News & Reviews

Acerbic. Iconoclastic. Sui generis.  All fit Kara Swisher, who has chronicled the rise of digital, the reading news not on paper but on mobile phones; of Netflix and streaming services disrupting Hollywood. In sketches

The Anxious Generation, Jonathan Haidt We overprotect children in the real world and underprotect them online. It’s like sending them to Mars, with no protections. Play-based childhood has been replaced by phone-based childhood. The

How To Win An Information War: The Propagandist Who Outwitted Hitler, Peter Pomersantsev If you thought disinformation was a phenomenon of social media, you will be transfixed by how Hitler used ‘propaganda’ (‘disinformation, by

Judgment at Tokyo: World War II on Trial and the Making of Modern Asia by Gary J. Bass Embrace the heft of this book. It is a rich history of wars and politics in

Reid follows up on her very successful first novel, Such a Fun Age, with this snappy second novel follows the life of an ambitious university student who navigates with issues of socioeconomic class, power,

Caledonian Road by Andrew O’Hagan Caledonian Road is our unputdownable Book of the Month. A cracking read that brims with British high culture and offers poignant commentary on the illusory nature of modern social life.

Ali Lowe‘s latest novel The School Run is a suspenseful thriller exploring the connection between a mother and her children. Three neighbours are all desperate to secure their sons a place at a reputable private high

Lottie Hazell‘s debut novel, Piglet, is a gripping story that explores the empty pursuit of happiness. Coined by her parents, Piglet’s rather cruel nickname is from her love of food. We meet Piglet as she is planning to marry

  Compassion is an emotional and intense literary exploration of the complex lives of Aboriginal women during the 1800s. Julie will be joined in conversation by Walkley award-winning journalist Paul Daley. We are welcomed with didgeridoo by Billy

Join us in appreciating The Extinction of Irena Rey, a wildly inventive literary novel by young American writer Jennifer Croft. Eight translators arrive at the exotic home of their beloved author, the renowned Irena Rey.

The Revenge Club, Kathy Lette   How does Kathy Lette do it? Starting with Puberty Blues, which she wrote when she was 17 years old, a score of books later, with The

The Nature of Honour — Son, Duty-Bound Soldier, Military Lawyer, Truth-Teller, Father. A life in full. The son of the doctor who exposed the birth defects caused by thalidomide, David McBride

Kristin Hannah‘s latest historical novel tells the story of a young American woman serving as an army nurse during the Vietnam war. When 20 year-old Frankie McGrath embarks on her journey in Vietnam, she

Opinion | SMH Raymond Bonner February 10, 2024 — 5.00am In his inaugural State of the Arts oration, Minister Tony Burke laudedthe “history and legacy” of Labor’s commitment to the arts, tracing it back

What are the consequences of blowing the whistle on unethical and illegal conduct? When he was an Army lawyer, David McBride, author of The Nature of Honour provided documents to the ABC regarding war