Staff Book and Media Recommendations

In a Sunburned Country

Bill Bryson

If you have seen Baz Luhmann's "Australia", the most cliche-ridden film since just about any of the "Friday the 13th" releases, then you might be less inclined to read anything about one of the most unique countries in the world. I urge you to reconsider and give Bill Bryson a chance to entice you with his tales of its geographic extremes; "Australia is the driest, flattest, hottest, most desiccated, infertile, and climatically aggressive of the inhabited continents." Its friendly people; "I have never before felt like thanking an entire nation for helping me write a book." And its hostile animal life; "It has more things that will kill you than anywhere else. Of the world's ten most poisonous snakes, all are Australian."

It gets better. After his story of the discovery of the insect called Nothomyrmesia macrops, he remarks, "This is a country that is at once staggeringly empty and yet packed with stuff. Interesting stuff, ancient stuff, stuff not readily explained, stuff yet to be found. Trust me, this is an interesting place."

Trust me, this is an interesting and entertaining read. ~ Allan Goode

Reviewed April 2009