Summer Reads 

Are you looking for something to read over the Summer? 

Is one of your new years resolutions to read more? 

We’re here to help.

We’ve pulled together a list of books that people in our community are reading and talking about. 

The right hand – Phoebe Saintilan-Stocks

Author Phoebe Saintilan-Stocks is the founder of Missing Perspectives, a media startup platforming female storytelling worldwide, reaching more then 3 million people a month.

In this book, Saintilan-Stocks shares the stories of the chiefs-of-staff of some of the most defining presidents and prime ministers of our time. People like: Jacinda Ardern, Kamala Harris, Tony Blair, Justin Trudeau, John Howard, Sanna Marin, Nelson Mandela and Julia Gillard.

Always was, always will be – Thomas Mayo

Thomas Mayo is a Torres Strait Islander man born on Larrakia country in Darwin. He was a Leader in the Yes23 campaign and is Assistant National Secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia. 

On this book, Mayo shared: ‘The book starts with the ingredients for hope, it will cover the lessons from the past, and ultimately, Always Was, Always Will Be is about the future we want to see – one where there is justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People.’ 

Careless people – Sarah Wynn-Williams 

Sarah Wynn-Williams was the Director of Public Policy at Facebook.

In this memoir, Wyn-Williams shares an insider perspective of her time at Facebook, including her experience working alongside Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg. It’s a book about untapped corporate power inside one of the world’s biggest tech companies. 

Don’t talk about politics – Sarah Stein Lubrano

Sarah Stein Lubrano is a writer and researcher, whose writing focuses on social and political life and its relationship to psychology.

In this book, Lubrano makes the case that democracy is dying because we are clinging to a dangerous and outdated myth that talking about politics can change people’s minds. She then unpacks what she thinks will make a difference. 

A different kind of power – Jacinda Ardern 

Jacinda Ardern was the Prime Minister of New Zealand, then the world’s youngest female head of government and just the second to give birth in office.

In this memoir, Ardern shares the story of her rise to Prime Minister. She also asks

‘What if we could redefine leadership? What if kindness came first?’

The good fight: What does Labor stand for? – Sean Kelly 

Sean Kelly is an award-winning columnist for the Nine papers, regular contributor to The Monthly and a former adviser to Labor prime ministers.

In this, the 100th Quarterly Essay, Kelly asks ‘With wide yet shallow support, will it [Labor] change the country? Does it [Labor] have big ideas, or is it content just to become “the natural party of government”?

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