http://www.thepunch.com.au/tags/books/ Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. en Copyright 2012 The Punch penberthyd@newsltd.com.au penberthyd@newsltd.com.au Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:45:28 +0000 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:45:28 +0000 Politics, opinion, world news, sports news, latest news, views, Barack Obama, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Nathan Rees, Malcolm Turnbull, Peter Garrett, Barnaby Joyce, Australian, federal politics, opinion polls, election, The Punch, thepunch, punch ExpressionEngine 1.6.7 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 15 http://www.thepunch.com.au/images/punch-logo-rss.png http://www.thepunch.com.au/ 144 70 Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. Search The Punch keywords http://www.thepunch.com.au/search/ http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/how-plimers-climate-change-book-might-just-work/ Climate change sceptics shouldn’t have to resort to juvenile ‘Gotcha’ tactics to get attention. But Professor Ian Plimer just did. And his target? Schoolteachers. Nice. Prime Minister John Howard aided and abetted him, speaking at the launch of Plimer’s new book, How to Get Expelled from School: A Guide to Climate Change for Pupils, Parents and Punters. The first bit of devious trickery is evident in the title - the ludicrous implication that a student would get kicked out of school for asking questions is just a nod to the conspiracy theorists who think the world’s scientists are engaged in an enormous scam. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Tory Shepherd) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/how-plimers-climate-change-book-might-just-work/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/how-plimers-climate-change-book-might-just-work/#item7362 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:45:28 +0000 Boganomics: Why Bogans Like The Things They Do is another not-quite-scientific look at bogans from the same bastards who brought you Things Bogans Like. This excerpt is brought to you by the sometimes bogan Punch Team. Taking a journey into the bogan mind can be a bewildering experience. The sheer volume of mental tricks and short cuts that the bogan has devised is so daunting that many psychologists prefer to deny that bogan psychology even exists, rather than acknowledge it and delve in. While this denial has no doubt made their lives more comfortable, this book sets out to answer the questions that Ivory Tower Academic Latte Intellectual Arsehole Nobodies (or ITALIANs, for short) are ill equipped to tackle. Let’s begin. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/why-bogans-like-harvey-norman-and-other-mysteries/ Boganomics: Why Bogans Like The Things They Do is another not-quite-scientific look at bogans from the same bastards who brought you Things Bogans Like. This excerpt is brought to you by the sometimes bogan Punch Team. Taking a journey into the bogan mind can be a bewildering experience. The sheer volume of mental tricks and short cuts that the bogan has devised is so daunting that many psychologists prefer to deny that bogan psychology even exists, rather than acknowledge it and delve in. While this denial has no doubt made their lives more comfortable, this book sets out to answer the questions that Ivory Tower Academic Latte Intellectual Arsehole Nobodies (or ITALIANs, for short) are ill equipped to tackle. Let’s begin. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Tory Shepherd) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/why-bogans-like-harvey-norman-and-other-mysteries/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/why-bogans-like-harvey-norman-and-other-mysteries/#item7004 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:45:28 +0000 Boganomics: Why Bogans Like The Things They Do is another not-quite-scientific look at bogans from the same bastards who brought you Things Bogans Like. This excerpt is brought to you by the sometimes bogan Punch Team. Taking a journey into the bogan mind can be a bewildering experience. The sheer volume of mental tricks and short cuts that the bogan has devised is so daunting that many psychologists prefer to deny that bogan psychology even exists, rather than acknowledge it and delve in. While this denial has no doubt made their lives more comfortable, this book sets out to answer the questions that Ivory Tower Academic Latte Intellectual Arsehole Nobodies (or ITALIANs, for short) are ill equipped to tackle. Let’s begin. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Alice-belongs-in-wonderland-not-a-thesis/ Some poncy academic has compiled a book of essays on the philosophy of Alice in Wonderland. It infuriates me when brainiacs do this. I get it. They’re bored of fossicking around in their corduroy jackets, trying to restructure the periodic table or extract metaphysical themes from 17th century poetry, so they cast their brilliant minds over popular culture. And so we get wordy polemics on satire in South Park, the didacticism of Lady Gaga and this beauty: Perspectivism and Tragedy: A Nietzschean Interpretation of Alice’s Adventure. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Tory Shepherd) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Alice-belongs-in-wonderland-not-a-thesis/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Alice-belongs-in-wonderland-not-a-thesis/#item6685 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:45:28 +0000 Boganomics: Why Bogans Like The Things They Do is another not-quite-scientific look at bogans from the same bastards who brought you Things Bogans Like. This excerpt is brought to you by the sometimes bogan Punch Team. Taking a journey into the bogan mind can be a bewildering experience. The sheer volume of mental tricks and short cuts that the bogan has devised is so daunting that many psychologists prefer to deny that bogan psychology even exists, rather than acknowledge it and delve in. While this denial has no doubt made their lives more comfortable, this book sets out to answer the questions that Ivory Tower Academic Latte Intellectual Arsehole Nobodies (or ITALIANs, for short) are ill equipped to tackle. Let’s begin. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/this-is-one-of-the-hardest-columns-ive-ever-written/ “Good grief!” said the goose. “Well, well!” said the pig. “Who cares?” said the sheep. “So what?” said the horse. “What next?” said the cow. This is the hardest column I’ve tackled in a long time. For days, I’ve taken different angles. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Tory Shepherd) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/this-is-one-of-the-hardest-columns-ive-ever-written/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/this-is-one-of-the-hardest-columns-ive-ever-written/#item6637 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:45:28 +0000 Boganomics: Why Bogans Like The Things They Do is another not-quite-scientific look at bogans from the same bastards who brought you Things Bogans Like. This excerpt is brought to you by the sometimes bogan Punch Team. Taking a journey into the bogan mind can be a bewildering experience. The sheer volume of mental tricks and short cuts that the bogan has devised is so daunting that many psychologists prefer to deny that bogan psychology even exists, rather than acknowledge it and delve in. While this denial has no doubt made their lives more comfortable, this book sets out to answer the questions that Ivory Tower Academic Latte Intellectual Arsehole Nobodies (or ITALIANs, for short) are ill equipped to tackle. Let’s begin. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Life-will-be-swede-when-I-pen-my-allegorical-bestseller/ It’s every hack journo’s secret fantasy to pen a novel. Given that it can only be a matter of months until some upper-management genius develops a business model for the ailing print media industry that involves we human content providers being replaced with 100 monkeys (uncomplaining langurs based in a Mumbai cubicle farm, no doubt) sat in front of 100 typewriters, I’ve decided to start work on a book that will generate me some J.K. Rowlingesque coin. It’s going to be what we literary types call “allohistory” (aka alternative history). In this genre it’s traditional to write about how things would have turned out if the Nazis won WWII but that particular mule has been whipped to death, so I’m spinning a yarn about would have happened if Sweden, following the economic shocks and stagnation of the ’70s, had lurched to the Left. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Tory Shepherd) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Life-will-be-swede-when-I-pen-my-allegorical-bestseller/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Life-will-be-swede-when-I-pen-my-allegorical-bestseller/#item6520 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:45:28 +0000 Boganomics: Why Bogans Like The Things They Do is another not-quite-scientific look at bogans from the same bastards who brought you Things Bogans Like. This excerpt is brought to you by the sometimes bogan Punch Team. Taking a journey into the bogan mind can be a bewildering experience. The sheer volume of mental tricks and short cuts that the bogan has devised is so daunting that many psychologists prefer to deny that bogan psychology even exists, rather than acknowledge it and delve in. While this denial has no doubt made their lives more comfortable, this book sets out to answer the questions that Ivory Tower Academic Latte Intellectual Arsehole Nobodies (or ITALIANs, for short) are ill equipped to tackle. Let’s begin. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/icb-steamy-romance-novels-are-bad-for-your-health/ Welcome to this week’s I Call Bullshit. Get ready to get steamy. The hot topic du jour is romance novels and the apparent threat they cause to women’s sexual health. A UK medical journal has published a piece from ‘agony aunt’ Susan Quilliam arguing that bodice-ripper romantic fiction is discouraging condom use and giving women crazy ideas about orgasms. Before we go any further, let’s have some gratuitous ‘literary’ sex scenes, just to give you the flavour. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Tory Shepherd) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/icb-steamy-romance-novels-are-bad-for-your-health/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/icb-steamy-romance-novels-are-bad-for-your-health/#item6235 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:45:28 +0000 Boganomics: Why Bogans Like The Things They Do is another not-quite-scientific look at bogans from the same bastards who brought you Things Bogans Like. This excerpt is brought to you by the sometimes bogan Punch Team. Taking a journey into the bogan mind can be a bewildering experience. The sheer volume of mental tricks and short cuts that the bogan has devised is so daunting that many psychologists prefer to deny that bogan psychology even exists, rather than acknowledge it and delve in. While this denial has no doubt made their lives more comfortable, this book sets out to answer the questions that Ivory Tower Academic Latte Intellectual Arsehole Nobodies (or ITALIANs, for short) are ill equipped to tackle. Let’s begin. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/aussie-actors-unite-we-grew-here-you-flew-here/ Imagine if the construction workers union, the CFMEU, issued a statement calling for Maoris and Islanders to be banned from working in the building industry. Or if the white-collar Australian Services Union demanded an end to all those pesky Indians stealing our jobs in IT. They would be howled down as racist protectionists, accused of taking the nation back to the dark days of the White Australia Policy, offending the principles of inclusion and diversity by denying people from other countries a chance to settle and work here. It might be 2011 but the actors and journalists’ union, the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance, has this week launched a campaign which is the artistic equivalent of legislating to keep the kanaks off the canefields in the early 20th century. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Tory Shepherd) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/aussie-actors-unite-we-grew-here-you-flew-here/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/aussie-actors-unite-we-grew-here-you-flew-here/#item6165 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:45:28 +0000 Boganomics: Why Bogans Like The Things They Do is another not-quite-scientific look at bogans from the same bastards who brought you Things Bogans Like. This excerpt is brought to you by the sometimes bogan Punch Team. Taking a journey into the bogan mind can be a bewildering experience. The sheer volume of mental tricks and short cuts that the bogan has devised is so daunting that many psychologists prefer to deny that bogan psychology even exists, rather than acknowledge it and delve in. While this denial has no doubt made their lives more comfortable, this book sets out to answer the questions that Ivory Tower Academic Latte Intellectual Arsehole Nobodies (or ITALIANs, for short) are ill equipped to tackle. Let’s begin. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-break-up-industry-is-totally-out-of-hand/ So the love of your life has just broken your heart into a million tiny pieces. Never fear. Help is just a click away. You too can mend the hole in your soul for as little as $9.95 (plus postage and handling). Self-help books might seem, like, so 2007, but rest assured, there’s still heaps available online. If you’re on a deadline, try How to Mend a Broken Heart in 30 Days. Or maybe you’re after something a little more drastic. They say the Amazon best seller, Exorcising Your Ex is a real head-turner. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Tory Shepherd) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-break-up-industry-is-totally-out-of-hand/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-break-up-industry-is-totally-out-of-hand/#item5959 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:45:28 +0000 Boganomics: Why Bogans Like The Things They Do is another not-quite-scientific look at bogans from the same bastards who brought you Things Bogans Like. This excerpt is brought to you by the sometimes bogan Punch Team. Taking a journey into the bogan mind can be a bewildering experience. The sheer volume of mental tricks and short cuts that the bogan has devised is so daunting that many psychologists prefer to deny that bogan psychology even exists, rather than acknowledge it and delve in. While this denial has no doubt made their lives more comfortable, this book sets out to answer the questions that Ivory Tower Academic Latte Intellectual Arsehole Nobodies (or ITALIANs, for short) are ill equipped to tackle. Let’s begin. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Hicks-aint-no-che-guevara/ Late Sunday night it was revealed on Twitter - by a well-known TV presenter whom I assume approved - that David Hicks had just received a standing ovation at the Sydney Writers’ Festival. I wanted to know what they were cheering and tweeted: “Fact he abandoned wife and kids? Fact he thought OBL terrific bloke?” There was no answer, but soon after another tweet arrived, from a complete stranger, saying: “God I am so glad you said that… I am no right wing jerk BUT I draw the line.” feedback@thepunch.com.au (Tory Shepherd) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Hicks-aint-no-che-guevara/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Hicks-aint-no-che-guevara/#item5903 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:45:28 +0000 Boganomics: Why Bogans Like The Things They Do is another not-quite-scientific look at bogans from the same bastards who brought you Things Bogans Like. This excerpt is brought to you by the sometimes bogan Punch Team. Taking a journey into the bogan mind can be a bewildering experience. The sheer volume of mental tricks and short cuts that the bogan has devised is so daunting that many psychologists prefer to deny that bogan psychology even exists, rather than acknowledge it and delve in. While this denial has no doubt made their lives more comfortable, this book sets out to answer the questions that Ivory Tower Academic Latte Intellectual Arsehole Nobodies (or ITALIANs, for short) are ill equipped to tackle. Let’s begin. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/go-the-f-k-to-sleep.-what-parents-really-want-to-say/ We parents do it tough these days. Seems there’s no aspect of child rearing which doesn’t attract a “tssk tssk” from some know-it-all with a bunch of letters after their name. But we’re about to have the last laugh, thanks to a brilliant new book. Go the F—k to Sleep hasn’t even been released yet, but has soared to number one on Amazon based purely on pre-orders. It’s no biggie why. The book taps into the belief that our children are mollycoddled to death – something many of us feel, but dare not speaketh lest we break the delicate eggshell of acceptable modern parenting. As the book’s title alludes, sometimes enough is enough. When the bed has been tucked, bedtime stories read and lullabies sung, it’s over. It’s time to go the f—k to sleep and give mummy and daddy some mummy and daddy time. And there’s plenty more mummy and daddy would like to say too… feedback@thepunch.com.au (Tory Shepherd) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/go-the-f-k-to-sleep.-what-parents-really-want-to-say/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/go-the-f-k-to-sleep.-what-parents-really-want-to-say/#item5858 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:45:28 +0000 Boganomics: Why Bogans Like The Things They Do is another not-quite-scientific look at bogans from the same bastards who brought you Things Bogans Like. This excerpt is brought to you by the sometimes bogan Punch Team. Taking a journey into the bogan mind can be a bewildering experience. The sheer volume of mental tricks and short cuts that the bogan has devised is so daunting that many psychologists prefer to deny that bogan psychology even exists, rather than acknowledge it and delve in. While this denial has no doubt made their lives more comfortable, this book sets out to answer the questions that Ivory Tower Academic Latte Intellectual Arsehole Nobodies (or ITALIANs, for short) are ill equipped to tackle. Let’s begin.