A detailed, research-informed synthesis of the current issues facing the Australasian biota and the challenges involved in their conservation.

This definitive work on the introduction of domestic animals to Australia begins with the first white settlement at Botany Bay. It explores the foundations of our wool and beef industries, examining the role of early leaders like Phillip, King, Macarthur and Bligh.The book considers the successful introduction of the horse, Australia's first live animal export, and goes on to explore the role of the acclimatisation societies, the development of the veterinary profession and the control and eradication of some of the major exotic and introduced diseases of sheep and cattle. The author, Dr Ian Parsonson, retired as Assistant Chief of the Australian Animal Health Laboratory at Geelong, Victoria, after a long career in veterinary practice and research. His areas of expertise include bacterial and viral diseases, pathology and microbiological laboratory safety. He is a committee member of the International Embryo Transfer Society and the Animal Gene Storage and Resource Centre of Australia.

In remembrance of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and the Nazi concentration camps, this award-winning, bestselling work of Holocaust fiction, inspiration for the classic film and “masterful account of the growth of the human soul” (Los Angeles Times Book Review), returns with an all-new introduction by the author. An “extraordinary” (New York Review of Books) novel based on the true story of how German war profiteer and factory director Oskar Schindler came to save more Jews from the gas chambers than any other single person during World War II. In this milestone of Holocaust literature, Thomas Keneally, author of The Book of Science and Antiquities and The Daughter of Mars, uses the actual testimony of the Schindlerjuden—Schindler’s Jews—to brilliantly portray the courage and cunning of a good man in the midst of unspeakable evil. “Astounding…in this case the truth is far more powerful than anything the imagination could invent” (Newsweek).

Lizards and snakes (squamate reptiles) are the most diverse vertebrate group in Australia, with approximately 1000 described species, representing about 10% of the global squamate diversity. Squamates are a vital part of the Australian ecosystem, but their conservation has been hindered by a lack of knowledge of their diversity, distribution, biology and key threats. The Action Plan for Australian Lizards and Snakes 2017 provides the first comprehensive assessment of the conservation status of Australian squamates in 25 years. Conservation assessments are provided for 986 species of Australian lizards and snakes (including sea snakes). Over the past 25 years there has been a substantial increase in the number of species and families recognised within Australia. There has also been an increase in the range and magnitude of threatening processes with the potential to impact squamates. This has resulted in an increase in the proportion of the Australian squamate fauna that is considered Threatened. Notably over this period, the first known extinction (post-European settlement) of an Australian reptile species occurred – an indication of the increasingly urgent need for better knowledge and management of this fauna. Six key recommendations are presented to improve the conservation management and plight of Australian squamates. This Action Plan represents an essential resource for research scientists, conservation biologists, conservation managers, environmental consultants, policy makers from Commonwealth and State/Territory governments, and the herpetological community.

Another exciting Animal Ark adventure - reissued with strong new cover artwork and design. Mandy is spending six months in Australia - a dream come true. The owner of a farm has to find new homes for all her animals, including a 13-year-old wombat, Batty. Batty has a mind of his own, however, and nobody is likely to give him a new home so Mandy attempts to teach him to live in the wild.