The Hall of Uselessness by Simon Leys critical-thinking Australia stands at a crossroads

Australia stands at a crossroads – we either make the commonwealth stronger and more complete through an honest reckoning with the past

It charts the piano’s fascinating adventures across Australia – on the goldfields

But what happens if commodity prices suddenly collapse

zoned-out kids who act helpless and are unfocused

The Hall of Uselessness by Simon Leys critical-thinking Australia stands at a crossroadsSimon Leys' cultural and political commentary has long been legendary for its profundity and acerbic wit. In The Hall of Uselessness his most significant essays are finally gathered together, on subjects ranging from China to Orwell, from Quixotism to the sea. Leys feuds with Christopher Hitchens, ponders the popularity of Victor Hugo and analyses whether Nabokov's unfinished novel should ever have been published. He dissects Mao's Cultural Revolution