Louise Williams

'A great guide to the many things you can do to reduce your plastic footprint.' - Craig Reucassel, ABC TV's War on Waste Where do you start if you want to reduce the plastic in your life? Especially when most of us are wearing it, eating and drinking from it, sitting on it, walking on it, and probably even ingesting it. Anywhere you go, plastic is within easy reach - even in Antarctica and the North Pole. We didn't quit plastic overnight. In fact, it's still a work in progress. But along the way, we have learnt a lot by researching the issue from the grass roots up, speaking to people, and finding out what works and what doesn't. We answer the tricky questions, like 'How will I wash my hair?', 'Do I have to give up crackers?', 'What about my bin liner?' and 'Is this going to be expensive?' As we continue to remove throw-away plastics from our daily lives, we've discovered we're friendlier with our local communities, we're eating healthier food, and de-cluttering happens by itself. It feels great!'The simple, practical tips in this inspiring guide will help you reduce plastic in your daily life and help the planet too - every little bit counts!' - Rebecca Prince-Ruiz, Plastic Free July Foundation

The true story of John 'Willy' Williams, one of the 'Most Four' who took part in the Great Escape and were chased by the Gestapo on Hitler's orders.

Dee and Jared think they have it all, including her successful art gallery, his security firm, and their house in the country. But old hatreds die hard, and one member of their old rival's family has it in for Dee: Joseph's daughter. Mary Rose is insanely jealous of Dee, so she concocts a scheme to bring her down "in a blaze of glory." While she fumes and plots, Jared's team defies the odds to bring home a kidnapped teen who is headed for child slavery unless they can save her in time. Then, when Jared decides to sail his beloved Chauffeuse in the Newport to Bermuda race, he encounters a tough situation that puts his crew in danger. Jared and Dee can't be everywhere at once and resolve everything alone, so they enlist the help of their Protek team to solve the complex problems that threaten their happiness. And, as luck will have it, sometimes when you aren't even looking, romance and other good things happen along the way.

The true story of John 'Willy' Williams, one of the 'Most Four' who took part in the Great Escape and were chased by the Gestapo on Hitler's orders.

With her thug of an ex-husband out of the picture, Dee Milan thinks she's finally safe in the arms of her new love and protector, Jared Herreshoff. They're ready to move on, but are her ex-husband's "business associates"? While Jared and his security company, Protek, are busy keeping Dee safe, a new assignment has Protek's sleuths stumped, and the only one who can help them solve it it is an unlikely ally-young David Jesse Owen, aka DJ-a wily, eccentric computer hacker who steals pennies from the rich and gives to the poor while using junk food to fuel his operation. Dee, Jared, and the Protek gang have big ambitions in the romance and career departments. But they'll have to dodge a few bullets (or worse), don a few more costumes, and travel to New York, Boston, Newark, and even Saskatchewan, if they want to hit their goals. Can love survive another attack?

John 'Willy' Williams was a medical student and passionate Manly surfer turned Squadron Leader and World War II Ace. In the larrikin tradition, he insisted on fighting his war in non-regulation attire and led his squadron into air combat over Libya and Egypt dressed in sandals and shorts. Shot down in the Western Desert in 1942, he ended up a POW in Stalag Luft III near the German-Polish border. Willy was among the 76 POWs who tunnelled their way out of the supposedly escape-proof camp under the Germans' noses in what later became famous as the Great Escape. Willy and former schoolmate Reg 'Rusty' Keirath, together with two other POWs, made it to Czechoslovakia and were captured by the Gestapo. Hitler was so enraged by the Great Escape he personally ordered the secret execution of 50 of the 73 captured men, in flagrant violation of the Geneva Convention. Willy, Rusty and their two friends were driven by the Gestapo deep into the forest near the town of Most and shot; Willy was just 24 years old. Despite the later war crimes investigation into the Great Escape murders, no-one was ever brought to justice for the murders of the Most Four.

NEW! Non-fiction. Ideal for Guided reading and writing. Also for independent reading and writing. Suitable as take home readers. Interactive books. Good for children who are high-interest, lower ability. Age range: 4-11 years. Provides thorough coverage of literacy strategy for Foundation (P1) through to Year 6 (P7). Can also be used with Year 7+ (S1+). Book banded. Teacher's Notes available separately on CD-ROM. Size: 16cm tall x 19cm wide. Published 1003. 16 pages.

(New) Non-fiction. Ideal for Guided reading and writing. Also for independent reading and writing. Suitable as take home readers. Interactive books. Good for children who are high-interest, lower ability. Age range: 4-11 years. Provides thorough coverage of literacy strategy for Foundation (P1) through to Year 6 (P7). Can also be used with Year 7+ (S1+). Book banded. Teacher's Notes available separately on CD-ROM. Size: 19cm tall x 16cm wide. Published 2003. 16 pages.

This rich and perceptive book shatters the myth of the submissive Asian woman with its vivid portraits of women in the region. Drawing on her many years working in Asia, Louise Williams frames the issues facing women through the experiences of individuals. We are introduced to women as varied as politicians, call girls and mistresses, revolutionary heroines, laborers, and business magnates. Exploring the paths to power_both private and public_available to women in Asia, Williams has had remarkable access to both the famous and the faceless. She skillfully draws out the stories of extraordinary individuals ranging from Benazir Bhutto, Corazon Aquino, and Aung San Suu Kyi to the one-time Viet Cong commando, the Jakarta factory girl, the Korean publisher, and the Osecond wifeO in the Chinese mistress village that serves Hong KongOs wealthy men. Common themes emerge: the expectation that women will place their OdutiesO to their husbands at the forefront of their daily lives, whether or not they have their own vocations to pursue; the continuing importance placed on the need to bear male children; and the pervasive attitude among Asian men that extramarital relationships are their prerogative. We discover how a region that elects the worldOs first female prime minister at the same time tolerates child prostitution in Bangkok and Manila. We see how women can rise to the top of industrial conglomerates or be sold into servitude. Set in a vast region of enormous social disparity and rapid change, these unique stories dispel Western stereotypes and show just how often the concerns of women in Asia differ from those of women in the West.