Not since George Orwell launched his dystopian novel, and cautionary tale, (Ninteen- Eighty-Four) in 1949, has a similar book been issued upon the reading fraternity, as Douglas Rowell’s book, “Aussie Pub-Test”. Masquerading as an autobiography, this book morphs itself into a book of learning and stimulation.
His interesting story of life in Australia over the past hundred years, traverses Entertainment, Social and Economic Issues and Humor in Life. His unique style of writing has us travelling into areas of interest and conjecture, providing opinion and suggestions, while tongue-in-cheek, at times, he gives us food for thought. Attacking up front the thorny issue of Democracy and its decay, he has the audacity to assume the mantle of the Fifth Estate of Democracy, the Pub Test. Having exhausted the reader by this time, he claims the perspectives of futurologist Nostradamus, incarnate. On the road to Damascus, the World saw perhaps the most controversial and yet popular American Presidential election results and the advent of Donald Trump, for his second term. This has made it not possible for this tome to not take on board the astronomical and threatening changes, to the social and economic land-scape, of Australia and the World, already unfolding.
No-one is to know where this will all land. It would be surprising if the
author does not continue his monitoring of these tectonic changes, through the Mid-Term elections in two years and the next Presidential Election in just under four years. This is indeed, an interesting and challenging read.
