{"id":14301,"date":"2020-04-17T11:05:35","date_gmt":"2020-04-17T01:05:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theshovel.com.au\/?p=14301"},"modified":"2020-05-07T09:25:17","modified_gmt":"2020-05-06T23:25:17","slug":"read-our-review-of-malcolm-turnbulls-new-book","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theshovel.com.au\/2020\/04\/17\/read-our-review-of-malcolm-turnbulls-new-book\/","title":{"rendered":"Our Review Of Malcolm Turnbull\u2019s New Book. \u201cIt has a promising start, but loses its way midway through the first page\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

Malcolm Turnbull\u2019s new autobiography, A Bigger Picture,<\/em> is one of the most hotly anticipated political books in years. So much so that its rating on book website Goodreads was five stars, weeks before the book was even printed. <\/p>\n

So, is it any good?<\/p>\n

The first thing that strikes you about A Bigger Picture<\/em> is the cover. It\u2019s intelligent, thought-provoking, inspiring even. There\u2019s a real sense that this is going to be a very different read from other recent political autobiographies.<\/p>\n

The contents pages make for interesting reading too \u2013 clearly setting out the substantial number of challenging topics to be covered in the book. It\u2019s elegantly designed, and clearly laid out.<\/p>\n

Once you start reading, however, you soon realise that none of the topics promised in the contents is actually covered in the book itself, which is very odd and incredibly frustrating. (The chapter written by Peter Dutton but using Malcolm Turnbull\u2019s voice is particularly strange).<\/p>\n

The early chapters are written in long, flowery prose, some sentences stretching to 100 words or more (the first chapter is actually just one long sentence). But by chapter three, sentences are limited to just three words.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s an early chapter about innovation and ideas that\u2019s quite interesting. But it bizarrely stops midway through a page \u2013 midway through a sentence actually \u2013 and pivots to an explanation of the dangers of African gangs in Melbourne.<\/p>\n

The section on Turnbull\u2019s cabinets is one for the die-hards. He describes in quite some detail his priceless collection of antique teak and mahogany cabinets, some from as far back as the 17th<\/sup> Century.<\/p>\n

Later, he describes his decision to donate $1.7 million to the Liberal Party\u2019s election campaign. He also provides reassurance that donors had absolutely no influence over policy decisions during his time in office.<\/p>\n

Ultimately the book is a massive disappointment. But strangely the reader is left even more disappointed when the book unexpectedly ends.<\/p>\n

A Bigger Picture <\/em>is available in hardcover, or partly downloadable as an e-book using the NBN.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Malcolm Turnbull\u2019s new autobiography, A Bigger Picture, is one of the most hotly anticipated political books in years. 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