高清福利片

By Shirley Hazzard (2003) Recommended by Professor听Mark Scott, Vice-Chancellor听and Principal听

I first read Shirley Hazzard as an undergraduate here at Sydney 鈥� but now, decades on 鈥� I am discovering her all over again 鈥� in part due to Michelle De Kretser鈥檚 wonderful 鈥淥n Shirley Hazzard鈥�. This year it was her final novel, The Great Fire. As always with Hazzard, every sentence is loaded for impact, the characters are compelling and fill your dreams and she allows a big story to take shape in front of you. (It also makes me think of those great artists and creative talents: Hazzard, Robert Hughes, Clive James and many others, who needed to escape the Australia of that time to create, but who seemed constantly shaped by their Australian upbringing and education.)听

Inferior: The True Power of Women and the Science that Shows It by Angela Saini (2018)听Recommended by Professor of Practice听Anna Paradowska, engineer & scientist in the School of Civil Engineering听

This book was a great read and I think it will be of interest not only to scientists but to all who are interested in diversity and shattering gender stereotypes.听滨苍蹿别谤颈辞谤听challenges preconceptions about men and women, investigating the gender wars that burn in biology, psychology, anthropology and STEM. Angela Saini鈥檚 work is based on a mass of data that aims to acknowledge and correct deep-rooted bias to help rewrite the role of women in the story of human evolution. This is an important book, beautifully written, enlightening and empowering. It is a听fresh view of science in which women are included, rather than excluded.听 听

By听Witi Ihimaera (2009)听Recommended by Professor听闯颈辞箩颈听搁补惫耻濒辞, Chair of Social Work and Policy Studies

New Zealand author Witi Ihimaera is a trailblazer. In the early 1970s, he was the first M膩ori to formally publish a collection of short stories and then the first to publish a novel. He has written prolifically including novels, plays, short stories and an opera libretto, about the M膩ori experience and the impacts of colonisation.听Famed for other great books, including听The Whale Rider听(1987) and听Nights in the Gardens of Spain听(1995),听His Best Stories听is a collection from over many decades in which he eloquently captures and conveys topics and themes that intersect amongst First Nations characters, alongside wider narratives that prod and provoke our views and values. I always come away learning something new about myself and my interactions with others as a result.听听

By Charles Dickens听(1852)听Recommended by Associate Professor听Bruce Isaacs, film听academic听 听

I adore the long听19th century English novels, but Charles Dickens has always been a personal favourite. Early in 2021, in a semi-malaise, I finally听realised a life-long dream and read听Bleak House.听It鈥檚 about 1000 pages long. There are 50听locations听and you鈥檒l need a notepad to keep track of the hundreds of characters. But I can say that, by the end of this sprawling narrative, as with all Dickens but perhaps none more than this book 鈥� I felt as if I had made a very close friend over a long period of time. I hope you get the chance to lose yourself in Dickens鈥檚 best novel over Christmas, and that it ends up meaning as much for you as it has for me.听

Life is Simple:听How Occam鈥檚 Razor Set Science Free and Shapes the Universe by听Johnjoe听McFadden (2021).听Recommended by Professor听Geraint Lewis, astrophysicist听

How do the musings of a medieval monk underpin听all of听modern science? This is the story of William of Occam, a fourteenth century Franciscan friar and philosopher who confronted prevailing theology by deducing that the simplest explanation is probably the best. We use this concept, now known as 鈥淥ccam鈥檚 Razor鈥�, to cut away poor scientific ideas, those that add complexity for no apparent benefit. The book interweaves the life of William, which was filled with excitement,听conflict听and flight from danger, with the development of science over听the intervening centuries. A great mix of theology, philosophy,听history听and science.听

By Clementine Ford听(2018)听Recommended by Associate Professor听Ana Vila听Concejo, coastal geomorphologist听

I am choosing this book because it is one from which I took photos of pages to send to my friends. Clementine Ford is so articulate听explaining听everyday sexism in a clever,听witty听and funny way. This book had me nodding, angry and laughing all at the same time. It is less innovative than听Fight听Like听A听Girl听but as an academic in STEMM, her take on merit is hilarious and really resonated with me. 鈥淲hy is that the best person for a job is often a white, cis-het, middle-class man? Surely, it has nothing to do with structural inequality and hierarchal privilege.鈥澨齀t is all about working hard鈥� Because no one else works as hard, clearly鈥�.

Talking To My Daughter: A Brief History of Capitalism by Yanis Vanoufakis (2019)听Recommended by Professor听Ian Hickie, co-director Brain and Mind Centre听

I鈥檓听focused on growing the mental wealth of our country 鈥� and听we听need to engage with both the benefits and downsides of our market-driven economies 鈥� and how we might do so much better in the post-COVID-19 era.听

By Norman Swan (2021)听Recommended by Professor听Maree听Teesson, director of The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use

We all want to be healthier, but it is sometimes hard to know what is good for you.听The holiday period is a great time to start to think about what is healthy for you. This book is a straightforward, honest and common-sense way to get great evidence-based information across a range of health-related issues. It is clear and scientifically backed and draws on the expertise of Australian health researchers.听 If you are keen to change your relationship with alcohol or听drugs听then the chapter on this topic is a good place to start.听 It may also arm you with the facts to win the occasional family Christmas argument.听What could be better than that?

By Geraldine Brooks (2002)听Recommended by Associate Professor听Teresa Davis,听marketing and听consumer听behaviour academic听

My repeat reading has been Year of Wonders. It's about the little Derbyshire village of听Eyam听during the 17^th听century held in the ravages of the Black Plague. It is amazingly timeless in its examination of human behaviour and response to catastrophic pandemic, yet buoyant in its description of the courageous act of the self-quarantining village and its consequences. The villagers find humanity beyond the ravages of the Black Death. It made me think of how little has changed in the four centuries of human response鈥�the stigma, the extraordinary acts of courage and compassion described in the book - based loosely on real life events - echoed some of what we have seen in the past two years in COVID-19 times. It helped me think of the BC (Beyond Corona) and of the hope of redemption and of lives built from and out of the ashes of a pandemic. A tale of hope ultimately.听

By George P贸lya (1945)听Recommended by Professor听Geordie Williamson, director of Sydney Mathematical Research Institute听

I love this delightful little book about how to solve problems. P贸lya was a master of听problem-solving. One can even view him in action on听, lecturing to students at Stanford University.听I've had this book on my shelf for years and keep reading and rereading it. I sometimes forget it is there. I recently rediscovered it and reread it again. Suffice to say I'd forgotten almost all his wisdom!听

VAXXERS: The Inside Story of the AstraZeneca Vaccine and the Race Against the Virus by听Professor Sarah Gilbert and Dr Catherine Green听(2021)听Recommended by Professor听Julie Leask, social scientist and vaccination specialist听

Bedtime reading about vaccination was not something I planned this year. Night-time was for mentally getting away from the topic that has been the focus of my research career. I mostly like reading biographies. Yet as NSW began to emerge from the long winter lockdown in October, I made a luxurious wander through Abbey鈥檚 Bookshop in Sydney听and saw this听intriguing title.

Vaxxers听begins with Catherine Green on a camping trip. She is taking a short break from the most intense period of her professional life; with her team developing the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine against COVID-19. She finds herself chatting with a fellow camper and the conversation strays to the vaccines: the fellow camper鈥檚 worry about the 鈥渕ercury and other toxic chemicals鈥�, about her lack of trust, and her belief 鈥渢hey鈥� don鈥檛 tell the truth. As Catherine observed, 鈥渂ut I am them鈥� and standing by that pizza van on a field in north-western Wales, she decided to write this book. This book takes us into the lab and down the test tube. It shows the care, fastidiousness, and exacting nature of a highly regulated process that is designed to produce the safest and most effective vaccines possible.

The Address Book:听What Street Addresses Reveal About Identity, Race, Wealth and Power听by Deirdre Mask听(2020)鈥�听Recommended by Professor听Bill Pritchard, geographer and Head of School, Geosciences听

Until reading this book, I never thought听to ask the question why addresses exist. But in this book, Deirdre Mask tells the history of how street addresses came into being. Not to plot-spoil the saga too much, but it was part extension of the state (no taxation without a way of sending tax bills), part social climbing (a street address can bring cachet) and part navigation (that place where the bakers are we should call Baker Street). At different points in history,鈥痶he imposition of street addresses听was听accompanied by riots, as citizens saw this as their freedoms trampled. But in the final chapters of this book, Mask arcs听forward听to the present, and asks what it鈥檚 like not to have an address. In the slums of Kolkata and the homeless kerbsides of New York, not having an address means not being able to access social services. And in the backwoods of West Virginia, not having an address was seen as a libertarian badge of honour until people found they couldn鈥檛 get Amazon deliveries. This is a great geographical journey through the most assumed of commonplace things.听

By Trent Dalton (2021)听Recommended by Professor听Kate Jolliffe, synthetic chemist鈥�听

鈥�听I loved reading this book because Trent Dalton听can听invoke such strong emotions through the written page. This collection of real-life love stories told through the voice of an expert storyteller really did make me cry and make me laugh 鈥� often within the same page. What better way to escape your own reality than to dive into someone else鈥檚? I learnt that love is so many things to so many people; some of them thought provoking but all of them powerful in their own way (especially in a time of COVID-19).听

By听Rebecca Skloot听(2010)听Recommended by Professor听Liz New,听chemical biologist听

This book tells the human story behind the HeLa cell line,听an immortal line of cells taken听without consent听from the听cancerous听cervix of听African-American听mother听Henrietta Lacks听(HeLa)听in 1951. This cell line听has听been instrumental in countless medical research studies, including work in my research group. I always recommend my research students read the book so that they can better understand the ethical issues of our work and I鈥檝e given it to friends and relatives to help them learn something of the world of research. The book highlights the challenges that arise when there is poor communication between the scientific community and the听public;听something we have seen played out time and again during the pandemic.听

Calling Bullshit: The Art of Scepticism in a Data-Driven World by Carl T. Bergstrom and Jevin D. West (2021)听Recommended by Professor听Dieter Hochuli, urban ecologist听

I don鈥檛 think I鈥檝e used the phrase 鈥淭his is听bullshit鈥� more than in the听past two years, so when I saw this book on the shelf it was irresistible. It鈥檚 a fascinating blend of science,听scepticism听and common sense, and spoke to my work and personal life. The book is a bit dense, but there鈥檚 also鈥�鈥痑苍诲鈥�鈥痜or those that want to hear its message in a different way. It鈥檚鈥痑 鈥渕ust-read鈥濃�痜or anyone a bit sick of having misleadingly presented data waved in front of them. One side effect has been that I now say 鈥淭his is听bullshit鈥� a lot more than I should. But I鈥檓 saying it with greater appreciation now,听so I guess it鈥檚 win/win.听

Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom by bell hooks (1994)听Recommended by Dr Shawna Tang, Gender and Cultural Studies idealist.

I no longer send prayers to the deceased. As a post-Catholic, I鈥檝e had to reinvent rituals of mourning. And one of these is to spend time reading the work of writers on the day of their passing. As the sad news of bell hooks鈥� death was received around the world, I re-read听Teaching to Transgress.听The book offers a vision of education as听an act of freedom,听outlining the political praxis in very doable terms. hooks says, 鈥淭he classroom remains the most radical space of possibility in the academy.鈥� As higher education is increasingly stifled by narrow ideologies, I turn to the book at the start of each semester for the invigorating gift of hooks鈥� wisdom. Vale, lodestar of our time.

The Code Breaker:听Jennifer听Doudna, Gene Editing and the Future of听the Human Race听by Walter Isaacson听(2021)听Recommended by听Professor听Kathy听Belov, geneticist听and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Global Engagement)听

The Code Breaker听was one of those books I couldn鈥檛 put down once I started. Isaacson tells the story of Jennifer听Doudna,听the discoverer of a听relatively听new technology called CRISPR听鈥� kind of听like genetic scissors听that听allow DNA to be edited. This technology has the potential to change our world.听The听book is a page turner. As a girl, after reading James Watson鈥檚 book听The Double Helix, Doudna decides to become a scientist and we follow her听journey to winning a Nobel听Prize in 2020. We learn about the science, but also competition, ambition and feuds and the boys鈥櫶齝lub that still prevails (sigh!).听

By Richard Powers (Booker Prize nominee 2021)听Recommended by听Paul Giles,听Challis Professor of English听

I have long admired Richard Powers, an American novelist known for his capacity to integrate complex philosophical themes into an engaging and accessible narrative.听Bewilderment听is his latest example of this uncanny skill. Its plot involves a scientist searching for life on other planets and his relationship with his autistic nine-year-old son, while addressing the question of how conventional human society might relate to alien or alternative worlds. Global warming and interplanetary exploration are played off against more mundane affairs such as academic politics and child welfare, with听Bewilderment听adding up to an amusing as well as a thought-provoking read.

By Jeffrey Archer (2018)听Recommended by Professor听Anita Ho-Baillie, John Hooke Chair of听Nanoscience听and solar听energy physicist听

Like all academics, I do a lot of reading and writing as part of my job.听In summer, when I鈥檓 far away from journal articles and grant proposals I like a good fiction to help me switch off. I like any book by Jeffrey Archer since he鈥檚 such a good storyteller and there are听always twists and turns in his books to captivate you. For this summer, you might want to give听Heads You Win听a try, the last Archer book I read. You鈥檒l get your money鈥檚 worth: it took me a while to realise what Jeffrey was doing. I can鈥檛 say anymore without spoiling the story. Don鈥檛 read any synopsis, just dive straight in!听

FUN FACT: Jeffrey Archer鈥檚 wife Mary Archer is an accomplished solar energy听scientist.

By Andy Weir听(2021)听Recommended by Associate Professor听Will听Figueira, marine ecologist

鈥疘 have a weakness for epic听sci-fi and am no stranger to听sweeping听multi-book series.鈥疊ut sometimes it鈥檚 nice to have a story that rapidly evolves, keeps you turning the pages and is wrapped up in a single book.鈥疶hat鈥檚 what I found in Andy Weir鈥檚 latest offering,听Project Hail Mary. He鈥檚 leaned heavily on the formula that worked so well in听The Martian: a听likeable protagonist maintaining an unjustified level of optimism in the face of an impossibly dire situation. The story is peppered with just enough science to keep a grumpy sceptic happy and has a current of positivity throughout. Enjoy!

The Luminous Solution:听Creativity, Resilience and the Inner Life听by Charlotte Wood听(2021)听Recommended by Professor听Stephen Simpson, Academic Director, Charles Perkins Centre听听

Charlotte Wood was our听first听recipient of the听Judy Harris Writer in Residence Fellowship听at the听Charles Perkins Centre,听and this series of reflections on creativity, inspiration, serendipity and more speaks deeply to the shared experience of academic researchers and creative writers. As Charlotte and we discovered during her time embedded at听the听Charles Perkins Centre听when she was writing what became听The Weekend听(published 2019), we are not so different after all.听

By Kazuo Ishiguro (2021) Recommended by Dr Olga Boichak, sociologist of digital media

This book asks profound questions about human relationships with intelligent machines. Set in a not-so-distant future and told by Klara 鈥� an Artificial Friend, it offers a glimpse into the everyday life of a society in which carbon and silicon beings negotiate their values, motivations, and oftentimes competing visions of the future. Essentially, it is a story of both humans and machines coming of age in a hyperconnected world, getting to know and care for each other while facing loneliness and obsolescence. As future visions and predictions shape the present regardless of whether they come true, whose visions will those be?

The Free World: Art and Thought听in听the Cold War by Louis Menand (2021)听Recommended by Professor听Peter Godfrey-Smith, philosopher of science听

I am half-way through Louis Menand鈥檚 monumental (800 page)听The Free World, which charts the course of literature, art, politics and the rest of intellectual culture in the decades after the end of World War II. The chapters about experimental music and popular music are especially good, and the section about publishing and the decline of censorship is unexpectedly riveting. I am in Paris right now, with the mid-century black intellectuals James Baldwin and Richard Wright. No one tells a story like Menand. Highly recommended.

By Benjamin Labatut听(2021)听Recommended by Professor听Elaine Baker, UNESCO Chair of Marine Science听

I heard an interview with the author on听The New York Times听book review podcast and bought the听digital听version straight away. The book turned out to be as interesting as he sounded. It鈥檚 a mix of fact and fiction but reads like a true history of accidental and calculated scientific discoveries that changed the world, often not for the better. The short step from the beautiful Prussian blue to the terrifying Zyklon B听poison gas, how the abstraction of听maths听can send you mad, the quantum uncertainty that Einstein found so soulless and more. You don鈥檛 need to be a scientist to enjoy the book because it鈥檚 really about people and our ability to not notice it鈥檚 all going to hell! But there is hope, or at least escape, in the natural world. Happy summer reading.

Bby Kim Stanley Robinson听(2021)听Recommended by Associate Professor听Kurt Iveson, human geographer

The emerging genre of climate fiction is full of dystopian projections of a climate-changed future. But Kim Stanley Robinson鈥檚 novel The听Ministry for the Future听is a different kind of work. It imagines the creation of a UN Ministry established under the auspices of the Paris Agreement to advocate for the world鈥檚 future generations. As Robinson likes to say, the folks in the Ministry treat the climate crisis as an 鈥榓ll-hands-on-deck鈥� situation. We follow their various efforts to re-engineer the economy and the environment to prevent a climate collapse, in a book that eschews both romanticism and nihilism and certainly forced me to think differently about our present. You can listen to Robinson鈥檚 recent听

Geisha of Gion:听The听True听Story of Japan鈥檚听Foremost听Geisha by听Mineko Iwasaki听(2002)听Recommended by Professor听Frans听Verstraten, Head of School, Psychology听

Some say you need to have read Arthur Golden鈥檚听Memoirs听Of听A听Geisha鈥痜irst, but I think this book can be read on its own. This non-fiction work听gives you a look into听a very interesting hidden culture that still exists听(possibly)听in Japan. Written by a top former听geisha who got herself into trouble many times,听as听hidden cultures like to remain hidden!听Iwasaki听is also a听forthright personality听with a very strong mind. Prince Charles, when听meeting her while听visiting Japan,听will never forget the embarrassment. Find out what happened!听