SOLD Dark tales from Australian history

 

SOLD to a lawyer on East Sydney

Excellent condition. PB. 384pp. $18 including postage anywhere in Australia

A compelling collection of tales from Australia's dark heart - of catastrophe and misfortune, intrigue and passion, betrayal and tragedy.

AUSTRALIAN TRAGIC ranges across our past and our present: the heartbreaking story of the fire at Luna Park; the unstoppable opportunist who snatched innocent men and women from Palm Island to be part of P. T. Barnum's 'Greatest Show on Earth'; a world-class boxer who lost his battle with alcohol and ended up in an unmarked American grave; a man who heroically survived a war to find himself crushed and defeated by events much closer to home; and a new story - of an echo from Ned Kelly at Stringybark Creek, in our own time ...

Heartbreaking and shocking, gothic and weird, these fascinating stories are all true, and told to remind us of the Australia we don't know, the one that simmers with love and hate, of hopes raised and futures dashed, unheralded and unnoticed . . . until now.

On the Buddhist tantric system

 

Very good condition. PB. 184pp. $20 including postage anywhere in Australia

"The Kalachakra, or "Wheel of Time," is one of the most profound and sublime of the Buddhist tantric systems. It is an intricate interweaving of astrology, eschatology, physiology, and yoga into a meditational path system that embraces the entire material universe and leads to complete, perfect enlightenment. 

The Kalachakra, with its special connection to the land of Shambhala and a future golden age of Dharma, has a special appeal for people of all levels of learning and practice. Initiation into its practices traditionally have been large public events, especially when granted by the Dalai Lama. Initiation into the Kalachakra Tantra has been given with increasing frequency in recent years, but information on this complex system and practice remains sparse. 

The Wheel of Time attempts in part to fill the gap. The book opens with a Foreword by His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama. Then the five articles discuss, respectively, the Buddhist background, history, initiation rites, generation stage sadhana, and completion stage practices of the Kalachakra Tantra."

On the art of public speaking and presentation

 

RARE BOOK. Very good condition. PB. 161pp. $20 including postage anywhere in Australia

For novices with little public speaking experience, this guide shows how to speak in public effectively and with confidence in situations including presentations at work, teaching or lecturing, and addressing community organizations. 

Public speaking pro Tom Mira covers all the basics, from the opening line, to using visual aids, to dealing with a hostile audience.

Can Australia look beyond the two party system?

 

Mint condition. PB. 424pp. $30 including postage anywhere in Australia

Also available here and here.

The demands placed on western governments have increased exponentially in recent years, but the fundamental structure of most of these governments - the two party system - has not. Governments are now not only required to be competitive in the global economy, but the societies they represent have changed, becoming culturally and ethnically diverse. 

Ian Marsh's challenging book suggests that the two party regime cannot accommodate these changing needs. It outlines the ways in which politics might change to meet these new demands and achieve genuine participatory democracy. The book explores the nature of citizenship from a historical perspective, proposing a new definition of citizenship for the future. 

Ian Marsh argues that political learning will be central to the development of this new citizen, so that they, and not only the leadership elite, have genuine political input.

SOLD An Indian writes about the complexities of her nation

 

SOLD to a lawyer in East Sydney

RARE BOOK. Good condition. PB. 320pp. $25 including postage anywhere in Australia

India is a land of contrasts. It is the world's most populous democracy, but it still upholds the caste system. It is a burgeoning economic superpower, but one of the poorest nations on earth. It is the home of the world's biggest movie industry after Hollywood, as well as to the world's oldest religions. It is an ancient civilization celebrating fifty years as a modern nation. Now, as never before, the world wants to know what contemporary India is all about.

As she has proved in three previous books--her wry take on the marketing of the mystic East in Karma Cola; the rich historical saga of Raj; and the beguiling tales of A River Sutra--there is no better guide to India's multihued mosaic than Gita Mehta. She knows India in all its rich detail--its folkways and history, its culture and politics, its ancient traditions and current concerns. In Snakes and Ladders, she gives a loving but unflinching assessment of India today, in an account that is entertaining, informative, and wholly personal.

Gita Mehta is the author of the bestselling books Karma Cola, Raj, A River Sutra, and Snakes and Ladders. She divides her time between New York, London, and India

An ex-priest writes about his civilisation

 

RARE BOOK. Excellent condition. PB. 374pp. $25 including postage anywhere in Australia.

Not yet another history of the Church written from within the church, this is a deliberately provocative, no holds barred, open forum discussion of the issues of Christianity.

Find out more about this book here.