The Craftsman

The Craftsman is an exploration of why making things matters — not just to experts, but to everyone. Richard Sennett argues that craftsmanship is simply “the desire to do a job well for its own sake.” Whether you’re building a violin, cooking a meal, coding software, or writing a memoir, the same principles apply: patience, care, practice, and curiosity.

Sennett shows how creativity grows through hands-on work, repetition, and the quiet satisfaction of improving something over time. He reminds us that skill isn’t born from talent alone — it develops through attention and staying with a task long enough to understand it from the inside.

The book’s message is that craftsmanship is both practical and moral. Good work connects us to others, builds trust, and leaves something meaningful behind. In a world obsessed with speed, Sennett invites us to slow down and rediscover the deeper pleasure of making things well.

It’s a thought-provoking read for anyone who wants to live — and create — with more intention.

The History of Ballarat

 

William Bramwell Withers (1823–1913) was a journalist, historian, and long-time Ballarat resident who became one of the first chroniclers of Victoria’s gold rush. His book, The History of Ballarat, From the First Pastoral Settlement to the Present Time, was first serialized in the Ballarat Star in 1870 and later expanded into book form, with a revised edition published in 1887. The work remains a foundational text for understanding Ballarat’s transformation from pastoral outpost to thriving gold city. Withers’ research is built from first-hand interviews, local records, and personal recollections of pioneers. The result is both a historical record and a living portrait of the gold era as it was remembered by those who shaped it.

The book traces Ballarat’s evolution from its early European settlement through to the explosive discovery of gold in 1851, the social upheavals that followed, and the city’s eventual growth into a symbol of Victorian prosperity. Withers combines documented fact with local oral history, giving the reader a vivid sense of what life was like in Ballarat’s formative decades. His writing reflects the style of the 19th century—richly descriptive, moral in tone, and unapologetically focused on the settler experience.

The Creative Act: A Way of Being

Rick Rubin’s The Creative Act: A Way of Being (2023) is less of a prescriptive “how-to” manual and more a philosophical meditation on what creativity means, how it works, and how we can live more creative lives. Rubin draws from decades of work producing music across very different genres, and mixes in ideas from mindfulness, presence, and observation. Key ideas:

• Everyone is creative; creativity isn’t a gift reserved only for “artists” or special talent.  
• Creativity is a way of being, not just an act; it involves how we perceive, how present we are, how we allow experience to flow into our work.  
• The role of presence, attention, sensitivity: paying more attention to what draws us, to subtle feeling tones, small everyday details, as opposed to just ideation or output.  
• Working with fear, resistance, imperfection—the idea that part of being creative is moving through self-doubt, messing around, making early drafts, embracing failure.  
• The importance of constraints (limits, boundaries) to focus creativity.  

The Fatal Shore

Robert Hughes ‘The Fatal Shore’ remains the definitive account of Australia’s convict beginnings. With prose as vivid as any novel, Hughes recreates the epic voyages of the First Fleet and the brutal realities of transportation. His gift lies in bringing ships, landscapes, and lives to life, weaving political history with personal voices from journals and letters. While some critics note its romanticism and limited Indigenous perspective, it remains unmatched for readability and atmosphere. For anyone interested in how exile by sea shaped a nation, The Fatal Shore is essential—a history that feels as immediate as story.

The Invention of the Restaurant: Paris and Modern Gastronomic Culture

 

Rebecca L. Spang’s The Invention of the Restaurant isn’t just about restaurants—it’s about what happens when food stops being survival and starts becoming story.

Focusing on late 18th- and early 19th-century Paris, Spang shows how the restaurant emerged not merely as a place to eat, but as a social stage, a democratic ritual, and a new form of public life. In the wake of the French Revolution, as monarchies fell and markets rose, people began to crave not just nourishment—but civility, comfort, and a sense of identity. The restaurant became their theatre.

Spang weaves historical records, menus, pamphlets, and first-person accounts into a tapestry of change:

• From communal mess halls to personal menu choices
• From royal kitchens to entrepreneurial chefs
• From obligation to pleasure

For readers interested in how architecture, service, and social aspiration intersect, this book is a revelation. It’s academic, yes, but never dull. Spang writes with both rigour and flair, treating menus and meal customs as artifacts of personal and political revolution.

The Story of Kent

 

Anne Petrie’s The Story of Kent is a richly illustrated history that explores life in Kent from the earliest times to the modern day. The book recounts pivotal moments in the county’s history, including invasions by Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Vikings, and Normans. It also covers significant events such as the Black Death, the Peasants’ Revolt, the Swing Riots, and the suffragette movement’s activities in Kent. The narrative extends to contemporary issues, discussing challenges faced by traditional industries and the transformation of cross-Channel travel .

Petrie, who holds an MA in History and has chaired the Hythe Local History Group, brings her expertise in social and family history to the forefront, offering readers an engaging and authoritative account of Kent’s past .

Australia’s Immigrants

 

Geoffrey Sherington’s Australia’s Immigrants is a clear, concise, and well-researched exploration of one of the most defining aspects of modern Australia: its people and their origins. In this accessible yet thoughtful account, Sherington charts the waves of migration that have transformed Australia from a British colonial outpost into a richly multicultural society.

Originally published in 1980 and updated in subsequent editions, the book skillfully balances demographic analysis with social and political history. Sherington avoids abstract theorizing, instead anchoring his narrative in real-world events — from post-war reconstruction and the “populate or perish” imperative to the influx of Asian migrants in the late 20th century and debates over multiculturalism.

What distinguishes this work is Sherington’s even-handed tone. He acknowledges the opportunities immigration has brought — economic growth, cultural vibrancy, labour force expansion — while not ignoring the tensions and challenges, such as racism, assimilation pressures, and political backlash. His treatment of immigration policy, particularly the dismantling of the White Australia Policy and the rise of multicultural policy frameworks, is especially insightful.

Though the book is somewhat dated in light of more recent developments — including debates over asylum seekers, refugee intake, and border security — it remains an invaluable primer for students, educators, and general readers seeking to understand how migration has shaped Australia’s national identity.