From time to time I find it enjoyable to read autobiographies of people who have made a contribution to their own lives and the world around them. I am currently reading the autobiography of Bill Hayden Hayden - Bill Hayden An Autobiography As I am house sitting there are some books sitting on some shelves and having looked through the shelves I thought I would start to read this book. The book is interesting as Bill Hayden talks about his Irish heritage and about his family. Bill Hayden grew up in Brisbane when the streets were safe, when there was community and more importantly Brisbane during the second world war. He recounts his early years and reflects on when the Australian Labor Party for instance maintained its strong working class links to what it is today.
I am only in the early stages of the book which is well written but I do recall when Bill Hayden was leader of the Australian Labor party who confronted defeat in 1983 and when Mr Hayden was Governor General in the 1990's. As I read the book Bill Hayden talks about his early childhood when he mucked around with other people his own age and in the days when people used their imagination to find their own sources of entertainment. I am slowly reading the book as we speak and I think reading is important to get the brain thinking. A lot of people today seem to have become lazy with reading and I think this is concerning as well as the issues of concentration.
I have read several autobiographies which have included Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Delano Roosevelt but always look out for ones that are interesting. The thing about reading autobiographies is that they illustrate other people's struggles, and challenges as they try to come to terms with life. Bill Hayden for example was a police man and from a working class background. He lived in times when people knew how to toil and more importantly experienced reality. I think in today's society we are losing emphasis on quality people because this sleazy "Americanization" is taking away people's thinking. How many times do you turn on the television to see some tacky or crap American show that bears no relevance to Australian Society? Who wants to know about American's biggest loser, or about Charlie Sheen's conquests etc? I mean how boring is this as well as the fake existence of Hollywood?
Look don't get me wrong America has some good points but there is also a lot of crap also. This crap does nothing but to undermine Australian society and we are fast losing our identity. It is often hard to read nowadays as there are too many distractions. You can flick through Foxtel and see the various channels which seem to provide an insight into the dysfunctional lives of people who just do not have any core of reality in their lives. Very few educational shows are on except for the occasional animal documentary. I was watching a show on Hummingbirds and was interested to learn that when they fly the chirping sound they make is made with their wings and not through their beak. Also the BBC occasionally shows Simon Reeve as he tracks through various parts of the world. He does have some interesting shows and recently showed land erosion in Bangladesh.
Reading autobiographies however is a way of broadening one's mind but getting back into reading is in itself a challenge but at least it gets the brain to think.
I am only in the early stages of the book which is well written but I do recall when Bill Hayden was leader of the Australian Labor party who confronted defeat in 1983 and when Mr Hayden was Governor General in the 1990's. As I read the book Bill Hayden talks about his early childhood when he mucked around with other people his own age and in the days when people used their imagination to find their own sources of entertainment. I am slowly reading the book as we speak and I think reading is important to get the brain thinking. A lot of people today seem to have become lazy with reading and I think this is concerning as well as the issues of concentration.
I have read several autobiographies which have included Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Delano Roosevelt but always look out for ones that are interesting. The thing about reading autobiographies is that they illustrate other people's struggles, and challenges as they try to come to terms with life. Bill Hayden for example was a police man and from a working class background. He lived in times when people knew how to toil and more importantly experienced reality. I think in today's society we are losing emphasis on quality people because this sleazy "Americanization" is taking away people's thinking. How many times do you turn on the television to see some tacky or crap American show that bears no relevance to Australian Society? Who wants to know about American's biggest loser, or about Charlie Sheen's conquests etc? I mean how boring is this as well as the fake existence of Hollywood?
Look don't get me wrong America has some good points but there is also a lot of crap also. This crap does nothing but to undermine Australian society and we are fast losing our identity. It is often hard to read nowadays as there are too many distractions. You can flick through Foxtel and see the various channels which seem to provide an insight into the dysfunctional lives of people who just do not have any core of reality in their lives. Very few educational shows are on except for the occasional animal documentary. I was watching a show on Hummingbirds and was interested to learn that when they fly the chirping sound they make is made with their wings and not through their beak. Also the BBC occasionally shows Simon Reeve as he tracks through various parts of the world. He does have some interesting shows and recently showed land erosion in Bangladesh.
Reading autobiographies however is a way of broadening one's mind but getting back into reading is in itself a challenge but at least it gets the brain to think.
