In this provocative book, Peter Timms asks confronting questions. Why is contemporary art so in thrall to spruikers and promoters, and why do their extravagant claims so rarely match the reality? Why does the market have such power, and how does it dictate the sort of art we are allowed to see? Why are art schools, museums and the media apparently so eager to fall in line with commercial expectations?

A spirited defense of the home garden, this fascinating study explains how Australia became the world's first great suburban nation, why Aussies are so passionate about roses and gladioli, how social and economic developments have altered the layouts of front and back gardens, and reasons for the slow decline of the manicured lawn and the productive home vegetable-garden. The designs, plantings, and hidden meanings of the ordinary garden are thoroughly explored, and the book offers unique new perspectives on everything from fruit trees and woodsheds to rotary clotheslines and illuminated...