Australia Academy

Editorial Review

“As a psychiatrist, putting myself in someone else’s shoes has always been my routine. But this is more. It’s like putting on his shoes plus his contact lenses so I could actually see and travel the world the way he did. Somehow, after reading this, I felt more connected to my patients than ever. Thank you, Dave, for sharing. Your story is far beyond what I expected. I personally think this should be a reading assignment for psychiatric residents.”
Prof. Kamolvisa Techapoonpol, MD
Head of Psychiatry Department
Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist at Vajira Hospital, Bangkok

Riveting, in your face, shocking, and unapologetic, the author dives into the many nuances of life that leaves the reader bewildered.

This journal style novel will make you incredibly uncomfortable yet give you a voice you never thought you needed. In discussing the unique occurrences in life that define us as creatures of habit, the author takes us on a journey transcending age, culture, race, and socio-economic status. Australia Academy at first glance is thought to be some sort of travel guide to help tourists traverse through the vast terrain that is Australia. Instead it’s a manual on life and how navigating embarrassing, albeit dehumanizing situations isn’t always avoidable.

This book is hard to put down or look away from, I’d liken it to a bad car accident that you just can’t drive past without staring. Dave, the protagonist, goes from one train wreck to another and it just seems as though his life at this point is a perpetual shit show.

The stories open up a dialogue about whether or not a drunken, inconsistent, emotionally bankrupt, semi-absent father is the main source of childhood dysfunction or if an over-bearing, manipulative, emotionally unstable, abusive mother is the reason for it. There is also a discussion to be had about child abuse and how prevalent it is in even the most “advanced” societies.

The best part about the book is that there is no fairy tale ending which makes it more relatable because sometimes there isn’t always a silver lining and we just have to roll with the punches.