Humans just want to be happy, yes? After all, that’s what life’s all about.Well ... no.It turns out that, for a huge chunk of history, feeling good was the furthest thing from our minds. Expecting life to be fun and fulfilling (or, if all else fails, fine) is actually a very recent phenomenon. And there’s every reason to think that it’s making us sad.A playful tour of Western ‘progress’, from ancient philosophers to modern-day pop stars via pills, priests, Proust an...

The stories behind Australia's many, many strange, inappropriate and downright hilarious place names.From Dismal Swamp to Useless Loop, Intercourse Island to Dead Mans Gully, Mount Buggery to Nowhere Else, Australia has some of the strangest, funniest, weirdest and most out-of-place names going - now described and explained in one humorous and fascinating book.Australia's vast spaces and irreverent, larrikin history have given us some of the best place name...

The happy accident that created wi-fi. The well-placed piece of coral that saved the Endeavour from sinking. The karaoke night that launched Kylie's singing career.Australia may be known as 'the lucky country', but just how accurate is that description? Turns out, very. From the Gold Rush to Stephen Bradbury, our history is full of times when lady luck made a spectacular appearance. Now, Eamon Evans dives deep to deliver the most hilarious, fascinating tales of the Australians who w...

Who stole the priceless Picasso from the NGV? Was Errol Flynn a Nazi spy? Did an Australian kill the infamous Red Baron?If you think Australia's history is straightforward, you're dead wrong. This is a land of the strange, the spooky and the unexplained. From the eerie ball of light that stalked a terrified family across the Nullabor, to the whereabouts of Victoria's parliamentary mace, to the unidentified body found propped up on an Adelaide beach, and, yes, to the whereabouts of N...

With pearls of wisdom and tall tales from some of Australia's well-known rugby league players, Wit and Wisdom of the League is a hilarious insight into the game from players, coaches and commentators past and present.Whether you are an elite athlete, ambitious professional, dedicated parent or hard-working student, all of us are at times challenged by doubts and setbacks. This collection of inspiring and oft times hilarious quotes and tall tales from some of Austra...

Whether you are an elite athlete, ambitious professional, dedicated parent or hard-working student, all of us are at times challenged by doubts and setbacks. This collection of inspiring and oft times hilarious quotes and quips from some of Australia's leading AFL players will lighten your mood and give an insight into the lives of people truly challenged by their own thoughts. With pearls of wisdom from some of AFL's best players and sharpest minds, Wit and Wisdom of the Players

Who stole the priceless Picasso from the NGV?Was Errol Flynn a Nazi spy? Did an Australian killthe infamous Red Baron?If you think Australia’s history is straightforward,you’re dead wrong. This is a land of the strange,the spooky and the unexplained. From the eerieball of light that stalked a terrified family acrossthe Nullabor, to the whereabouts of Victoria’sparliamentary mace, to the unidentified bodyfound propped up on an A...

Australia's master storyteller Graham Seal brings to life the enigmas and puzzles behind famous unsolved crimes, long-held secrets, buried loot and strange phenomena from the bush and the city.Australia has always been a land of mysteries. Some are ancient, some are historical, and many continue to perplex us today - and will probably continue to do so tomorrow.More often than most of us would like to think, things simply vanish, and people disappear withou...

Amazing bastard (colloquial), n: a bloke who does stuff that other bastards wouldn't try in a month of SundaysWe've all met them, or at least read about them - men who drive faster, climb higher, build and invent and triumph over impossible odds.Journalist Lawrence Money has assembled a collection of Amazing Aussie Bastards who truly stand out from the crowd. Immune to critics and disbelievers, undaunted by illness or financial setback, they have done what writer S...

We are what we eat, watch, buy, read, love, play.It's been a long step in a short time from meat pies, football, kangaroos and Holden cars to iPods, lattes, iPods, climate change and MasterChef.David Dale chronicles how it happened in this definitive reference book about the carefree country. Instead of boasting about what makes Australia great, The Little Book of Australia explains what makes us unique - for better and for worse.Here is everything...

Australia's master storyteller takes us all around the country, uncovering tales of unsolved crimes, early exploration and military exploits, fascinating natural phenomena and iconic destinations.Wherever you go in Australia, you'll stumble across traces of ancient settlement, remnants of exploration, yarns from the roaring days of gold and bushranging, unexplained events and a never-ending cast of eccentric characters.Graham Seal takes us on a storytelling...

"This book is about the people I met as I crisscrossed Australia by train and plane and L-plated car: the undefeated dreamers and wild-hearted romantics, the obsessed hobbyists and beautiful failures. It is about heroes and legends, illusions, delusions and hope, and one or two men with shit for brains who ought to be locked up."As anyone who's ever read Mark Dapin's column and features in Good Weekend knows, he's an immensely funny, acute and vivid observer of Australian ...