The paradise myth has shaped civilisations for centuries.

The quest for paradise on earth knows no bounds – repeated over and over, until it is now little more than an advertising slogan.

When Christopher Columbus first “discovered” America, it was considered a new Garden of Eden. Later it became a secular paradise in which rights and freedoms were enshrined. In this current time of terror, however, many of these rights are being questioned – there is trouble in paradise.

In Australia, freedom of expression is also under assault. In an important new essay, Frank Moorhouse considers the threat, documents the attack, explores its consequences and challenges us to respond. The freshness, originality and scope of his essay will stimulate and provoke. It is a must-read article.

Martin Amis, Chalmers Johnson, John Kinsella, Kirsty Sword Gusmão and others explore the lure of paradise and its shortcomings.

Published Nov 2006
ISBN: 9780733319396
Extent: 266pp
Paperback (234 x 153mm)