Optimism

This book reflects on the simple things, the moments that are meaningful, and the big questions that have concerned Bob Brown. It is a powerful book as well as a meditation on the great and the small. Inspirational, compassionate, outraged, Bob Brown's stories are rich with metaphor, entertaining and full of warmth. A great promoter of activism he is keen for all to experience life as richly as he has. Although he has seen much of the world through the prism of politics he still believes that there is reason to believe that the changes he has pursued can be made and will be for the better. His stories reveal a complex man with a quick wit and a joy for life.

About the Author

Bob Brown was born in Oberon, New South Wales and moved to Tasmania in the 1970s. He worked for many years as a medical practitioner, and was a founding member and director of the Wilderness Society. From 1983 to 1993 he held a seat in Tasmania's House of Assembly and in 1996 he was elected to the Australian Senate. He has won many awards for his work, including the 1987 United Nations Environment Program Global 500 Award, and the 1990 Goldman Environmental Prize. In 1996 the BBC's Wildlife magazine named him the World's Most Inspiring Politician.