Did you know that the Library has a huge range of free nonfiction ebooks – 12,000 and counting! – which you can either read online or download for up to seven days?
To get started, browse our latest selection of ebooks and watch this space for new additions. You can also scan the list of past Ebookshelf titles or browse for even more free ebooks !
To access ebooks from home, you need to be a Victorian resident with a current State Library card . (Terms and conditions of use apply.)
Dig: Australian rock and pop music, 1960–85 Dig: Australian rock and pop music, 1960–85 David Nichols
Generously illustrated and scrupulously researched, this witty and engaging guide surveys 25 years of Australian music in seven broad historical chapters, interspersed with shorter chapters on significant figures from each period.
The result is a compelling portrait of a music scene that evolved in dynamic interaction with those in the US and UK, while retaining a strong sense of its own identity.
There has never been a book that told the whole story of the irresistible growth and sweep of a national music culture. Until now…
Ghost-haunted land: Contemporary art and post-Troubles Northern Ireland Ghost-haunted land: Contemporary art and post-Troubles Northern Ireland Declan Long
Since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 – the formal end-point of the 30-year 'Troubles' – contemporary visual artists have offered diverse responses to post-conflict circumstances in Northern Ireland.
This wide-ranging study is the first book-length examination of post-Troubles contemporary art. It addresses developments in video, photography, painting, sculpture, performance and more, and offers detailed analyses of key works by artists based in Ireland and beyond.
The artworks are discussed in the context of both local transformations and global operations, touching on broader debates about the place and purpose of contemporary art in today's world.
Dissent: The student press in 1960s Australia Dissent: The student press in 1960s Australia Sally Percival Wood
A passionate portrayal of Australia's social awakening during a decade of profound change, Dissent focuses on the people, politics and power of the student press that played a vital role in Australia's cultural and political transformation during the 1960s.
Historian Sally Percival Wood encapsulates the spirit of the era, delving into the people and politics of the time to reveal how this transformation took place.
Her book shows just how profoundly the political conservatism emblematic of post-war Australia struggled to adapt to this new generation, with its new and sometimes alarming audacity, and goes on to ask: has the student press of today lost its nerve?
A lab of one's own: Science and suffrage in the First World War A lab of one's own: Science and suffrage in the First World War Patricia Fara
During WWI, many female scientists, doctors and engineers were able to enter conventionally male domains such as science and medicine, and for the first time taste independence and responsibility. Women were now carrying out vital research in many aspects of science, but could it last?
When Britain's soldiers returned from the Front, they reclaimed their jobs and conventional hierarchies were re-established. Women had helped the country to victory, but they had lost the battle for equality.
Writer Patricia Fara examines how these pioneer women paved the way for the next generations of female scientists, and notes that inherited prejudices continue to limit women's scientific opportunities today.
Midlife: A philosophical guide Midlife: A philosophical guide Kieran Setiya
In this self-help book with a difference, Kieran Setiya confronts the inevitable challenges of middle age, revealing how philosophy can help you thrive and introducing philosophical consolations for mortality.
From Aristotle, Schopenhauer and John Stuart Mill to Virginia Woolf and Simone de Beauvoir, Midlife combines imaginative ideas, surprising insights and practical advice, and makes a wry but passionate case for philosophy as a guide to life.
The book discusses why missing out might be a good thing, how options are overrated, and when you should be glad you made a mistake. It also explains what it means to live in the present, and why meditation helps.
An activist life Christine Milne
An activist life is a fascinating insider's account of what it means to be a woman in politics: the sacrifices of family life, the relentless misogyny that must be endured, the gritty conviction that you must never give up the pursuit of the greater good.
Former Greens leader Christine Milne tells her story through the objects that have symbolic meaning in both her personal and political life – including the butter pats in her kitchen that represent her journey from farm girl to environmental and human rights activist.
Milne also describes the politics behind some of the most controversial issues of our time, including climate change policy and Australia's treatment of refugees and asylum seekers.
Their brilliant careers: The fantastic lives of 16 extraordinary Australian writers Their brilliant careers: The fantastic lives of 16 extraordinary Australian writers Ryan O'Neill
Their brilliant careers is a hilarious novel in the guise of 16 biographies of (invented) Australian writers.
Meet Rachel Deverall, who discovered the secret source of the great literature of our time – and paid a terrible price for her discovery. Meet Rand Washington, hugely popular sci-fi author and inveterate racist. Meet Addison Tiller, master of the bush yarn The Chekhov of Coolabah , who never travelled outside Sydney.
A wonderful comic tapestry of the writing life, this unpredictable and intriguing work takes Australian writing in a whole new direction.
The woman who fooled the world: Belle Gibson's cancer con The woman who fooled the world: Belle Gibson's cancer con Beau Donelly & Nick Toscano
Belle Gibson convinced the world that she had healed herself of terminal brain cancer by eating a healthy diet. She built a global business based on her story, with over 200,000 followers, international book deals and a best-selling mobile app. There was just one problem: she never had cancer.
Written by the two journalists who uncovered the details of Gibson's deception, this book tracks the 23-year-old's rise to fame and fall from grace, and exposes the darkness at the heart of the wellness and 'clean eating' movements.
Told through interviews with the people who know Gibson best, the book also explores the lure of alternative cancer treatments, and reveals just how easy it is to manipulate people on social media.
The oldest house in London The oldest house in London Fiona Rule
The histories of London's famous landmarks such as the Tower of London and Westminster Abbey are well documented. However, these world-renowned attractions are not the only places with fascinating tales of the city to tell.
Down a narrow, medieval lane on the outskirts of Smithfield stands 41–42 Cloth Fair – the oldest house in the City of London.
Fiona Rule uncovers the fascinating survival story of this extraordinary property and the people who owned it and lived in it, set against the backdrop of an ever-changing city that has prevailed over war, disease, fire and economic crises.
The work of art: Value in creative careers The work of art: Value in creative careers Alison Gerber
Artists are everywhere, from celebrities showing at high-profile galleries to locals hoping for a spot on a cafe wall.
In The work of art , Alison Gerber explores these varied art worlds to investigate who artists are (and who they're not), why they do the things they do, and whether a sense of vocational calling and the need to make a living are incompatible.
Listening to the stories of artists from across the USA, Gerber finds that the alliance of love and money has become central to contemporary art-making, and danger awaits those who fail to strike a balance between the two.
Samurai assassins: 'Dark murder' and the Meiji Restoration, 1853–1868 Samurai assassins: 'Dark murder' and the Meiji Restoration, 1853–1868 Romulus Hillsborough
Assassination – ansatsu in Japanese, or 'dark murder' – was instrumental in Japan's samurai-led revolution of 1868, known as the Meiji Restoration.
The ideology and moral philosophy of the men behind the revolution that overthrew the shogun's military government and restored the Imperial monarchy included bushidō or 'the way of the warrior'. It would become the foundation of the emperor-worship of WWII.
This first-ever account in English of the assassins who drove the revolution details one of the most volatile periods in Japanese history, known as 'the dawn of modern Japan'.
Finding a way Graeme Innes
Blind from birth, Graeme Innes had the determination to persevere when obstacles were put in his way. Much of this determination was due to his family, who refused to view his blindness as a handicap and who instilled in him a belief in his own abilities.
Now, after a long and successful career – from lawyer to company director to Human Rights Commissioner – Graeme has written his story.
In Finding a way , he shares his memories of love and support, of challenges and failures, and of overcoming the discrimination so many people with disabilities face. He also shares his ideas on advocacy and outlines what remains to be done to fully include people with disabilities in Australian society.
A secret history of brands A secret history of brands Matt MacNabb
Brand names are all around us – chain restaurants, car dealerships, branded clothing...you name it!
However, the origins of many of the world's best-known and most beloved brands are shrouded in controversy and even blatant racism. Subtitled The dark and twisted beginnings of the brand names we know and love , this book reveals the true history of such famous names as Hugo Boss, Adidas, Chanel and BMW.
From the Hitler–Henry Ford connection to the mystery of the cocaine content of Coca-Cola and the reason why Bayer is famous for aspirin, despite having begun its journey with heroin, McNabb provides a new perspective on famous brands and their histories.
The struggle for Catalonia: Rebel politics in Spain The struggle for Catalonia: Rebel politics in Spain Raphael Minder
Every year on 11 September, Catalonia celebrates its Diada, or National Day. But the Diada of 2012 was like none other, as an enormous crowd calling for Catalan independence took over the heart of Barcelona.
On the back of this show of force, Catalonia's governing politicians turned secessionist claims into a new headache for a government in Madrid that had only just survived a near-meltdown of Spain's financial system.
Raphael Minder looks at how and why Catalan separatism reached the top of Spain's political agenda, as well as its connection to the broader European malaise. He explains how Catalans feel about their economy, history and culture, and how secessionist forces have tried to reshape Catalan identity.
A sweet, wild note: What we hear when the birds sing A sweet, wild note: What we hear when the birds sing Richard Smyth
Birdsong is woven into our culture, our emotions, our landscape; it is the soundtrack to our world. In this fascinating account, Richard Smyth asks what it is about birdsong that we so love.
Exploring the myriad ways in which birdsong has influenced literature, music and science, Smyth's nuanced investigation shows that what we hear says as much about us, our dreams and desires, as it does about the birds and their songs.
At a time when our birdsong is growing quieter, with fewer voices, more thinly spread, A sweet, wild note is a celebration of the complex relationships between birds, people and the land. It is also a passionate call to arms lest our trees and hedgerows fall silent.
Discovering Australian flora: An Australian National Botanic Gardens experience Discovering Australian flora: An Australian National Botanic Gardens experience Fanny Karouta-Manasse
Australia's complex, beautiful and diverse flora is showcased in the Australian National Botanic Gardens (ANBG) in the ACT. The exquisite colour photographs featured in this book celebrate the minute and intriguing details of these plants.
Discovering Australian flora explains how plants are displayed in the ANBG according to themes, and provides clear and concise geographical, historical and botanical information.
Focusing in detail on our two dominant species, eucalypts and acacias, the book also describes the unique features of Australian flora, including their reliance on fire and ability to survive in poor soil.
