THURSDAY 11 JUNE | LOURDES HILL COLLEGE 86 Hawthorne Rd Hawthorne
6pm for 6.30pm start | 60 mins
Avid Reader & Riverbend present Hugh Mackay for the launch of The Way We Are.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Life is messy. Relationships are complex. Outcomes are uncertain. Yet none of our differences—whether based on ethnicity, politics, religion, cultural tastes and preferences, or gender—are nearly as significant as the humanity we share.
Amidst our epidemics of loneliness, anxiety and depression, and the impacts of entrenched poverty and ubiquitous technology, The Way We Are examines the major trends that are shaking the foundations of the Australian way of life.
Drawing on thousands of interviews over a lifetime of research, Hugh Mackay, much loved and highly respected social psychologist, presents a compelling portrait of Australia today. He celebrates the march towards gender equality and explains the stubborn persistence of misogyny, the anti-social consequences of social media, the complex legacy of the Baby Boomers, and the 'fake wisdom' that guides too much of our thinking. Exploring the steady decline in religious faith and practice, Hugh identifies the many gods we continue to worship, and points to the positive role that dreaming can play in our lives. Though some of his observations may not be easy reading, Hugh's analysis is suffused with affection for our country.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hugh Mackay is a leading psychologist, social researcher and bestselling author of 19 books, including The Good Life, The Art of Belonging and Australia Reimagined.
He has had a 60-year career in social research, and was also a weekly newspaper columnist for over 25 years. Among many honorary appointments, he has been deputy chairman of the Australia Council for the Arts, chairman of trustees of Sydney Grammar School, the inaugural chairman of the ACT government's Community Inclusion Board and an honorary professor at Macquarie, Wollongong and Charles Sturt universities. He is currently a patron of the Asylum Seekers Centre.
