Books
There’s a string of book titles listed under Bettina’s name, starting from the many collections of articles she put together as editor of Forum magazine, back in the 1970s. Then came collections of her newspaper columns and magazine articles – published in Private Lives, All About Us, and Taking Sides.
#MenToo
Bettina’s latest book, #MenToo, tells the other side of the story – what’s really happening to men and boys in this anti-male culture. Enjoy collected wisdom from decades of Bettina’s writing about men’s issues. Read more
The Sex Diaries
Based on extraordinary intimate diaries of ordinary couples, The Sex Diaries shows the tensions caused by mismatched desire.
“The diaries aren’t really about sex at all but about the emotions that surround sex with someone you love – fear, intimacy, gratitude, guilt” – Flic Everett, The Daily Mail, UK.
What Men Want – in bed
All about why sex matters so much to men. Over 150 men kept diaries for Bettina, talking about what it is like to live with that constant sparking sexual energy – relentless, uncontrollable, all-consuming.
Their painfully honest, confronting, often hilarious stories explain their quest for sexual adventure, their secret delights, the thrill of giving pleasure, why some men turn to pornography and men’s delight in the Viagra revolution. Read More
Private Lives
A frank and thought-provoking exploration of the changing world of men and women. Private Lives is a collection of essays on a wide range of personal matters, from how Bettina felt when her husband died to an honest appraisal of the myth of Australian mateship; from the experience of being a step-parent to a man’s relationship with his penis; and from feeling at ease with your body to what executive jobs do to men’s health and sex lives.
Published: Penguin, 1986, ISBN 0140088504.
All About Us
Writings on the challenges of daily life. A collection of newspaper columns written by Bettina when she was living in New York in the late 1980s – published in The Age. She writes about public issues and private – some extremely private. Issues that are argued in the bedroom, the boardroom, in the kitchen and the court.
“It would seem, at times, you were writing exclusively for me” – Mother of two, 30, Melbourne.
“Thank you for your thoughtful, amusing and incisive description of my relationship with my wife in yesterday’s Age” – Male, Wodonga, Vic.
“I have come to the conclusion that here is a rare person who writes with clarity but displays outstanding common sense” – Male psychologist, Kenmore, Qld.
Penguin, 1989.
ISBN 0140128573 (0-14-012857)
Taking Sides
Men, women and the shifting social agenda – where we are now and where we might be going.
Taking Sides is a challenging collection of writing about the social and sexual issues of our time. The subjects are wide-ranging – from sexual consent and infidelity, to violence and pornography, changing workplace rules, domestic work, boy’s education, men’s issues, feminism. As always, Bettina is incisive, funny, sometimes scathing and critical, but always compassionate and not afraid to delve into areas that the less courageous fear to explore.
Random House, 1995. ISBN 0091830583
You may find copies of Bettina’s older books - Private Lives, All About Us and Taking Sides – through second-hand online bookstores like Amazon(used) and ABE books, or on EBay.
Arndt’s Story: The Life of an Australian Economist
The biography of Bettina’s father, HW Arndt which includes two chapters by Bettina, writing about their family life.
“H.W. Arndt has been Australia’s leading scholar of Asian economic development for over thirty years” – Former World Bank President James D Wolfensohn.