Michael McGirr

A profound, funny and uplifting collection of reminiscences about a life in books.

Reading for Wisdom, Solace and Pleasure

Books that Saved My Life

A classic in its own right, this personal and public memoir by one of Australia's most observant and genial writers graces our bookshelves once again.

The Story of a Road

Bypass

A profound, uplifting and accessible introduction to key philosophical ideas and their relevance to everyday life.

Philosophy for Wisdom, Solace and Pleasure

Ideas to Save Your Life

From bestselling author Michael McGirr comes Snooze, a revised edition of the entertaining and enlightening The Lost Art of Sleep (2009). Michael always had trouble sleeping, but the arrival of twins made him realise he’d never known true exhaustion. While he celebrated these small children who brought him so much joy, he also found himself desperately searching for a few extra winks a night. In Snooze, McGirr delves into the mysterious world of sleep: its many benefits, its stubborn elusiveness and what our brains get up to while we’re in bed. He takes readers on a tour through the odd sleep patterns of some of history’s greatest figures, including Plato and Homer, Shakespeare and Dickens, Florence Nightingale (who slept a great deal) and Thomas Edison (who hardly slept at all). He looks at the demise of sleep in our ever more fragmented world, and what that means for everyone from average sleepers to those with serious sleep disorders. And he describes his own family’s quest to master the ancient art of getting a decent kip. A profound and humorous exploration of the precious resource of sleep—and the causes and consequences of getting too little of it—Snooze is the perfect book for sleepless nights. In the history of human civilisation, sleep is the unrivalled hero. It is the wellspring of creativity. It is the space in which so much happens, mainly because, while we are asleep, we can’t squeeze any extra appointments or make any extra phone calls or look at one more thing on the internet. In sleep we are most ourselves because we have to surrender our egos. Michael McGirr is the bestselling author of Snooze, Bypass and Things You Get for Free. He has reviewed almost one thousand books, his short fiction has appeared in publications in Australia and overseas, and he has been publisher of Eureka Street and fiction editor of Meanjin. He is a high-school teacher and lives in Melbourne with his wife, Jenny, and their three teenage children. ‘Although this book is about insomnia and sleep, it will not send the reader off to sleep... It is a happy book. It is a compendium of anecdotes about living with small, sleepless children and of moving house.’ ArtsHub ‘A former priest examines the way shut-eye—or lack there of it—affects us on and off the pillow. If you’re among the flock who count sheep most nights, these pages reassure.’ O, The Oprah Magazine ‘McGirr is a good writer who is able to share information in an entertaining way...His anecdotes will make you out laugh out loud. If you haven’t read any books by him before, seek them out.’ Good Reading 'McGirr is an inspired synthesiser, serious in intent even while riotous in execution. You could call The Lost Art of Sleep volume three of a complex autobiography (with Things You Get for Free and Bypass). But if the central character embodies the quandaries, the delight of the writing lies in the world around him.’ Morag Fraser, Eureka Street ‘Amid the stories of famous sleepers and famous insomniacs, McGirr has interspersed personal tales, where he captures a young household very much in need of sleep...A lovely readable tone, highly recommended!’ Louise Swinn, Triple R ‘An eyes-wide-open look at the penumbral world of sleep, where we spend so much of our time without quite knowing why...Lively...A good book to curl up with while pondering the mysteries of Morpheus.’Kirkus Reviews ‘With Snooze, Michael McGirr has, pardon the pun, produced a wake-up call about the fascinating yet little known history and science of sleep. A delightful read, Snooze takes on the one activity we spend the most time doing, yet still manages to surprise. It’s one bedtime read that won’t put you to sleep.’ Edward Humes, Pulitzer Prize winning author of Door to Door and Garbology: Our Dirty Love Affair with Trash ‘A delightful eye-opener. [McGirr's] loving account of life with his family gives Snooze: The Lost Art of Sleep its big heart...Its blend of memoir, science history, mythological lore and cultural commentary is a constant delight.’ Seattle Times ‘Readers have McGirr’s tossing and turning to thank for a dynamic, multifaceted book that serves as an entertaining, philosophical lullaby for the deprived.’ Shelf Awareness ‘This revised and expanded edition offers a broader base of experience to share with readers...It reads like chapters of a one-sided conversation with an amiable, liberal-minded man-of-the-world, who thinks fondly of the almost unattainable—the undisturbed night of blissful sleep.’ Otago Daily Times ‘A exploration of and reassurance for our overloaded century. McGirr’s journey through this “profound form of absence” is spirited, sympathetic and commendably non-soporific.’ NZ Listener ‘Michael McGirr takes the serious subject of sleep and whimsically reflects on its mysteries; at the same time amusing us with stories from the past and present...A wise and witty book.’ Toowoomba Chronicle

The Lost Art of Sleep

Snooze

Don Charlwood

All the Green Year

Provides an overview of Winton's writing - Closely examines six major novels including An open swimmer, Shallows, That eye, the sky, In the winter dark, Lockie Leonard, Cloudstreet, The riders and the Lockie Leonard novels.

The Writer and His Work

Tim Winton

At the age of thirty-four, Michael McGirr decides to take his charming and inimitable mum on the honeymoon she and her late husband never got around to having. Between recounting their hilarious travels around Europe and meditating on the historical figures who dot their voyage — everyone from Hemingway to Michelangelo to the quietly heroic people who inspire McGirr’s special brand of faith — he plunges deep into his family history, unearthing sickness and depression but also moments of great love and perseverance. Things You Get for Free is a deeply moving spiritual and intellectual journey that sparkles with McGirr’s singular wit and proves the truth behind his mother’s favourite saying: ‘I know more than you think I know.’

Things You Get For Free

A profound exploration of the precious resource of sleep—and of the causes and consequences of getting too little of it. Michael McGirr always had trouble sleeping. The arrival of baby twins, however, made him realize that he’d never before known true exhaustion. And while he celebrated these small children who brought him so much joy and tiredness, he found himself on a desperate and bone-weary journey in search of just a few extra winks a night. It was an adventure that would teach him more about what exactly sleep is, why we need it, and what it means when we don’t get enough of it. In Snooze, McGirr delves into the mysterious world of sleep, including its many benefits, its stubborn elusiveness, and exactly what our brains really get up to while we’re in bed. He offers readers a tour through the odd sleep patterns of some of history's greatest minds, including Aristotle, Homer, Shakespeare, Florence Nightingale, Thomas Edison, and more. He looks, too, at the demise of sleep in our increasingly fragmented modern world—and examines what that means for everyone from the Average Joe in the workplace to those with serious sleep disorders. The result is both entertaining and enlightening—the perfect book for those sleepless nights.

Snooze: The Lost Art of Sleep

Stan Tony

Dean Moore

"There are saints you've heard of. And others you haven't. But best of all there are the silly saints, which Stan Tony knows all about. What if there was a patron of real estate agents? Or grand prix drivers? Or local council bureaucracies? Stan's delightful, gentle sense of humour sometimes has an edge. But mostly it's just good for a hearty laugh."--Publisher description.

Michael McGirr

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