books - books for blokes - gift books - gift ideas - Fathers Day

Dadcando

Build, make & do

If you want to get your kids to turn off the TV, step away from the computer and do something less boring instead, dadcando has a project for you.

Brimful of magical and creative ideas to try at home, from building a spaceship to doing science experiments in the kitchen, dadcando is a must for any father who wants to spend quality time with his children.

Not only that, it also includes bags of advice and support for dads who find themselves going it alone.

Every father wants to be a hero to his kids, and with dadcando you’ll find it’s child’s play.

A Simpler Time

A memoir of love, laughter, loss and billycarts.
It still amazes me what they allowed us to do without their supervision or help while remaining deeply loving parents.

Climb trees from the age of four or five? No problem. Drive the tractor from the age of eight or nine onwards? Good luck to you. Haul on the hoist to pull the half-ton bins filled with oranges off the trailer? Yes. Take your bike out on the Pacific Highway and ride to school? Just be careful, but okay …

Their rough reckoning was that if we thought we could do something, we probably could – and if we thought we couldn’t do something, we probably still could, if we applied ourselves. Peter FitzSimons’s account of growing up on the rural outskirts of Sydney in the 1960s is first and foremost a tribute to family.

But it is also a salute to times and generations past, when praise was understated but love unstinting; work was hard and values clear; when people stood by each other in adversity.

Above all, in the FitzSimons home, days were for doing. In this rollicking and often hilarious memoir, Peter describes a childhood of mischief, camaraderie, eccentric characters, drama – and constant love and generosity. The childhood of a simpler time.

TopGear Supercars - World's Fastest Cars

Ask any man the first thing he would buy if he won the lottery and we guarantee you the answer would be – a supercar. It’s what every real man and every alpha woman aspires to – a blisteringly fast V8 engine, achingly high-tech design and style that snaps the necks of passers by as they watch it sloping down the high street putting the saloons and hatchbacks of mere mortals to shame.

One thing’s for sure, when it comes to cars, there’s nothing that gets the heart pulsing like a supercar, and the motoring geeks at Top Gear live out the fantasy, putting the most exotic, the most elusive and the most expensive to the test in the pages of this book. Between obscenely sexy photographs of the most exquisite machines the motoring world has to offer, you’ll find first-hand accounts of the driving experience, expert analysis of engineering expertise, speed and handling, all the stats to satisfy the most dedicated of car enthusiasts, plus special reports from Clarkson, Hammond and James May. And who better to test the prowess of these mastercrafted feats of modern engineering than Stig himself, who’ll do battle with the big-gun showstopping cars from the last three years to find out just who can claim the glory of fastest supercar.

Step into the driver’s seat and brace yourself for some serious car porn as we bring you the most tantalisingly beautiful supercars you’ll find in the world today. There’s only one word for it – Poweeerrrr!

Being Dad

Hilarious and honest, Being Dad tells it like it really is - the unvarnished, unafraid and most definitely un-PC guide to pregnancy and birth and babies for men.

Based on the mega-selling DVDs, Being Dad is the bloke' s guide to pregnancy, birth and babies. Whether the dad-to-be would rather undergo Chinese water torture than attend a child birth class or is keen as mustard but utterly clueless about all things baby, this is the book for him. Sam Holt and Troy Jones have interrogated hundreds of men around the globe and discovered what dads-to-be are most confused and worried about. On the way the' ve also helpfully exposed what mums and dads to-be are thinking during the different stages of pregnancy. Whether yo' ll be into sex, or not, whether you need to buy a Toyota Tarago right now, what to do if you go into labour in the carpark at Woolies: the answers are in Being Dad, dished up with reassuring info and irreverent humour.

Full of invaluable suggestions and ideas, Being Dad gives permission to celebrate the miracle of new life your own way. Holt and Jones are standard Aussie blokes who are guilty of most, if not all the disasters and pitfalls outlined in their book. This makes them experts on showing others how to avoid the same mistakes they, and dads the world over, have made. The result for couples is a comprehensive guide on how to prepare for parenthood, a chance to look at what may lie ahead and plenty of pointers on how to stay sane and in love and also have some laughs along the way. Australian authors.

Collectors Cars of Australia

Know a car collector or someone that is an Australian Car enthusiast?

This rare collection of Australian collector car photographs has been published for the first time. Organised into eras, from the Edwardian era to the Post-Classic Cars of 1946-1960s, it showcases cars across all makes - from Dodge to Rolls Royce, Rover to Chevrolet, Toyota to Ford and of course, General Motors Holden.

Journals - from you to me
Dad, Brother or Grandad

A journal just for him. Explore his history, thoughts and feelings via these special journals. With a pre-written question at the top of each page and two full blank pages for the answeres to be written onto, these journals make a beautiful keepsake for generations to come.

Select from either Dad, Grandad or Brother journals

Journal size: 14cm x 20.5cm

The Ultimate Loo Book

A triviatastic compendium of extraordinary facts which brings together the bestselling This Book, That Book, and The Other Book.

All the weirdest and most extraordinary facts from Mitchell Symons' bestsellers This Book, That Book and The Other Book brought together in a single triviatastic compendium of completely useless information...

For example, did you know that:

• A snail has about 25,000 teeth?
• Thomas Edison, inventor of the light bulb, was afraid of the dark?
• The strongest muscle in the body is the tongue?
• Stalin's left foot had webbed toes?
• Jellyfish sometimes evaporate?
• Iggy Pop is allergic to milk?

The Ultimate Loo Book packs more weird facts and celebrity trivia between its covers than any book has ever attempted before. It's addictive, it's hilarious and it's utterly bloody brilliant!

Great Aussie Beers

Australians have always loved their beer - and things have never been better for beer buffs. The old favourites may have changed ownership, but they are still on the market - and a swag of new labels have appeared as well.

This completely updated edition includes a brief background of our main breweries and mini-reviews of each label. The perfect gift for the man in your life!

A Dad's Guide to Babycare

More men than ever before want to be involved in taking care of their children. This specially created guide helps men to participate safely and successfully in the care and development of their children, while allowing them to value the qualities that they naturally bring to babycare.

An Australian reference guide.

Oceans - Recipes & Stories from Australian Coastlines

Australia is an island continent. Four seas and three major oceans wash her 34,280-kilometre-long coastline. They contain her in almost complete isolation. They have allowed her to develop unique flora and fauna and for thousands of years they have protected her from invasion.

Whilst the oceans nourish our souls, threaten us, protect us and define our national identity, they are also home to an astonishing variety of marine flora and fauna. One of the most satisfying culinary pursuits is to catch, prepare and eat absolutely fresh seafood.

Whether waist-deep in water, shucking and eating oysters you have just picked off the rocks, or throwing a fillet of freshly caught garfish into a frypan on the back of a boat, whether your fish came from a line thrown from a jetty or you are racing home from the fish market with a bag of fresh sardines, you are doing what so many Australians do – enjoying fresh seafood.

The recipes and stories in this book are a celebration of Australia, our maritime history, our oceans and the wonderful seafood they provide.

My Dad - Interview Journal

A gift for Dad that can be handed down through the generations. 6" x 4" sized - 80 page cloth covered book with questions inside that will spark the memories of his life. A great gift that enables you to share Dads memories, stories and laughter.

Create a family keepsake. Great gift idea for Fathers Day, Birthdays or as a Christmas present.

$21.95

               

Vimrod - Drink

This book presents an exciting new collection of cartoons that celebrate the beauty of booze, proving that in life, as in all things, all you need is love, gin and tonic.

There's nothing like a cold beer on a hot day. Or on a warm day. Or a cool day. Or even a cold day. In fact, few things are as adaptable as alcohol. It makes the bad times good and the good times better.

It comes in a variety of flavours, colours, strengths, shapes and sizes (ok, it's the glasses that are the different shapes and sizes, but you get the idea). Vimrod is here to celebrate the world's favourite pastime with a series of illustrations that look at the world through the bottom of a bottle with the humour and clarity that only a stiff drink can provide:

An empty glass means a full life. Wine is made to be drunk. I am drunk. Therefore, am I wine? Drink is one of the first in an exciting new collection of books inspired by the card-world's fastest growing phenomenon.

Filled with priceless jokes, fables and philosophy, these drawings are as bold as a Cabernet Sauvignon and as fruity as Bordeaux. Simple but bold illustrations with bright and cheery colours make this book the perfect gift, whatever your tipple of choice.

Hardcover book - 32 pages
Author: Lisa Swerling & Ralph Lazar
Size: 17cm x 13cm

Golf Courses of the World - 365 Days

Half of the courses featured in this second edition of Abrams’ hugely successful Golf Courses of the World: 365 Days are new. Many of the added courses have opened since the first edition was published in 2005, and the best of them have been carefully selected and affectionately described for this new book, including courses from the United States as well as around the world.

Wonderful new photographs by the best golf photographers—365 magnificent courses illustrated with more than 500 pictures—bring the world of golf home. The new edition has also been completely redesigned, with larger type and a two-column format for greater readability. As before, an index of courses includes information for golfers wishing to play the courses.

50 Books to read before you Die - BookMark

A bookmark is a great little addition when you give the gift of a book and this bookmark is a great gift item for any book lover.

Fifty classic literary works from the world's great writers listed on a Stainless Steel bookmark. The only decision left to make is which order to read them in!

Don'ts for Husbands

A little book of advice from a bygone era which will prove hugely entertaining.

Don'ts for Husbands and Don'ts for Wives are facsimile editions of the original books published by A&C Black in 1913.

Each pocket-sized book contains hundreds of snippets of entertaining advice for a happy marriage, which rings true almost 100 years after it was written.

The reissued titles are ideal gifts for birthdays, weddings, engagements and anniversaries. Advice appears under the following chapters:

Vimrod - Dogs

Simple but bold illustrations, bright cheery colours and original, quirky comments have made the Vimrod series of books instant hits.

Following classic titles in the series such as Farting and Drinking, Dogs is a brilliantly funny must-have book that is perfect for dog lovers everywhere.

• The answer to the universe is woof
• The dog, the whole dog and nothing but the dog
• I had to choose between my dog & my husband...I do miss him sometimes, he was a good man

Hardcover book - 32 pages
Author: Lisa Swerling & Ralph Lazar
Size: 17cm x 13cm

Vimrod - Love

We all know what difficult it can be when you try to tell that special someone how much they mean to you. Gestures filled with love and romance somehow always ends up a bit of an embarrassment.

You buy lilies when you know they remind your girlfriend of death. You cook a delicious peanut curry for the boyfriend with nut allergies. And you can guarantee that whilst you meant this day to be the day you told them those three magic words, all you'll be able to muster are some not very romantic four letter ones.

Vimrod is here to say all those romantic things you've been desperate to say but just couldn't find the right way to say them.

I'm so in love with you. Let's fly to the moon and back
(we can stop for a quick pee though if you need one) I wanna hug ya, like do donut hugs da hole in da donut

It's romance, but not as we know it ...

Simple but bold illustrations with bright and cheery colours make these books the perfect gift for the man or woman of your dreams..

Hardcover book - 32 pages
Author: Lisa Swerling & Ralph Lazar
Size: 17cm x 13cm

Vimrod - Dads

He's called 'Daddy' when you're little or when you want something very expensive; 'Father' when you get older and are trying to be condescending; 'Pop' or 'Granddad' when you get kids of your own, and *?!@ when he says the forbidden phrase 'You're not going out like that!' But deep down, he's always the same old Dad.

Show the most special man in the world how much you love, appreciate and respect him: dad, you're the best. When I'm old I want to do everything the way you do it, except the way you eat, the way you dance, and some of your opinions are, well, crap.

Simple but bold illustrations with bright and cheery colours make these the perfect gift for the man with the bottomless wallet and the hairless head (aka Dad).

Hardcover book - 32 pages
Author: Lisa Swerling & Ralph Lazar
Size: 17cm x 13cm

You + Me

You + Me is a pocket size book filled with treasured quotations on true love, passion and couple-hood. Elegantly cloth covered, it's the perfect gift to celebrate a new romance, weddings, anniversaries and, of course Valentines Day.

Cloth Covered Hardcover book - 80 pages
Size: 15cm x 11cm

Vimrod - Farting

A joyful celebration of one of mankind's most enduring pastimes and nature's funniest joke. Farts is one of the first in an exciting new collection of books inspired by the card-world's fastest growing phenomenon.

Filled with priceless jokes, fables and philosophy, these drawings are as funny as 'pull my finger' and as innovative as a DIY Jacuzzi.

He who laughs last laughs longest. But he who farts last gets blamed even though others may have made worse farts before him.

Simple but bold illustrations with bright and cheery colours make this book the perfect gift for anyone who has 'enriched' your life with their unique emissions.

Hardcover book - 32 pages
Author: Lisa Swerling & Ralph Lazar
Size: 17cm x 13cm

Now Available - Vimrod merchandise including magnets, keyrings & more!

Vimrod - Blokehood

Whatever happened to the good old 'bloke'?

Well, he's still here! Watching football, drinking beer, sitting on the sofa, and going hunting (for girls, not beasts).

There is no place like home. Except the pub. That is kind of like home to me.

I fart when provoked.

I am not stubborn. I am merely correct.

Add a little more beer, the odd game of two halves and you get pretty close to why this book is the perfect gift for every guy...it's the bible of blokehood!

Hardcover book - 32 pages
Author: Ralph Lazar
Size: 17cm x 13cm

How to Enjoy your Mother-in-Law

A hilarious collection of nasty things to do with your Mother-In-Law. While the illustrations depict two women "enjoying" their mother in law - this book crosses the gender divide as various methods of mother in law enjoyment is depicted and described!

This guide shows how to conduct a very fulfilling, cathartic and most of all "enjoyable" relationship with the old bat! A very funny read, written by an Australian Author.

Softcover book - 96 pages
Author: Jackie Murphy
Size: 17cm x 15cm

Thirsty Work

Serious but unpretentious, inspiring and fun, Thirsty Work celebrates wine and all that goes into making it and all who are involved in sharing it.

Based on the way he teaches the subject of wine to his students at Fifteen, Matt Skinner breaks down all the information you need to feel confident when choosing and drinking wine.

All the key topics in wine are covered from how to taste to the key grapes; where and how wine is made to the range of styles and his 24 hour faces of wine working around the clock, feature all the people who are involved in bringing wine to your table.

In everyday terms, Skinner presents his subject on a unique and personal level. Popular gift idea for people wishing to understand wine more.

Hardcover book - 176 pages
Author: Matt Skinner
Size: 25cm x 20cm

Golf - The Cure for a Grumpy Old Man

Peter Alliss has been entertaining huge TV audiences for the BBC and ABC in America for many years. In this new anecdotal but thoroughly practical book, Peter Alliss sets out to promote golf as the answer to middle-aged discontentment.

Peter Alliss has no difficulty giving compelling reasons as to why golf is the perfect game for adults - breathtaking scenery, fresh air, camaraderie and instant therapy.

The author describes how to go about taking up the game, what equipment is necessary to buy and who to contact for lessons. With the aid of line drawings, he describes the basic techniques of golf, how to maintain a consistent swing and how to build up self-confidence.

Golf - The Cure for a Grumpy Old Man is aimed at regular golfers whose skills have deteriorated and would-be golfers who need the guidance as to which path to follow. Alliss's humorous but always helpful book will confirm the great game as a really accessible and hugely enjoyable pastime to pursue for both men and women.

Hardcover book - 264 pages
Author: Peter Alliss
Size: 12.5cm x 19.5cm

Big Book of Top Gear - 2010

The Big Book of Top Gear 2010 will be a powerful force to match that of the TV show. There'll be more juicy revelations about The Stig, the next instalment in the Bigglesmay saga, behind the scenes gossip from the Top Gear set, supercars, retrocars, concept cars, crap cars, and plenty more jokes at the expense of Jeremy Clarkson.

You'll get the lowdown on all the new fastest laps, the best and worst of the new cars, and all the madcap adventures featured in the new series, including the presenters' return to the US to road-test a new generation of American muscle cars, and a potentially ill-conceived road trip through Vietnam.

We can only imagine what Clarkson et al got up to. You thought the Top Gear phenomenon couldn't get any bigger - it just did.

Hardcover book - 128 pages
Author: BBC
Size: 28cm x 21cm

Create Journal

This CREATE journal is the ideal place to sketch, write and ponder.

CREATE every day.

Celebrate your creativity. When inspiration knocks, open the door and invite it in. The world needs your ideas, orginality and brilliance. Great gift idea to inspire someones creativity.

Hardcover Journal - 224 pages, each spread features an inspirational quotation to inspire. Size 16cm x 12cm

Great Golf Quotes

There is a commonly held belief that golfers are calm and contained and never give vent to their feelings in public. The truth, however, indicates otherwise. There is as much passion and emotion in the seemingly genteel, ancient pursuit of golf as in any boxing title match. Golfers are driven by a multitude of personal motives, including ambition, jealousy and defiance.
But above all, there is an honesty that is shared by all because golf is a great leveller - golfers are victims of the game, never its complete master. Classic Golf Quotes is a catalogue of two thousand of the most expressive and insightful thoughts and sayings of players and commentators, from past centuries to the present day. They define the essence of golfing, and range from frustrated anger (Seve Ballesteros telling his caddie, 'It's not your fault. It's mine because I listen to you'), to self-deprecation (Bruce Crampton, finishing second for the fifth time, 'I shall appear next year in my customary role as defending runner-up'). This is the world of golf as seen by its leading characters who were brave - or daft - enough to voice their thoughts in front of a camera, notebook or tape-recorder.

Paperback book - 316 pages
Author: Michael McDonnell
Size: 20cm x 13cm

Don'ts for Golfers

A fascinating pocket sized nostalgic insight into sports etiquette in the 1920's.

Don'ts for Golfers was first published in 1925, as part of a series that included Blanche Ebbutt's Don'ts for Husbands and Don'ts for Wives. This pocket-sized edition contains hundreds of tips for golfers of all abilities. The advice, ranging from technique and fashion to etiquette on the course and in the Club House, provides an entertaining snapshot of life in 1920s Britain. Tips include such gems as:

* Don't over-indulge yourself in eating and drinking during the non-golfing days, and then expect to work off excess by a good game of Golf. You may play Golf of sorts, but it will not be a good game.

* Don't make Golf your sole topic of conversation. There are a few otherwise quite intelligent persons who are non-golfers. You will never make converts if you bore non-players to distraction by forever talking of the Royal and Ancient Game.

* Don't irritate your opponent by wearing jazzy colours. To dazzle his eyes with a multi-coloured pull-over or peace-disturbing golf stockings is to take a mean advantage.

Hardcover book - 70 pages
Author: Sandy Green
Size: 11cm x 7cm

Things to do now you are a Dad

Suddenly, after all the waiting,juggling excitement, fear, pride and trepidation, the big word arrives. "Congratulations! You are the proud father of..." It is possibly the biggest news you'll ever receive. Most of us drop our chins to our chests and think, "What do I do now?". There are as many reactions to this incredible news as there are new dads who receive it. But we all have one thing in common, from that very instant onwards and for the rest of our lives, WE ARE DADS and any guy who has been a kid, can be a GREAT dad! If you were brought up without a dad or think you had a bad time with yours, then you ll know exactly what to add to your relationship with your own child to make it special and rewarding for you both. For others, who had the perfect relationship with the 'World's Greatest Dad', you can now share some of those memorable, life-shaping experiences with your children. The truth is, that there are so many things you can do, now that you are a dad!

600 fun, practical and easy-to-do ideas of how you and your offspring can have the time of your lives.

Paperback book - 256 pages
Author: David Baird
Size: 12cm x 16cm

Dad - My Hero

Beautiful gift book for Dad. Selection of motivating quotes that are a touching and timeless tribute to Dad and the highs and lows of life. 64 page hardcover book.

Great gift idea for Fathers Day, Birthdays or as a Christmas present.

$29.95

               

The Knot - Ultimate Wedding Planner

Share the planning responsibilites easily with this Wedding Planner.

With so many nerve-wracking details to tend to, planning the perfect wedding can seem an impossible task. Now THE KNOT Ultimate Wedding Planner guides you step-by-step through the countless stages of planning your big day. Packed with easy-to-follow checklists and worksheets, and the hip, insightful wisdom that has made The Knot an indispensable resource for millions of couples worldwide.

THE KNOT Ultimate Wedding Planner provides: -- A one-year calendar with monthly and weekly to-do lists leading up to the moment of marriage.

Worksheets to help you: Organise the attendants the guest list, and the invitations; Design the ceremony -- from the site and officiant to the dress; Arrange the reception -- from the cake and caterer to the music and the photographer -- Checklists to keep track of finances, contracts, and post-marriage legalities -- Money-saving tips, up-to-date etiquette pointers, and answers to Frequently Asked Questions.

Softcover book - 224 pages
Size: 23cm x 19cm

Tying the Knot
Without doing your block

A non stuffy guide to getting married

Part-memoir, part-guide, Tying The Knot Without Doing Your Block documents the experiences of comedian Terri Psiakis during the planning of her wedding. After The Bloke's surprise proposal, Terri went from a lifetime of being anti-bride to suddenly becoming bride-curious (kind of like bi-curious but with slightly less nudity.) Organising a wedding sounds straightforward but in Terri's case it was more "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" meets "Talking Boonie."

Terri covers everything from The Bloke's proposal (nearly thwarted due to dirty pants) to choosing a wedding venue (one that didn't involve her dad having to dig a latrine) right through to booking a celebrant with a great back-catalogue of dick jokes and the planning of a honeymoon (anywhere as long as The Bloke could watch sport on a flat-screen with cable.)

Most wedding guides are formal and stuffy - not Terri's. She's not a girly-girl and her chronic aversion to frou-frou means this entertaining reference gives anything pink and fluffy the big finger in favour of straightforward, practical advice with cocktail recipes for when it all gets a bit tired and emotional.

There's even a Bloke's World section especially for soon-to-be-married people with testicles. What more could a bride-to-be who keeps it real possibly want? Tying The Knot Without Doing Your Block is every man, woman and child's must-have wedding-planning resource. (Ok, maybe not every child's.)

Paperback book - 305 pages
Author: Terri Psiakis
Size: 19cm x 12cm