As East of Eden becomes a Netflix series, Steinbeck’s sprawling Californian saga still holds power through its moral ambition, regional depth and slow contest between destiny and choice.
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Category: Books and Reviews
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Why Steinbeck’s East of Eden still stands the test of time
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Confronting disruption and seeing it coming
A new book examines how to deal with the complex problems caused by natural and humanitarian disasters, technological failures and geopolitical tensions. (more…)
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Tim Wilson wrote the case for Labor’s tax reforms
Tim Wilson’s 2020 book, The New Social Contract, could be the basis of fruitful debate on tax reform. Instead, we get performative outrage. (more…)
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The five best films from Sydney Film Festival
This year’s Sydney Film Festival offered a strong field of films beyond Hollywood’s familiar moral economy, with strange melodramas, existential horror, childhood reverie, sporting tragedy and art-house pleasures among the standouts. (more…)
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Australia’s bookshops are disappearing – government can help
Independent bookshops are closing across Australia as costs rise and discount giants dominate sales, but policy options such as tax relief, GST reform and book pricing regulation could help protect the cultural role they play.
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Michael Jackson, funerals and the myth of the authentic self
How we remember people does not fit easily into a therapeutic framework of suffering, confession and healing. (more…)
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Gold standard? Revisiting the Hawke government’s reform legacy
A new collection of essays on the Hawke government shows why its reform legacy rested not only on policy ambition, but on evidence, public service advice, Cabinet debate, consultation and disciplined political communication. (more…)
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Hailing Australia’s under-appreciated life-saving heroes
Desmond Manderson’s High Time – How Australia changed its mind about illegal drugs, is a social history of Australia’s drug policy and a must-read for policymakers. (more…)
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Do we need another bio of Errol Flynn?
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The many careers of Miles Franklin
Miles Franklin has been the subject of several new artistic works in the last five years. Her brilliant life still has plenty to tell us about our nation. (more…)
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Antoun Issa’s novel of loss and rebirth
Deepcut News co-founder and journalist Antoun Issa captures his mother’s true experiences of love, heartbreak and new hope during the violence of civil war in Lebanon, in his new book Rebirth. (more…)
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Siri Hustvedt’s Ghost Stories will make you cry
Siri Hustvedt’s memoir ‘Ghost Stories’ chronicles the illness and death of her husband Paul Auster while exploring grief, memory, selfhood and the emotional architecture of long relationships.
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Demagogues, despots and the rise of ‘phantom democracies’
Modern despots increasingly mimic the language and rituals of democracy while concentrating power through manipulation, spectacle, nationalism and the managed consent of their citizens.
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Is Earth on its way to becoming the ‘Forbidden Planet’?
A 70-year-old science fiction film offers a stark warning for today’s AI race, showing how powerful technology can amplify humanity’s most destructive impulses. (more…)
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Is AI the new God?
Paul Ham’s book, The Soul, A History of the Human Mind, is a stimulating challenge to our human ingenuity, which we must value in the face of soulless artificial intelligence systems and their narcissistic champions. (more…)
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Francesca Albanese’s When the World Sleeps humanises Palestinian lives
Francesca Albanese’s When the World Sleeps brings Palestinian lives into focus through personal stories of occupation, dispossession and resilience.
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UQP has cancelled a children’s book, citing antisemitism
Writers and artists are being cancelled for their political views, even when those views are not expressed in their work, narrowing the space for cultural debate and free expression.
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Climate policy must work for everyday Australians
In a new book out today, Thom Woodroofe argues that climate and energy policy must connect with everyday economic pressures if it is to build lasting public support.
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Remembering David Malouf – a writer of wisdom, grace and generosity
David George Joseph Malouf AO, one of Australia’s most accomplished, internationally renowned and beloved writers, has died aged 92. (more…)
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The forgotten war Australia would rather not remember
Michael Piggott’s ‘New Feller Master: Beyond the Trenches Australia’s Neglected WWI Story’, details Australia’s occupation of New Guinea and challenges familiar national narratives – confronting uncomfortable truths about power, race and legacy.
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Louise Adler on Howard Jacobson’s Howl – a novel overtaken by ideology
The review that the mainstream media would not run – Louise Adler on Booker-Prize winner Howard Jacobson’s latest novel Howl. (more…)
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Friendship, honey and the simple life: 100 years of Winnie‑the‑Pooh
A century after its creation, Winnie-the-Pooh endures not just as a children’s classic, but as a gentle meditation on friendship, community and how to live well. (more…)
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Why we avoid thinking about nuclear war – and why we shouldn’t
Public denial and avoidance have dulled awareness of the nuclear threat. Annie Jacobsen’s book, Nuclear War: A Scenario confronts that reality directly, challenging readers to face what has long been ignored. (more…)
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How Norman Lindsay wrote the The Magic Pudding to critique ‘Australian values’ – inspired by Nietzsche
Often read as a celebration of national character, The Magic Pudding is better understood as a critique of Australian culture, exposing its shallowness and complacency.
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Labor’s 2025 landslide – but Australia remains divided
A new book on the 2025 election reveals Labor’s commanding win – but also a fragmented electorate, a weakened opposition and a volatile political landscape.
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Randa Abdel-Fattah wins Jerusalem Peace Prize
Randa Abdel-Fattah has been awarded the 2026 Jerusalem Peace Prize, recognising her advocacy for Palestinian rights amid mounting political and institutional pressure.
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The wisdom of David Solomon (plus priceless insights, grace and humour)
David Solomon’s ‘Footnotes’ reveals the stories behind Australian politics and journalism – including the moments that never made it into print.
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Five books to help you understand Iran – recommended by experts
In a time of war, five expert-recommended books offer deeper insight into Iran’s history, politics and people – beyond simplified narratives. (more…)
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Seven good films out of ten – a surprisingly strong year for the Oscars
For the first time in years, most of the films nominated for Best Picture are genuinely good. From Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value to Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, the Oscars may finally be recognising cinema worth watching.
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Louis Theroux’s Inside the Manosphere exposes the business model of misogyny
Louis Theroux’s new documentary highlights how online influencers are repackaging misogyny, anti-feminism and male grievance as self-improvement – building profitable digital communities that shape how many young men understand gender and power. (more…)