A cross between a memoir and social history of Australia between 1965 and 1975 Glover's book asks the question "Were things really better then?" and brings plenty of evidence to answer that with a firm "no!". However the argument is made with a very light touch with plenty of humour and examples. For those of us who grew up then there's plenty to remember - the unreliable cars and the awful food had me laughing out loud, the drinking, smoking and prejudice were more sobering memories. A good read for young and old alike. ( )

entertaining, but light ( )

Wonderfully funny, and strangely evocative and accurate, "history" of Australian life in the 1970s.
I want all my young adult children to read this and compare their life with the life of their parents at a similar age. I also want all the curmudgeons who are convinced that the world is going to pot to read it and repent. ( )

Technically I grew up in the 80’s, having been born in the early 1970’s, but so much of what Glover writes evokes memories of my childhood, from the pineapple ‘hedgehog’ cheese and onion appetisers, to the unbelted, smoke filled, weaving, courtesy of the ubiquitous cask wine in the bar fridge, car trips. I laughed aloud often at the nostalgic absurdity of it all.

However, The Land Before Avacado is also a sobering reminder of how far we have come as a culture. The status quo for baby boomers and most of Gen X would be inconceivable to today’s generations who can drink gourmet coffee (with smashed avacado toast) in the comfort of their own home, or by the roadside, any day of the week.
Tongue in cheek aside, many advances are sobering, from the drastic reduction of the road death toll, thanks to the introduction of drink driving and seatbelt laws, to laws protecting the employment status of pregnant women.
Glover also shares facts that will likely shock most readers who are convinced by their Facebook feeds that crime is at an all time high, when, in fact, the commission of serious crimes has more than halved across the board in the last fifty years.

While the nostalgic remembrances in The Land Before Avacado, appeal directly to those over the age of 40, I feel compelled to recommend to this to anyone over the age of twenty, many of whom could benefit from a little perspective.

Oh, and I am so going to cook the Spicy Meat Ring! ( )

At times cringe worthy and other times hilarious (mostly in the “I remember that!” sense)

A social history of growing up in Australia between 1965 and 1975, which is only a few years older than my own teenagers tears.

Some of the cringe worthy matters appeared exaggerated or herhaps I escaped exposure from some of it, some aspects of all, of it existed.

Am giving the book to my kids to give them a sense that they do not have it so bad after all!

Big Ship

23 January 2019 ( )