Fair Crack of the Whip

$29.99 AUD

Category: Biography

Ayoade on Top by Richard Ayoade

$29.99 AUD

Category: Biography | Reading Level: 4 Non Fiction

At last, the definitive book about perhaps the best cabin crew dramedy ever filmed: View From the Top starring Gwyneth Paltrow.In Ayoade on Top, Richard Ayoade, perhaps one of the most "insubstantial" people of our age, takes us on a journey from Peckham to Paris by way of Nevada and other places we don 't care about. It's a journey deep within, in a way that's respectful and non-invasive; a journey for which we will all pay a heavy price, even if you've waited for the smaller paperback edition. Ayoade argues for the canonization of this brutal masterpiece, a film that celebrates capitalism in all its victimless glory; one we might imagine Donald Trump himself half-watching on his private jet's gold-plated flat screen while his other puffy eye scans the cabin for fresh, young prey. ...Show more

The Cuckoo's Egg - Tracking a Spy Through the Maze of Computer Espionage by Cliff Stoll

$29.99 AUD

Category: Biography

Before the Internet became widely known as a global tool for terrorists, one perceptive U.S. citizen recognized its ominous potential. Armed with clear evidence of computer espionage, he began a highly personal quest to expose a hidden network of spies that threatened national security. But would the au thorities back him up? Cliff Stoll's dramatic firsthand account is "a computer-age detective story, instantly fascinating and] astonishingly gripping" (Smithsonian). Cliff Stoll was an astronomer turned systems manager at Lawrence Berkeley Lab when a 75-cent accounting error alerted him to the presence of an unauthorized user on his system. The hacker's code name was "Hunter" -- a mysterious invader who managed to break into U.S. computer systems and steal sensitive military and security information. Stoll began a one-man hunt of his own: spying on the spy. It was a dangerous game of deception, broken codes, satellites, and missile bases -- a one-man sting operation that finally gained the attention of the CIA...and ultimately trapped an international spy ring fueled by cash, cocaine, and the KGB. ...Show more

The Winding Road - Secrets of an Outback Entrepreneur by Alice Mabin

$34.99 AUD

Category: Biography

This book is a game changer! The Winding Road is witty, charming and makes you think twice about the way "life has to be done". Alice Mabin's unfailing persistence and tenacity is inspiring. She is right - life is too short not to do what you love. The Winding Road reminds us, that if you are prepared t o take a risk and see an opportunity to redesign your life, you have an obligation to yourself to see it through.Yet again, Alice has delivered something unique - The Sealed Section is nothing short of gold. Resist your urge to tear it open first; read it last for the greatest impact!As a renowned rural photographer, Alice has astonished readers with her best-selling publications and photographs that celebrate the rich tapestry of life in the Australian Outback.But life for Alice hasn't always been as exquisite as her photography. After leaving her family in search of a plentiful life, Alice has travelled an undulating paper-road to success, chasing an abundant life filled with stories worth telling. 'After all,' she says 'Life is not a dress rehearsal. Your story is your masterpiece.'?Intertwining the adventures and revelations of life in Al's typical cheeky style, The Winding Road uncovers what it really takes to be successful in an everchanging environment.Inside The Winding Road discover Al's secrets to uncovering your brilliance, fulfilling your dreams and creating success, even when you don't know how.   ...Show more

The Accidental Tour Guide by Mary Moody

$35.00 AUD

Category: Biography | Reading Level: 3 Biography

Eat, Pray, Love meets The Year of Magical Thinking in this powerful memoir of love, loss and taking risks from a true adventurer The irrepressible Mary Moody knows better than anyone the joy of breaking new ground and discovering new frontiers. She is the bestselling author of Au Revoir and Last Tango I n Toulouse, and her life as a journalist, TV and radio presenter, popular gardening guru and inveterate traveller has been an inspiration to thousands of women for decades. But when Moody loses two of the people she loves most - her beloved husband and the half sister she had only just been reunited with - her world is turned upside down. Part of her journey to recovery is her decision to boldly go where she has never been before - both in her travels as a tour guide and in her everyday life. This leads to exploring uncharted territories in Morocco and a wrenching move from her beloved mountain home and garden to make a fresh start while rediscovering her passions - travel, gardening, food, family and the joy of new adventures. A warm, heartbreakingly moving and thoroughly entertaining story of how to rebuild your life without the people who matter most. ...Show more

Valerie Taylor: An Adventurous Life by Valerie Taylor

$34.99 AUD

Category: Biography

 At 83 years old, Valerie Taylor has lived a big, bold adventurous life. Born in Australia, Valerie spent a great deal of her childhood in New Zealand. A talented artist, she dropped out of school when she contracted polio and was saved by Sister Elizabeth Kenny's treatment plan; it was two years b efore she could walk unaided. When Valerie was fifteen, she found work as an animator and moved back to Australia with her family. All the while she thrived on being close to the ocean, and was a keen spear fisher. In the 1950s, she met Ron Taylor and then her real adventures started. Together they sailed all over the world, photographing and filming their travels for magazines, TV and movies, and making many documentaries. Valerie and Ron became interested in conservation, and focused on sharks in particular. They did all the shark work on Jaws, and James Cameron decided he wanted to become a filmmaker because of Valerie and her husband. Valerie is working with the brilliant Ben Mckelvey to share her story of falling in love with the ocean and with her husband, Ron. From trainee animator to Spielberg, from JAWS to BLUE LAGOON, this is the remarkable story of an incredible woman.     ...Show more

Maurice Blackburn: Champion of the People by David Day

$49.99 AUD

Category: Biography | Reading Level: 3 Biography

Maurice Blackburn brought into public life a rare character, complete indifference to personal consequences, an uncommon scholarship, great zeal for humanity, and a firm belief, which I am happy to share, that men are immeasurably more important than laws. - Robert Menzies Maurice Blackburn served the people who suffered injustice . . . He pleaded their cause, and he engaged in the study of how best he could serve them . . . He would allow nothing to turn him from what he considered to be the right, and however unpopular he might become, however discomforting his attitude might be to his colleagues, the divine monitor within him impelled him to stand for what in his soul he believed.- John Curtin After his father died when Maurice Blackburn was a child, he was brought up by a mother who was descended from Melbourne's gentry and was determined to raise him as a gentleman who would achieve greatness as a judge or a prime minister. However, Blackburn had humbler aims. With the support of his wife, he wanted instead 'to make life better for the ordinary men and women of the country'. He went on to do so, defending the rights of working people as a leading barrister in the courts and as a politician in the parliaments of Melbourne and Canberra, and became much loved and admired across the political spectrum. A socialist and internationalist all his life, who was twice expelled from the Labor Party for his principles, Blackburn became a leading opponent of conscription in both world wars, a supporter of rights for women, an advocate for peace, and a tireless campaigner for transforming Australia so that it served the interests of all its people. Part love story, part gripping political thriller, the poignant story of the much-lauded Maurice Blackburn exposes a time when influence-peddling was rife, when political possibilities seemed limitless, and when a man of principle could still make a big difference to the course of Australian politics. ...Show more

Means of Ascent by Robert A. Caro

$55.00 AUD

Category: Biography

'The greatest biography of our era ... Essential reading for those who want to comprehend power and politics' The Times Robert A. Caro's legendary, multi-award-winning biography of US President Lyndon Johnson is a uniquely riveting and revelatory account of power, political genius and the shaping of tw entieth-century America. In this second instalment we witness a momentous turning point in American politics- the tragic last stand of the old politics versus the new. Following Johnson through his service in the Second World War, it describes the foundation and the myths of his long-concealed fortune. The explosive heart of the book is Caro's revelation of the shocking true story of the fiercely contested 1948 senatorial election, which Johnson won with the the '87 votes that changed history'. ...Show more

Generation F: Why we Still Struggle with Sex and Power by Virginia Trioli

$24.99 AUD

Category: Biography

‘For me these Ormond College women were, and are, the first voices of the revolution that is #MeToo in Australia.’ Twenty-five years ago, Australia was in the grip of another debate about sex and power. The Master of Ormond College at the University of Melbourne had been acquitted of indec ent assault after complaints by two female students. Helen Garner’s bestselling book about the case, The First Stone, polarised readers over whether the students had been right to take their allegations to the law. Was the feminist movement poisoning gender relations? In Generation F, the young award-winning journalist Virginia Trioli offered a vigorous, incisive and compelling argument for the ongoing need for feminism, while exploring her own bewilderment and anger. She described the real state of sexual harassment, violence, the workplace and the law in Australia: how most women just copped it, but those who felt able to confront it needed all the support they could get. Now – as women around the world speak up about how sexual harassment has destroyed their work, families and lives – Trioli revisits that cultural moment in a new foreword, and in a new afterword considers the situation women face today. Dismayingly, her original text is just as relevant, and her call to action just as powerful. ...Show more

Barty: Power and Glory (Ash Barty)

$29.99 AUD

Category: Biography

Against All Odds: The Inside Account of the Thai Cave Rescue, and the Courageous Australians at the Heart of It by Craig Challen; Richard Harris

$34.99 AUD

Category: Biography | Reading Level: 4 Non Fiction

'I just want to warn you. You're going to dive to the end of the cave. You're going to see these kids. They're all looking healthy and happy and smiley. Then, you're going to swim away, and they're probably all going to die.' In June 2018, for seventeen days, the world watched and held its breath as the Wild Boar soccer team were trapped deep in a cave in Thailand. Marooned beyond flooded cave passages after unexpected rains, they were finally rescued, one-by-one, against almost impossible odds, by an international cave-diving team which included Australians Dr Richard Harris and Dr Craig Challen. These two men were chosen for their medical expertise and cave diving knowledge, but this dangerous rescue asked so much more of them. They had to remain calm under extreme pressure and intense scrutiny, adapt to constantly changing circumstances and importantly, build trust among the rescue team and with the young boys and their coach, whose lives were in their hands. Here is the story of these two Australian men who became international heroes - it is a story of determination, cunning and triumph that will long be remembered. ...Show more

Ned Kelly by Peter FitzSimons

$24.99 AUD

Category: Biography

Historians still disagree over virtually every aspect of the eldest Kelly boy?s brushes with the law. Did he or did he not shoot Constable Fitzpatrick at their family home? Was he a lawless thug or a noble Robin Hood, a remorseless killer or a crusader against oppression and discrimination? Was he even a political revolutionary, an Australian republican channelling the spirit of Eureka?Peter FitzSimons, bestselling chronicler of many of the great defining moments and people of this nation?s history, is the perfect person to tell this most iconic of all Australian stories. From Kelly?s early days in Beveridge, Victoria, in the mid-1800s, to the Felons? Apprehension Act, which made it possible for anyone to shoot the Kelly gang, to Ned?s appearance in his now-famous armour, prompting the shocked and bewildered police to exclaim 'He is the devil!? and 'He is the bunyip!?, FitzSimons brings the history of Ned Kelly and his gang exuberantly to life, weighing in on all of the myths, legends and controversies generated by this compelling and divisive Irish-Australian rebel. ...Show more