The Lawn: a social history

he lawn has traditionally been an important feature of garden in Australia although the recent drought may have changed our attitude to and expectations of the perfect lawn, especially in the summer where brown lawns are now the norm in Victoria.

Peter Macinnis examines the history and importance of lawns in many parts of the world but particularly in the United Kingdom, USA and Australia. 

Prior to the invention of the lawnmower in the early 1800s shortening patches of grass was possible by grazing animals in the required area or by using scythes. The lawnmower made it possible to have a more even surface of grass coverage. Lawns originally signified status and wealth but eventually as the design of lawnmowers improved and the machines became affordable lawns were available in the gardens of the general populace. 

The development of lawns also contributed to the development of many sports, athletics, tennis, lawn bowls, croquet and of course, cricket. The rise of public gardens contribute to the environment of our cities. Allusions to lawns in literature are also provided in this illustrated treatise on the lawn.

Getting real: challenging the sexualisation of girls

Television programs, advertisements on TV, advertisements in magazines and on billboards, comments on radio, lyrics of popular music and even children's toys, clothing and the internet bombard us with sexual images, references and inuendo. This is the world in which young children are growing up,

Edited by Melinda Tankard Reist this collection of articles looks at the pressures faced by girls and young women particularly in regard to the 'sexualisation and objectification of girls and women' in the twenty first century. Children have the right to be children and should not be bombarded with concepts of the 'right' body image, dressed in adult clothes at a young age and face the need to conform to the latest trend as portrayed on tv, film or other media. Articles include studies of the objectification of women in advertising and the media, examine the need for a healthy lifestyle without the need for medical and other intervention to conform, and a discussion on the risks of premature sexualisation of children. The final chapter provides a case study of a campaign by Julie Gale to raise awareness of current practices and to place pressure on advertisers, companies and shops to be more responsible when promoting and selling products.

Wolf Hall

Set in the reign of Henry VIII, Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel explores the intrigues and machinations of life at Court when King Henry decides to dissolve his twenty year marriage to Katherine so that he can marry Anne Boleyn. 

The book chronicles the rise of Thomas Cromwell from his early life as the son of a violent blacksmith to become the chief advisor to the King. The politics of Court, Church and Parliament are fully described as the struggle to enable the King to marry Anne is played out. 

The aftermath of this decision including the trial of those who oppose the King's remarriage and his new position as Head of the Church in England aligned with the beginnings of the protestant movement overseas and the impact of printing making the Gospel available to common people is explored. 

Fluctuating fortunes of prominent families including the Boleyns, the Seymours and the Howards are documented as well as England's relations with countries overseas. The novel emphasises the instability to the country caused by not having an heir to the Crown. It creates a dramatic picture of life in Tudor England, particularly from 1527 to 1535. 

This is only part of the story. The sequel to this winner of the Man Booker Prize 2009 is Bring Up the Bodies followed by The Mirror and the Light.

A place of safety

For many years the series, Midsomer Murders, where Chief Inspector Banaby and Sergeant Troy solve usually a series of crimes in each episode has been a popular television program on Channel 2. The books on which the series is based are written by Caroline Graham. 

In A place of safety the investigations centre around the death of Charlie Leathers, the disappearance of a Carlotta last seen falling into the river, blackmail, an attack on a woman in a carpark and the injuries inflicted upon a dog. The impact of the crimes on the villagers and village life provides the background as Barnaby and his team solve the crimes.

This is number 6 in the Midsomer Murder series

Forbidden fruit

Corinna Chapman is a baker and owner of the bakery, Earthly Delights. With Daniel she also is involved in solving mysteries - in this case locating a young pregnat girl who has run away from home. The books are set in Melbourne and although the exact location of the bakery is never provided many of the landmarks in the city are identified. The bakery is situated near Flinders Lane in a building containing a number of apartments. The interactions of the tenants in the building, Corina's staff and customers, the staff and volunteers of the soup run who spend their evenings helping the homeless and the people met when solving the mystery contibute to the character of inner city living and bustle, particularly with the approach of Christmas.

This is the fifth book in the series, the others being Earthly Delights, Heavenly Pleasure, Devil's Food and Trick or Treat.

Don't stop me now

The British television program, Top Gear, has developed a cult following in Australia. One of the presenters, Jeremy Clarkson, writes a regular motoring column for the Sunday Times providing his humourous and often non politically correct view on life in general as well as his thoughts on the cars he is testing. Anyone who enjoys watching Top Gear should enjoy this selection from the newspaper articles.

206 bones

The twelfth book by Kathy Reich about the cases investigated by forensic anthropologist, Temperance Brennan and police officer, Andrew Ryan. At a crime scene Tempe counts and bags 206 bones belonging to a body but back at the laboratory four bones are missing and she is accused of negligence. This is only one of a series of accusations that are made including an anonymous telephone message stating that she missed important evidence during an autopsy. Coupled with threatening messages Tempe realises that not only is her career is at risk but also possibly her life. Why are these accusations being made and who is behind the conspiracy.