China and Japan, and almost all of them are buildings that are hard to hear about. If you are a fan of skyscraper architecture, you won't be disapointed with this book.

A rare chance to read a detailed study of the development of the match rifle 1860-1900. Covers this fascinating period of rifle development and the search for accuracy at extreme ranges. Includes information on muzzle and breech loading rifles, including Whitworth. Also reprints Metford's observations on the muzzle-loading match rifle.

I have read The Temple 15 or 16 times since I first started,a nd it was literally one of the VERY few books/scripts I have been un-able to put down, EACH TIME I read it.
I can gaurantee that you a great read.
The script follows Lauire Blake, an ex-truckie, now abattoir owner and his rise into the world of buisness.
Don't get the story wrong, its not about killing pigs and stories of the open road. It shows the Aussie mans rise to the top. It gives you insight into how the upper clas of Australia works. Every single character is brilliantly constructed. Ech relying on the other.
This witty slice of buisness life put me in stiches, as it will you.
From crude remarks to sophisticated and tactfual spouts at the working man.

Not a rags to riches story, far more complex - not something for the kid's!

Defiently a script to remember.

I know I will!

Lily Brett has written a novel that makes you laugh and cry in turns. Things Could Be Worse captures the life of a child of two Holocaust survivors.

The novel explores many themes such as; the impact of the Holocaust not only on survivors, but their children; growing up as a migrant in Melbourne and; the struggle to find identity and happiness. The characters are brilliantly illustrated by David Rankin, an artist and the author's husband.

Every word and picture in the book rings true, and it gives an insight on what, for most of us, would be unimaginable. A truly wonderful book.