Media: paperback - 356 pages 
Author: Hugh Mackay
Year: 2007
Publisher: Hachette

Good condition

A book for anyone who cares about Australia’s future

What will the next generation of children be like?

Why did we lose interest in politics? Are we re-engaging? Why are our houses getting bigger while our households are shrinking?

Is multiculturalism dead?

While we enjoy unprecedented levels of prosperity and the promise of more to come, we are stilt battling an epidemic of anxiety and depression, taking on record levels of debt, and yearning for a deeper sense of meaning in our lives. While many Australians complain about feeling powerless and isolated, Mackay sees some encouraging signs that we are learning how to absorb the impact of the revolutionary changes in our way of life. This is a timely book by our most highly respected social researcher.

Contents

Preface

Part One How are the renovations going, Australia?
1 Project Australia: A work in progress
2 We haven't got everything right... yet

Part Two Kaleidoscope Nation
3 Ambiguity: The gender revolution
4 Uncertainty: The workplace revolution
5 Paradox: The IT revolution
6 Diversity: The identity revolution

Part Three Snapshots from the family album
7 The 'relationships’ era: Reinventing marriage and divorce
8 Formula One prams: Wheeling out our smallest-ever generation
9 The mystery of the shrinking household

Part Four The Dreamy Period
10 Turning away from The Big Picture
11 The quest for the perfect bathroom tile
12 Yearning for magic simplicities
13 The inward journey
14 A dream of 'the community'
15 Is the Dreamy Period coming to an end?

Part Five We need to talk about...
16 Global warming: Are we serious about renewable energy?
17 Politics: Can we improve the system?
18 The Monarchy: Aren't we over it yet?
19 Public education: Do we really believe in it?
20 Poverty: A fact of life, or a problem to be solved?
16 Arts funding: Are we missing a golden opportunity?

One small step: What can an individual do?

Acknowledgments

Index