A Double Shot of Happiness by Judy Sharp

$32.99 AUD

Category: Biography & Memoir

Tim Sharp and his magnificent creation, Laser Beak Man, are now major names in the world of international art. But the journey to this point has been an extraordinary one. When Judy Sharp took her three-year-old son Tim to a paediatric specialist, he was diagnosed with autism so severe that she was told he would never be able to talk or learn to live in a normal household, and that he was incapable of love, even towards his own mother. The advice at the time was that he would be better off in an institution.Just over twenty years later, Tim's joyful artworks and drawings involving his superhero, Laser Beak Man, have been exhibited around the world. From the Powerhouse in Brisbane to the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney to the Museum of Modern Art in New York, some of the world's greatest galleries have showcased Tim and his amazing career. Laser Beak Man's appeal is so widespread it's gone on to inspire, among other things, an eight-part animated children's TV series and a Broadway play in New York.A Double Shot of Happiness (from the title of one of Tim's favourite artworks) is Judy's beautiful and heartfelt account of Tim's odyssey from that terrible diagnosis to his emergence as an acclaimed artist and a fulfilled, loving and loved young man. It's a story that has involved many hurdles, moments of despair and incredible hard work from Tim, Judy, his brother Sam and all those who have helped them, but that is ultimately moving, inspiring and triumphant. ...Show more

A Promised Land by Barack Obama

$59.99 AUD

$65.00 (7% off)

Category: Biography & Memoir | Reading Level: Easy

In the stirring, highly anticipated first volume of his presidential memoirs, Barack Obama tells the story of his improbable odyssey from young man searching for his identity to leader of the free world, describing in strikingly personal detail both his political education and the landmark moments of th e first term of his historic presidency - a time of dramatic transformation and turmoil.  ...Show more

A Repurposed Life by Ronni Kahn

$32.99 AUD

Category: Biography & Memoir

'From the founder of OzHarvest, an ebullient, generous memoir with an exhilarating message.' ANNABEL CRABB 'Brimming with energy, altruism and refreshing candour' QUENTIN BRYCE 'The inspiring story of a woman with a big heart who dared to make a difference. This is a must-read book. I couldn't put it do wn.' ITA BUTTROSE 'Ronni Kahn is a force of nature. She has taught so many of us about the importance of embracing community and compassion through offering and sharing our food to those most vulnerable in our society.' KYLIE KWONG 'You don't get used to living permanently behind the eight ball - no matter how long you've done it, it doesn't get easier. There's a constant sense of shame that eats away at you, making you feel that you're just not good enough. Some people are so poor that they can't even afford to feel shame. Ronni Kahn, through her work with OzHarvest, does the very thing that offers hope to those in the poverty trap: restore dignity and remove shame. This is her story.' JIMMY BARNES Life throws us mysterious ingredients. If we are brave enough to put the recipe aside and experiment, it's right there that things get interesting. As the owner of a successful events company, throwing away huge volumes of leftover food at the end of the day came with the territory. But when Ronni Kahn hit midlife, she found herself no longer able to turn a blind eye to her food waste problem. Hand delivering the untouched food to homeless shelters around Sydney became her renegade solution. Little did she know that fixing her small problem at work would lead her to unlock a hidden purpose at the very core of her inner life. Now founder and CEO of the food rescue organisation OzHarvest, Ronni leads hundreds of staff and thousands of volunteers with the goal to nourish Australia. She serves in an advisory capacity to government and is an instrumental leader in changing federal laws to improve social justice and environmental policies. A Repurposed Life is the story of how Ronni found her voice, her heart and her deepest calling. From her early years growing up under the brutal system of apartheid South Africa, to a socialist commune in Israel, Ronni finally settled in Australia to discover a profound new way of living. Shared with the humour, warmth and energy that have made her an internationally renowned keynote speaker, this heartfelt exploration of the choices that define us will speak to anyone seeking a more passionate expression of being alive.   ...Show more

Able (PB) by Dylan Alcott

$32.99 AUD

Category: Biography & Memoir

The incredible life of an astonishing athlete and now disability advocate - fully updated to include Wimbledon and French Open wins and moreDylan Alcott has never let his disability get in the way of what he wanted to achieve.His family treated him no differently to any other kid, and it was the best th ing they ever did. Growing up, Dylan always had a positive attitude to life. So when he discovered sport, he'd have a go at anything and could always be found at the centre of the action, giving his best and playing to win. Then he tried wheelchair basketball and tennis and was hooked.Fast forward ten years or so, and the now three-time Paralympic gold medallist, Order of Australia recipient, world No 1 tennis champion, Logie winner and philanthropist combines elite sport with a love for music (he's a radio announcer and host of music show The Set and is famous for his crowd surfing). But Dylan's greatest passion is changing the way those with disabilities are perceived, and to inspire young people - whether they have disabilities or are able-bodied - to achieve their dreams. It's a passion that drives him every day of his life.In this fully updated edition of Able, which includes stories about his latest achievements, including Wimbledon and the French Open, Dylan shares his story. It's the tale of someone who's proud of who he is, who has a go, does everything with heart and soul, who always sees the upside and never takes himself too seriously. As inspiring, honest and funny as its author, Able proves that for every one thing you can't do, there are 10,000 other things that you can. ...Show more

Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

$16.99 AUD

Category: Biography & Memoir | Reading Level: good

Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl is not just a true story but also a piece of history. Written by Anne Frank for herself, at the age of 13, the diary contains candid and intimate details of Anne's thoughts and feelings during the two years of the Second World War she and her family and friends stay ed hidden. Anne and her family were eventually arrested and sent to the concentration camps, but her diary remains a testament of youthful experiences in times of war. ...Show more

Born to Run by Cathy Freeman

$17.99 AUD

Category: Biography & Memoir

When Cathy Freeman won gold at the Sydney Olympics, she became a champion, everyone loved her and everyone knew her. But she wasn't always famous. Ages 9+.

Carpathia by Jay Ludowyke

$32.99 AUD

Category: Biography & Memoir

In the early hours of 15 April 1912, the Cunard steamship Carpathia receives a distress call from the new White Star liner Titanic. Captain Arthur Rostron immediately turns Carpathia northwest and sails full speed through the dark night, into waters laden with icebergs, on a rescue mission that will bec ome legendary. Almost a century later, Carpathia's wreck has finally been located. She's over 500 feet down and only a few divers in the world can attain these depths. Among them is Englishman Ric Waring's team. In this captivating and intensively researched story, we follow the dual narratives of Rostron and the daring rescue of the Titanic survivors by Carpathia, and of Waring's team and their dangerous determination to reach the wreck. Rich in history and drama, the true story of Carpathia from her launching to the sensational events of 1912, World War I and beyond is a compelling narrative that moves at the page-turning pace of the very best fiction. ...Show more

Cristiano Ronaldo - The Biography by Guillem Balague

$22.99 AUD

Category: Biography & Memoir

The definitive biography of Cristiano Ronaldo, named Football Book of the Year at the Cross Sports Book Awards 2016 Fully updated to include the 2017-18 season and Ronaldo's transfer to Juventus Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest footballers of all time, a dream he pursued from the age of just t welve when he left his humble origins on Madeira behind. It wasn't long before he had the biggest clubs in Europe knocking on his door, but it was Manchester United who won the race for his signature. Under the tutelage of Sir Alex Ferguson, Ronaldo developed into the complete footballer and athlete, winning three league titles and a Champions League along the way. He then became the biggest galáctico of them all when he transferred to Real Madrid for a record-breaking fee. Unprecedented success in the Champions League and a record-equalling five Ballons d'Or followed, before his sensational move to Juventus in the summer of 2018. Guillem Balagué, respected football journalist and expert on the Spanish game, provides the definitive account of a twenty-first-century footballing icon. ...Show more

Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics by Dolly Parton

$59.99 AUD

Category: Biography & Memoir

Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics is a landmark celebration of the remarkable life and career of a country music and pop culture legend. As told by Dolly Parton in her own inimitable words, explore the songs that have defined her journey. Illustrated throughout with previously unpublished imag es from Dolly Parton's personal and business archives. Mining over 60 years of songwriting, Dolly Parton highlights 150 of her songs and brings readers behind the lyrics. Packed with never-before-seen photographs and classic memorabilia - Explores personal stories, candid insights, and myriad memories behind the songs Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics reveals the stories and memories that have made Dolly a beloved icon across generations, genders, and social and international boundaries.   ...Show more

Eat Pray Love: Bloomsbury Modern Classics by Elizabeth Gilbert

$17.99 AUD

Category: Biography & Memoir

A beautiful new limited edition paperback of Eat Pray Love, published as part of the Bloomsbury Modern Classics list To travel is worth any cost or sacrifice. I am loyal and constant in my love for travel, as I have not always been loyal and constant in my other loves. Newly divorced journalist Elizabet h Gilbert is struggling to carve out an authentic identity in New York. Desperate to reinvigorate her life and connect with the world around her, she embarks on a modern-day pilgrimage. With warmth and humour, Gilbert chronicles a journey from Italy to India and, finally, to Bali. Each country serves as a vivid backdrop for self-exploration as she comes to terms with the choices that have hitherto defined her life, and begins to rediscover herself. ...Show more

Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover

$19.99 AUD

Category: Biography & Memoir | Reading Level: very good

'Educated is a remarkable memoir of a young woman raised in a survivalist family in Idaho who strives for education while still showing great understanding and love for the world she leaves behind.' - BARACK OBAMA Tara Westover grew up preparing for the End of Days, watching for the sun to darken, for t he moon to drip as if with blood. She spent her summers bottling peaches and her winters rotating emergency supplies, hoping that when the World of Men failed, her family would continue on, unaffected. She hadn't been registered for a birth certificate. She had no school records because she'd never set foot in a classroom, and no medical records because her father didn't believe in doctors or hospitals. According to the state and federal government, she didn't exist. As she grew older, her father became more radical, and her brother, more violent. At sixteen Tara decided to educate herself. Her struggle for knowledge would take her far from her Idaho mountains, over oceans and across continents, to Harvard and to Cambridge. Only then would she wonder if she'd travelled too far. If there was still a way home. EDUCATED is an account of the struggle for self-invention. It is a tale of fierce family loyalty, and of the grief that comes with the severing of the closest of ties. With the acute insight that distinguishes all great writers, from her singular experience Westover has crafted a universal coming-of-age story that gets to the heart of what an education is and what it offers: the perspective to see one's life through new eyes, and the will to change it. Shortlisted for the 2018 BAMB Readers' Awards · Recommended as a summer read by Antony Beevor, India Knight, Blake Morrison and Nina Stibbe 'A memoir to stand alongside classics by the likes of Jeanette Winterson and Lorna Sage ... a compelling and ultimately joyous account of self-determination' - Sunday Times ...Show more

Eleven Bats: A Story of Combat, Cricket and the SAS by Anthony 'Harry' Moffitt

$34.99 AUD

Category: Biography & Memoir

Anthony 'Harry' Moffitt spent more than twenty years in the SAS. His decades of service and his multiple tours in East Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan made him one of the regiment's most experienced and recognised figures.   Alongside the SAS, Harry's other lifetime love is cricket. An improvised game of cr icket was often the circuit-breaker Harry and his team needed after the tension of operations. He began a tradition of organising matches wherever he was sent, whether it was in the mountains of East Timor with a fugitive rebel leader, or on the dusty streets of Baghdad, or in exposed Forward Operating Bases in the hills of Afghanistan. Soldiers, locals and even visiting politicians played in these spontaneous yet often bridge-building games. As part of the tradition, Harry also started to take a cricket bat with him on operational tours, eleven of them in total. They'd often go outside the wire with him and end up signed by those he met or fought alongside. These eleven bats form the basis for Harry's extraordinary memoir. It's a book about combat, and what it takes to serve in one of the world's most elite formations. It's a book about the toll that war takes on soldiers and their loved ones. And it's a book about the healing power of cricket, and how a game can break down borders in even the most desperate of circumstances.     ...Show more