Not Happy, John

by Margo Kingston | Nonfiction |
ISBN: 0143002589 Global Overview for this book
Registered by charbono of Creswick, Victoria Australia on 2/4/2007
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6 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by charbono from Creswick, Victoria Australia on Sunday, February 4, 2007
Quite impressed with this book - it's passionate, positive and rational. It's not anti-JH or anti-Liberals, as you will find when you read it.

I learned a lot I didn't know about George W. Bush's visit to Australia and I loved many of the "pro-democracy" quotes.

Journal Entry 2 by DrCris from Templestowe, Victoria Australia on Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Taken from the non-fiction bookbag. Thanks, charbono. I think I signed up for a ring for this one, but I am very excited to have it in my hands now. I think this will bump some off the top of my TBR!

Journal Entry 3 by DrCris from Templestowe, Victoria Australia on Thursday, June 21, 2007
Ahh, this book was disappointing. I wanted to read this one before the next federal election and I was prepared for ti to be one-sided. However, I found it was not so much one-sided, but very uneven. The narrative switches between a number of authors, which made it difficult to read. Furhtermore, the first section is a directed specifically against John Howard, but focuses and reiterates one example (which was pretty appalling) as the source of all evil. I almost gave up reading the book because I thought it was going to be 350 pages about one incident.

The book morphs into a tirade abotu the erosions of democracy in Australia. I really liked the information put forward in that part of the novel, but I found it skipped between events and authors very rapidly.

I felt this book presented some interesting information and not as one-sided as I expected, but the title was not right for what the book ended up covering, and the editors should have done a bit more work.

Journal Entry 4 by DrCris from Templestowe, Victoria Australia on Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Sent to Tara in NSW, who was interested in reading it next. I hope you enjoy it!

Journal Entry 5 by angelbird72 from Newcastle, New South Wales Australia on Wednesday, July 4, 2007
I just recieved this book in the mail.

THANK YOU DrCris!!!

I definitely want to get into reading this one. I hope I enjoy it, or at least learn something interesting.

Journal Entry 6 by angelbird72 from Newcastle, New South Wales Australia on Wednesday, August 1, 2007
I've given up.

It's not that it's a bad book or that I disagree with the ideas in it; in fact I find myself more and more leaning away from Little Johnny, but I just don't seem to enjoy reading this book.

I sit down to read and my mind is almost instantly elsewhere. I've gotten over half way, but I have a pile of other books, fun energetic books, staring at me... and so this drier, flatter, sterner book, though it does present some facts and messages that I believe in, really isn't capturing my imagination.

I think people should read this book, that it gives an important message, but also I think that I've already heard that message, and I'm happy just to leave it at that.

I'm going to put this book in the 'You've Gotta Read This Bookbag', because I think people should read it, even though it isn't calling me right now.

Despite not finishing this book I think I've gotten a lot out of it, so thank you DrCris : )

Journal Entry 7 by livrecache from Hobart, Tasmania Australia on Wednesday, August 22, 2007
I have already had this book in a bookring once, but I didn't really read it properly. My partner did. I thought I might have another go.

Edited 31 August

Realistically, I'm not going to do any more than dip into this book than I did last time it was in my possession.

Reserved for Round 2 of VBB OZ.

Journal Entry 8 by livrecache from Hobart, Tasmania Australia on Tuesday, September 11, 2007
I changed my mind about putting this in the VBB OZ round 2, and tonight it went to the Melbourne meetup with me. And disappeared. I hope someone is happy with Not Happy, John.

Journal Entry 9 by cascho from Melbourne CBD, Victoria Australia on Friday, October 5, 2007
Pick this up at the meet up - passed it on at the Melbourne convention.

Journal Entry 10 by freesia from Perth City, Western Australia Australia on Friday, October 26, 2007
Cascho was going to release this at the Victoria State Parliament, but after newk was chased off for doing the same thing by an armed guard, I offered to take it. I've been in Australia for a couple of years now and have often felt the lack of background information when reading about political issues. This was just fascinating, it brought together a lot of things that I'd observed (eg. the crappiness of the tabloid Adelaide Advertiser for an intellectual city) and explained the background.

This is deeply worrying, it really is, and it clarifies for me the disjunction between the wonderful, positive, supportive Aussie people I've met here, and the negative distortions and corruption that seem to be rife in public life here. I just wonder whether Kevin Rudd will be much different if he gets in?

More people should read this. I'm planning to leave it at a book exchange here in Sydney.

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