Australia: A Cultural History

I like this book very much, I am reading it for the second time. It has a well constructed, thematic approach that takes you from pre-European Aboriginal society to late 20th century attempts to be an 'all encompassing' society. It explains how the physical environment shaped the Australian character together with the cultural and historical pull towards Britain and Europe competing with the pull towards America and Asia as it still tries to define itself in the world. One is left feeling that Australia is a rather unique combination of hedonism, tolerance, stability, blandness and infinite possibility.