A Toast to Travel: a book review by Alan Gold

There’s a type of writing which used to be in newspapers called ‘travel porn’, which older readers may remember. Read more

Who gave you permission?…a review by Alan Gold

Alan Gold is reviews the memoir of a child sexual-abuse survivor who fought back. Read more

Debunking Holocaust Denial Theories…a book review by Alan Gold

Some books are ‘must-read’. Others are ‘should read’. And a lot are ‘toss away without reading so you don’t let the facts bother you.’ Read more

Lest we forget the Shoah…writes Alan Gold

The recent commemoration of the 101^st ANZAC Day was observed by tens of thousands of men, women and children in every city and town in Australia, as well as in the fields of France and on Turkey’s Gallipoli peninsula. Read more

Jewels and Ashes – A 25th Anniversary Edition: a book review by Alan Gold

Virginia Woolf once said that every secret of a writer’s soul, every experience of his life, every quality of his mind, is written large in his works. Perhaps the finest example in Australia today of the elemental truth of Woolf’s words is in the body of work produced over the past quarter of a century by Arnold Zable. Read more

Frank Lowy, A Second Life…a book review by Alan Gold

There are two lights which shine most brilliantly out of Jill Margo’s exceptional second volume of Frank Lowy’s biography. Read more

I Gave a Gonski…selected speeches by David Gonski. A book review by Alan Gold

In his chapter on ‘Being a Chairman’, David Gonski says it’s easier to define a non-executive chairman by what he’s not, rather than by what he or she is. Which made me think of what the American astronomer, Clifford Stoll once said the internet age, “Data is not information, information is not knowledge, knowledge is not understanding, understanding is not wisdom.”
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Adam Exx Exodus…a book review by Alan Gold

There is a class of books being published these days which are best described as ‘metabooks’. Read more

Morris Lurie 1938-2014…Alan Gold writes

One of the most significant Jewish voices in Australia has been silenced this week. Read more

My Promised Land by Ari Shavit…a book review by Alan Gold

Even today, nation states are born out of a people’s hopes and aspirations. Read more

Making Jerusalem into a Storyworld…writes Alan Gold

How do you tell the 3000 year history of Jerusalem, through the interconnected lives of two families traced through the millenia? Read more

Jonathan Safran Foer edits a new Haggadah…a review by Alan Gold

One of the most precious and memorable moments of my year, every year, is opening the Haggadah I was given as a gift by my mother-in-law, and seeing the familiar wine stains and shadows of matzah crumbs from ages past…writes Alan Gold. Read more

Book Review: Man in a Grey Suit

In a tragic coincidence, just as Glenn Ogias releases his book on his survival of an attack by a Great White shark, Australia’s news and commentary programs are full of stories about swimmers taken in Western Australia. Suddenly, everybody wants to question whether these monsters of the deep should be stripped of their protected status…writes Alan Gold. Read more

Book Review: Genesis – Book 1 [Adam Exx] by Fraser Beath McEwing

The story of humanity’s creation has been told since our first consciousness. Questions of where we came from, how we arrived and who or what were the agents of that arrival have mystified us since we became sentient beings…writes Alan Gold Read more

Letter From My Father – Book Review

Alan Gold reviews “Letter From My Father” by Dr Dasia Black… Read more

Empire Day – Book Review

Alan Gold reviews the latest offering from best-selling author Diane Armstrong….. Read more

Book Review: Extreme Cosmos by Bryan Gaesler – review by Alan Gold

According to tradition, Moses ascended Mt. Sinai in order to receive the Ten Commandments, and stood before the firmament, where he witnessed the full panoply of stars, planets, asteroids and perhaps the occasional meteor illuminating the night sky with its blazing trail. And one can imagine Moses, alone and overwhelmed by the sight before him, staring upwards into that infinity which is the night sky, and believing that he was looking at the totality of the Universe. Read more

Book Review: A Break in the Chain

Alan Gold reviews the first published work of….an amazing new Australian writing talent. An enlightening view of one Jew’s life in 19th century Melbourne….. Read more

So Just Who is a Palestinian?

It started with Alan Gold who received a response from Peter Slezak and then David Singer joined in. Alan Gold returns with his third article on a debate initiated by media attention paid to Jewish activist Anna Baltzer…. Read more

…and over to Alan Gold

In today’s J-Wire, Peter Slezak answered Alan Gold’s question “Anna Who?’. Gold wrote on the media attention paid to US activist  Anna Baltzer currently visiting Australia. Gold now responds to Slezak….watch this space! Read more

Anna Who?

So just who is Anna Baltzer? You may have heard her being interviewed by Phillip Adams and Mark Colvin on ABC Radio, or in other media interviews she’s given during her visit to Australia. Read more

The Finkler Question – reviewed by Alan Gold for J-Wire

U.K. author Howard Jacobson has won the prestigious Booker Prize for his novel “The Finkler Question”. Alan Gold reviews it for J-Wire. Read more