LYNNE KELLY The Knowledge Gene. Reviewed by Lucy Sussex
Researcher Lynne Kelly explains the groundbreaking discovery of the gene that enables humans to store knowledge – and create art. What makes us human? The question is philosophic, but increasingly the answer concerns DNA. We share 98.7 per cent of our genetic matter...
MAGGIE WALTERS Split. Reviewed by Sanchana Venkatesh
Maggie Walters’ memoir goes beyond the clichés of Hollywood to describe what it’s like living with mental illness. Maggie Walters was diagnosed with multiple personality disorder (now known as dissociative identity disorder) 30 years ago. On the outside, she is like...
FINTAN O’TOOLE Shakespeare is Hard, But So is Life. Reviewed by Ann Skea
Fintan O’Toole takes a fresh look at the world’s most famous playwright and the resonances his plays hold for our own time. Fintan O’Toole takes issue with the way Shakespeare has commonly been taught and discussed since the nineteenth century. In particular, he...
ARIANE BEESTON Because I’m Not Myself, You See. Reviewed by Mary Garden
Ariane Beeston’s memoir chronicles her experience of postpartum psychosis, a devastating but little-understood condition. Because I’m Not Myself, You See casts a spotlight on an issue I knew nothing about. Postpartum psychosis is the most severe form of postpartum...
KÁRI GÍSLASON Running with Pirates. Reviewed by Ann Skea.
A mysterious man named the Pirate and the beautiful island of Corfu feature in this memoir from the author of The Sorrow Stone. It is September 1990. Kári Gíslason and his friend Paul have been hitchhiking across Belgium, Germany, Austria, and Italy. They are now on a...
NICK BRYANT The Forever War: America’s unending conflict with itself. Reviewed by Braham Dabscheck
In the aftermath of the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, our need to understand the US feels more immediate than ever. What sort of society is America? Can it, in fact, even be regarded as a society? The country has an exalted view of itself as a land of...
SAM ELKIN Detachable Penis: A queer legal saga. Reviewed by Michael Jongen
Sam Elkin’s memoir encompasses the politics of the queer community and the realities of gender transition. Sam Elkin has written an intriguing memoir which encompasses his transition to a transmasculine male and his work for the pilot queer legal service set up within...
MICHAEL SEXTON The Fox: Harry Hopman and the greatest dynasty in tennis history. Reviewed by Bernard Whimpress
At last, a wonderfully comprehensive biography of tennis legend Harry Hopman, who captained Australia’s Davis Cup teams to 16 wins from 21 Challenge Round finals. It is fortunate that Michael Sexton took on the task. A gifted writer, whose credits include the...
BRUCE MOORE The 1972 Parramatta Jail Glossary. Reviewed by Linda Funnell
Love a good word list? More than 50 years since it was first compiled, this glossary of prison slang is a fascinating window into the past. In the early 1970s, two researchers for the yet-to-be-published Macquarie Dictionary, Sue Butler and Vanessa Mack, asked the...
ANDREW FOWLER Nuked: The submarine fiasco that sank Australia’s sovereignty. Reviewed by Braham Dabscheck
Andrew Fowler argues that the AUKUS submarine deal compromises Australia’s sovereignty and exposes the country to the danger of nuclear waste. Vassal state: a state with varying degrees of independence in its internal affairs but dominated by another state in its...
GEOFFREY ROBERTSON The Trial of Vladimir Putin. Reviewed by Braham Dabscheck
Geoffrey Robertson argues that the United Nations needs to establish a new court in order to bring Vladimir Putin to justice. Geoffrey Robertson is an internationally renowned lawyer specialising in human rights, and is a champion of the role of the courts in...
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