Ten gift ideas for ethical and socially responsible shoppers
Bookseller Kara Nicholson has compiled a list of ten gift ideas for shoppers aspiring to be ethical and socially responsible consumers this Christmas.
1. Jukurrpa 2015 Diary ($22.95)
Designed and published in the heart of Australia, Alice Springs by IAD Press – the publishing unit of the Institute for Aboriginal Development – this gorgeous diary showcases images created by contemporary Australian Aboriginal artists. By purchasing this product you will also be assisting IAD Press to produce more language resources.
3. Connected: The Sustainable Landscapes of Phillip Johnson ($59.99) by Phillip Johnson
This book explores Australian landscape designer Phillip Johnson’s philosophy of connecting with nature in a sustainable way. Connected focuses on his key passions, including integrated sustainable water management and the creation of natural, chemical-free pools; recreation of thriving habitats for indigenous plants and animals; and the thoughtful connection of the landscape to the home.
3. Hush Collection: Volume 14 ($24.95)
The Hush collection performs the dual function of producing recordings to soothe and relax young Royal Children’s Hospital patients while raising funds for the Hush Music Foundation. In Volume 14, Emma Ayres (ABC Classic FM) has put together a selection of beautiful works featured on previous CDs, all of which are performed live in concert.
4. Community: Salad Recipes from Arthur Street Kitchen ($34.99) by Hetty McKinnon
The salads in this cookbook are inspired by author Hetty McKinnon’s Sydney-based community kitchen, Arthur Street Kitchen. The recipes are simple, sustainable and healthy, featuring fresh, seasonal produce, and rather than being sides, these salads are all meals in their own right, giving vegetables, legumes, herbs and nuts their moment to shine.
5. Other States of Mind: Stories of mental health ($30) edited by Natasha Bernard
The Rag & Bone Man Press Inc. collects and publishes the stories of people who make up different communities, presenting them without agenda or politics – just in the spirit of sharing. In purchasing this book, you contribute to the continuation of these significant projects that help us all understand and accept each other.
6. The Bush: Travels in the Heart of Australia ($45) by Don Watson
Don Watson is of the bush himself, having grown up on a dairy farm in South Gippsland, and The Bush is part memoir, part travel document and part call-to-action. Full of fascinating anecdotes, the book’s view is at once vastly informed and intensely personal.
7. Blood and Guts: Dispatches from the Whale Wars ($29.99) by Sam Vincent
In Blood and Guts, Sam Vincent provides an objective eyewitness account of the whale wars. While the International Court of Justice has recently upheld Australia’s claim that Japan must stop its ‘research’ whaling in the Southern Ocean, Japan is already planning to resume its whale hunt in 2015. Australia might have won the battle, but the whale wars seem set to continue.
8. Six Capitals: The Revolution Capitalism Has to Have - or Can Accountants Save the Planet? ($32.99) by Jane Gleeson-White
This is the story of revolution being led by the most unlikely of rebels: accountants. Six Capitals tells the story of their rise to prominence, which signals a new age in capitalism, and evaluates their promise – and their threat. An excellent read for anyone who enjoyed Thomas Piketty’s Capital in the Twenty-First Century.
9. This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate ($29.99) by Naomi Klein
Naomi Klein argues that we seem to have given up on any serious effort to prevent catastrophic climate change. Despite mounting scientific evidence, denialism is surging in many wealthy countries, and extreme fossil-fuel extraction continues to gather pace. Exposing the work of ideologues on the right who know the challenge this poses to the free market all too well, Klein also challenges the failing strategies of environmental groups.
10. Infographic Guide to Cycling ($29.99)
This is a fun illustrated guide to the world of cycling and all things bike-related. The book mixes cycling facts with expert bike tech advice, this book features a unique and intriguing overview of the realm of the velocipede.
