Category Archives: What I’m Reading

A trip to Sweden at the end of May turned out to be a good way to catch up on some overdue books. A few recommendations: Ben McNeil, The Clean Industrial Revolution: a young Australian scientist’s take on how Australia … Continue reading →

So much good stuff I feel spoiled. Paul Collier’s The Bottom Billion is a splendid data-driven romp through development economics, and what we can do to make a difference, particularly when it comes to thorny topics of corruption and conflict (HT: … Continue reading →

I’ve just finished reading two books about inequality. One is a beautifully written (and short) tome by Robert Frank, entitled Falling Behind: How Rising Inequality Harms the Middle Class. Over the years, many people have argued that one of the costs of inequality … Continue reading →

From Sebastian’s shelf: Penguin, by Polly Dunbar (purchased with Nicholas Gruen’s 50% off voucher, valid until 22 Nov) Moo, Baa, La La La, Sandra Boynton Alphabet, Alison Jay That’s Not my Lion, Watt & Wells But not the Hippopotamus, Sandra … Continue reading →

Murray Goot and Tim Rowse’s Divided Nation: Indigenous Australians in Australian Political Culture. Definitely the go-to book for anyone wanting to know what Australians think about Indigenous policy. Two facts that were new to me are that in 1965, 52% of Perth … Continue reading →

I just came across a list of the 20 Australian books that were most often borrowed from Australian libraries in 2004-05. Number one is Mem Fox’s Possum Magic. One of my all-time favourite books – Tim Winton’s Dirt Music – came in … Continue reading →

I finished Tim Harford’s book The Undercover Economist the other day. If you’re running an introductory economics course, and looking to set a text explaining how economists think, and how the profession views coffee prices, the value of a statistical life, … Continue reading →

This is over a year old. But it’s funny, and I’ve never seen it before, so maybe you haven’t either. From kottke.org: When you’re out to eat with friends and family, it can be challenging to decide what to order … Continue reading →

I’ve recently finished reading All the King’s Men, Robert Penn Warren’s novel that fictionalises the life of Louisiana governor Huey Long (the movie version, starring Sean Penn, is out later this year). My friend Macgregor recommended the director’s cut – the … Continue reading →