Are you curious about how germs have shaped human history?
Perhaps you’d rather be swept away in the retellings of Greek mythologies, follow aged care residents solving murder mysteries, take a close up view of the life and work of George Orwell’s wife, or walk with an author exploring the brutal truths about his ancestors and their part in the colonisation of Australia.
In the eighth annual Fellows’ reading, listening and viewing list, our Fellows reveal the broad array of topics—across books, podcasts and TV—that have captured their attention in 2023.
Below is a snapshot of this year’s recommendations.
Recommended by Professor Tony Basten AO FAA FTSE: A must-read for all fans of George Orwell (Eric Blair). Wifedom speaks to the unsung work of women everywhere today, while offering a breathtakingly intimate view of one of the most important literary marriages of the 20th century. It is a book that speaks to our present moment as much as it illuminates the past.
Recommended by Professor Robyn Williams AO FAA: The book is about the ‘invisible’ wife of George Orwell. Anna is a magnificent writer who investigates the seemingly unreachable evidence like the true daughter of a great scientist that she is.
Recommended by Professor Barbara Nowak FAA: This is an amazing book about forest canopies and their biodiversity and the woman who pioneered this research and did everything she could to do this, including sampling from a cherry picker bucket while pregnant. From researcher and explorer to storyteller, educator and mentor, [Meg Lowman] is now active in global forest conservation, promoting sustainability and forest stewardship. While many of her life stories will be very familiar to women scientists, the scientific content of the book and the fieldwork adventures will excite all readers.
Recommended by Emeritus Professor David Smyth FAA: This is an absorbing biography of South Australian geologist and entrepreneur Reg Sprigg (1919–1994). He was the first to report Australian fossils of multi-cellular organisms now known as members of the Ediacaran fauna, defining a new period of geological time—the Ediacaran (635–538.8 my ago), with the base marked by a golden spike in the northern Flinders Ranges. Never a conventional geologist, he published his Ediacaran record in the Transactions of the Royal Society of SA in 1947 (current impact factor 0.8), only ever received an honorary doctorate, promoted oil and gas exploration including the Gidgealpa/Moomba gas field, and contrarily established the Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary in the Northern Flinders Ranges.
Recommended by Professor Jennifer Martin AC FAA who writes: Yes, I'm spruiking my own book! Well, it was a big hit at the public lecture I gave in Melbourne this year. If protein crystals aren't your thing, the That's RAD! SCIENCE series has another four science books, all written for children, by women scientists. And they'll soon all be available for free online.
Recommended by Professor Cynthia Whitchurch FAA: Matters Microbial is a podcast that discusses the wonders of microbiology with the microbiologists that study them. It provides remarkable insights into the latest microbiology research and the enthusiasm of the scientists for their work.
Recommended by Professor the Honourable Barry Jones AC FAA FTSE FAHA FASSA: A third series of Slow Horses, a series about intense and dirty competition among spy agencies, starring Gary Oldman and Kristin Scott-Thomas, both at the top of their form, began in November 2023 on Apple TV+. Fortunately, rivalry and dirty tricks are unknown in the Australian scientific community, but, nevertheless, don’t miss it!
Hungry for more? See what our Fellows recommended in:
© 2024 Australian Academy of Science
