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imoganthebogan's review
challenging
hopeful
informative
sad
medium-paced
4.5
I am so happy I finally took the time to sit with this book because it’s message is so important. The central thesis was that the application of the hunter gatherer tag was weaponised by colonisers to describe pre-colonial Aboriginal society in order to validate the dispossession of their land.
Firstly, I thought the book was written clearly and concisely and I seldom found myself confused despite the use of academic sources and heap of information explored. I also loved the act of deconstructing the colonisers journals throughout the text, it was reminiscent of my high school extension history class and I really enjoyed taking a closer look at the language they used to describe a pre-colonial Australia.
Despite not being a huge lover of non-fiction I found myself interested and engaged with Pascoe’s work. It explored the fragile Australian ecosystem which was brilliantly explained by the simple comparison of sheep and kangaroos which highlighted the instantaneous and lasting damage that foreign species can inflict on a new environment. The use of fire as not only a land management technique to reduce deadly fires but also to increase the production of vegetation was something I had not come across before. Lastly, I thought the book succinctly argued how the application of indigenous knowledge would be advantageous to both our economy and our environment.
There are a few things that stopped this from being a 5 star book for me. Whilst the language used by Pascoe was concise, I sometimes found the structure of his chapters to be somewhat meandering and repetitive which meant the book didn’t always flow. I also acknowledge that the use of some sources are not academically validated however, this small number of questionable references does not discredit the key message of this book.
Ultimately, a lot of the controversy for this book surrounds the often blurry line between strict hunter/gatherer societies and more sedentary ones. I don’t believe this book is trying to discredit the usefulness of hunter/gatherer societies but instead highlights that westernised concepts of progress and success cannot be applied to judge the legitimacy indigenous societies. I think this book excels in starting important, and often neglected, conversations around pre-colonial Aboriginal culture and highlights the ingenious ways their indigenous wisdom was used to cultivate and thrive in the Australian environment.
Firstly, I thought the book was written clearly and concisely and I seldom found myself confused despite the use of academic sources and heap of information explored. I also loved the act of deconstructing the colonisers journals throughout the text, it was reminiscent of my high school extension history class and I really enjoyed taking a closer look at the language they used to describe a pre-colonial Australia.
Despite not being a huge lover of non-fiction I found myself interested and engaged with Pascoe’s work. It explored the fragile Australian ecosystem which was brilliantly explained by the simple comparison of sheep and kangaroos which highlighted the instantaneous and lasting damage that foreign species can inflict on a new environment. The use of fire as not only a land management technique to reduce deadly fires but also to increase the production of vegetation was something I had not come across before. Lastly, I thought the book succinctly argued how the application of indigenous knowledge would be advantageous to both our economy and our environment.
There are a few things that stopped this from being a 5 star book for me. Whilst the language used by Pascoe was concise, I sometimes found the structure of his chapters to be somewhat meandering and repetitive which meant the book didn’t always flow. I also acknowledge that the use of some sources are not academically validated however, this small number of questionable references does not discredit the key message of this book.
Ultimately, a lot of the controversy for this book surrounds the often blurry line between strict hunter/gatherer societies and more sedentary ones. I don’t believe this book is trying to discredit the usefulness of hunter/gatherer societies but instead highlights that westernised concepts of progress and success cannot be applied to judge the legitimacy indigenous societies. I think this book excels in starting important, and often neglected, conversations around pre-colonial Aboriginal culture and highlights the ingenious ways their indigenous wisdom was used to cultivate and thrive in the Australian environment.
wanderinggoy's review against another edition
3.0
I read this book after laying aside Bill Gammage’s ‘The Biggest Estate On Earth’, as the latter was too detailed for me to keep on reading. It’s just what I was hoping for: over the course of a weekend, I’ve learned a lot about Aboriginal (agri)culture. The author is not a scholar, however. Some of the scientific plant names are incorrect, and I don’t know how reputable some of his sources are. His reference to Gavin Menzies, for instance, made me raise several eyebrows (I have more than one). Recommended? Yes, but proceed with caution.
trib's review
5.0
Just read it. It will likely transform your perspective of indigenous settlement in Australia and the wanton destruction wrought upon that culture by white invasion.
This should be the history taught in our schools.
This should be the history taught in our schools.
clare_melissa's review
4.0
An utterly compelling read and deeply thought provoking. An essential read for any Australian or for anyone living in Australia, to better understand this side of history.
zanhoven's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
I really liked using settlers bodies of work to rewrite the narrative of the indigenous culture. Although, most of this I had been taught in school, I understand that many other Australians are unaware how advanced the indigenous culture was. I really do recommend this book for every Australian to read.
amyhewitson's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
This was a very interesting read and made me reflect on the lack of education and misinformation spread on our Indigenous peoples. Some of the text was a bit verbose and could have been more concise, otherwise an informative read.
tlaynejones's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
4.5
Fascinating. It seemed a bit repetitive sometimes, and I’m not sure if that’s me not getting something, or the nature of the writing. I would have appreciated reading this as a print book, rather than listening to the audio version, so I could flip back and forth and check for connections I may have missed. Otherwise this was super approachable, and SO interesting. Definitely recommend.