Wonderful news about my books

I interrupt my soliloquy about issues of possible interest to sensitive readers, to inform my followers, with great joy, that 4 of my 5 self-published non-fiction books have been recommended by the US Review of Books (a rare accolade, says the Review). The Karma of Culture and Hidden Footprints of Unity : beyond tribalism and towards a new Australian identity were, together with Destiny Will  Out : the experiences of a multicultural Malayan in White Australia, were written in response to a suggestion from the spirit world (yes, I have undeniable reasons for accepting the reality of this world).

The suggestion I received was that I could ‘contribute to building a bridge from where I came to where I am.’ It took me 2 years to realise that I could do that through my writing, using my own settlement experience, as well as my work experience, over nearly a decade, on migrant settlement policy issues. KoC and HFoU received the accolade only within the last 2 weeks. DWO, which is out of print, will be re-published soon.

I believe that I have done what was suggested. Encouraged by pre-publication endorsements and/or past-publication reviews, I wrote a memoir, The Dance of Destiny. A recommendation from the US Review followed. My last non-fiction book, Musings at Death’s Door : an ancient bicultural Asian-Australian ponders about Australian society is a series of essays, including 2 brief chapters on religion and the Cosmos. This attracted another recommendation from the US Review. Both of these books were endorsed and reviewed most favourably.

Then, for fun, I published Pithy Perspectives : a smorgasbord of short, short stories. This received 2 excellent reviews.

All 6 of my books are, or will be, available as ebooks for $US 2.99 each at Amazon Kindle Direct. What the books are about is set out on the Publications page here; the Accolades page covers the endorsements and reviews.

My royalties from Amazon will be donated directly to Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres). Please consider informing your friends about my books. I thank you in anticipation.

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My 4 Palmer Higgs ebooks

Springing down from the ethereal to the mundane, since I am the Featured Author by the distributor of 4 of my books, I offer to my followers and friends a thumbnail sketch of these books.

‘The Karma of Culture’ (dedicated to all the babies who wiggle their toes at us) was reviewed thus: ‘A rare hard-hitting and insightful book with wide appeal. It deals with the cross-cultural impacts of a culturally diverse immigrant intake, and potential for Asian cultural and spiritual values to influence Western thinking about democracy, human rights and societal values. The content is compelling and the arguments convincing.’

“What a beautiful mind! ‘Hidden Footprints of Unity’ is a substantial work from an intelligent and spiritually perceptive man. Arasa has skillfully navigated his way through a vast array of subjects: ‘the strange sensitivity to skin colour by most adult whites … the search for the Divine … the desire by some to peer into the Void … the issues of a divisive tribalism and the imperatives of an evolving new Australian national identity.'” That was said by a reviewer.

While waiting to ‘collect my wings,’ I decided to place on the record my (tentative) conclusions about my society and the place of mankind in the Cosmos. My socio-political comments are hard but fair; and in chapters 9 (On religion) & 10 (On the Cosmos) I draw upon certain perspectives from the ancient Hindus. I find fascinating a Cosmos which recycles itself every 3.11 trillion human years. The book is ‘Musings at Death’s Door.’ “There is wisdom here” said a renowned academic.

Pithy Perspectives is a smorgasbord of short, short, bicultural stories. The last of the 21 stories is about House the Mouse and Maxie, a black cat which liked a daily snack of a mouse. The white cat in the story was my Persian who then adopted my little daughter; and they were all able to communicate with one another. Eventually, Maxie became absorbed by the aura of Buddha’s philosophy. The other stories range from wacky/weird to philosophical/spiritual.

Accolades: Musings at Death’s Door received a recommendation from the US Review of Books (a rare recommendation, said the review). Pithy perspectives received wonderful reviews from the US Review and also from the NSW President of the Federation of Australian Writers. Reviews are being sought for the other 2 books. Shows that I am not just a pretty face!