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 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...

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...

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...

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

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...

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...