Cirrus@Austlit

'Populism can be a dirty word. Brexit and the election of Donald Trump have certainly given it a bad name. But rather than associating it with demagoguery and exclusion, might we better see it as a backlash against free market globalisation? Might it be harnessed as a positive force able to thrive in difficult times?

'This timely and persuasive book exposes the failures of globalisation: greedy banks, predatory privatisation, corporate tax avoidance and a growing underclass of temporary overseas workers. David McKnight argues that a progressive populism could address the genuine economic grievances of everyday people, without scapegoating immigrants or ethnic minorities. In fact, a progressive form of populism may be the best way of defeating the racist backlash of right-wing populism. It may also be the best way to save the planet.

'In a world where the super-rich get richer, one that is charged with hate-filled language as people look for someone else to blame, the case for progressive populism must be heard. This important book helps give it voice.' (Publisher's abstract)

'Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation is the most powerful media organisation in the world. Murdoch's commercial success is obvious, but less well understood is his successful pursuit of political goals, using News Corporation as his vehicle.

'David McKnight tracks Murdoch's influence, from his support for Reagan and Thatcher, to his attacks on Barack Obama and the Rudd and Gillard governments. He examines the secretive corporate culture of News Corporation: its private political seminars for editors, its sponsorship of think tanks and its recurring editorial campaigns around the world. Its success is reflected in the fact that the campaigns are familiar to us all: small government and market deregulation, skepticism on climate change, support for neo-conservative adventures such as Iraq and criticism of all things "liberal".

'While the phone hacking crisis has tarnished his reputation, Rupert Murdoch's influence is far from finished.' (From the publisher's webite.)

'An account of the heritage and wisdom of the aborigines of Australia. This exquisitely illustrated volume describes the subtle and complex culture, beliefs and customs of the Lardil, hunter-gatherers of the Wellesley Islands off the northern coast of Queensland. At the core of the Aboriginal religious thinking is the Dreamtime, the mythical period when the totemic Ancestral Beings appeared and began to transform the world. Rituals and ceremonies celebrate this heritage and are described and illustrated in this remarkable book.' (Source: Online)