Reviews
Australia Day Special: Interview with Dr Charles Margerison who shares his views on the True Founder of Australia
With Australia Day just around the corner, author and international psychologist, Dr Charles Margerison says that Captain Arthur Phillip, should be formally honoured as the Founding Father of Australia. He was the leader of the first European settlement in Australia, and our first Governor.
Dr Margerison, has travelled back in time to interview Governor Phillip via an amazing new concept known as BioView®. It is featured in the release of Amazing People of Sydney, available in ebook, print-on-demand, and audio format.
‘Governor Phillip is the Columbus of Australia, without whom, Australia wouldn’t be what it is today.’
”In my view, Governor Phillip is under recognized and under appreciated in Australian life. We celebrate Australia Day, but it would not have been without Governor Phillip.
‘Through his leadership and example, Arthur Phillip, was the founding father of Sydney, New South Wales and the country of Australia.’
He was the first Australian hero,” says Dr Margerison who is the Founder of The Amazing People Club. – www.amazingpeopleclub.com . Dr Margerison is a resident of the Gold Coast.
”Governor Phillip’s achievements deserve wider and fuller recognition. His leadership in organizing and safely coordinating the arrival of the First Fleet of 11 ships, with about 1500 people on board, in 1788, was outstanding by any standards. In addition, his management of the convicts, the marines, officials and their families in the New South Wales colony over a five year period, between 1788 and 1792, was exceptional, given the extremely difficult and extraordinary conditions”
Dr Margerison’s new book , Amazing People of Sydney, is also written with respect to the Aboriginal people of New South Wales, whose lives were changed forever on the 18th January 1788.
”This book reflects the contributions of amazing people who have made their mark on Sydney. It is written via the process of BioViews®, where virtual interviews are recorded on events as we can imagine the participants would have seen them. I trust the BioViews® capture both the conditions of the times and the achievements that have turned Sydney from a convict colony to an exciting, elegant international city reflecting a mutli-ethnic democratic way of life,” says Dr Margerison. I believe Australia needs to give Governor Phillip more credit, and that everyone should have a greater understanding of his story!
Sample BioView® extract Arthur Phillip from Amazing People of Sydney:
Arthur Phillip
1738–1814
Life has its twists and turns
Despite our best plans, we have to adapt to the winds of change
Although a sailor for most of life, my major challenge came on the land
Indeed, it was a land far from home in a place called New South Wales
A place that had been inhabited for thousands of years by aboriginal tribes
My task was to lead convicts, marines and officers to form a new colony
That colony, at Sydney, Australia was the start of a great new country
It was my honour to be the appointed Governor and civil and military leader
You may ask what training and experience I had for the role?…..
Botany Bay was not what I had been led to believe
Fresh water was scarce, and the soil for crops was poor
The aboriginal population, the Eora, watched and waited
No doubt we looked like men from out of space to them
Two days later, I took a search party to look for a new place
After about five miles of sailing, we entered a gap in the cliffs
To our amazement, we found the finest harbour in the world
A thousand ships of the line could be securely stationed there
Port Jackson was the name Captain Cook had given it
But, it was a place he never entered
Returning to the main fleet, we were disturbed to see two ships
The French, led by Captain Perouse, landed in Botany Bay
They stayed awhile before leaving, accepting we had arrived first
So, it was a close run thing, as the colony would have been a French one
Sadly, they foundered in the seas to the north
By the 26th January. I ordered everyone to move to our new location
We celebrated by drinking a toast to our King George III
Our national flag was raised to a great cheer
The location of the township was named after Lord Sydney
Maybe I should have called it Port Phillip instead
It was the start of a new land
Also, I sent Captain King to Norfolk Island with a small group
It became our second colony
However, little did I know the problems that lay before me
As the Governor of New South Wales, I had many challenges
Not least, keeping law and order when food rations were very low
Also, enabling civil law to develop
I even allowed a convict to bring a case against ship’s captain
That would not have been possible in England….
© Dr Charles Margerison and the Amazing People Club
About Dr Charles Margerison
Dr Charles Margerison is a Chartered Psychologist, a member of the Royal Institution and the Royal Society of Literature. He is Chairman of Viewpoint Resources Ltd, a publishing organization, and the founder of The Amazing People Club. Previously, he was Professor of Management at the University of Cranfield, UK, and also at the University of Queensland, Australia. He is the co-founder of Team Management Systems and the Chairman of Bell Hughes Music Group.
The author of more than ten books on management issues, Dr Margerison has also written an innovative continuing professional development system, called The Communication and Problem Solving Resource. This provides educational support resources for the use of the Amazing People Club series in schools and colleges.
This unique range of stories is presented via a new concept called BioViews® that combines a biography with a virtual interview. The stories are an interpretation of the lives of amazing people, as in a theatre play. Each one is presented as if the person is talking to you personally. There are no full stops, as in traditional writing, except at the end. The intention is to create the flow of conversation.
See full review:- http://australianbookshelf.wordpress.com/2012/01/26/australia-day-special-interview-with-dr-charles-margerison-who-shares-his-views-on-the-true-founder-of-australia/#comment-1581
Book Review - Amazing People of Paris
This is one of a series of books. I chose this one as I have a big love of Paris and all things Parisian, having visited the city many times.
The book starts of with a time line of how Paris itself became "Paris". It was named after it's first residents the "Parisii Tribe", and all through the Roman Invasion, The Franks, right up to where it is today. It opened my eyes to the turbulent "life" Paris has experienced.
It was interesting to learn all about the people behind the magnificent buildings that Paris has. How King Francois I commenced the building of the Louvre, where he lived and housed his amazing art collection.
How Maurice de Sully a Priest, became Bishop of Paris and organised the construction of Notre Dame in 1163, although it was not finished until 1345.
There are so many interesting people that have helped make Paris the beautiful city it is today. The Parisians have many wonderful people to thank for the magnificence of their city.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading about these people and it was made even better having been there and able to picture the buildings. If you are interested in history and architecture I think that you would find this book interesting. I will certainly be reading more in the series.
My book rating 4/5
Read it on the reviewers website:- http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11159421-amazing-people-of-paris
All Books Review - Amazing People of New York
Whether ever having visited there before or not, everyone has their own mental picture of New York City – the bright lights, millions of people, famous landmarks like the Statue of Liberty, the music of Broadway and the wheeling and dealings of Wall Street. Most of us think of this great city in terms of its recent history, but what about its origins?Amazing People of New York by Dr. Charles Margerison reveals the most memorable events from New York’s history through easy to follow, inspirational stories of the people who made major contributions to the birth and development of this wonderful city.
Starting with Captain Giovanni da Verrazzano, who sailed up the coast of America in the 1500’s and landed near the site of present day New York City, we learn of the many challenges faced in shaping this land of opportunity and how they were overcome. We witness the progression of acceptance of different peoples and religions and the struggle to be their own democratic nation free of British rule. As the population explodes, we follow the lives of dedicated pioneers such as John Peter Zenger, Sojourner Truth, Cornelius Vanderbilt, Theodore Roosevelt, and Margaret Sanger, to name just a few, who fought for change and used their various skills to transform the land and the economy. No challenge was too great for these trailblazers. They fought for what they believed in and conquered the obstacles that often stood in their path. Along the way, we witness every aspect of the development of New York from improvements in health care and education and campaigns for civil rights to free enterprise, business and the creation of unionsand innovations in transportation and communications to bring trade and wealth to the city. Despite various disasters, setbacks and challenges, New York continued to grow through the years and become more prominent in the world until it became the world class city it is today. I was familiar with some of the people mentioned in this book while others I had never heard of, but regardless, I found each story interesting and enlightening.
Amazing People of New York begins with a brief history of New York to whet the appetite which leads into a multi-course meal that will leave the reader totally satisfied. Each course or story is set out in the form of a Bioview, an innovative method of telling the stories of history through the eyes of the people who lived through them and written as if they are giving an interview during their lifetime to a writer or reporter. I especially enjoyed the fact that the author gives each story a personal touch - what the person’s observations and feelings may have been at the time, rather than just all facts and figures. If we look at the introduction as the appetizer and the Bioviews as the main courses, no meal is complete without a delectable dessert, and Margerison does not disappoint with his final section which both surprised and delighted me. Not only does he provide a concise timeline which summarizes the significant events mentioned in the Bioviews, but he also provides lists of films, musicals and songs about New York, annual celebrations in New York, and best of all a section on Places of Interest in New York which links places to people from the Bioviews and details where to go, what to see and what to do to learn more about these amazing people. All of a sudden the history lesson is transformed into an invaluable guidebook for anyone wanting to visit this famous city. As a result, my desire to visit New York has increased tenfold.
This is the second book that I have read in the Amazing People Club series, and once again I am thoroughly impressed and would love to see this series in our educational system. After many years burning the midnight oil reading history through textbooks for school, I never thought that I would read a non-fiction history book for pleasure, but this series makes it fun and interesting without being laborious, tedious or overwhelming. Amazing People of New York is a thorough, informative and fascinating account of the history of New York City and the people who shaped it into the super city that it is today, all in a neat little package. No item of interest is left out. Kudos to the author for a job very well done, and I look forward to reading more in the series. I highly recommend this book, and in fact the whole series.
Dr. Charles Margerison is a Chartered Psychologist and a member of the Royal Institution and the Royal Literature Society. He is Chairman of Viewpoint Resources Ltd. and was previously Professor of Management at the Universities of Cranfield (UK) and Queensland, Australia. He was also a co-founder of Emerald, the world’s leading publisher of management journals and databases.
Highly recommended by Reviewer: Cindy Taylor, www.allbooksreviewint.com
Australian Book Shelf - Amazing People of Sydney
Dr Charles Margerison- Amazing People of Sydney: Inspirational Stories
Format- ebook
Source- review copy provided by the Amazing People Club
Synopsis: Imagine you had to sail 10,000 miles to an island in the South Pacific Ocean in an old wooden boat. In 1788, that happened to over 1400 English convicts, colonists, captains and men of the Marine Corps. Watched by fearful local Aboriginals, they established a base in a place called New South Wales, Australia. Who were these amazing people? How did they survive and build the great and beautiful city that we now call Sydney? A city tour unlike any other, Amazing People of Sydney brings you in touch with real people who have left us a legacy that we can explore.
Travel through time and meet some of the amazing people who helped Sydney develop. Read how Governor Arthur Phillip and Bennelong, the captured Aborigine, tried to build relations between the communities. Explore the lives of people such as Francis Greenway, Mary Reibey and George Howe. All of them arrived in Sydney as convicts and through their tenacious spirit, grew to become some of the most significant figures in the city. Find out about William Tom’s discovery of gold, and Captain Thunderbolt’s great escape from Cockatoo Island. Be moved by the outstanding work of the tireless humanitarian, Caroline Chisholm, and her work with young women. Discover how Banjo Paterson wrote Waltzing Matilda. These stories, and many others, come alive through BioViews®. What is a BioView®? A BioView® is a short biographical story, similar to an interview. These unique stories provide an easy way of learning about amazing people who made major contributions and changed our world.
Review: I was asked to review this ebook and I thought it would be a great snapshot of Australian history. I was intrigued by the story-telling nature and so-called ‘interviews’ with prominent figures in early Australia such as John & Elizabeth Macarthur, Capt James Cook and Banjo Patterson.
I was expecting Amazing People of Sydney to be just an educational book about Australian history, but I was actually quite entertained and I learnt a lot! The figures were presented in a character style case study but each flowed on to the next to tell the story of Early Settlement. From the penal colony to the invasion of Indigenous land to the set-up of the first Australian newspaper to establishing an economy. It was very well-written and in a conversational tone which brought the characters to life. If this was used when I was at school then I probably would have known a lot more about Early Settlement in Australia!
If you are interested in history, early Australia and getting to know the interesting characters then I would recommend Amazing People of Sydney. I’ll definitely be looking into some of the author’s other titles.
4/5 stars - Very Enjoyable!
See the review on their website:- http://australianbookshelf.wordpress.com/2011/08/06/book-review-amazing-...
Amazing Women - All Books Review
Let’s face it. Women have come a long way, but we still have quite a distance to go before we are considered on equal footing with men. One way to further this progress is to inspire women, young and old, to reach for the stars and fulfill their dreams, and what better way to inspire than a book that focuses on the accomplishments of famous women in history. Amazing Women by Dr. Charles Margerison fits the bill perfectly. Amazing Women is part of a series of BioViews, a form of literature created by Dr. Margerison to resemble autobiographies of famous people as if they were alive today and either writing their stories themselves or relaying them to an interviewer. Each story in Amazing Women revolves around a woman in history, who took the bull by the horns and let nothing stop her from reaching her goals. Each account is short and sweet and to the point. They give the essence of each person – what made them tick, what was important to them, and how they achieved their goals. Granted, some liberties have probably been taken in the interpretations of these women’s lives, but the author makes a point to also list the historical facts at the end of the book, as well as each woman’s known contributions to history.
In this collection, among many others, we meet Elizabeth Blackwell, who tirelessly fought the prejudice over women in medicine and became the first woman to qualify as a medical doctor in the United States, even though no hospitals would hire her. She believed in educating, not just doctoring, and fought to convince people that social conditions were the cause of much disease. She even opened a clinic in the slums where the most help was needed. We also meet Marie Curie, who helped to discover ways to cure illness with radiotherapy treatments, and was the only woman to win two Nobel Peace Prizes, and Elizabeth Macarthur, one of the founding mothers of Australia, who helped develop the colony and established agriculture and commerce there. Readers will be in awe of Irene Sendler, who risked her life on numerous occasions to smuggle children out of the ghetto in Warsaw where the Jews were held, and Mother Teresa, who lived among the poor and devoted her life to helping those in need. The list goes on and on, but one common thread emerges. Each woman was a trailblazer who led by being a pioneer and paved the way for future changes in the world. For each of them, the cause was always worth the trials and tribulations, and they were all incredibly tough, resilient, and determined. Most of them lived in a time where women were still expected to get married and stay at home and have babies and education was not an option, but they refused to accept this. They wanted to make a difference in the world and all thrived on challenge, and so somehow they balanced their personal lives and work lives and still made huge impacts on the world. Some had the support and encouragement of family and/or friends while others had to go against family to achieve their goals. Although I was familiar with some of the names in this book, I found it amazing how many women were behind great ideas in history but were left virtually unknown. It is wonderful to see them recognized.
What is truly beautiful about this book is that Margerison is a natural storyteller who doesn’t bog the reader down with unnecessary details but provides a neat summary of the accomplishments of each of these incredible women in flowing story format. There are some people who enjoy losing themselves in a lengthy history tome, but the average person just becomes bored by drawn-out accounts of history. Therefore, Amazing Women provides an effective tool for people to learn without feeling overwhelmed. What a wonderful inspiration to women of all ages everywhere in the world but especially to the up and coming female success stories. Anyone lacking in confidence, but especially females, can read this book and come away with the knowledge that any dream is possible. I would love to see this book in the school systems to be utilized as a tool to encourage girls who don’t have the courage to chase their dreams. Turning the last page of this book, I was left with the knowledge that the battle was worth it and must continue!
Dr. Charles Margerison is a Chartered Psychologist and a member of the Royal Institution and the Royal Literature Society. He is Chairman of Viewpoint Resources Ltd. and was previously Professor of Management at the Universities of Cranfield (UK) and Queensland, Australia. He was also a co-founder of Emerald, the world’s leading publisher of management journals and databases.
Reviewer: Cindy Taylor, www.allbooksreviewint.com
See the review at: http://www.allbooksreviewint.com/ReviewShowcase.html