Showing titles in All Categories

Darren has two big talents: cricket and trouble. It is no surprise, then, that he becomes an Australian sporting star of the bad-boy variety - one of those men who's always got away with things and just keeps going...until the day we meet him, middle aged and in the boot of a car, and everything pointing towards a shallow grave.

How do we get happy? Listen to a positive, step-by-step guide on the building blocks for personal happiness by Dr Tim Sharp (aka Dr Happy). Through ten daily habits, this series provides the learnings and practical strategies for creating a happier life. Dr Tim Sharp is a clinical and consulting psychologist with three degrees in psychology and a distinguished career over several decades. He’s Australia’s very own “Dr Happy” and the founder of The Happiness Institute.

Scientists have discovered one simple trick which will make you live longer, reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer's, and make you slimmer, happier, and more attractive. It’s not a magic pill or ointment- and it won’t cost you anything. The secret? Harnessing the incredible power of sleep. Over six episodes, a world expert on sleep will act as a guru to an insomniac comedian, transforming their nocturnal habits and showing how you can do the same.

Join Ricky Gervais, Steve Merchant and the glabrous luminary Karl Pilkington for a series of in-depth discussions from the human body to the arts. Ponder along with the comedians as they debate the important things in life and society, from the controversial to the everyday. As always, in the midst of taking stances on issues as wide ranging as capital punishment and natural remedies, both Ricky and Steve take the opportunity to draw out Karl's often nonchalant and superficial take on the subjects leading to hilarious tangents.

This is the only money guide you'll ever need. That's a bold claim, given there are already thousands of finance books on the shelves. So what makes this one different? You'll get a step-by-step formula: open this account, then do this; call this person, and say this; invest money here and not there. All with a glass of wine in your hand.

In The Righteous Mind, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt explores the origins of our divisions and points the way forward to mutual understanding. His starting point is moral intuition - the nearly instantaneous perceptions we all have about other people and the things they do. These intuitions feel like self-evident truths, making us righteously certain that those who see things differently are wrong. Haidt shows us how these intuitions differ across cultures, including the cultures of the political left and right.

Hugh van Cuylenburg was a primary school teacher volunteering in northern India when he had a life-changing realisation: despite the underprivileged community the children were from, they were remarkably positive. By contrast, back in Australia Hugh knew that all too many children struggled with depression, social anxieties and mental illness. His own little sister had been ravaged by anorexia nervosa. How was it that young people he knew at home, who had food, shelter, friends and a loving family, struggled with their mental health, while these kids seemed so contented and resilient?

How can we change our behaviours? The first step is understanding our habits. For better or worse, habits are the invisible building blocks of daily life. Research suggests that about 40% of what we do is repeated almost daily and yet most of the time we aren’t really aware of what’s happening. In this series, neuroscientist Ash Ranpura and comedian Alice Fraser deep dive into the science of behaviour change. They want to find out how we can make good habits and how we can break bad ones.

An exposé on the depths of the internet. From sex trafficking and fraud to government secrets and anonymous hacking groups.

Imagine having three life-coaches who had been through the toughest mental and physical challenges; a crack team of problem-solvers who knew in their day job that one mistake could be the difference between life - and death. Think Like a Spy brings together ex-officers from the CIA, the FBI and the British Royal Marines. Across eight themed half-hours, they recount their experiences of working in the most stressful situations around the world - and how you can apply the same techniques to your own everyday life to become more productive, more perceptive and confident.

The key to living a happier, healthier life is inside us. Our gut is almost as important to us as our brain or our heart, yet we know very little about how it works. In Gut, Giulia Enders shows that rather than the utilitarian and - let's be honest - somewhat embarrassing body part we imagine it to be, it is one of the most complex, important, and even miraculous parts of our anatomy.

For decades we've been told that positive thinking is the key to a happy, rich life. "F*ck positivity," Mark Manson says. "Let's be honest, shit is f*cked, and we have to live with it." In his wildly popular Internet blog, Manson doesn't sugarcoat or equivocate. He tells it like it is - a dose of raw, refreshing, honest truth that is sorely lacking today. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck is his antidote to the coddling, let's-all-feel-good mind-set that has infected modern society and spoiled a generation, rewarding them with gold medals just for showing up.

Diverse and moving, these six outstanding stories are meditations on grief and loss, love, communication and loneliness.  Each one will take the reader on a brief yet unforgettable journey into private worlds and unexpected corners of the human heart. The shortlisted stories have all been chosen for this year's Sunday Times Audible Short Story Award - the world's richest and most prestigious prize for a single short story, dubbed the 'equivalent of the Man Booker for the short story' by the Sydney Morning Herald.

The 3-Day Effect is a look at the science behind why being in the wild for a minimum of three days can make us happier, healthier and more creative. Whether it’s rafting down Utah’s Green River, backpacking in Colorado wilderness or strolling through Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C., scientists are finding that immersions in nature can reduce anxiety, enhance creativity and boost overall well-being.   

Random House presents the audiobook edition of Atomic Habits by James Clear, read by the author. A revolutionary system to get 1 percent better every day. People think when you want to change your life, you need to think big. But world-renowned habits expert James Clear has discovered another way. He knows that real change comes from the compound effect of hundreds of small decisions - doing two push-ups a day, waking up five minutes early or holding a single short phone call. He calls them atomic habits. 

From Audible Originals, How Not to F*ck Up Your Kids Too Bad is an irreverent 10-part guide to modern fatherhood. In each episode, author and Esquire columnist Stephen Marche tackles tough questions that every parent faces. From how and why to stop yelling at your kids to how to share your favorite books (especially when they are a little racist) to how to talk to your kids about pot - follow as Stephen engages real dads and experts on the thorny questions that parents face today. 

For David Goggins, childhood was a nightmare - poverty, prejudice, and physical abuse colored his days and haunted his nights. But through self-discipline, mental toughness, and hard work, Goggins transformed himself from a depressed, overweight young man with no future into a US Armed Forces icon and one of the world's top endurance athletes. The only man in history to complete elite training as a Navy SEAL, Army Ranger, and Air Force Tactical Air Controller, he went on to set records in numerous endurance events.

Meditation is everywhere: your mobile phone, clothing stores and even in colouring books. But where does it come from and what even is it? With the help of neuroscientist Ash Ranpura, comedian Alice Fraser explores the science, history and culture behind meditation. On the way we will meet the tiny part of the brain that triggers most of our fear and anxiety, the NBA coach who taught Michael Jordan how to meditate, and the writer who says the best way to cope with our polarised politics is to practice mindfulness.

They're a glamorous family, the Caseys. Johnny Casey, his two brothers Ed and Liam, their beautiful, talented wives and all their kids spend a lot of time together - birthday parties, anniversary celebrations, weekends away. And they're a happy family. Johnny's wife, Jessie - who has the most money - insists on it. Under the surface, though, conditions are murkier. While some people clash, other people like each other far too much.... Everything stays under control until Ed's wife Cara, gets concussion and can't keep her thoughts to herself.

The Persimmon Tree opens in Indonesia in 1942 on the cusp of Japanese invasion and the evacuation of Batavia (Jakarta) by the Dutch. Seventeen-year-old Nicholas Duncan is on holiday there, in pursuit of an exotic butterfly known as the Magpie Crow. It's an uncertain, dangerous time to be in Indonesia, and Nick's options of getting out are fast dwindling. Amidst the fear and chaos he falls in love with Anna, the beautiful daughter of a Dutch acquaintance, and she nicknames him 'Mr Butterfly'.