‘Millions of Americans feel they have been robbed of their birthright. The country's wealth, history and traditions have been subverted or gifted to others. The American future is not theirs. They were losing long before the Great Recession, and since it hit they've lost even more. The greatest country on earth is becoming someone else's: that's if it still is the greatest country. Hell, when did they last win a war? An actual shooting war? Grenada?’

Read an extract from Enemy Within by Don Watson in the Sydney Morning Herald.

‘The periodic mass axing of public service heads upon the arrival of incoming conservative governments has created a caution in the culture. The bureaucracy has been cowed both by the prospect of being sacked and by a reward system which punishes taking risks.’

Read an exclusive extract from Political Amnesia by Laura Tingle online at the Australian Financial Review.

‘Journalist David Marr has uncovered new details about Mr Shorten's lesser role in the Rudd return in a Quarterly Essay published on Monday entitled Faction Man.’

‘Most politicians have a deep and insatiable need to be loved, but even among those in his own party Bill Shorten's pursuit of affection can seem a little desperate.’

David Marr in The Drum on the problem with Bill Shorten.

In this La Trobe University Ideas and Society session at the Wheeler Centre, David Kilcullen, author of the Quarterly Essay ‘Blood Year: Terror and the Islamic State’, and La Trobe University emeritus professor Robert Manne discuss the rise of ISIS and the threat it poses (via The Monthly).

‘part history, part enlightened analysis, part commentary, part provocation and part mea culpa’ – The Saturday Paper reviews Blood Year by David Kilcullen.

Stephen Romei writes in the Australian that Dear Life by Karen Hitchcock “should be required reading for every Australian.”

A Rightful Place: Race, recognition and a more complete Commonwealth by Noel Pearson has been has been hailed as a "pivotal and illuminating contribution to the national debate."

Watch: Noel Pearson speaking about his proposed changes to the constitution at his lecture at the Sydney Opera House.

Listen: to Noel discussing the new constitutional approach to Indigenous recognition with Fran Kelly on ABC Radio National's Breakfast program.

Read: “Noel Pearson's vision for reconciling the nation” in The Australian.

Quarterly Essay 50 Unfinished Business by Anna Goldsworthy and Quarterly Essay 53 That Sinking Feeling by Paul Toohey have been been longlisted for the 2014 John Button Prize.