Who We Are

The ultimate miscellany of Australiana - packed with fascinating and humourous facts, ideas, and quotations about our attitudes, language, habits, icons, entertainers, passions, flora and fauna.We are what we eat, watch, buy, read, love...It's been a long step in a short time from meat pies, football, kangaroos and Holden cars to spag bol, iPods, lattes and Desperate Housewives.David Dale chronicles how it happened, and seeks the details that now define us as Australians, from the way we talk - 'Don't chuck a wobbly' - to the people we admire and the ideas we debate. Instead of boasting about what makes Australia great, Who We Are explains what makes us unique - for better and for worse.Full of common and uncommon knowledge about the myths, attitudes, jokes and journeys that make us Aussies, this treasure trove is a must for any visitor and for all 20,470,000 of us.The book examines: * What are the seven core values of the average Aussie? * Why do we value stirrers, larrikins and visionaries? * Who are the pioneers of The New Australia? * How did the cultural cringe turn into the cultural strut? * Why are we world famous as a land of 'early adopters'? * Which 20th century Australian inventions changed the world? * What do our most-purchased products and most-enjoyed entertainments reveal about us? * How did Australia change in just 50 years from one of the dullest places on earth to one of the most interesting?