Collection: Adult Non Fiction - Society and Beliefs

Written by a young man who was once at risk of falling for the allure of extremism, Why Young Men is a book of ideas that offers a counterintuitive, often provocative argument for a sea change in the way we look at young men.

The Wife Drought is about women, men, family and work. It's full of candid and funny stories from the author's work in and around politics and the media, historical nuggets about the role of ?The Wife' in Australia, and intriguing research about the attitudes that pulse beneath the surface of ega...

From climbing trees and making dens, to building sandcastles and pond-dipping, many of the activities we associate with a happy childhood take place outdoors. And yet, the reality for many contemporary children is very different. The studies tell us that we are raising a generation who are so ali...

We love wayward children in literature. Not so much in life. When Sally Rippin discovered her child was struggling to read, children's author assumed it would sort itself out over time. She couldn't have been more wrong. Her son's dyslexia and ADHD went undiagnosed for years, leaving him further ...

What was it like to be involved in the heady days of 'second wave' feminism in Australia, when the role of women at home and at work changed decisively? Iola Mathews was one of the founders of the Women's Electoral Lobby, a journalist at The Age, and later a leading ACTU advocate for women worker...

From Socrates to Thoreau, most philosophers, moralists, and religious leaders have seen frugality as a virtue and have associated simple living with wisdom, integrity, and happiness. But why? And are they right? Is a taste for luxury fundamentally misguided? If one has the means to be a spendthri...

"The witch came to prominence--and often a painful death--in early modern Europe, yet her origins are much more geographically diverse and historically deep. In this landmark book, Ronald Hutton traces witchcraft from the ancient world to the early-modern stake. This book sets the notorious Europ...

Salem, King James VI, Malleus Maleficarum. The world of witch hunts and witch trials sounds antiquated, relics of an unenlightened and brutal age. However, 'witch hunt' is heard often in the present-day media, and the misogyny it is rooted in is all too familiar today. A woman was prosecuted unde...

What is witchcraft? What is paganism? And why are these ancient practices still with us? Alternative spiritual beliefs are attracting increasing numbers of followers in Australia and around the world. Focusing on Wicca, or witchcraft, Lynne Hume explores some of the mystery surrounding the divers...