What the WellBeing team is reading right now

Looking for a good read to lose yourself in? The WellBeing team has got you covered with their go-to summer books for 2021.

Books

Who Gets to be Smart?
BRI LEE, ALLEN & UNWIN
What Virginia Woolf described as the “stream of gold and silver” flowing through Ivy League institutions is alive and well, and Bri Lee tackles this inequality head on. Who Gets to be Smart starts with Lee’s own Woolf-esque experience when she visits a friend and Rhodes Scholar recipient at Oxford University. She quickly discovers that this level of elite requires not only brains but an open wallet, too. Through this though-provoking book, Lee interrogates one universal thought — if knowledge is power, society will forever remain a hierarchal class system in which money always rules. What begins at Oxford evolves into a deep dive of the Australian education system, global response to COVID-19 and the basis of the Black Lives Matter movement. As always, Lee delivers a thoughtfully eloquent and eye-opening argument that challenges society as we know it. This exposé is a wonderful cross-examination of power, colonialism and what it all comes down to: money. Who Gets to be Smart is required reading for anyone striving for a more equal, ethical and connected world. GN

How to Unf*ck the Planet a Little Bit Each Day
JO STEWART, SMITH STREET BOOKS
Do you ever find yourself thinking: How do I live a more eco-friendly lifestyle? What is carbon neutrality and how can I achieve it? If my crystals aren’t ethically sourced, can they even cleanse my bad juju? Well, How to Unf*ck the Planet is here to guide you and answer all the climate questions you never even knew you had. Stewart offers easy everyday tips for greenifying your life, from eco-friendly air-con alternatives to ethical investing, human rights issues, upycling every object or garment you own, green travel tips and even planning your own green funeral (fun!). Amid the hair-raising statistics and hard facts, there are playful illustrations, practical tips and bittersweet humour to deliver a self-help-for-the-planet handbook that reflects the proactive climate in which we find ourselves. Think of it as your coffee table guide to becoming a better, greener person in every aspect of life. Even when all seems lost, Stewart’s simple steps will show even the most cynical of us that every little action has a global impact. GN

She is Haunted
PAIGE CLARK, ALLEN & UNWIN
Harrowing, intricate and witty, Paige Clark’s debut short story collection is like nothing you’ve ever read before. She is Haunted dissects the very definitions of connection, race, grief and relationships through its complex characters and exploration of transnational identity. One short will have you smirking and laughing along with the characters; the next will haunt you with grief and sorrow. And there really is no aspect of life that Clark misses — dismissive lovers; fear of loss; a widow’s grief; imposter syndrome; one’s limitless love for a dog. Each character comes alive and shakes your world in just a few short pages, leaving the reader hungry for more. There really is an art to bringing words to life and Clark has mastered it. GN

Swipe Right on Your Best Self
ERIC WINTERS
Few people can present complex, technically challenging ideas in an accessible, digestible and entertaining format, but Eric Winters succeeds in his book, Swipe Right on Your Best Self. Within 170 pages, Winters distils countless ideas for living with courageous authenticity, drawing on the theories and philosophies from the best thinkers of our time. His gentle approach is refreshingly free of the Hollywood hype typical of many self-help books. Rich in resources with actionable steps, it’s a powerful read that you will want to refer back to again and again. CH

This One Wild and Precious Life
SARAH WILSON, PAN MACMILLAN
Part memoir, part call to action, This One Wild and Precious Life is the latest non-fiction book by New York Times bestselling author, activist and hike obsessive Sarah Wilson. Wilson’s new book presents “a hopeful path forward in a fractured world.” Between the climate crisis, political polarisation, racial injustice and the pandemic, Wilson argues that we are suffering from “spiritual PTSD” and that we have retreated from one another and from the problems we must face as a matter of great urgency. This is no easy read. Wilson doesn’t hold back in her analysis of the state we have found ourselves in, but she has enormous passion for helping us find our way back to the things we love: our selves, each other and mother nature. CH

Card Deck

Daily Rituals Deck
EUNOIA SOUL RITUALS
Need a little more self-love in your life? Eunoia’s Daily Rituals Deck combines the best of affirmation and oracle cards, designed to bring inner peace and mindfulness to your day. Each card is printed with instructional rituals on one side and a dreamy pastel-hued illustration by Constanza Goeppinger on the other, so they make the perfect colourful centrepiece for your coffee table, desk, bookshelf or bench. The deck is designed and hand-packed by Eunoia founder Jackie Morgan using sustainably sourced and recycled materials. You can pick and choose what you need each morning — acceptance, healing, trust, divine feminine energy, new beginnings or even a little magic — or give the cards a shuffle and let fate decide. I’ve saved a spot on my vision board to hang my daily card for a visual reminder of what I need most in my life. These cards truly are a delight to behold, for the eyes and the soul. GN