Alain de Botton meets Russell Brand in this glorious rant about everything that drives you mad about the modern world.How did everything get so dumb?How did we become hostages to idiocy?What must we do to be freed from a captor whose ransom note simply reads, 'D'oh'?The deteriorating quality of our public debate and the dwindling of common sense in media, politics and culture can drive you to despair and rage. It certainly drove writers Helen ...

Australia is surviving the second coming of Trump, but our economy and our social cohesion are under pressure, and our political landscape is being reshaped. How do we turn this time of international crisis into a launchpad for success?At the first-quarter mark of the 21st century, giant forces are reshaping our world. This Trump Moment marks a turning point in history. So far, Australia has played its hand pretty well.But beneath the military and economic co...

Australia is surviving the second coming of Trump, but our economy and our social cohesion are under pressure, and our political landscape is being reshaped. How do we turn this time of international crisis into a launchpad for success?At the first-quarter mark of the 21st century, giant forces are reshaping our world. This Trump Moment marks a turning point in history. So far, Australia has played its hand pretty well.But beneath the military and economic ...

Lies and Falsehoods: The Morrison Government and The New Culture of Deceit by well-known political journalist Bernard Keane combines Crikey's eye-opening dossier of Scott Morrison's documented lies with Keane's insightful take on why deceivers dominate in the new era of politics. This book is the first in The Crikey Read series by Crikey and Hardie Grant Books.All politicians lie. They twist the truth, exaggerate and spin. But blatant lying has now...

'A powerful and occasionally polemical appeal to reason in politics; if you're despairing in search of an antidote to the poison of "alternative facts", here's your book. Like any good political text, there's something here to offend everyone. You'll want to cheer, high-five and occasionally shout your disagreement, but what you won't want to do is put it down.'Former Senator Scott LudlamA tide of populism and xenophobia is sweeping the western world. Disillusioned voters ar...

They are watching you. Every move you make. Gripping fiction with an edge of terrifying truth - a brilliant and timely debut novel.The government is spying on everyone. But who is spying on the government?A ruthless online activist group called Kittehsaurus Rox has hacked into top-secret Cabinet information and gone public with it, creating widespread panic and embarrassing a government that will stop at nothing to hunt down 'KSR'.Journalist and cyb...

Shortlisted for the Walkley Book Award 2022In QAnon and On, Guardian columnist Van Badham delves headfirst into the QAnon conspiracy theory, unpicking the why, how and who behind this century’s most dangerous and far-fetched internet cult.From Gamergate to Pizzagate and beyond to QAnon, internet manipulation and disinformation campaigns have grown to a geopolitical scale and spilled into real life with devastating consequences, ent...

In The Power of the Second Question, popular psychologist and author Chris Skellett clearly shows how you can easily harness the power of your personal reflection to capture the simple truths about your world. Each concise chapter suggests ideas, gives examples and reviews the importance of personal insight and celebrating the aha moments. You are then invited to reflect upon your own wisdom in key areas of your life and to consolidate what you have learned from life so far. At th...

Named one of the Best Books of the Year by Kirkus Reviews and BookPage“Illuminates human fragility in tales both lyrical and soul-wrenching.” —Danielle Ofri, New York Times Book ReviewIn this “artful, unfailingly human, and understandable” (Boston Globe) account inspired by his own experiences becoming a doctor, Terrence Holt puts readers on the front lines of the harrowing crucible of a medical residency...

From Sunday Times bestseller Anne O’Brien . . .To those around her she was a loyal subject.In her heart she was a traitor.1399: England’s crown is under threat. King Richard II holds onto his power by an ever-weakening thread, with exiled Henry of Lancaster back to reclaim his place on the throne.For Elizabeth Mortimer, there is only one rightful King – her eight-year-old nephew, Edmund. Only he can...

Whatever happened to good government? What are the signs of bad government? And can Malcolm Turnbull apply the lessons of the past in a very different world?In this crisp, profound and witty essay, Laura Tingle seeks answers to these questions. She ranges from ancient Rome to the demoralised state of the once-great Australian public service, from the jingoism of the past to the tabloid scandals of the internet age. Drawing on new interviews with key figures, she sh...

'MR WIGG captivates to the end' Good Reading MagazineIt’s the summer of 1971, not far from the stone-fruit capital of New South Wales, where Mr Wigg lives on what is left of his family farm. Mrs Wigg has been gone a few years now and he thinks about her every day. He misses his daughter, too, and wonders when he'll see her again.He spends his time working in the orchard, cooking and preserving his produce and, when it's on, watching the cricket. It's a full life. Things are...