Yesterday I was looking over my book-a-holic wife's shelves, hoping she had a couple of early Gillian Slovo novels (nope). While we were talking about the wonderful Barbara Kingsolver today, the wife suggested today that I spend a year where all the fiction I read is all by women, (with a bias towards non-Western). And... Continue Reading →
Womjep plotholes
What's womjep? "Woman in jeopardy," in which our heroine is beset on all sides by untrustworthy men, and is (usually) saved by her own nous but also seen and unseen heroic men. [I think I may owe it to Christopher Buckley, in his awesome 'Thank You for Smoking'). The go-to example is the Julia Roberts... Continue Reading →
Book Review: “The Big Score” – Down these Mean Aussie Streets
Corris, P. (2007) The Big Score: Cliff Hardy Cases Peter Corris is an Australian author of very very many books (with a relatively small book market, if you want to pay the bills, you have to pursue a high volume low margins strategy). One of his mainstays is the Private Eye Cliff Hardy. Based in... Continue Reading →
What Australia knew about #climate change… and buried (Book Review)
When PhD candidates review a book in 'their field' they face multiple dilemmas. If the book isn’t helpful to their research, they’ll be tempted (fairly or unfairly) to be dismissive. It’s too helpful, they’ll be resentful because someone else has Gotten To Their Topic first. And regardless, they may feel tempted (or scared) to slag... Continue Reading →
Book Review: “Innovation For A Low Carbon Economy”
Foxon, T, Kohler, J. and Oughton, C. (2008) Innovation For A Low Carbon Economy Economic, Institutional and Management Approaches Cheltenham: Edward Elgar This one is a corker, if you like that sort of thing. There are nine chapters, including the introduction, and every single one of them is worth some or a LOT of attention. ... Continue Reading →
Book Review: The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
Duhigg , C. (2012) The Power of Habit: Why we do what we do in life and businessNew York: Random House This is one of those books by a middle-class middle-aged American where (Gladwell, Gawande, Hertsgaard etc etc). They interview lots of people, they read lots of academic literature, they write very well (with knowingess... Continue Reading →
Book Review: “The politics of global atmospheric change” (1995)
Book Review: Rowlands, I. (1995) The politics of global atmospheric change Manchester: Manchester University Press This is one for the geeks only. If you’re interested in the vicious fights in the 1980s an early 1990s about whether and how “we” would do something about ozone depletion and carbon dioxide build-up, then grab with both ands;... Continue Reading →
Book Review: Bert Bolin’s “A History of the Science and Politics of Climate Change”
Bolin, B. (2007) A History of the Science and Politics of Climate Change: The Role of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 277 pages Climate scientists, despite what you read thanks to the well-funded denialist lobby, are cautious souls. Probably none has been more reluctant to succumb to the apocalyptic language... Continue Reading →
Activist Fictions…
The article below appeared in the latest issue of the essential-reading “Peace News.” (subscribe here.) Activist Fictions The absurdly handsome activist bit his lip. The Peace News crew were threatening mil-itary action if the final extended deadline for a 2000 word essay on “Activism and Fiction” was missed. The clock was most definitely two minutes... Continue Reading →
