The following five books all challenge certain accepted truths. Angela Saini and Carina Chocano dig into questions of gender identity, Indigenous editor Shireen Morris shows us to think more deeply about constitutional recognition, Julian Burnside demystifies legal principles being thrown around in today’s politics, and Tim Flannery makes a case for us to not lose hope over climate change.

Inferior by Angela Saini

For centuries science has told us that men and women are fundamentally different. But this is not the whole story. Shedding light on controversial research and investigating the ferocious gender wars in biology, psychology and anthropology, Angela Saini takes readers on an eye-opening journey to uncover how women are being rediscovered. She explores what these revelations mean for us as individuals and as a society, revealing an alternative view of science in which women are included, rather than excluded.

Sunlight and Seaweed by Tim Flannery

Acclaimed scientist Tim Flannery investigates exciting new technologies currently being developed to address our most pressing environmental threats. With accessible and engaging explanations of the fascinating science behind these technologies, as well as accounts of the systems already in operation around the world, this is an enlightening and uplifting view of the future.

You Play The Girl by Carina Chocano

Part memoir, part cultural commentary, part call to arms to women everywhere, You Play The Girl flips the perspective on the past 35 years in pop culture, providing a first-hand chronicle of the experience of growing up inside this funhouse. Always incisive, Carina Chocano brilliantly shows that our identities are more iterative than we think, and certainly more complex than anything we see on any kind of screen.

A Rightful Place edited by Shireen Morris

In this essential book, several leading indigenous writers and thinkers provide a road map to recognition. These eloquent essays show what constitutional recognition means, and what it could make possible: a fairer relationship and a renewed appreciation of an ancient culture. With remarkable clarity and power, they traverse law, history and culture to map the path to change. The book is edited by Shireen Morris, a lawyer and constitutional reform fellow at the Cape York Institute and researcher at Monash University.

Watching Out by Julian Burnside

Noted barrister and human-rights advocate Julian Burnside explains the origins of our legal system, looks at the way it operates in practice, and points out ways in which does and doesn’t run true to its ultimate purposes. He examines fundamental legal principles in clear and accessible language, and sets out legal remedies for wrongs done to individuals and groups. Rich with fascinating case studies, and eloquent in its defence of civil society, Watching Out is a beacon of legal liberalism in an intemporate age.