Nathan Penlington's "The Boy In The Book"

“The Boy In The Book” starts with the charming premise of finding a secret in a book. The author, Nathan, having ordered the complete collection of “Choose Your Own Adventure” series off eBay, notices that the commentary of a young boy has been scrawled in the margins. Sandwiched in the story, Hyperspace, are four pages from a diary, alluding to suicide, drugs, and guns.

Nathan has an obsessive personality, and it is this in part that leads him to set out on a journey to find the previous owner of the book, who, judging from years in the diary, must be a similar age to himself.

Before directly heading out to find the man (but after trying to Facebook stalk him), we met with a number of professionals, including a graphologist who analyses the young boy’s writing, a historian who collects diaries, and a child psychologist.

During this adventure, Nathan starts to realise that his interest in finding the boy in the book is not only out of concern and curiousity (did he go through with the plan to end his own life?), but also because of the striking similarities between the boy and his own childhood self. Quite often outsiders, the boys both kept lists of things to better about themselves (such as posture, and reading).

In the epilogue, it is revealed that all along the journey was as much for a television programme as it was a personal quest, as they were filming a documentary on “Choose Your Own Adventure”.  One character in the story represented three real-life men, a camera was there for most of the scenes, and some events had been reported out of order.

Unfortunately, this revelation changed the whole context of the story for me, and left me feeling deceived and rather sour. While it is still quite definitely a work of non-fiction, finding that scenes are changed for the sake of story and continuity changes the validity of the story as a whole.

I would still recommend this work, but with a slight sense of hesitation. I think finding the edited nature of the story after the book, not before, is what caused this sudden prejudice against the work, and it would have been better knowing the facts going in.

Overall, it is still a fun, nicely paced personal story of two boys, separated by distance and time, who managed to redeem an odd kind of friendship.

J. P. Davidson's "Planet Word"

‘Planet Word’ is one of the most delightful books I have ever read, and I cannot wait to see the documentary. I was surprised to have learned so much from it, having already read a handful of etymology books.

Though it is quite long, it is a surprisingly easy read due to being nicely segmented and worded. It was very hard to put down, but at the same time, I often closed my eyes in an attempt to digest everything. I have a feeling I have probably forgotten 40% by now, making it a brilliant contender for my next re-read.

It is on the expensive side, so if money is trouble (fellow students), put this one on reserve. It is definitely the sort of book that deserves a definite place on your bookshelf, however.

Tara Moss: The Fictional Woman

Even if you're not a fan of crime novels in general (like myself), it is hard, in Australia especially, to have never heard of the legacy of the incredible Tara Moss. I stumbled upon her crime fiction when I was in high school, and while she didn't convert me to the genre, I was still impressed with her work (at a time when I half convinced that there was something masculine about writing, as I hadn't responded to a female storyteller since childhood).

Again and again she popped up, first quite regularly as a guest speaker for the Sydney Writer's Festival, and then as a whistle-blower with secret contacts relating to the events of Manus Island (of which you can read about, if you were living under a rock, here. I don't blame you if you were living under a rock at this time, it was a pretty depressing incident, and we all wanted to hide in shame...)

Mostly importantly, Tara Moss is simply a force of good in the world. She researches thoroughly, writes eloquently and earnestly, and as a result, the latest addition to her long list of published works, "Tara Moss: The Fictional Woman", is superb to say the least. I am not exaggerating in saying that it is eye-opening, let alone life-changing.

Part autobiography, part social commentary, "The Fictional Woman" is the culmination of Tara's experiences as a writer, model, mother, wife, and woman, which provide a rich and unique perspective. The combination of her own life story with statistics surrounding subjects such as gender roles makes an interesting, sometimes shameful read that is hard to put down.

We are guided ever so gently through the world of feminism (which, believe it or not, isn't so radical after all), which is really just a world where we take note that things are really not yet equal, and seek to better that. Society not only lets women and girls down, but men and boys too. We have so many irrational and fruitless stipulations surrounding gender roles, and Tara addresses these beautifully.

The book explores many themes, including visible women (the narrowly presented demographic of women between 18 and 30 in entertainment and advertising), the expectations of women as objects, particularly in a visual sense, the often lack of agency as a woman, and the contrariness of many pro-body-image campaigns. This barely brushes the tip of the iceberg though in terms of everything that is crammed with divine precision on the pages.

Tara Moss proves that looks and brains aren't mutually exclusive (and it really sucks that this is something that has to be proved... with a lie detector...) While the stone cold facts are presented with such polish, quite often it is interlaced with raw personal anecdotes. Charming, breath-taking and sometimes heart-breaking, this work attests not only to the strength, wisdom, and brilliant, consistent morality of this incredible woman, but also a wonderful written approach.

You would be hard-pressed to find a more modern, relevant, and accessible (without being subdued) book on the plight of women and gender roles. I was fortunate enough to meet Tara Moss at Sydney Uni a few weeks ago for the promotion of the book. It was a real honour to read it, just as it is to recommend it.

Jeff Ryan "Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America"

If you were born into a time where Sega and Nintendo were something that were already around, and that is just the way life is, this book might be for you, as it was for me.

Peter had already known a lot of the anecdotes presented in this story, but I must admit, I had never delved much into the history of video games before, aside from a few youtube videos explaining the basics.

While this is clearly a book about Nintendo, it mentions the competitive nature and market of the original and follow-up video game consoles, so Sega, Atari, Sony, and Windows all come into it appropriately and repeatedly.

This book and the story of Nintendo is mainly presented objectively, but occasionally the writer does present a kind of biased view of Nintendo (I am pretty sure he had a Nintendo console growing up!)

I learned a lot from this book, so I heartily recommend it to anyone who is a fan of video games or Nintendo in general. If your kids are really into video games, this book will be great for them, or for you if you want to understand their passion a little bit better! (Assuming you are a parent who hates video games, which is not a valid assumption to make!)

Ian Sansom "Paper: An Elegy"

This one took a long time to read, since I was sharing it with Peter. In the end, I didn't even end up finishing it, but not due to time. The first half of the book is fantastic, and just deals with pure fact and history, but the second half of the book develops into a preachy, philosophical affair, and it only just stops short of saying, "Paper is God". I jest, slightly, but I'm not into such artsy interpretations, and preferred just hearing about the history of paper.

Peter made a good point in saying that it glossed over sheet music, which revolutionised the music world. The first half is still pretty good, but it is not completely comprehensive.

Idiomantics: The Weird World Of Popular Phrases

If you have an interest in the history of words and phrases, this is a great book to read. I love the way it is divided up into categories, such as military, and I'd be lying if I said I knew more than half of the origins! However, I do think there are books that have a better format and layout, but I by no means regret reading this book. It was a lot of fun, and is a nice light-hearted read for the bus or the train.

Ken Robinson "The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything"

"The Element" has been on my to-read list for a very long time, and I'm glad I finally got the opportunity to do so. If you're after an inspirational book, especially one that details overcoming obstacles to get your dream career or keep pursuing your hobby despite adversary, add this to your list.

"Why We Write: 20 Acclaimed Authors On How And Why They Do What They Do"

Any writer will adore a lot of the sentiments repeated throughout this book, as for most, writing is a necessity. Whether you write slowly everyday, or alternate between binging and breaks, it is a clear requirement to our sanity.
While the majority of the writers that contributed to this book do now write full-time and earn enough from their books alone to live, it did not start that way, and I think this is where the average reader will get the most out of their personal stories as they tell of how they struggle, working full-time and stealing moments of a morning or afternoon for their true passion.
I originally borrowed this book because it was the only book by Meg Wolitzer that I could not, and I was not disappointed by her story, or any of the others. I heartily recommend this book to any person interested in writing, the creative process, or any of the authors featured in general.

Reading Challenge 1 Follow-Up (The Believing Brain, Rethink, I Am, Therefore I Think, The Position)

I succeeded with the initial reading challenge, but a lot happened towards the end of it and afterwards that caused me to be a little out of it, and not "review" these books in the usual format that I do, unfortunately. So, rather than post a full-blown review, since the books aren't clear in my mind anyway, I'll just post brief thoughts I had on them.

Rethink is the 'story' of how Edward de Bono's teachings and exercises influenced Australia. It was really interesting to hear all about the practical work of de Bono from a third perspective, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is also nice to have a book purely on Australian case studies. (I had to add this to Goodreads, which is a first for me!)

The New York Public Library was extremely captivating, and will interest any bibliophile. It tells of how the libraries came into existence, and is littered with pictures of the buildings themselves and the collections. Sigh.

The Believing Brain is probably this weeks favourite, and definitely the most informative. I particularly liked how it ran through all the types of biases that can taint a person's judgement (such as hindsight bias). While the anecdotes do get tiresome, this is only a brief part of the book, and worth pushing past to get to the good stuff.

I Am, Therefore I Think is a philosophy book presented in a back and forth question and answer style. If you have read philosophy texts before, give this a miss. However, Pete picked it up off our bedside table curiously, and ended up devouring it over the week. It is a great introduction book for anyone new to the subject.

The Position, by Meg Wolitzer, did not disappoint. Wolitzer is now my fast fiction favourite. Once again I was caught up in the plights of her well textured characters, delightfully oblivious to the fact they were fictional as long as I could keep turning to the next page.

Sara Nelson “So Many Books, So Little Time”

I am going to be bluntly honest in my short “review” of this book, but I was rather disappointed.  Books about people who talk about books have fast become a favourite genre of mine, but this is the first book where I just thought “enough is enough”. Although maybe the problem I actually have with this book is with the author personally.

Books are mentioned half-heartily, more as a segue to talk, or rather complain, about lots of facets of her life: an interracial marriage, her husband working for Saturday Night Live, her husband not reading, her husband being angry, her child not reading, et cetera, et cetera.

I love the way she broke out of habits and read books relating to sports, or other subjects a bit out of most reader’s whims, but I otherwise didn’t relate to her tastes. Not that I can seriously find fault with an author not writing about things that I like, but rather that she did so in a way that failed to make it interesting for me. (And I can’t believe that someone who writes about books for a living would only get one chapter into “The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle” before putting it down. Surely I am not alone in thinking that is work of genius, am I?!)

Regardless of my complaints, I still enjoyed reading this for the most part. It is still a book about books, and the idea is wonderful; deciding to read at least one book a week and write about it. I feel like the author decided to make this into too much of an angsty journal process though.

If your local library has it, consider reading it, but if you’d prefer to skip a few books ahead to “The World’s Strongest Librarian”, I wouldn’t blame you.

“The Best Australian Science Writing 2011”

Essentially an anthology of scientific writing, including everything from research articles to works of fiction, these books are worth getting on your hands on. I know I’m three years late to this particular edition, but a lot of the articles still hold up, while others are simply timeless. A sampling of topics includes malaria, vaccines, and suicide, in a variety of prose.

My favourite belongs to Deb Hodgkin:

“You’ll have to indulge me a little here, but ‘elements and compounds’ is Year 7 or 8 science so this is class I teach pretty much every year. … Sodium is a soft, silvery metal that is extremely reactive in water… You would think that a substance with [sodium] in would be hazardous and treated with utmost care.

Introducing sodium chloride… made up of one chloride ion bonded to one sodium ion and forms a crystalline white solid. …Common table salt. …

And that’s why there has never been mercury in vaccines. There used to be a preservative called thimerosal … that contained mercury as part of a compound. But the properties of a compound have nothing to do with the properties of the elements that make it up. …

…Thimerosal and every other ingredient of a vaccine, needs to be evaluated on its own properties, not those of mercury or whatever other atoms happen to be in it. Otherwise you would need to be wary of poison gas when cooking, and stay well away from salt and vinegar chips – they might explode.”

So good.

Elisabeth Doucett "What They Don’t Teach You In Library School"

This book serves as a practical guide in going from theory to practice, namely from student life to that of a librarian. While a lot of it is common to any industry, such as how to handle unruly people or unrealistic expectations of your career, there are a few pockets of wisdom unique to the library industry.

Encouraging the reader to look beyond their own library and form a sisterhood with another library, the idea is to both take lessons from each other, for the betterment of your job and yourself. Through this relationship, you can improve your management, programs, and marketing, amongst other things, and it gives tips and tricks in how to achieve this.

The advanced chapter contains a healthy dosage of business-like attitudes, from networking to teamwork, which are important in practically any career, as well as how to analyse trends and handle figures.

Although I really enjoyed this book, I think a lot of it is common knowledge if you’ve worked before, whether it is the community, hospitality, retail, or another industry. It is rather hefty, at $38 on a Kindle, let alone a hard copy, and I’m not sure it earns the price-tag. Check it out at your local library, but a new-job guide and an ALIA journal probably cover the same amount of content, and would be just as digestible.

"Best Books: Experts Choose Their Favourites"

This book is the ultimate gift and read for autodidacts and bookworms, serving as a gateway to fantastic books of a variety of levels. Experts are chosen to introduce their field in a short paragraph, and then recommend a multitude of books to cover the subject, with a quick introductory summary of each.

There are fifteen hundred books representing over fifty topics, under the main headings of aspects of society, language and literature, the arts, science and technology, and history. Education, religion, feminism, architecture, classical music, sport, medicine, geometry, plants, and ancient history are just a sample of the available subjects covered.

Richard Dawkins heads evolution, and chooses, among others, Darwin’s “Origin Of Species”, Cronin’s “The Ant And The Peacock”, Leakey’s “The Origin Of Humankind” and his own “The Blind Watchmaker”. The entirety of the mathematics section is represented by Ian Stewart, from numbers to geometry to applied mathematics, and a few of his own works also pop up.

Language and literature covers language, classical literature, English literature, American literature, third-world literature, genre fiction (horror, fantasy, romantic fiction, et cetera), children’s literature and women and literature.

I really enjoyed making my way through this book, as it provides a way of fixing obvious short-comings (I have never once read a book on sport, and my knowledge of history outside of Australia or  fantasy medieval realms is also rather lacking). The recommended texts get straight to the point of a facet of the over-all subject, therefore providing you with an easy starting place for your self-imposed study.

Jack Canfield & Gay Hendricks "You’ve Got To Read This Book!"

You’ve Got To Read This Book! Jack Canfield & Gay Hendricks

“To be honest, I really don’t believe any book can change your life – only you can. Look, two people read the same book: One is inspired, while the other is bored. It’s the person – not the book – that creates the transformation. The power lies within each of us. That said, I do believe that an author’s insights, when combined with the reader’s inspiration and desire to change, can lead to a new life for the reader.”

The above quote belongs to Bernie Siegel, M.D., who contributes a chapter in “You’ve Got To Read This Book!” Each chapter is by a separate author, who shares a personal story about a book that changed their life.

As Siegel noted, the influence of books is a very subjective experience. For instance, “The Bible”, quite disappointingly, is the most read book in the entirety of the English world, but it hasn’t had the same impact for everyone, noticeably sceptics like myself. Amongst the life-changing books included are quaint and beautiful works of fiction, self-help books, to huge manuals.

Each story is unique as the writer outlines their discovery of the book, whether their mother would read it to them before bed, or it just called to them sitting on the shelf. They talk about how it changed or reaffirmed their life, or simply gave them new perspectives. There are common themes, like dealing with loss, death, injury or sickness, and simply just feeling lost.

It was fascinating to read these deeply personal and sometimes tragic stories, following along with them as them as they chose a book to cling to in times of trouble (or happiness). I enjoyed watching each writer handle their situation, and experience the lead-up into their love of their particular choice of work.

Jean Robb & Hilary Letts "Succeed In Exams, Triumph In Tests"

Released in 1999 to inspire parents in their primary role of raising children, “Succeed In Exams, Triumph In Tests” is appropriately divided into the main parts:

1. Making the most of school


2. Coping with revision, exams & results


3. Helping your children learn basic skills


4. Achieving your goals

This book is really intended for parents, and deals with a lot of the stresses, anxieties, and feelings of failure that they may feel if their child is falling behind or failing in school, while also concentrating on helping to make children self-sufficient.

Serving also as a sympathetic ear, it tells of how capable, confident, and comfortable children can lead to the same feelings in the parent. It provides theoretical examples yet lots of practical advice in helping your child with all areas of study and homework. There are also tips and tricks for making things more accessible for children, such as math problems and spelling.

I really enjoyed reading this, and thoroughly recommend it to all parents or carers who feel their child is struggling, or could simply be more efficient in their work. It starts with late pre-schoolers and goes straight up to high school, so there is something for practically all ages.

Alexandra Stoddard "Happiness For Two"

This is a small, quick read with "75 Secrets for Finding More Joy Together". While some points are more unique to specific relationships rather than others, there are some simple grains of truth in trying to get along better with your beloved.

Giving each other space, making time for holidays, and not messing with your partner's stuff are a few of the lessons taught in here with cute little anecdotes. They aren't all so obvious, so if you want to take a quick lesson in being a better lover, than pick this up from your local library.

Lynn M. Osen's Women In Mathematics

"Women in Mathematics grew out of the desire to trace the impact women have had on the development of mathematical thought, to profile the lives of these women, and to explore the social context within which they worked." (Preface, Osen).

Specifically, this book delves into the lives and works of Hypatia, Maria Gaetana Agnesi, Emilie de Breteuil, Marquise du Chatelet, Caroline Herschel, Sophie Germain, Mary Fairfax Somerville, Sonya Corvin-Krukovsky Kovalevsky, and Emmy (Amalie) Noether.

The dedication and resourcefulness of these women is inspiring. While some were brought up to be mathematically-minded, many had to fight for the right to even look in a book that featured such "manly" pursuits. There were often similarities between stories, like reading textbooks secretly by candlelight because their parents forbade it.

Whether you're a woman or a mathematician, you should definitely check out this book, as many of these figures, despite their greatness, are too often left out from general mathematics history books, with no valid reason other than their sex. Borrow it tomorrow (this copy is from Ultimo TAFE library).

Gerry Bramley's "Adult Literacy, Basic Skills And Libraries"

This book provides an in-depth analysis of all aspects of adult learning, which not only encompasses the topic of purely intelligence, such as numeracy and literacy, but also life skills, which includes things like social and practical skills.

Approaching each topic with the sensitivity and respect it deserves, Bramley examines the causes that can lead to lack of education and skills in adulthood, as well as specifics like ethnic minorities, the handicapped and disabled, and the economically disadvantaged.

I picked this up out of interest and wanting to expand my knowledge, having read extensively on primary and secondary education. It had me from the very first page, so I think I've found a new hot topic. This book is especially suitable for teachers and librarians, but it wouldn't hurt if all adults added this to their own personal curriculum.

My New (And Last) School

Ulitmo TAFE has the biggest library I have been to yet. Every subject possible has been fleshed out and explored. They have a dozen bookshelves (not just shelves) on programming and computers alone. Their section on libraries is comprehensive, to say the least. They also have more books on graphic design and illustration than I knew existed.

I settled down with an illustration book I'd never seen before, and thought about how I can expand my current portfolio (my deadline is the first day of school). I also checked out books on character design, Japanese patterns, and a set of massive graphic design textbooks.

When I needed a breather and a drink, I wandered aimlessly around the school. I discovered that there are two cafeterias, loads of fancy bathrooms, a really cool light, Student Association, and, to my huge delight, a gym!

Classes start in two weeks, and I can't wait. The atmosphere is positively lovely.

Martin Salisbury

I ordered these books in the holidays, and they finally came in!

The one on the left got me through high school, and inspired me to pursue a (short-term) career in illustration. The other is completely new to me.

If your library has them, or if you can find them in stock, definitely grab them!