NON-FICTION

<p>Racer and broadcaster Neil Crompton has had the best seat in the house for the last 40 years of Australian motorsport, an amazing lifetime upgrade to a first-hand, front row seat to see the biggest names, machines and events of this high-speed, high-octane sport.</p><p>A kid from Ballarat in country Victoria obsessed by speed with an undying passion to pursue a career in the sport, Neil ended up finding his way to lining up on the grid at the biggest race in Australia, the Bathurst 1000, driving for a team run by his childhood hero, Peter Brock. Since then he's raced wheel-to-wheel with some of the biggest stars the sport has ever seen in this country and experienced first-hand the thrilling success, heartbreaking disappointment and emotional trauma that is a life spent in motorsport and the relentless pursuit of the ultimate success.</p><p>Uniquely, Neil has spent his entire career either driving a race car, a microphone or sometimes both. As the trusted and respected modern-day voice and face of Supercars racing on television in Australia, he's added the audio soundtrack from the commentary box to some of the biggest spine-tingling moments in the sport and is well qualified to offer his account of the who, what and where of Aussie motorsport. From navigating for Dame Edna Everage at the Adelaide Grand Prix to driving some of the fastest race cars in the world and everything in between, he has been there and seen it all.</p><p><em><strong>Best Seat In The House</strong></em><strong> is Neil's account of an amazing period of the sport from a viewing position like no other.</strong></p>

It’s a long, hard road from the Nullarbor to the MCG. Winner of the Australian Book Industry Awards, Social Impact Book of the Year Longlisted for the 2023 Indie Book Awards Sydney Morning Herald Best Reads of the Year for 2023 How does a self-described ‘skinny Aboriginal kid’ overcome a legacy of family tragedy to become an AFL legend? One thing’s for sure: it’s not easy. But then, there’s always been something special about Eddie Betts. Betts grew up in Port Lincoln and Kalgoorlie, in environments where the destructive legacies of colonialism – racism, police targeting of Aboriginal people, drug and alcohol misuse, family violence – were sadly normalised. His childhood was defined by family closeness as well as family strife, plus a wonderful freedom that he and his cousins exploited to the full – for better and for worse. When he made the decision to take his talents across the Nullarbor to Melbourne to chase his footballing dreams – homesickness be damned – everything changed. Over the ensuing years, Betts became a true giant of the sport: 350-plus games, 600-plus goals, multiple All-Australian nods and Goal of the Year awards, and a league-wide popularity rarely seen in the hyper-tribal AFL. Along the way, he battled his demons before his turbulent youth settled into responsible maturity. Today, the man the Melbourne tabloids once dubbed ‘bad boy Betts’ is a dedicated husband and father, a respected community leader and an increasingly outspoken social activist. Sometimes funny, sometimes tragic and always honest – often laceratingly so – The Boy from Boomerang Crescent is the inspirational life story of a champion, in his own words. Whether he’s narrating one of his trademark gravity-defying goals from the pocket, the discrimination he’s faced as an Aboriginal person or the birth of his first child, Betts’s voice – intelligent, soulful, unpretentious – rings through on every page. The very human story behind the plaudits is one that will surprise, move and inspire. Cover image © Kristina Wild

A Brilliant Life SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2024 MARGARET AND COLIN RODERICK LITERARY AWARD SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2024 LESLIE AND SOPHIE CAPLAN AWARD FOR JEWISH NON-FICTION SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2024 AGE NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2024 ABIA MATT RICHELL AWARD FOR NEW WRITER OF THE YEAR A mother and daughter. Love. Loss. Wonder. The story of a brilliant life. Over seventy years had passed since Mira Unreich was freed from a concentration camp in Germany. On that spring day in 1945, she found herself alive, against all odds. In the decades that followed, she never explained the mystery underpinning her survival. How could Mira say that in the Holocaust 'I learned about the goodness of people'? When Mira's journalist daughter Rachelle realised time was running out for Mira, who was ill with cancer, she resolved to ask her mother questions. It would be the most important interview of her life: a chance to discover the secrets to her mother's joy, and an opportunity to fit together the jigsaw puzzle pieces of her own life. Rachelle discovered so much more than she ever expected. Mira's words would lead her along a surprising path, where she learned for the first time what a truly extraordinary life her mother had led. A Brilliant Life weaves together the past and the present to capture the powerful connection between a mother and child. It reminds us of the resilience of the soul and the ability of the heart to heal. It is an unforgettable story about fate and chance, love and grief, and the deepest kind of faith. 'A delicate, evocative story of strength and survival that turns on one of the most powerful forces in the known universe: a mother's love' JONATHAN FREEDLAND, bestselling author of The Escape Artist 'Unreich has cleverly painted her mother's story in all its shades of glory and despair; a woman who stepped into the canvas of life and painted her own bright fulfilling future' HARPER'S BAZAAR AUSTRALIA 'Mira's courage and belief in people's goodness radiates throughout this unforgettable testimony' THE AUSTRALIAN WOMEN'S WEEKLY 'An affirmation of the miraculous nature of the human mind to make sense of humanity's worst inclinations, not just survive them' RACHEL GRIFFITHS 'A loving and tender book . . . Mira's story presents a key to the future of humanity' SYDNEY MORNING HERALD 'Astonishingly compelling . . . A breathtaking masterclass on how to retain empathy, faith and optimism in the face of such unfathomable hardship' BETTER READING

A psychologist and respected dog trainer shares the secrets to a happy pooch.

This is a collection of 200 Japanese proverbs with illustrations and explanations for each saying.

<p>Make your professional growth a daily habit.</p><p>With a packed schedule, personal and professional goals, and demands on your time and attention from every direction, it can be hard to set aside quiet time for reflection. Time to learn. Time to find inspiration. HBR Daily Leader makes it easy to regularly put your own development on your agenda. Curated from the Harvard Business Review archives, this collection provides leadership insights to spark your thinking, quotations to inspire you, and questions to encourage deep reflection. With this book as your touchstone, you&#x27;ll elevate your performance as a leader.</p>

Twenty historical journeys, routes and adventures followed through the maps that made them.

Global sensation and internationally renowned author - Rupi Kaur’s milk and honey celebrates the challenges and triumphs facing the modern woman. In strikingly personal, yet widely relatable poems accompanied by original illustrations, Kaur challenges the idea that women should be quiet, gentle, and submissive and instead encourages women to be strong, powerful, and proud. Each of the four chapters (“the hurting,” “the loving,” “the breaking,” and “the healing”) serves a different purpose and explores the many kinds of pain and healing of life’s experiences. From breakups to trauma, Kaur leads readers through life’s most bitter moments to find their hidden sweetness. Paired with milk and honey in this exquisite boxed set: the sun and her flowers, a vibrant and transcendent journey about growth and healing. Ancestry and honouring one’s roots. Expatriation and rising up to find a home within yourself. Divided into five chapters and illustrated in Kaur’s signature style, the sun and her flowers is a journey of wilting, falling, rooting, rising, and blooming. A celebration of love in all its forms.

<p>How a global industry icon was created right here in Australia — with insights, stories and recipes from a co-founder of Four Pillars Gin</p> <p>How did a small business from a regional Aussie town get voted the world’s best gin producer THREE times? Four Pillars Gin, a craft distillery in Victoria’s Yarra Valley, today is not only an Australian favourite but a global powerhouse. Co-founder Matt Jones shares the secrets behind building a brand that started as a small cult favourite and has become a world-leading success. Including stories, recipes and business lessons from a decade of gin-soaked archives, Lessons from Gin has the ingredients you need to grow your own business and brand.</p> <p>Matt tells his side of the extraordinary Four Pillars story, sharing what he and the team learned in a decade that changed the distilling industry in Australia. Taking you on his journey as a creative brand strategist during the rise of social media, he reveals how Four Pillars became a benchmark for excellence and a beloved household name. You’ll discover how true innovators think creatively and strategically, with practical models for driving incredible growth in your own career and industry.</p> <p>In Lessons from Gin, you’ll learn how to:</p> <ul> <li>Place creativity at the heart of your business</li> <li>Design a brand that tells a story</li> <li>Craft the kind of product excellence that wins fans and followers</li> <li>Create experiences that engage and build a community of loyal believers</li> <li>Develop a culture and lead a team of passionate people through a shared purpose and vision</li> <li>Build a sustainable business anchored in genuine values and bold ambition</li> </ul> <p>Lessons from Gin gives Four Pillars fans real insight into how their favourite gin conquered the world. It is a must-read for entrepreneurs, business owners, marketers, and leaders in any industry who want to craft a brand that people love to want.</p>

Over the last few decades, space exploration has revolutionised our understanding of our place in the cosmos. We now know that there are many habitable environments within our solar system. Yet a profound question remains: are we alone in the universe? Nathalie A. Cabrol, leading astrobiologist and director of the Carl Sagan Center at the SETI Institute, takes us to the frontiers of the search for life. This book’s odyssey begins by searching for how life began on Earth in order to understand what’s necessary for life to exist elsewhere. What role did our Moon play? And could life on Mars, or another world, have seeded life on Earth? Cabrol continues this dazzling interplanetary tour, illuminating the likeliest places for life in our neighbourhood: Venus, Mars, the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn, and Pluto. Finally, we seek life beyond our Solar System, looking at the recent revolution in the night sky: the realisation that there are millions of exoplanets within our galaxy that could support life. The Secret Life of the Universe is both a comprehensive and authoritative guide to the latest discoveries and an awe-inspiring exploration of what this means for us as humans on Earth today. It’s an exhilarating journey, perfect for anyone who has ever looked up at the stars and wondered what might be out there. ‘A mind-altering and exhilarating read’ Helen Macdonald, author of H is for Hawk ‘Of all the popular books on the search for life that are now being published, this one is quite special’ James L. Green, former NASA chief scientist

With the Australian troops crossing of the Kumusi River in mid-November 1942, after pushing the Japanese back along the Kokoda Track to the north coast of Papua New Guinea, the time had come to face the entrenched Japanese at their beachhead at Gona, Buna and Sanananda. The end of the Kokoda Campaign in mid-November 1942 marked a turning point for the Australians, but the fighting was far from over. Within days, the battles for the Japanese beachheads would commence. The fighting for the Japanese beachheads was among the fiercest of the whole Pacific War and the first combined large-scale operation between Australian and American troops against the Japanese. By the 3rd January 1943 the Japanese beachheads at Gona and Buna were finally in Australian and American hands after almost two months of desperate fighting. One beachhead, however, remained to be taken, the best defended, not only in terms of its deep defence and network of supporting bunkers and slit trenches, but also by its large deep swamps and jungle. Hundreds of men had already been killed - Australian and American - in trying to take Sanananda. It was recognised that this beachhead was the worst of the three battlefields. Isolated pockets of Australians and Americans confronted well dug in and camouflaged positions, often on small 'islands' in the fetid and crocodile infested swamps. It would be another three weeks before Sanananda fell to the Australian and American forces. It was appropriately described by Sergeant Bill Spencer, 2/9th Battalion as: 'A bastard of a place'.

Updated Edition – Including Super & Pension Changes for 2024/2025 The fastest growing demographic in Australia are retirees, with the number of people over 75 expected to double within 10 years. Retirement is often touted as a worry-free time – but it's also a time full of unique challenges. Retirement can be a jungle of decision-making. What sort of assets will you invest in? How long will your money last? Are you eligible for any age pension? Is downsizing right for you? How much should you spend now, and how much would you like to leave to your kids? Add the challenges of finding the right advice, understanding new products that keep evolving, estate planning, volatile markets, unexpected events such as the global financial crisis and COVID-19, and continual changes to our tax, superannuation, age pension and aged care regulations... Above all, how do you value and nurture your greatest assets — your health and your relationships? These are just a few of the major issues covered in Retirement Made Simple – by acclaimed financial expert Noel Whittaker, who has been writing about these issues for more than 35 years This updated edition of Retirement Made Simple includes the major superannuation and pension changes for 2024/2025 and this book will be your guide for the rest of your life. In the simple style for which Noel is renowned, the book covers all the above topics and many more. It will become your indispensable guide on what we hope will be a happy, healthy and prosperous retirement. Another gem from Australia's most trusted personal finance author. An excellent, no-nonsense guide to taking control of your future - Stephen Miles, Investment Editor, Sydney Morning Herald, The Age Noel's greatest gift is his ability to explain complex matters in everyday terms - Des Houghton, former editor, Sunday Mail This book fills a big gap - seniors need all the financial literacy they can get, and now more than ever - Ian Henschke, National Seniors Australia Noel Whittaker has a rare ability to translate complex matters into plain English. This book is a must read for anybody who is retired or planning for it. - Anthony Deceglie, Editor, Sunday Times

The baggy green cap worn by Australian Test players is an icon. It's the pride of Australian cricket. With the face of the game everchanging, the wearing of the baggy green has always been the pinnacle for Australian players. The baggy green cap is revered by everyone with a connection to Australian cricket. The Baggy Green book charts its evolution with reflections from many past and present Test players. It explores the cap's history, mystique and worth, with insight from the sport's greatest figures, museums and leading auction houses. With over 100 colour photos and great design, this is a book every Australian cricket fan should have on their bookshelves.

The author of the No.1 Sunday Times bestseller Think Like a Monk offers a revelatory guide to every stage of romance, drawing on ancient wisdom and new science. Nobody sits us down and teaches us how to love. So we’re often thrown into relationships with nothing but romance movies and pop culture to help us muddle through. Until now. Instead of presenting love as an ethereal concept or a collection of cliches, Jay Shetty lays out specific, actionable steps to help you develop the skills to practice and nurture love better than ever before. He shares insights on how to win or lose together, how to define love, and why you don’t break in a break-up. Inspired by Vedic wisdom and modern science, he tackles the entire relationship cycle, from first dates to moving in together to breaking up and starting over. And he shows us how to avoid falling for false promises and unfulfilling partners. By living Jay Shetty’s eight rules, we can all love ourselves, our partner, and the world better than we ever thought possible.

<p><strong>Our bestselling practical gardening book fully revised and updated.</strong></p> <p>This new edition of the ever-popular <em>Yates Garden Guide</em> has been fully revised and updated to help today's gardeners tame big backyards, create stylish retreats, tend productive and decorative plantings, and get the most out of smaller spaces.</p><p>With chapters on planning gardens, choosing feature plants and growing trees, shrubs, fruit, vegetables, flowers, indoor plants and lawns, the new <em>Yates Garden Guide</em> provides details on more than 1000 exotic and native plants, advice on soils, climate, planting, feeding and maintaining gardens, guides on what to sow and grow throughout the year, and comprehensive problem-solving charts to help you identify and deal with all kinds of pests and diseases.</p><p>Sections on water-saving gardens, community gardens, keeping chooks, encouraging beneficial birds and insects, growing native plants, establishing kitchen gardens, and keeping healthy indoor plants have been expanded and updated to cater for modern living arrangements - in apartments and smaller spaces - and to reflect increasing interest in homegrown produce and environmentally friendly gardening.</p><p>Full of comprehensive, reliable and practical gardening advice for experienced green thumbs and keen beginners alike, <em>Yates Garden Guide</em> is the essential companion for every gardener.</p>