This is a genuine story of triumph over adversity, and the kind of love that makes every day a new beginning. Having enjoyed the film, Shine, was only the half of it...it is the strength and courage of these two extraordinary people that truly shines through in reading the whole story!

I recently had the honor of meeting Gillian and invited her online for a Palace chat. (members.aol.com/palacechat/helfgotts.html) I was even more moved by this extraordinary woman (in person) and sat down to re-read the story.

Living with mental illness is a challenge in the best of circumstances. With this essential foundation of love and courage, coupled with the joy of sharing each new discovery, the Helfgotts set a shining example of what life is really all about.

I play piano myself. I know the joys, the pleasures, the hardships, and the triumphs of piano playing every time I rest the tip of my fingers on the keyboard. David Helfgott, purely magnificent. I do not need to critique him. I know. I know music. I know Trueness. And together, he is the master that creates true music. What an inspiration.

This book made me laugh and cry. It describes David so well that I could hear his voice in my head. "It's a mystery" to think that some people don't love this book!

This book is an amazing story of four real people. Sure, it's a man's book, but it's a woman's book as well. I've loaned it to several of my women friends and can't get it back! Just think. Four strangers are thrown together and live in a small space for a year. The women quickly became the best of friends. I loved how they finally got around to sharing Alan, the only man around. I almost felt sorry for the guy, the way they "used" him. What a change from men using women! The scenes where they acidentally got drunk from drinking too much Kava are beyond hilarious. Alan's a real guy, too. Using Pavarotti's tape to cover the sounds of making love on the small boat had me in stitches. But seriously, how could they do it, all stuck on a small boat at sea? I laughed my head off. Then I cried at the tragic events that drove these women from their homes. I was scared to death during the pirate attack and almost got sea-sick during the killer-storm.

But what stuck with me most was the deep friendships they developed for each other. They create their own little world for a year on that small boat. We need more love, friendship and
caring in our much bigger world. Five stars, for sure!

A powerful, adventurous, true story of 4 stangers who meet for a few days and stick together for a year. THe book works as an adventure story, a human drama, a "sailing in paradise" story and a look at human nature under stress. I really fell in love with the 3 women and came to admire the guy. They're real people. I recommend the book highly. It's well written and puts you rightt here, especially during the survival storm and pirate attack. But above all, the interaction of the four of them moved me the most. I was in stitches over the Pavarotti part. It really has something for everyone. And it's not just a man's book. My wife read it and loved it, passing it on to her friends.

Five stars all the way.

I couldn't put this book down. As a sailor, it's scenes of sailing in a tropical paradise made it like being threre. As a human, the story of the 3 women and 1 man and the cirumstances which threw them together was deeply moving. As a romantic, I could see them creating their own little world, and the 3 women deciding to share the only guy around. As an adventurer, I loved the sailing scenes, the survival storm and the nightime pirate attack left chills down my spine. I've never read a book that hooked me and dragged me in like this one. If you love life, adventure, or sailing, or just plain romance, I recommend it highly.

Meet Murray Whelan, gofer and fixer for the newly appointed Minister of Water and Arts. He has no ideas about arts, but then politics is politics, and how difficult can it be? He finds out without delay, when young artist Marcus Taylor is found floating in the moat in front of the National Gallery. Time for damage control. But then things become increasingly weird. The overpriced picture of a shadowy, and also dead, artist named Victor Szabo. Hold it! Is the picture a fake? Who painted the duplicate? How about all those suave self-made millionaires and their sudden interest in art? Mayhem erupts as everybody tries to cover up their nefarious schemes. And Murray in the thick of it, of course.

The book is presented as a mystery. But that part does not come off too well with all the fun intervening. Rather, it is a send-up comedy about Australian politics and the doers behind the scenes. If you really want to laugh for a few hours, then read this book.

Funny, involving, entertaining.Great characters in an Ausralian world of politics and corruption that rings true. Recommended. Also read "Stiff" and "Nice Try" with Murray Whelan.

This book was excellent. It had a story line and was interesting and funny all at once! Whelan's analogies are excellent.

David Malouf is not only a novelist, but a published poet as well. His work, "The Conversations At Curlow Creek", contain passages that could stand alone as solitary poems with little change to their form. This is only the third work of his I have read, so even if combined with the fourth I am reading, I still feel this Author's range is remarkable. Australia is not a place where the word confine would seem to be appropriate, however with this story Mr. Malouf creates a very intimate setting that even when expanded, rarely grows larger.

As he has done before he brings people from Scotland, or Ireland and tells his story in Australia. When I said he expands the setting without literally enlarging it as well, I meant that his players might roam their memories and share those of others, while remaining all but immobile during the tale. Two men from Ireland share an evening. One represents the authority of law in its most final form, the other a man whose outlaw life should hold values in complete opposition to his jailer. An then there is a third man, also from Ireland, raised as a brother to the lawman, and the possible leader of the group the prisoner is the only surviving member of.

The night can be a strange time for thoughts and memories, and when one of the men is supposed to be hung at dawn, every minute is arguably critical. The passage of time seems to obsess the jailer more. When asked the time he wonders if he should just say the half hour, or the actual 28 minutes past. He contemplates the value these 2 additional minutes would mean to the condemned. He uses time to gain information about this man's leader, probing to see if the man is his foster brother last seen when 16 years of age. The jailer sensitive to the man's diminishing time is desperate for the knowledge, but becomes increasingly respectful of the convict.

The travels outside the room they share often read as a recollection, until the waking of the dreamer disturbs the memory. It's a more subtle form of recall than just turning the page and finding you are jumping back and forth between dates. As the night passes the ides of forgiveness, redemption, and morality are discussed with the jailor playing the reluctant philosopher/priest. Mr. Malouf is very clever in taking issues that seem so black and white, and making them gray. He examines the two paths in life these men have followed, and the possible life of the third man. All three are very different, but two may have decided to live outside the confines of society's laws, while the third became a custodian of the same society's structure.

The book comes to an ending that I doubt many will find expected, and some may argue is ambiguous. Mr. Malouf leaves a great deal of room for his readers to either find the thread he leaves, or to allow space to be filled by the reader. His writing is unique and compelling, and will either hold great appeal, or certain frustration for readers.

The suspense of the novel is provided by the reader's wondering if Adair will hang an illiterate Irish convict at dawn or if he will yield to compassion after talking and reminiscing with the man through the night. The convict relates a story about a time that he was given a job to impersonate someone under very mysterious circumstances which turned out to be the only instance in the man's life that he was ever treated with any kind of tenderness. This story is marvelously told and does arouse the reader's sympathy. Soldier and convict are united by their Irish backgrounds and the fact that they were both orphans whose fortunes, however, were widely divergent. The reader comes to wonder which position is more difficult: the convict's necessity of facing death at dawn or the soldier's duty to be the executioner. The author uses this situation as a focus for a meditation on mortality that is philosophical and sometimes mysterious. This would be a good selection for a book group as multiple interpretations of the meaning of the book are certainly possible.

This is one of my all time valued books. A splended writer, Malouf uses language as a poet, brings his two main characters to vivid life, makes the reader care about both of them...the convict and the soldier (possibly his executioner). What particularly moved me and sets this book above most is how skillfully Malouf raises the question of morality (without moralizing) relative to the judgement of others...Who is not guilty? Or if guilty, what about the compassion of another. These are to me primary questions in a worldwhere finger-pointing is so prevalent. Malouf is a man whose breadth and depth of insight deserve much attention and applause.

Readers should be aware that this book was published in 1991, with a different title, "Indonesia's Forgotten War: The Hidden History of East Timor". The only differences are an updated chronology and one new chapter about recents events since 1998. The 1990s are not carefully treated.

Professor Taylor in this book presents a pretty thorough history of East Timor. He lays emphasis on the development of its indiginous culture particularly the kinship system which helped it survive Portugese rule and the barbaric Indonesian occupation. He examines the efforts of foreign powers particularly the United States and Australia and even Portugal (at least until the early 80's) to support Indonesia taking over East Timor, the United States taking the lead in replenishing Indonesia with advanced weapons when it ran into trouble as before its "encirclement and annihilation" campaigns of the late 70's.

He examines the East Timorese indigenous culture including the kinship system which is deeply ingrained in the society and helped it survive Portugese rule and (just barely) Indonesian rule; up until 1990 the major Indonesian military campaigns (Persuatan, the dreadful Fence of Legs, etc.), the World Bank funded forced sterilization of Timorese women, some of the major massacres, the ideology of Fretilin, the "resettlement villages," the economic activities of companies like P.T. Denok in East Timor, the visits of foreign journalists and delegations of politicians, the apologetics for the Indonesian regime by the Catholic Relief services.

I think that his rather long introduction about the September 1999 incident and the chronicles of events during the 90's in the timeline at the end of the book serve as more than adequate updates. However I think he is rather too soft on the role (or lack there of) of the Western powers during the 1999 crises. Those countries continued to have normal military and diplomatic relations with Indonesia up until about two weeks into the crises when East Timor was basically destroyed and its population driven from their homes, when they finally engaged in minimally serious gestures, temporarily suspendeding military relations with Indonesia and agreed to a peackeeping force which was probably not needed under the pressure of Australian public opinion. Very little effort was made to conduct war crimes trials or investigations or help the country seriously rebuild from the years of destruction and occupation which America and its allies were in large part responsible for. There's alot more that can be said about this but the criticisms of Indonesia by U.S. leaders in the months leading up to the crises which Taylor lays great stress on are completely worthless.

In anycase a minor flaw; this is a very good introduction to East Timor, if slightly dry here and there with small print.

John Taylor simply sets the standard, with this new and comprehensive text, on a subject in which he has long been an authority. The book is tremendously comprehensive, approaching a variety of issues relating to East Timor's past and recent history as well as the present. It offers analyses, always well substantiated, and without giving excessive space to the author's own subjective views. It is well written and easy-to-read. All in all, it is a book that should be read by anyone studying this topic, whether a beginner or expert.

VERY informative. Perhaps too much info. At times I felt I was overloading. Better to have too much though than not enough. This book eliminates the need for any other.

I didn't find this guide as useful nor as interesting as others in the series but I suspect it's because Sydney doesn't lend itself to guidebooks in the same way London or Rome do. I left Eyewitness at home, carried Frommer's Sydney guide, and winged it the rest of the way. Eyewitness has the best maps by far, though.

There are some guidebooks which make a local cringe in embarassment! Not this one. It covers pretty much everything that a visitor to this city would want to see and do, and even leads people a little (but not TOO far) off the beaten track. There are suggestions for walks along some of the coastal paths, for example, and it includes places farther afield like captain Cook's Landing Place.

Like all the books in this series, it is lavishly illustrated and the maps are good. I use it for inspiration for weekend activities. It is a good general guidebook, which could be supplemented by more specialised volumes if you want to concentrate on one aspect of Sydney - eg guides to walks around the harbour, or activities specially for children, guides to national parks etc. but this book seems to cover just about everything at least in an introductory sense.

this was the second book of nevil shute's books i am reading , the first one being A TOWN LIKE ALICE-and i liked it--it tells us about two people-an younge english girl and a european doctor--who meet in australia---their's is astory of friendship and old fashioned love. the contract between england and australia is brought out well.

Jennifer Morton moves to London, temporarily, to take care of her ailing grandmother, who, before her death, speaks of times, now gone, when life was so much better in England, as though she recognizes the dissolving of a great culture, which her granddaughter will never know.
In her last day of life, she passes on the Jennifer a timely gift of money, received from her distant niece in Australia, and with it expresses her wish for Jennifer to go soon, to seek a better and new life in the opportunities offered in "The Far Country." Living up to her grandmother's words, she follows her adventuresome spirit and sails to the other side of the world for this new discovery.
Warmly received by her niece at the sheep station, she experiences the abundance of life in Queensland, where she feels at home - immediately - and can now clearly compare the differences between the continents. The new country brings refreshing contrast compared to the dreariness of her post-war nation, so plagued by needless government regulations and restrictions on all of life's commodities, even food.
Freedom is what she experiences for the first time in her life and, with it, can fully understand her grandmother's wish for her to seek it. While there, she also notices hardships, endured by others who seek alternative ways to reach this very same freedom. They are the lumberjacks - the refugees from around the globe - who have accepted two-year forestry commitments to buy into the opportunities ahead. Australia attracts them and, in return for their two years of hardship, they can gain their new beginning in their new land.
So it is with Carl Zlintner, a Chechoslovakian doctor, a World War II refugee, who has nine months to go before his own two years are finalized. He has no money and is ready to pursue life as a lumberjack in his future. However, hidden in the forest, he stumbles across the grave of a man, now dead for many years... a man with a recognizable name.
How Jennifer Morton and pursuit to learn more about this dead man bring new life to the doctor, is a moving and powerful story of willingness to endure, readiness to sacrifice and determination to reach the goals ahead.
It's a story about life and about love, wonderful and inspiring, so totally Nevil Shute!

What a storyteller! Shute didn't live too long. I'm so glad he found time to write these human adventures along with all the other things he did. I did not realize until I read this book how bad things were in Great Britain after WWII. Makes me want to go to Australia (in the early 1950's). One of Shute's strengths is character description and development. I'm so glad I found my own copy of this book at Amazon! It was getting difficult to locate copies at the library. Why was this great story never filmed? This has to be as good as the author's A Town Like Alice and No Highway.

Until Andrew Doughty's "Maui Revealed" was released, this Moon handbook was the best you could get. We used it on our first trip to Maui. Like other Moon Handbooks, it is rich in history and background info, but the practical detail can't compare to "Maui Revealed." We now use this Moon Handbook mainly as a supplement for historical background -- still useful but not our first source. (Most other Maui guides are superficial rubbish.)

You're spending 1,000-2,000 bucks to go to Maui -- go ahead and spend 20 bucks to have your own in-depth personal tourguide.

This handbook helped make for one of the best vacations of my life. The "insider" information is absolutely indispensible. For instance, there are many, many beaches on Maui, but there are many, many different kinds of beaches. Some with murky water. Some with huge waves. Some not navigable unless you swim beyond volcanic rocks. But there are one or two absolutely perfect beachs. And the Moon Handbook explains it. My girlfriend and I found the beach in front of the Sheraton at Ka'anapali to be the best all-aorund beach. We waded out into the calm waters and swam with sea turtles, right there in front of the Sheraton. This handbook explains, though the "little" details like, parking is difficult near the Sheraton so where to park, what the rates are, even shortcuts between buildings and such. This kind of info is just completely impossible to get anywhere else.

There are discussions of the personalities of various snorkle tour boat crews -- from adventurous, to laid-back. Some snorkle boats provide lunch, others don't. All this info is in the Moon Handbook.

We checked out Haleakala Mountain and Red Hill. With the handbook, we found how to get to Iao Needle. We found which Luau Party was the best for us, etc. Which restaurants to go to. Where to shop in Lahaina. The Sugar Cane Train for an easy-going afternoon. A drive out by the blow-holes on the NW end of the island.

I highly recommend this book before going to Maui. If you don't feel like shelling out 20 bucks, another option is always looking into your local library. Most good public libraries carry Moon Handbooks and they're absolutely free. A must before traveling to Maui, the Valley Island! (the 6th edition also includes info on the islands of Lana'i across the Auau Channel and Moloka'i)

Happy vacationing!

Stacey

This book is written for intelligent and inquisitive tourists who want to really understand what Mauai is all about. It outshines Mauai Revealed by 100%. I found myself using it every day as it offered a far more indepth look at places not found in any other tourist publication. If flash and hype are not your style, buy this book. Good index, well written, excellent maps. It had plenty of things to do to keep me amazed every day of my two week vacation.

I started reading this slim volume quite a few months ago and I put it down, never intending to finish it. Some of the early parts of the book rubbed me the wrong way, to the point where I wondered just how much of a true Christian Mr. West really was. Recently, I picked it up and basically started where I left off, and my previous judgementalism gave way to a certain admiration. Morris West has not only the wisdom of a man of advanced years but the worldly experience that gives him a valuable perspective to share on such issues as evil, violence, dissent, and death. He has seen things most of us with never see, and this book is all the more enlightening because of that fact. Although not a Catholic like Mr. West is, I share his experience of a life that is centered around the institution of the church, and can appreciate the love/hate relationship one can have with the Body of Christ. Like many, he cries out for a church that values the person above laws and regulations. I look forward in the future to reading some of his fiction (although much of it is out of print and rather hard to get at this time).

Morris West qualifies as one of my favorite writers. He's thrilled and educated me through his Vatican trilogy while also challenging our views of spiritual ministry in a modern era. In this book, a memoir of sorts, West tackles similar topics from a non-fiction stance. In so doing, we catch a glimpse of his own emotions and experiences and how they played out in his fiction masterpieces. West has refused to be boxed in by dogma or religion, instead he points to God as a still viable part of our lives while refusing to dispense pat answers. West shows his truth faith--the honesty to question and still believe in the Answer.

I've long admired West's ability to move me with words. His papal trilogy in particular ranks as one of my favorite in literary fiction. To read this delightfully honest and heartfelt memoir is to gain even greater insight to the wisdom and insights of his fictional work.

West, long a respectful rebel of sorts, has managed to approach subjects and questions many wish to avoid. In doing so, rather than turning these into platforms for personal grievances, he elevates their importance in community discussion.

Despite his literary prowess, West manages to come across as an everyday man, a man you'd like to converse with over coffee. No, don't remind me that the most likely place for conversation would be at his deathbed. He may be getting older, nearer to unknown that he says he welcomes willingly, but his words will remain as a part of our culture. His thoughts and ideas will remain to challenge future generations.

Mr Morris West, thank you for that gift.

I would read this book on the bus to work and everyone would stare at me because I was laughing out loud. It's perfect for any one who appreciates Australians bizarre sense of humor.

Save your positive comments fellow Australians; I set the book for a class of US students and the 2 who bothered to read it missed all of the subtleties. I gave this review a contentious title in the hope it would tempt them to buy the book. Besides, the book is rare in the US--like people who get irony.

As one reviewer said - Read a Nick Earls book and you'll never need be sad again! His books are entertaining and speak the thoughts of the 20-somethings of the world. I recommend this book thoroughly and completely to Australians, particularly Brisbanites who are gosh-darn sick of books set in Sydney and Melbourne. The story takes place in Red Hill, Toowong, Milton and the City, with many familiar landmarks that we've all been to or wanders by at some stage. I'd also recommend this book to an International audience who wants some insight into young life in suburban Australia. I've never read a book that so accurately portrays the psyche of 'my generation' until this one came along- it could also give other age groups an insight into why some of us are slightly bizarre..! This book appeals to the readers sense of humour and irony throughout. The familiar style of writing makes the reader feel comfortable knowing the quirky characters within the pages. A special appearance by Nick's friend Venero Armano, another great Brisbane author (including Firehead), is also quite interesting! (especially when the reader has attended University lectures from both authors!) If you need a laugh or a good read, you'll find both within the pages of ZigZag Street... or any other Nick Earls book for that matter!