Collection: Adult Non Fiction

When Paul McCartney closed Live Aid in July 1985 we thought he was rock's Grand Old Man. He was forty-three years old. As the forty years since have shown he -- and many others of his generation -- were just getting started. This was the time when live performance took over from records. The big ...

In the early 1980s, when Erna Walraven decided to follow her dreams and become one of the first female zookeepers in Australia, she thought her biggest challenges would be feeding big cats and subduing irate gorillas. In fact, it was her male colleagues who made work miserable, harassing and humi...

I have felt the pull of this extravagant wanting elsewhere… A meal is a shape. It is a container into which we pour our cravings. At 35, when a 13-year relationship ends, food journalist Candice Chung finds herself losing not only her first love, but also her most reliable restaurant review partn...

Tina Knowles, the mother of icons Beyonce Knowles-Carter, Solange Knowles and bonus daughter Kelly Rowland, is known the world over as a Matriarch with a capital M: the woman who raised and inspired some of the great artists of our time. But this story is about so much more than that. Matriarch b...

In a beautifully crafted memoir of captivating emotional honesty, the SBS Insight host sets out to understand the dad she never really knew, and - along the way - herself. Growing up, Kumi Taguchi thought her father was merely distant: reserved, obsessively frugal and - after her parents' divorce...

'Frog', a term of endearment for intensive care paramedics, derives from the notion that everything they touch croaks. Life as a paramedic, writes Sally Gould in this candid, witty memoir, can be traumatic, gross, dull, hilarious, magical. To make the cut, you need to be able to think outside the...

John & Paul begins in 1957, when two teenagers in suburban Liverpool meet and decide to play rock 'n' roll together. It ends twenty-three years later, when one of them is murdered. In between, we see them become global stars, create countless indelible songs, and play a central role in shaping th...

The gripping and inspiring story of acclaimed actor Jeremy Renner’s near-fatal accident, and what he learned about inner strength, endurance and hope as he overcame insurmountable odds to recover, one breath at a time. Two-time Oscar nominee Jeremy Renner was the second most googled person in 202...

On a quiet Melbourne afternoon in the eerie early days of the pandemic, young parents Jordan and Gary Ablett finally learned why their beautiful baby boy, Levi, had not been hitting the milestones that most new parents celebrate and are reassured by. After months of concern and worry, the special...

Using previously undiscovered material, Surreal tells the riveting story of Gala Dali (1894-1982) who broke away from the her cultured but penurious background in pre-Revolutionary Russia to live in Paris with both France's most famous poet, Paul Eluard, and artist Max Ernst. By the time she met ...

Do you have what it takes to be in one of the most elite teams on the planet? Written by internationally best-selling author Dr Gareth Moore, this is the ultimate puzzle book for fans of extreme army missions. Push your mental fitness to its limits as you delve into the underworld of a special fo...

In the summer of 1849, Giuseppe Garibaldi, Italy's legendary revolutionary hero, fled Rome and led 4,000 of his men hundreds of miles through Umbria and Tuscany, then across the Apennines, Italy's mountainous spine, toward the refuge of the Venetian Republic. After thirty-two exhausting days of s...

Britain's leading puzzle master, Dr. Gareth Moore, has plumbed the depths of the UK's National Archives to transform the best in espionage history into 134 thrilling puzzles that you can solve from the comfort of your couch. Decipher encoded messages to stop treason in its tracks, assemble clues ...

In 1973, Blue Poles, the iconic painting by America's great abstract expressionist Jackson Pollock, was acquired by the Australian government for A$1.4 million. This record-setting price for an artwork sparked a media sensation and controversy both in Australia and the United States. Blue Poles: ...

"When a stroke leaves Jenn comatose and clinging to life just days before her thirty-first birthday, she and her family face an overwhelming and painful journey. As they struggle to grasp what happened, to move forward and heal, they discover an unexpected gift: how to be present in times of unce...

In our ever changing world, climate resilience is more important than ever. Small actions in our own homes, make a massive difference and can be quick, simple and inexpensive. Join author and sustainable living advocate Rebecca Sullivan on a room to room journey to create a natural, healthy lifes...

Field Marshal Erwin Rommel exerted an almost hypnotic influence not only over his own troops but also over the Allied soldiers of the Eighth Army in the Second World War. Even when the legend surrounding his invincibility was overturned at El Alamein, the aura surrounding Rommel himself remained ...

From Seth Godin, one of the world's most influential business thinkers and bestselling author of This is Marketing, comes a groundbreaking guide to creating meaningful change in a complex world. Are you tired of quick fixes and short-term thinking? Do you want to make a lasting impact but feel st...

In this bold, illustrated guide, bestselling author and podcaster Florence Given encourages women to rediscover their joy, reject toxic wellness culture, and redefine feminism for themselves. Women Living Deliciously wants us to fall in love with our lives. It will help women uncover the sense of...

Contemporary crochet star Rose Svane will teach you how to crochet your own cool clothes, accessories and Scandi homeware. With a calm, creative vibe, this is the perfect guide for complete beginners, and those who've already caught the crochet bug. Start with a crash-course in the key sk...

In 1869 Russian scientist Dmitri Mendeleyev was puzzling over a way to bring order to the fledgling science of chemistry. Wearied by the effort, he fell asleep at his desk. What he dreamt would fundamentally change the way we see the world. Framing this history is the life story of the nineteenth...

Discover the practical wisdom of Stoicism and find contentment and happiness in your everyday life. Follow in the footsteps of the classical tradition of Stoicism and join a growing community of individuals seeking guidance on how to navigate the obstacles of contemporary life.

Dr. Greene describes how his road-tested, evidence-based approach - called Collaborative Problem Solving - can help challenging kids at school. His lively, compelling narrative includes: tools to identify the triggers and lagging skills underlying challenging behavior; explicit guidance on how to...

Obsessed with Bugs introduces readers of all ages to the wonderful and fun hobby of insect collecting. Collecting insects is a great way to learn about biodiversity, and insect collections are a valuable resource for scientific study, like taxonomy and pest management. Obsessed with Bugs focuses ...

Create 12 colourful, unique intarsia knitwear designs for all seasons. Going beyond the knitting fundamentals, Intarsia Knits will equip you to create bold, multi-coloured designs and features 12 projects for garments and accessories. Learn how to use collage to develop your designs, translate th...

On June 7th 1907, a ship packed with Russian Jews sets sail not to Jerusalem or New York, as many on board have dreamt, but to Texas. The man who persuades the passengers to go is David Jochelmann, Rachel Cockerell's great-grandfather. It marks the beginning of the Galveston Movement, a forgotten...

Whether you want to make better decisions, improve your relationships or find more meaning in your work, harnessing your core values is the key to your future success, contentment and contribution. Have you ever heard a voice inside you whispering, 'There's got to be more than this'? Or simply...

The Unlocking unfolds in pandemic-stricken Melbourne, charting one family's desperate battle against the escalating behaviour of their autistic toddler. Amid the lack of in-person services, Harry exhibits severely restricted eating, obsessive-compulsive tendencies, crippling separation anxiety, a...