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This was published 7 years ago

Bookshop

By Reviews by Thuy On

IRENE
Pierre Lemaitre
Pan Macmillan, $29.99

Pierre Lemaitre's first published book in Australia was Alex, a grim, twisty crime fiction several shades darker than noir. The prequel is, if possible, even more macabre. Several brutal, misogynistic murders are committed before Commandant Verhoeven and his team realise the killings have been recreated from crime novels. And what's more, the press seems to be informed of every latest development. Despite being steeped in gore, Irene is compulsive reading. The narrative is fast-paced and the suspense unbearably taut. It should be called crime horror.

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BRAINSTORM
Daniel J Siegel
Scribe, $32.99

Everyone knows adolescence can be a marker of great stress and emotional volatility; Daniel J Siegel's book explores how brain development affects teenage behaviour, so that parents, teachers and mentors can facilitate this period of change and experimentation. Brainstorm erodes myths about those growing up between the ages of 12 and 24, and argues that instead of being regarded as "unfocused" or "crazy", teens can be helped to harness their creativity and social engagement. It puts a positive spin on a time when things may seem to go haywire.

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ANZAC'S LONG SHADOW
James Brown
Redback, $19.99

As James Brown puts it, "Anzac has become our longest eulogy, our secular sacred rite, our national story". Lost among all the pomp and circumstance of its commemoration, however, is something more disturbing. His thesis is that our government is more interested in spending millions on remembering the sacrifices made by soldiers years ago, than on dealing with the trauma experienced by soldiers returning from Afghanistan today. Its argument is made even more potent by the fact that Brown is a former Australian Army officer.

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EMPATHY: A HANDBOOK FOR REVOLUTION
Roman Krznaric
Random House, $34.99

As Roman Krznaric points out, empathy has a reputation as a "fuzzy, feel-good emotion" but it has the power to transform lives and bring about social change. The book explores six habits of highly empathetic people, suggests how to expand empathetic potential, and features interviews with empathists. Krznaric believes we are failing to inhabit other people's mindsets due to the fact we're spending less time in community activities encouraging empathetic sensitivities. It's a fascinating look championing "outrospection" instead of self-absorbed individualism.

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