This book explores the tensions between economic and cultural value from a range of disciplines.

He has recounted to friends and acquaintances some episodes of his many adventures through life, and his listeners have always found them interesting, fascinating, entertaining, and worth telling. This dawned the momentous chronicling of this part memoir, part historical account of his life, his country, and his journey. In this newly published book, From the Land Beyond the Forest, author John Irtel shares from whence he came, to his escape and survival, to his arrival and new life on a new land, and more. Divided into two sections, the first part of this book briefly deals with the history of the land and the Saxon people of Transylvania, including some traditions and customs, which were part of the author when he was young. The history of Transylvania is rich and long and would require much research to do it justice. The highlights pertaining to his own life include the aftermath of the Second World War, his escape from Romania in 1947, and his life as a refugee in Austria and Italy. The second part of this book deals with the period from his departure from Europe to Australia as a nineteen-year-old immigrant, which posed as the biggest and most important challenge in his life. However, the curious fascination he developed for his new country and its people enabled him to adjust and assimilate into the community more easily than many others have done. “I have seen more than seventy years of life passing by, from childhood to old age. I have seen many changes, enjoyed happiness and endured pain. I can truly say that life has been an interesting challenge,” shares Irtel. Author shares his country’s history, his past, his new home, and his life in this memoir.

Australia is the only country on the planet that has a non-annual climate cycle and this poses real challenges for an agricultural sector based on practices which were developed for the relative predictability of a European climate. Since 1989 official Government policy in Australia has moved towards acceptance of this reality and rejected the notion that drought is a natural disaster in favour of a policy approach based on risk management.

The photographs in this book document some of the first European impressions of Central Australia's landscape and society, taking us behind the stereotypes to the reality of the frontier itself, long before tourism and colour photography transformed our view of the outback.

A mix of fiction and essays by the author described as “the Thoreau of the American West” (Larry McMurtry, The Washington Post). Edward Abbey himself compiled this volume representing some of his greatest work—including selections from such novels as The Monkey Wrench Gang, The Brave Cowboy, and Black Sun, as well as a number of expressive and acerbic essays. Renowned for inspiring modern environmentalists—though his interests ranged as widely as the landscapes he loved—Abbey offers an entertaining introduction to his writing, including excerpts from the autobiographical Desert Solitaire, in addition to his own sketches illustrating the text throughout.