Nothing is perfect. Life is messy. Relationships are complex. Outcomes are uncertain. People are irrational.

One reason we resist making deliberate choices is that choice equals change and most of us, feeling the world is unpredictable enough, try to minimise the trauma of change in our personal lives.

With increasing frequency and growing vehemence, you hear people saying they are ashamed to be Australians.

It seems inevitable that the magic of the written word will fade.

Although we love the idea of choice - our culture almost worships it - we seek refuge in the familiar and the comfortable.

On average, Australians watch more than three hours of television a day, compared with 12 minutes a day spent by the average couple talking to each other.

Parents should be encouraged to read to their children, and teachers should be equipped with all available techniques for teaching literacy, so the varying needs and capacities of individual kids can be taken into account.