What are you reading?

[Phteven]

I'm reading The Explorers by Tim Flannery. He didn't write it so much as edit it. The book is a collection of writings by people who were explorers in Australia. I'm currently reading the account by a couple from the Tongan royal family who lived in Sydney for several years in the early 19th century.
I'm finding the book really interesting. Its striking how much respect some of the Europeans had for Native Australian culture - we tend to think of them all as a bunch a rascist freaks but some of them were remarkably open minded. The other thing that really reminds me how much this country has been changed in the last 200 years is that it could take all day to travel 16 miles from Parramatta and by the end of the day they would be in unchartered territory.
Also there used to be a cemetary at Town Hall. I wonder what they did with all the bodies and head stones when they rezoned it?
I really enjoyed another book he wrote called The Future Eaters and this one is also really enjoyable although its very different.