The Melbourne Cable Trams 1885 – 1940 by Jack Cranston.

The Melbourne Cable Trams 1885 – 1940 by Jack Cranston. Hardcover book published by Craftsman Publishing 1988, 132 pages with black and white photographs and illustrations as well as a few coloured photographs.

It's hard to imagine a public transport world without Trams. Unlike a lot of other cities here in Australia, and around the world, Melbourne was one of those places where Trams were hung on to as a viable means of shifting people around. For as long as I can remember Trams were usually the best way of getting from A to B, particularly the closer you got to the city centre. Sure, trains were and are often quicker, but there is the whole waiting time aspect... that is unless you live in a marginal electorate and have trains every 9 minutes!!!

Here in Clunes we have a train...that is, one train a day. There are a few buses that arrive and depart sporadically enough for me not to get my head around their timetables and of course there is the phone a neighbor scenario, which involves calling a neighbour/friend and asking kindly if they could pick you up from the nearest metropolis (Ballarat). There are no trams here in Clunes.

The first time I encountered a cable tram was in a museum. Yes, the Melbourne Museum (… it's in Melbourne...) has a cable tram in it's collection. On first view it seemed to me to be an olde worlde tram of a vintage design which is not that unusual a thing to find in a museum. Reading the word 'cable' I didn't at first get the gist of what 'cable' meant. Trams have cables, I knew that. It was only on reading the display a little more closely that I realised the cables weren't cables as I know them (aerial power cables) but rather mechanical cables under the road. Yep, these cables moved large and long distances with the trams grabbing the cables when they wanted to go forth. I found this to be quite shocking and for some reason, very Fred Flintstone. I guess this is why the tram was in the museum as it is something that was once the norm but is now a little unusual.

Since finding out about this method of tram propulsion, I have started to notice vintage ex tramways buildings at various locations around Melbourne which were obviously where they had the machinery pulling the cables. It's an interesting part of the history of transport here in Australia and one that could easily be forgotten... which is why this is such a great book.

Turf and Heath: Australian racing reminiscences by Samuel Griffiths.

Turf and Heath: Australian racing reminiscences by Samuel Griffiths. Hardcover book (no dust jacket) published by A.H. Massina & Co. 1906, 262 pages with some black and white photographs and illustrations.

A few years ago I was in the midst of negotiating the purchase of a large collection of mainly railway magazines from a rural historical society (… it's a long story) when for some long forgotten reason one of the historical society members recounted a rather interesting anecdote regarding the original local horse racing track ledger (1880s?) which was in the historical society's possession. It was an item that they were reluctant to part with, but one which they believed would be of minimal use to their mostly genealogical research. That is until one of the local horse racing aficionados discovered that the ledger existed. The historical society has a library which as you can imagine is full of irreplaceable items of all sorts... including the racing ledger... and is therefore not a lending library. I can't remember exactly why, but it was decided that just this once they would let the book out of their collection and into public hands for a short period only. The book was returned intact a few days later by the very appreciative borrower.

In itself this is not that exciting a story, but it is a story that left an impression on me. The ledger was something that most people would find incredibly boring... myself included. It's a list of names of long forgotten horses racing on a country race track in the middle of what would then have been nowhere. The historical society couldn't really see how it would be of interest, but due to it's historical nature had decided to preserve it. It was only when it was discovered by that one very interested local person, that they realised the historical value of what they had.

It was with this anecdote in mind that lead me to not hesitate in picking up this history/reminiscence of the early days of Australian horse racing. Sure many horse racing fans would find more use in a more recent form guide, but there are those who are interested in a more in depth history of what is a rich tradition here in Australia. Maybe it is just the one guy, but somehow I think there may be more around.

A History of Bunyips: Australia's Great Mystery Water Beasts by Josie Flett.

A History of Bunyips: Australia's Great Mystery Water Beasts by Josie Flett. Paperback book published by Free Spirit Press 1999, 84 pages with black and white photographs and a few black and white maps.

“An authentic history of the terrifying and mysterious creature which once haunted the creeks and billabongs of Australia. Accounted for in Aboriginal legend, described by the early settlers and then dismissed by scientists unable to ascribe a suitable theory, the Bunyip remains today as a colourful and intriguing character out of Australia’s past.”

In the not so distant past (2 days ago) at around dusk one evening, I was adventuring in a remote area of Victoria's central goldfields (100 metres from where I now sit) when I stumbled across an isolated body of water (… actually the creek that runs through the middle of town). Not really a large lake, but more like a big damn and sort of big enough for a small row boat... but too small for a small sailing boat... you can't water ski on it. So there I was when out of the water jumped a massive beast that for want of a better term I would describe as being a Bunyip... or maybe it was a big dog having a swim... Now that I think about it, it did look more like a Wallaby... and it wasn't in the water... but at the time and in the half light it was Bunyip like... even though I have no idea what a Bunyip should look like... it was next to the water which is where Bunyips are supposed to live.

So what is a Bunyip?

The bunyip, or kianpraty, is a large mythical creature from Aboriginal mythology, said to lurk in swamps, billabongs, creeks,riverbeds, and waterholes. The origin of the word bunyip has been traced to the Wemba-Wemba or Wergaia language of Aboriginal people of South-Eastern Australia. However, the bunyip appears to have formed part of traditional Aboriginal beliefs and stories throughout Australia, although its name varied according to tribal nomenclature. Wikipedia

Yes it is difficult to see a myth and I guess that is why I personally haven't seen a Bunyip or any another mythical beasts and also why the Wallaby that I saw was actually a wallaby and not a Bunyip. I do like the idea that there are those who can comfortably assert that they have seen myths. It's a brave path to travel and this book is a collection of those paths regarding the elusive* Australian Bunyip. The information is mainly historical and I think that what brought this book to my attention is that it is not that often that I find stand alone books about Australian Great Mystery Water Beasts / Myths.

… and you never know, maybe I'm wrong about that Wallaby. Children beware.

*Mythical

Stockhausen: Life and Work by Karl H. Worner

Stockhausen: Life and Work by Karl H. Worner. Paperback book published by Faber & Faber 1973, 270 pages with some black and white photographs.

“The aim of this book is to present the non-technical ‘background’ to Stockhausen. Background it must remain, for there can be no foreground but the music—a music whose understanding and enjoyment presupposes nothing that can be learnt through words. Yet this is by no means a monochrome or indistinct background. For one thing, the characteristic ideas expressed by the composer encompass many areas of thought, both concrete and abstract. For another thing, Stockhausen never for long remains unconscious of the need to find outlets for his creative will, and it is with such a will that he wields his words; rarely content merely to describe or merely to argue, his verbal style becomes a direct form of expression, often seeking out and exploring regions quite its own. And finally, there emerges from this ‘background’ a kind of spiritual biography, revealing the most striking contours in the mentality of an artist whose energetic pioneering has never blighted his musical sensitivity.” From the introduction.

Yep, Stockhausen was a real barrel of laughs. ...but then again, I don't think that he ever passed himself off as a being a funny sort of guy and if you've ever listened to any of his work I think most of you will agree that it is fairly intense stuff and not really a barrel of laughs... The introduction above comments that Stockhausens music is “a music whose understanding and enjoyment presupposes nothing that can be learnt through words”. I think this means that if you read this book you will learn nothing and that only a listen will give you an idea of what this bloke was all about. So have a listen...

I've listened and enjoyed Karlheinz's work for many years now and I've even attended a live performance of his tape music* here in Australia. I guess you could say that I have an appreciation of his work, or at least some of his work. A friend passed on a CD of his Helicopter String Quartet a number of years ago and I can honestly say I have only ever listened to it the once. I found the concept whilst intriguing just that little bit too absurd for my appreciation... and I didn't think it sounded that great either.

So when I found a book about “one of the most important but also controversial composers of the 20th and early 21st centuries”, I couldn't resist picking it up. Not that I thought it would initiate a buying frenzy amongst my customers, particularly considering the large rips to the front cover which look like someone has removed a large price sticker or some such adhesive. No, this was more of a cultural purchase. Often I buy this sort of stuff on a misguided hunch that there is some interest, somewhere. The truth is I have no idea if a slightly dated and worn book about Mr Stockhausen is of interest to the wider book buyer public... but it should be.

* A live concert mix of multichannel sounds, originally recorded by the man himself

The Economic Approach to Environmental and Natural Resources by James R. Kahn.

The Economic Approach to Environmental and Natural Resources by James R. Kahn. Hardcover book with pictorial boards (no dust jacket) published by South Western/Thomson 2005 (3rd edition), 638 pages.

“This innovative, cutting-edge book takes a hands-on approach to the origins of environmental problems, their economic consequences, and the policies that address them. Economic Approach to Environment and Natural Resources with Economics presents environmental economic theory and methods in the first five chapters and then applies and reinforces them with illustrations and applications in the subsequent chapters. No other book provides a stronger link between theory and applications.”

Not only do you get a book with this purchase but you also get complimentary (...no, not steak knives...) access to South-Western's Economic Applications Website. All you have to do is go to the website and enter the access serial number that came with the book... whoops... hang on a sec... there's no serial number with this book... at least none that I can find. Luckily you can still purchase access at the website even if you don't have the number. Mmmmm... it's not very clear how much this is going to cost and somehow I think it's going to be big $$$. Still, the book does have 638 pages packed full of economic approaches to environmental resources with or without web access.

This is a perfect time of year to be selling a book such as this. University/tertiary students will soon be back at their various campus's studying ferociously and eagerly wanting to save a few $ on text books... as beer is not as cheap as it once was. I can only assume that the students studying economics in relation to environmental and natural resources will get the whole concept of second hand books as not only are they cheaper, they are less costly to the environment and help preserve some of those natural resources (ie forests) that need preserving. So far they haven't... but it's early days yet and many a student is still yet to contemplate the overwhelming financial burden of purchasing expensive text books. Hopefully they will take the plunge soon(ish).  

The Gentle Art of Persuasion by Chester Porter QC.

The Gentle Art of Persuasion by Chester Porter QC. Hardcover book published by Random House 2005, 235 pages.

“Much of life is spent in arguing, domestically, at work, professionally, or it just happens that way. Most arguments are futile wastes of time. Neither the participants nor the audience learn anything. Between men in crowded pubs arguments can even lead to physical fights, usually for no purpose. Yet intelligent argument is often the only sensible way to advance our many causes, to spread knowledge and to achieve progress. It is one thing to sound impressive, to devastate the opposition, to make a great impression. It is by no means the same thing to change people's minds, to convince them by your arguments. Persuasion is achieved more often than not by quiet, rather than devastating argument. Learn from someone who knows how to get his point across in the most effective, and charming, way.”

I've had a few arguments in my time and yes I agree with Chester that in retrospect most of them have been futile wastes of efforts. Time and time again I get to the end of these active 'discussions' and realise i've just wasted another X amount of time to no purpose at all... Sometimes though, the point is that there has been a discussion. I don't want to agree with everyone else on politics, religion, the state of the world etc. I wouldn't be me if I did. But sometimes it's interesting to get another perspective... that is if there is another perspective!

Chester Porter is obviously acquainted with the art of persuasion having worked in the legal profession for most of his working life. Apparently he was known as the 'The Smiling Funnelweb' which would have been enough to scare the shit out of anyone who would have come up against him in court. I don't know how gentle funnelweb spiders are but for some reason I think they are not very open to quiet discussion, but more of a 'devastating argument' type of spider... which sort of gives a different meaning to the sentence,

Learn from someone who knows how to get his point across in the most effective, and charming, way.

A Funnelweb

I like this book and can see the benefits for many people, including myself, in being able to gently persuade as apposed to heatedly argue. Now all I need is to find people wanting to be persuaded.

Catherine the Great: Love, Sex and Power by Virginia Rounding.

Catherine the Great: Love, Sex and Power by Virginia Rounding. Hardcover book published by Hutchinson 2006, 566 pages with a few colour illustrations.

“Dutiful daughter, frustrated wife, passionate lover, domineering mother, doting grandmother, devoted friend, tireless legislator, generous patron of artists and philosophers — the Empress Catherine II, the Great, was all these things, and more. Her reign, the longest in Russian Imperial history, lasted from 1762 until her death in 1796; during those years she built on the work begun by her most famous predecessor, Peter the Great, to establish Russia as a major European power and to transform its new capital, St Petersburg, into a city to rival Paris and London in the beauty of its architecture, the glittering splendour of its Court and the magnificence of its art collections. Yet the great Catherine was not even Russian by birth and had no legitimate claim to the Russian throne; she seized it and held on to it, through wars, rebellions and plagues, by the force of her personality, by her charm and determination, and by an unshakeable belief in her own destiny. This is the story of Catherine the woman, whom power alone could never satisfy, for she also wanted love, affection, friendship and humour.” 

So how great was Catherine? Unfortunately I'm not really up with Catherine's overall performance, so i'm not really sure how great she was... and I might be on the complete wrong track with the reference to her Greatness as it may have been something that she married into. As you have probably surmised, Russian history from this period is probably one of my weaker points of knowledge, yet somehow, and rather strangely, I knew that:

- Catherine was an Empress of Russia

- Wasn't Russian

- Was big on the whole European thing

- Helped make St Petersburg “a city to rival Paris and London”

I have no idea how I know this stuff or when it entered my knowable knowledge but it is there and that it why this book is now here.

By all accounts (including the 566 pages in this book) Catherine is an important figure in Russian history and was someone who enjoyed having power and influence. I gather she was a royal you didn't muck around with or even try to muck around with... sort of like Vladimir Putin... but with more hair and jewelery. Russia has a history that is long and eventful and Catherine's time at the top job is another part of a history that keeps on giving.