Macquarie (HB) by Grantlee Kieza

$14.99 AUD

$39.99 (62% off)

Category: Biography | Reading Level: 3 Biography

A lively and engaging portrait of a towering and complex figure of Australian colonial history. Lachlan Macquarie is credited with shaping Australia's destiny, transforming the harsh, foreboding penal colony of New Holland into an agricultural powerhouse and ultimately a prosperous society. He also help ed shape Australia's national character. An egalitarian at heart, Macquarie saw boundless potential in Britain's refuse, and under his rule many former convicts went on to become successful administrators, land owners and business people. However, the governor's ambitions for the colony (which he lobbied to have renamed 'Australia') brought him into conflict with the continent's original landowners, and he was responsible for the deaths of Aboriginal men, women and children, brutally killed in a military operation intended to create terror among local Indigenous people. So, was Macquarie the man who sowed the seeds of a great nation, or a tyrant who destroyed Aboriginal resistance? In this, the most comprehensive biography yet of this fascinating colonial governor, acclaimed biographer Grantlee Kieza draws on Macquarie's rich and detailed journals. He chronicles the life and times of a poor Scottish farm boy who joined the British army to make his fortune, saw wars on five continents and clawed his way to the top. Ultimately, Macquarie laid the foundations for a new nation, but, in the process, he played a part in the dispossession of the continent's original people. Lover, fighter, egalitarian, autocrat - Lachlan Macquarie is a complex and engaging character who first envisaged the nation we call Australia.           ...Show more

Brave by Rose McGowan

$9.99 AUD

$29.99 (66% off)

Category: Biography

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "One of the greatest tricks that the patriarchy plays on women is to deliberately destabilize them, then use their instability as a reason to disbelieve them. Much of BRAVE reads like the diary of a woman driven half-mad by abusive men who assume no one will listen to her. In t his case, the truth was finally--and, for McGowan, triumphantly--exposed..." --The New York Times Book Review "BRAVE works beautifully as a manifesto. It's a call to arms--not just against the specific men who mistreated McGowan and the men and women who enabled that mistreatment, but against an industry."--The Boston Globe A revealing memoir and empowering manifesto - A voice for generations Rose McGowan was born in one cult and came of age in another, more visible cult: Hollywood. In a strange world where she was continually on display, stardom soon became a personal nightmare of constant exposure and sexualization. Rose escaped into the world of her mind, something she had done as a child, and into high-profile relationships. Every detail of her personal life became public, and the realities of an inherently sexist industry emerged with every script, role, public appearance, and magazine cover. The Hollywood machine packaged her as a sexualized bombshell, hijacking her image and identity and marketing them for profit. Hollywood expected Rose to be silent and cooperative and to stay the path. Instead, she rebelled and asserted her true identity and voice. She reemerged unscripted, courageous, victorious, angry, smart, fierce, unapologetic, controversial, and real as f*ck.   BRAVE is her raw, honest, and poignant memoir/manifesto--a no-holds-barred, pull-no-punches account of the rise of a millennial icon, fearless activist, and unstoppable force for change who is determined to expose the truth about the entertainment industry, dismantle the concept of fame, shine a light on a multibillion-dollar business built on systemic misogyny, and empower people everywhere to wake up and be BRAVE. "My life, as you will read, has taken me from one cult to another. BRAVE is the story of how I fought my way out of these cults and reclaimed my life. I want to help you do the same." -Rose McGowan ...Show more

Never Grow up, Only Get Older by Jackie Chan

$9.99 AUD

$35.00 (71% off)

Category: Biography | Reading Level: 3 Biography

Everyone knows Jackie Chan. Whether it's from Rush Hour, Shanghai Noon, The Karate Kid, or Kung Fu Panda, Jackie is admired by generations of moviegoers for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, and mind-bending stunts. In 2016--after fifty-six years in the industry, over 200 films, and many broke n bones--he received an honorary Academy Award for his lifetime achievement in film. But at 64 years-old, Jackie is just getting started. Now, in Never Grow Up, the global superstar reflects on his early life, including his childhood years at the China Drama Academy (in which he was enrolled at the age of six), his big breaks (and setbacks) in Hong Kong and Hollywood, his numerous brushes with death (both on and off film sets), and his life as a husband and father (which has been, admittedly and regrettably, imperfect). Jackie has never shied away from his mistakes. Since The Young Master in 1980, Jackie's films have ended with a bloopers reel in which he stumbles over his lines, misses his mark, or crashes to the ground in a stunt gone south. In Never Grow Up, Jackie applies the same spirit of openness to his life, proving time and time again why he's beloved the world over: he's honest, funny, kind, brave beyond reckoning and--after all this time--still young at heart. ...Show more

The Newsman: 60 Years of Television by Mal Walden

$9.99 AUD

$34.99 (71% off)

Category: Biography

'You'll never be a journalist's bootlace!' During his cadetship in the early '60s, Mal Walden heard these words frequently from his news editor and media mentor, John Maher. Walden not only proved his mentor wrong, he went on to become the longest-serving newsman on Australian television. From a caree r starting in country Victoria radio, Walden went on to work in Launceston and Melbourne, and then finally made the shift to television as news anchor for channels 7 and 10. Each year he maintained a journal in which he recorded his many serendipitous and life-changing moments. These memories form a record - not only of his life as a newsman - but of the evolution of television news, which is now in its sixtieth year and facing what many proclaim is the imminent 'death of news' in all its traditional forms. This is the story behind the stories we think we know. A very personal look at the public face of news by one of the most well-loved and respected news presenters of our time. ...Show more

In the Days of Rain: A Daughter. A Father. A Cult (Brethren) by Rebecca Stott

$9.99 AUD

$27.99 (64% off)

Category: Biography

In the vein of Bad Blood and Why be Happy when you can be Normal?: an enthralling, at times shocking, and deeply personal family memoir of growing up in, and breaking away from, a fundamentalist Christian cult. 'At university when I made new friends and confidantes, I couldn't explain how I'd become a t eenage mother, or shoplifted books for years, or why I was afraid of the dark and had a compulsion to rescue people, without explaining about the Brethren or the God they made for us, and the Rapture they told us was coming. But then I couldn't really begin to talk about the Brethren without explaining about my father...' As Rebecca Stott's father lay dying he begged her to help him write the memoir he had been struggling with for years. He wanted to tell the story of their family, who, for generations had all been members of a fundamentalist Christian sect. Yet, each time he reached a certain point, he became tangled in a thicket of painful memories and could not go on. The sect were a closed community who believed the world is ruled by Satan: non-sect books were banned, women were made to wear headscarves and those who disobeyed the rules were punished. Rebecca was born into the sect, yet, as an intelligent, inquiring child she was always asking dangerous questions. She would discover that her father, an influential preacher, had been asking them too, and that the fault-line between faith and doubt had almost engulfed him. In In the Days of Rain Rebecca gathers the broken threads of her father's story, and her own, and follows him into the thicket to tell of her family's experiences within the sect, and the decades-long aftermath of their breaking away. ...Show more

A Gift from Darkness: How I Escaped with My Daughter from Boko Haram by Claudia Andrea Hoffman

$9.99 AUD

$33.99 (70% off)

Category: Biography

When Patience Ibrahim's husband died, she feared that her life was over. She had prayed every night for a baby to complete her family, and suddenly she found herself a nineteen-year-old widow, alone in the world. But when she fell in love again, a happy future seemed possible. Patience married once more , and was overjoyed to discover that she was pregnant. A few days later, everything fell apart. Men from Boko Haram arrived at her door, killing Patience's new husband and kidnapping her. This is the incredible true story of her and her baby daughter's survival, against all the odds. ...Show more

Limerence - A True Story by Liz Hickin

$23.95 AUD

Category: Biography

It is 1948 and the War has ended; the London Olympic Games have begun. Audrey is a young, fresh-faced English girl who meets Hubert, a young French soldier amidst a sea of spectators. Under a starry sky and fireworks celebrations, a young romance is born. Relief from austerity, camaraderie, goodwill and a return to prosperity fills the air; the young couple vow to continue their relationship, however long distance and Hubert's military responsibilities prevent them. Time and distance take two lovers in different directions; however Hubert cannot let go of his darling Audrey and enters into a state of Limerence, writing her obsessive love letters. Can Hubert find his one true love, his English Rose? ...Show more

First Man: the Life of Neil Armstrong by James R. Hansen

$9.99 AUD

$22.99 (56% off)

Category: Biography

Now a major film starring Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy and Kyle Chandler, directed by Oscar-winner Damien Chazelle, First Man by James Hansen offers the only authorized glimpse into the life of America's most famous astronaut, Neil Armstrong - the man whose "one small step" changed history. In First Man, H ansen explores the life of Neil Armstrong. Based on over 50 hours of interviews with the intensely private Armstrong, who also gave Hansen exclusive access to private documents and family sources, this "magnificent panorama of the second half of the American twentieth century" (Publishers Weekly, Starred Review) is an unparalleled biography of an American icon. When Apollo 11 touched down on the moon's surface in 1969, the first man on the moon became a legend. Hansen vividly recreates Armstrong's career in flying, from his seventy-eight combat missions as a naval aviator flying over North Korea to his formative transatmospheric flights in the rocket-powered X-15 to his piloting Gemini VIII to the first-ever docking in space. For a pilot who cared more about flying to the Moon than he did about walking on it, Hansen asserts, Armstrong's storied vocation exacted a dear personal toll, paid in kind by his wife and children. In the years since the Moon landing, rumors swirled around Armstrong concerning his dreams of space travel, his religious beliefs, and his private life. This book reveals the man behind the myth. In a penetrating exploration of American hero worship, Hansen addresses the complex legacy of the First Man, as an astronaut and as an individual. In First Man, the personal, technological, epic, and iconic blend to form the portrait of a great but reluctant hero who will forever be known as history's most famous space traveler. ...Show more

Inside Out by Demi Moore

$9.99 AUD

$32.99 (69% off)

Category: Biography | Reading Level: 3 Biography

Famed American actress Demi Moore at last tells her own story in a surprisingly intimate and emotionally charged memoir. For decades, Demi Moore has been synonymous with celebrity. From iconic film roles to high-profile relationships, Moore has never been far from the spotlight--or the headlines.Even a s Demi was becoming the highest paid actress in Hollywood, however, she was always outrunning her past, just one step ahead of the doubts and insecurities that defined her childhood. Throughout her rise to fame and during some of the most pivotal moments of her life, Demi battled addiction, body image issues, and childhood trauma that would follow her for years--all while juggling a skyrocketing career and at times negative public perception. As her success grew, Demi found herself questioning if she belonged in Hollywood, if she was a good mother, a good actress--and, always, if she was simply good enough. As much as her story is about adversity, it is also about tremendous resilience. In this deeply candid and reflective memoir, Demi pulls back the curtain and opens up about her career and personal life--laying bare her tumultuous relationship with her mother, her marriages, her struggles balancing stardom with raising a family, and her journey toward open heartedness. Inside Out is a story of survival, success, and surrender--a wrenchingly honest portrayal of one woman's at once ordinary and iconic life. ...Show more

When the Bough Breaks by Joanne W. Jones

$9.99 AUD

$29.95 (66% off)

Category: Biography

"The only way you'll ever have a baby is through IVF or adoption." Until the moment she first heard those words, Joanne Jones had taken for granted that she would become a mother with a family of her own. Now she would spend the next decade doing everything within her power to conceive or adopt. But it was not to be. ...Show more

The Magnolia Story by Chip Gaines; Joanna Gaines

$9.99 AUD

$24.99 (60% off)

Category: Biography

National Bestseller--New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly Are you ready to see your fixer upper? These famous words are now synonymous with the dynamic husband-and-wife team Chip and Joanna Gaines, stars of HGTV's Fixer Upper. As this question fills the airwaves with anticip ation, their legions of fans continue to multiply and ask a different series of questions, such as--What inspires Joanna's style? What's the secret to Chip and Joanna's success? And is Chip actually that funny in real life? By renovating homes in Waco, Texas, and changing lives in such a winsome and engaging way, Chip and Joanna have become more than just the stars of Fixer Upper; they have become America's new best friends. The Magnolia Story is the first book from Chip and Joanna, offering their fans a detailed look at their life together. From the very first renovation project they ever tackled together, to the project that nearly cost them everything; from the childhood memories that shaped them, to the twists and turns that led them to the life they share on the farm today. They both attended Baylor University in Waco. However, their paths did not cross until Chip checked his car into the local Firestone tire shop where Joanna worked behind the counter. Even back then Chip was a serial entrepreneur who, among other things, ran a lawn care company, sold fireworks, and flipped houses. Soon they were married and living in their first fixer upper. Four children and countless renovations later, Joanna garnered the attention of a television producer who noticed her work on a blog one day. In The Magnolia Story fans will finally get to join the Gaines behind the scenes and discover: The time Chip ran to the grocery store and forgot to take their new, sleeping baby Joanna's agonizing decision to close her dream business to focus on raising their children When Chip buys a houseboat, sight-unseen, and it turns out to be a leaky wreck Joanna's breakthrough moment of discovering the secret to creating a beautiful home Harrowing stories of the financial ups and downs as an entrepreneurial couple Memories and photos from Chip and Jo's wedding The significance of the word magnolia and why it permeates everything they do The way the couple pays the popularity of Fixer Upper forward, sharing the success with others and bolstering the city of Waco along the way And yet there is still one lingering question for fans of the show: Is Chip really that funny? "Oh yeah," says Joanna. "He was, and still is, my first fixer upper." ...Show more

Uncanny Valley - a Memoir by Anna Wiener

$9.99 AUD

$27.99 (64% off)

Category: Biography | Reading Level: very good

A January 2020 IndieNext Pick. One of Vogue's 22 Books to Read This Winter. "A definitive document of a world in transition: I won't be alone in returning to Uncanny Valley for clarity and consolation for many years to come." --Jia Tolentino, author of Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion The pres cient, page-turning account of a journey in Silicon Valley: a defining memoir of our digital age. In her mid-twenties, at the height of tech industry idealism, Anna Wiener, stuck, broke and looking for meaning in her work, like any good millennial, left a job in book publishing for the promise of the new digital economy. She moved from New York to San Francisco, where she landed at a big-data startup in the heart of the Silicon Valley bubble: a world of surreal extravagance, dubious success, and fresh-faced entrepreneurs hell-bent on domination, glory, and, of course, progress. Anna arrived amidst a massive cultural shift, as the tech industry rapidly transformed into a locus of wealth and power rivaling Wall Street. But amid the company ski vacations and in-office speakeasies, boyish camaraderie and ride-or-die corporate fealty, a new Silicon Valley began to emerge: one in far over its head, one that enriched itself at the expense of the idyllic future it claimed to be building. Part coming-age-story, part portrait of an already-bygone era, Anna Wiener's memoir is a rare first-person glimpse into high-flying, reckless startup culture at a time of unchecked ambition, unregulated surveillance, wild fortune, and accelerating political power. With wit, candor, and heart, Anna deftly charts the tech industry's shift from self-appointed world savior to democracy-endangering liability, alongside a personal narrative of aspiration, ambivalence, and disillusionment. Unsparing and incisive, Uncanny Valley is a cautionary tale, and a revelatory interrogation of a world reckoning with consequences its unwitting designers are only beginning to understand. ...Show more