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The flower, paleontologists tell us, is an ancient innovation in the endless struggle of adaptation and survival; the earliest fossil flowers date to some 120 million years ago, long after the arrival of other forms of plant life (and, for that matter, insects). Their arrival heralded a new way for plants to go forth and multiply that was so successful that countless animal and insect species now depend on flowers for food, and flowering plants have spread across the face of the earth.
"We know that flowers are beautiful," writes essayist Sharman Apt Russell in this lyrical exploration of the flowering world. "We forget that they are also essential." In fact, the more we learn about them, the more essential the 250,000 known species of flowering plants appear to be to modern life. Scientists are only now beginning to understand the complex role of flowers in ecosystems, and their studies have turned up surprising discoveries (such as the fact that a single flower can produce more than a hundred chemical compounds, and that plants like the alpine pennycress and sunflower can remove toxic chemicals from earth and water). Russell takes us to laboratories and academic conferences, as well as sun-drenched fields and greenhouses, to relate the science and lore of flowers. She also warns that, with one in three species in the United States alone already at risk, flowers may well prove to be among the first victims of a mounting wave of extinctions.
Russell's poetic book complements standards such as Donald Culross Peattie's Flowering Earth and Peter Tompkins's Secret Life of Plants. Fans of botany, ecology, and plain good writing will find much of value in its pages. --Gregory McNamee
Book Description
An acclaimed nature writer reveals the secret life of flowers.
In Anatomy of a Rose, Sharman Apt Russell eloquently unveils the "inner life" of flowers, showing them to be more individual, more enterprising, and more responsive than we ever imagined. From their diverse fragrances to their nasty deceptions, Russell proves that, where nature is concerned, "wonder is not only our starting point; it can also be our destination." Throughout this botanical journey, she reveals that the science behind these intelligent plants--how they evolved, how they survive, how they heal--is even more awe-inspiring than their fleeting beauty. Russell helps us imagine what a field of snapdragons looks like to a honeybee; she introduces us to flowers that regulate their own temperature, attract pollinating bats, even smell like a rotting corpse.
In this poetic rumination, which combines graceful writing with a scientist's clarity, Russell brings together the work of botanists around the globe, and illuminates a world at once familiar and exotic.
Customer Reviews:
The secret life of flowers.......2006-09-17
This book is more about flowers in general than rose in particular. Russell has clearly researched the subject extensively, and done a very good job of distilling that research into of 230 page book. Russell's book is a precautionary tale - as the author says only one percent of the known flowers have been fully studied, and many will become extinct before we understand them.
Russell frankly discusses what the cost of this extinction to the planet and to humans means; the many plants which have medicinal purposes that will never be discovered. Also, the fact some parmaceutical companies are starting to take a keen interest in preserving the wilderness - but only because of the enormous profit potential from developing and patenting drugs made from these plants.
Flowered plants can teach us a lot, and I recommend this book to any one interested in nature, the history of plants, and the role of plants in evolution.
a rosy read.......2005-10-01
When the prophet Muhammad ascended into heaven, drops of his sweat fell to earth and turned into roses. Apollo, the sun god, transformed a youth he coveted into a hyacinth after Zephyr, the god of the west wind, killed him. The Incas worshipped the sunflower as a symbol of their sun god.
Russell's fine book explains not only how all cultures and peoples have elevated flowers to the realm of the spiritual but also how flowers survived the rampaging dinosaurs and provided our earliest ancestors with their basic physical and spiritual needs: our Neanderthal ancestors buried their dead with blue hyacinth, yellow groundsel, knapweed and yarrow. Even then, we were looking for beauty and something higher than ourselves.
Russell shows us how the physics of beauty allows flowers to serve nature's needs in ways much more miraculous than the more mundane ones of Moses parting the Red Sea or the Greek legend of the North Wind fertilizing wild mares. Such manifestations of the divine are, the author explains, commonplace in the temporal world of flowers.
Russell, for example, shows how flowers are literally the fruit of life. Their pollen is 16-30 percent protein, 1-10 percent fat, and 1-7 percent starch. Because pollen has no sugar and contains a wide variety of vitamins and minerals, bees are on to a very good thing. So too are the flowers because the bees and similar insects spread their seeds far and wide. The same applies to such unattractive specimens as the skunk cabbage, the corpse flower and the stinking goosefoot. Russell's clear prose paints out their survival strategies as eloquently as he does those of other, more beguiling flowers.
Although the fable of the flowers and the bees is the most well known one of mutual dependence and coevolution in nature, Russell lists a breath taking variety of other ones, such as the yucca and yucca moth, which are so perfectly attuned to each other that they remind us of mating swans.
However, as a first rate writer like Russell knows, no good love story is complete without a crown of thorns. Because so many animals like to eat entire plants and not just suck their nectar or collect their pollen, the flowers have to develop effective defense shields. Typical of these is the way the fungus gnat is lured into a trap by flowers that mimic fungi. When the unfortunate gnat leaves the flower covered in pollen, the eggs are left behind to die of eventual starvation. This means there will be fewer gnats in the future to harass the "defenseless" flowers. That is not the only trick the flowers have up their collective sleeves. They use one animal variety to protect them from another variety and then they develop special chemicals to protect themselves against their protectors. And they are past masters of chemical warfare.
Russell's highly recommended book gives countless other examples of the fox being outfoxed. The water lily, for example, offers a banquet Roman in scope and delight to a wide variety of bees, hoverflies and beetles. Then, like the most treacherous lover, it tricks them into serving its own selfish own needs. The water lily is only one of the many examples of particularly strong iron fists being enveloped in very alluring velvet gloves that the author gives.
Perhaps we too, who are so foxy with nature, might end up in a trap of our own making. After regaling us with a lavish banquet that even the water lily might envy, Russell explains that there will be more environmental changes in this century than at any time since the dinosaurs became extinct tens of millions of years ago. Although we might cause the symphony of life and evolution to end sooner rather than later, Russell's fine book makes the point that flowers are probably more adapted for what lies ahead than we are. A cautionary tale, in other words, within a most pleasurable read.
Science + Beauty = Flowers.......2005-01-15
Sharman Russell uses poetic language to explore scientific technicalities of flowers and related natural elements. Some of the more interesting facts revealed in the narrative telescope into the author's personal experiences. Against the backdrop of scientific fact, Anatomy of a Rose explores deeper issues of ecological harmony, sacred aspects of culture, and survival of species. A fascinating read, even for the least scientific of readers.
A reference reading !.......2005-01-09
The flowers are somehow one of the multiple faces of the inscrutable nature . The admirable shapes enlist from the erotic orchid to the sunflower .
The poetry , painting , music , sculpture have empowered of them to magnify and heighten them . From Van Gogh to Rilke their sublime and brief presence has been inspiration motive to countless artists .
The author offers us invaluable appreciations about the flowers poetic .The similes described in the process of pollen ritual are true poems .
The flowers have drawings we can not see and reflect unthinkable colours .
If the flowers wouldn't exist from the human point of view , the world would be dead .
Acquire this singular essay , admirably well written and best expressed .
Science and poetry meet in a rose.......2004-08-19
This wonderful little book is a revelation for anyone who has always seen flowers, but never understood them. Russell writes like a modern day Thoreau, deeply attuned to the beauty and wonder of nature. She marries her aesthetic appreciation of flowers to a scientific understanding of their secret, busy lives. Each chapter is filled to the brim with fascinating facts about how flowers behave - why they smell like they do, how petals and pollen work, even how dinosaurs may have been the midwives to all flowers today.
I read science books all the time, and few have the grace and appeal of this slim volume. Russell makes it clear that to those who will stop and smell the roses, the Earth is always an awe-inspiring garden, even on the darkest of days. A real treasure, I highly recommend it.
Average customer rating:
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Exploring the Secrets of Nature (Readers Digest)
Reader's Digest Editors
Manufacturer: Readers Digest
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 General
| Animals
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| Zoology
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ASIN: 0276421078 |
Average customer rating:
- The Author Should Be Proud
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The Dark Zone: Exploring the Secret World of Caves (Learning Triangle Press)
Stephen P. Kramer
Manufacturer: Mcgraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Rocks & Minerals
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| Ages 9-12
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| Comic Strips
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ASIN: 0070369208 |
Book Description
A group of four kids interested in science (among many other things) learn through the Internet of a vandalized bat cave in Missouri that needs cleaning up. When they decide to help, along with their trusty dog Newton, the adventure-and a lot of batty learning-begins.
Customer Reviews:
The Author Should Be Proud.......2004-06-06
What an excellent children's book! It is full of information on cave formation, cave safety, and tons of other interesting facts. I can't wait to share it with my students. They will love the comic format, as well as the exciting adventures of the black hole gang.
Book Description
A comprehensive guide for ecotourists, gorilla trackers, and all visitors to this troubled but beautiful African nation.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent travel guide for an undervisited country.......2007-01-11
Comprehensive and interesting. Also seems to be the only one on the market.
an enriching guide to Rwanda.......2003-06-12
Janice Booth's Rwanda guide not only is the most updated travel guidebook on Rwanda, but it also goes culturally/historically where the other guidebooks do not go. I spent several weeks in Rwanda in 2003, finding almost all the information in other guidebooks almost completely useless or irrelevant. Due to the genocide, and subsequent arrival of international aid, the entire infrastructure of the country, especially Kigali, had changed, and so the nuts and bolts information of hotels, transport, and other practicalities found in the Bradt guide were of great use.
The personal relationship of the author with Rwandans made it easier for a post-war visitor to understand what the average Rwandan had been through, and the section on "giving back," and what a traveller who had been affected by the country and people could do AFTER visiting the country is something that should be included in a lot of guidebooks.
The only bit of impractical information was that regarding traveller's checks. They are not accepted in banks unless one has an account there, and this is a bit of an obstacle to be surmounted (the national parks office does, and can help with other needs).
A great guide to Rwanda.......2002-08-05
The Bradt Guide is by far the most comprehensive guide to Rwanda that I was able to find. I don't know what I would have done on my trip without it. The book is a mix of background info and travel tips. One good thing to know is that Kigali has added a "5" in front of all the phone numbers since the guide was published.
For all going to Rwanda this guide is a must have!.......2002-05-27
To travel to Africa without a guide, paper or flesh, is a bit looney. But, this month, I found myself in Rwanda in said (and sad) condition. For the first few days I managed to blunder along, until I found and bought this great guide at a hotel side store (of course at a significant mark up).
For the next two weeks Briggs and Booth did a superb job of guiding me along the dirt roads and winding byways (This is the "Land of a thousand hills"). They always explained clearly the world where I wandered. They consistently helped me uncover destination gems that I would have surely overlooked.
Most impressive were their cultural, economic and ecological commentaries. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to traveling with the Office of Tourism across this country while I was working on a medical project for the President's office. I can say that the insights and comments of Briggs and Booth regarding Rwanda are extremely competent and on the mark. Their insight alone makes this book a needed purchase for those that will visit or work in Rwanda.
The 1994 genocide is, of course, briefly covered and the history, heath, culture, people, planning and preparing sections are all informative and full of needed information. Also, for an outstanding book on the 1994 genocide do read; 'We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families' by Philip Gourvitch.
I found Janice Booth's caring and engaging story of her friendship over the years with Peter - a Rwandan Tutsi a wonderful and caring addition. This story is found in the preface and concluded in the epilogue.
The only notable shortcomings are the maps. In today's competitive world of travel guides, good maps are essential. The maps are very basic on only fair. That said this guide is a 'must have' for all who journey to this beautiful and bewildering destination. Highly Recommended. 4.5 stars.
Adventures in Rwanda.......2002-02-25
Having lived in Rwanda for three years, I found Rwanda: the Bradt Travel Guide to be the most comprehensive travel guide available for Rwanda. The authors' knowledge of Rwandan culture and history is extensive, making a visit to this hidden paradise all that much more interesting. While many travelers come to Rwanda to see the last remaining Mountain gorillas (a spectacular trip), this Bradt Guide will help visitors find the rest of the treasures in this incredible country. I encourage a visit to Rwanda, with the Bradt guide in hand.
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Domestic Aesthetic: Household Art 1920-1970
Jean Bernard Hebey
Manufacturer: 5 Continents Editions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
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Decorative Arts
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ASIN: 8874390173 |
Book Description
Covering 370 common household objects, from ice crushers and vacuum cleaners to hair dryers and fans, this book celebrates the variety of housewares produced for the modern home. Each selection is illustrated with a gorgeous, full-color photograph that showcases its unique design and artistic qualities, along with a miniature black-and-white reference picture that supplies essential data, such as the name of the object, country of origin, date, manufacturer, designer, dimensions, and materials used. This catalog of objects will appeal to designers and collectors of housewares.
Book Description
Give Your Golden Retriever the Best Possible Care—for Life!
As a caring Golden Retriever owner, you want the best for your pet. But you may not know all the special steps you need to take to raise a happy, healthy Golden.
Your Golden Retriever's Life was written with one purpose in mind: to give you the most up-to-date information and guidance you need about the health, nutrition, training, and care of your dog. Reviewed by a nationally known veterinarian, this book shows you how to give your Golden the best life possible—whether you've just welcomed a new puppy into your family or adopted an older dog.
Inside—what every Golden Retriever owner wants to know:
·Is a Golden Retriever the right dog for me?
·How much exercise does my Golden need?
·Can my Golden stay home all day without me?
·Do Goldens make good companions for children?
·How do I choose the best food for all stages of my Golden's life?
·What's the best way to house-train my dog?
·Will my Golden get along with my other pets?
·What do I do with my Golden when I go on vacation?
Includes a special section written by renowned training expert Liz Palika.
Customer Reviews:
Low Information Content.......2003-04-20
This book is very long on lauditory rhetoric for golden retrievers, but the density of practical information is low. What and how much should my dog eat? High quality food and enough but not too much. The breeder gave me a little pamphlet issued by Purina that had the same basic information that I got from this book in about 3 pages.
My Dog Schroeder.......2002-09-20
After waiting over two decades to embark on the creation of a Golden Retriever family, I soon found that I was embarking on much more than my first baby's pretty face. Schroeder was a giant handful from the time he was born! My husband said, "What have you adopted, a baby who wants to sleep in our bed and play fetch there too?"
Betsy's text describes quite precisely the nature of our two Golden Retrievers and her advise will ensure that your Golden develops physically and psychologically healthy and you will too--so long as you follow the "rules". Without a thorough understanding of my dog's not only family oriented but, generally, people oriented nature that requires plenty of games and exercise (outside), Schroeder would have continued being very eager to take me anywhere by my shirt, and he probably would have succeeded before he was full grown. So, I consider myself lucky that I outran him to the bookstore beforehand and picked up Betsy's book. We now have a healthy, happy home with two Goldens. Yes, I can now resume graduate school knowing that my "kids" are happy at home without ball and bottle in my hand for several hours per day.
In sum, I recommend this book as a must read for those considering a Golden family member. Again, these dogs are extremely active, loving and family oriented and need to be treated with this understanding. If this type of companion is in your reality, even training becomes a joy. Otherwise, try another one of her books--you can't miss with Betsy but you could avoid your seemingly empirical perception of a pretty face quickly changed if your golden son rises without you.
PS. I would like to hear from Betsy concerning my "essential" goats.
Lacking in many areas..........2001-04-24
Not a bad book, gives some decent advice on care. But it leaves out information on a lot of things. It doesn't even mention that there are differences between hunting and showing lines, and actually makes no mention of hunting except to say that Goldens were once used for hunting. With hunting being such a big part of the Golden Retriever's history (not to mention modern life), it should've gotten a bigger mention. Also, the training section was very simplistic.
This book has everything.......2000-05-07
This is a wonderful reference for prospective or current owners of a Golden Retriever, but especially for someone who has a new Golden puppy. I bought this book as soon as we had decided on a Golden when the litter was 4 weeks of age so I could do a lot of reading before the puppy came home. The author is "right on" when it comes to the breed. She accurately describes all of its best traits as well as its shortcomings regarding food allergies, skin allergies, etc. She tells you exactly what to look for in a new puppy and what to avoid. There are no surprises about the breed once you have read this book. It covers all aspects regarding feeding, grooming, bonding, training, living with an older dog - everything you will encounter over the years with your dog. If you have any doubts, check this book out at your local library or bookstore . . .
Book Description
The "Microbiology" volume of the new revised and updated Handbook of Enology focuses on the vinification process. It describes how yeasts work and how they can be influenced to achieve better results. It continues to look at the metabolism of lactic acid bacterias and of acetic acid bacterias, and again, how can they be treated to avoid disasters in the winemaking process and how to achieve optimal results. The last chapters in the book deal with the use of sulfur-dioxide, the grape and its maturation process, harvest and pre-fermentation treatment, and the basis of red, white and speciality wine making.
The result is the ultimate text and reference on the science and technology of the vinification process: understanding and dealing with yeasts and bacterias involved in the transformation from grape to wine. A must for all serious students and practitioners involved in winemaking.
Average customer rating:
- Secrets of French winemakers
- Better than "wine science".
- Very Technical But Worth The Effort
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Volume 1, The Handbook of Enology: Microbiology of Wine
Pascal Ribéreau-Gayon ,
Denis Dubourdieu ,
B. Donèche , and
A. Lonvaud
Manufacturer: John Wiley & Sons
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Wine & Winemaking
| Wine
| Drinks & Beverages
| Cooking, Food & Wine
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General
| Drinks & Beverages
| Cooking, Food & Wine
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| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
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| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
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| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
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ASIN: 0471973629 |
Book Description
For centuries the transformation of grapes into wine has been the focus of much scientific research but it was not until the nineteenth century that the role of yeasts in alcoholic fermentation was discovered. Since this discovery the findings of chemists, biochemists and microbiologists have led to controlled conditions in winemaking, producing more varied and higher quality wines.
Handbook of Enology Volume 1: The Microbiology of Wine and Vinifications uniquely combines scientific knowledge with the description of day-to-day work in the first stages of winemaking, from grape-picking to the end of the fermentation processes. It discusses the scientific basics and technological problems of wine-making and the resulting consequences for the practitioner, providing an authoritative and complete reference manual for both the winemaker and the student. This text will be invaluable to winemakers, students of enology or vinification and chemists interested in winemaking.
Customer Reviews:
Secrets of French winemakers.......2001-08-03
It's very difficult to find good English-language descriptions of French winemaking practices, so this book fills a rare and valuable role. Both volumes in this series are excellent complements to the standard winemaking texts, are well-written and comprehensive.
Better than "wine science"........2000-11-17
Pretty comprehensive, and more in depth than most others, this is worth investigating if you're into the topic. Easy to read translation helps.
Very Technical But Worth The Effort.......2000-03-25
I was given this book by a friend of mine studying enology at UC Davis. I work in the vineyard/winery industry (trellising) and needed a basic understanding of vineyard and winemaking operations. While this book is quite technical at times, and it is long, it is a rewarding read and base of information for the layperson or someone employed in a related industry. The tables and appendix of info is substantial, and while I am no chemist (my degree is in history), the writing was clear enough for me to follow along the majority of the time. If your interest in the field is strong and you can keep reminding yourself that this really is a textbook, the end result is a mini degree in Enology!
Average customer rating:
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Concepts of Space in Greek Thought (Philosophia Antiqua)
Keimpe Algra
Manufacturer: Brill Academic Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
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| Philosophy
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| Greece
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ASIN: 9004101721 |
Book Description
Concepts of Space in Greek Thought studies ancient Greek theories of physical space and place, in particular those of the classical and Hellenistic period. These theories are explained primarily with reference to the general philosophical or methodological framework within which they took shape. Special attention is paid to the nature and status of the sources. Two introductory chapters deal with the interrelations between various concepts of space and with Greek spatial terminology (including case studies of the Eleatics, Democritus and Epicurus). The remaining chapters contain detailed studies on the theories of space of Plato, Aristotle, the early Peripatetics and the Stoics. The book is especially useful for historians of ancient physics, but may also be of interest to students of Aristotelian dialectic, ancient metaphysics, doxography, and medieval and early modern physics.
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Music for the Dance: Reflections on a Collaborative Art (Contributions to the Study of Music and Dance)
Katherine Teck
Manufacturer: Greenwood Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Dance
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Modern
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ASIN: 0313263760 |
Book Description
Music is the most constant partner for the dancer in America today, yet it is often the one least written about, least understood, and most challenging to work with effectively. This book is an exploration of contemporary musical collaboration for the dance in 20th century America. It offers an overview of music for theatrical dance in both the creative collaboration and performance of ballet, modern dance, and show styles. Written to be understandable to most theater-goers, this engaging study is based on exclusive personal interviews with outstanding artists in the field of dance, including choreographers, composers, instrumental performers, and dancers themselves, and it presents information that will be helpful to students and professionals as well. Focusing on some of the more practical aspects of music and dance production, the book addresses a number of important questions, such as how choreographers choose music for their dances, how composers know what to write for a ballet, how conductors accommodate the needs of dancers, what dancers need to know about music, what "musicality" is in a dancer, and how electronic sound technology has been used artistically for dance. Music for the Dance deals with the creative collaborations of choreographers and composers, elements of musical performance, the aesthetics and experiences of dancers in regard to music, the musical training of dancers, and current trends in theatrical dance music. It examines, through the experiences of practicing professionals, the various relationships of sound and movement, and presents a broad view of the art of dance as it is today. This definitive work will be read with interest by dance students and teachers, musicians, theater goers, and patrons and managers of dance companies and arts organizations.
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Duty Free: Australian Women Abroad
Ros Pesman
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Australian
| Ethnic & National
| Biographies & Memoirs
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ASIN: 0195536398 |
Book Description
The historian Ros Pesman has produced a subtle, erudite and fastidiously researched account of Australian women's travel from the 1870s - when travel in Europe became popular - until 1970, when jet travel altered the concept of this key Australian rite of passage. Drawing on innumberable travel diaries and letters and interviews, and mindful of her own decision in the 1960s to leave Australia as soon as she possibly could after leaving university, Pesman analyses the different needs and expectations of Australian women of all types and generations. For many, she argues, Europe - Britian in particular - seemed to promise a kind of 'finish' or sophistication they could not attain in Australia; for some, presentation at Court and a refined accent offered a kind of nirvana, guaranteeing security and acceptability; for others - artists and intellectuals like Stella Bowen, Christina Stead, Henry Handel Richardson, Margaret Preston, Shirley Hazzard, Jill Kerr Conway, Jill Neville, the extraordinary Doris Gentile - it promised a kind of personal, sexual, political, intellectual freedom. Genteel notions of class and femininity were reinforced, while for others new ways of living were made possible. The lives of many of these women are largely unknown, and often astonishing in their variety and daring. What is surprising is the scale of the travel many Australian women undertook. The wife of one Tasmanian premier made 33 separate visits to Europe. In the 1930s three times as many women were going to Europe as were men. After reading Pesman, it is difficult to think of a key Australian artist, intellectual or public figure who was not affected in some way by her adventures abroad.
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