Time to check in on the best new works from the book world. If you feel the need for self help, there’s a decidedly fresh take on the genre, you can also lose yourself in warped reality, peek into the mind of Oliver Sacks, uncover the fascinating and colourful language of our convict past and be absorbed in the defining text of the #MeToo era. Here’s the selection for this weekend.
The Need, The Existentialist’s Survival Guide, And How Are You, Doctor Sacks?, James Hardy Vaux’s 1819 Dictionary of Criminal Slang and Women, Men & the Whole Damn Thing are the top picks for this weekend.
The Need by Helen Phillips
Molly is a strung out mother, trying to keep on top of an increasingly stressful home and work life. She’s confronted by a stranger who somehow knows everything about her life, leading to her to confront her deepest fears. More at Penguin.
The Existentialist’s Survival Guide by Gordon Marino, Ph.D.
In this modern survival guide, Marino examines the work of philosophical heavyweights like Satre, Nietzsche and Kierkegaard, reframing their existential thought for the travails of the new millenium. More details at Harper One.
Women, Men & the Whole Damn Thing by David Leser
An expansion from the seminal Good Weekend cover story, this is an essential investigation into misogyny and the impact of the patriarchy. Leser eventually turns his gaze inward to examine his own privilege while exploring the options for moving forward. For more, visit Allen & Unwin.
And How Are You, Doctor Sacks?: A Biographical Memoir of Oliver Sacks by Lawrence Weschler
This is Weschler’s account of a deep and abiding friendship with Oliver Sacks, the influential neurologist and writer, laying bare Sacks’ undying hunger for exploring the human soul. Visit Pan Macmillan for more information.
James Hardy Vaux’s 1819 Dictionary of Criminal Slang by Simon Barnard
In the days not long after European arrival, colonial authorities were often flummoxed by the coded language of the convicts. Mr Vaux came upon the idea to compile a dictionary of this slang for understanding the criminal classes. It’s supplemented by Barnard’s illustrations and accounts from individual convicts. See Text for more.
