An invitation to look at what’s familiar from an unfamiliar angle

To consider how we consider things and how to do it better.

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The Series

Re-Considering Achievement Addiction Angle-web.jpeg — NEW: Achievement Addiction

Are you an achievement addict?

It’s hard not to be one given our collective obsession with success.

Students fear that the ATAR will sum up not just their schooling career, but also their individual worth. Australians aren’t just mad for sporting victory – skyrocketing house prices show we’re equally hooked on owning property. Then there are the furious work habits of Silicon Valley CEOs, violin prodigies, and tiger mums.

Why do we constantly strive for our significance – and could you quit the habit if you tried?

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The End of Thinking?

We all feel entitled to our opinion. Whether it be our take on politics, vaccines, parenting, or the value of religion, everybody wants to have their say - and everybody loves to be right.
But do we know what it means to think well?
Covering ‘idiot brain’, lobotomies, the difference between certainty and confidence, the nature of facts, and the virtue of intellectual hospitality, Mark Stephens invites you to consider not just what you think but how and why you think.
Do we think only for ourselves, or also for the good of others?
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The Pleasures of Pessimism

Pandemic, supervolcano, late capitalism, transhumanism, populism, cancel culture post-antibiotic age, the gig economy, the surveillance state, the cascading effects of climate change...

Whatever the specifics, do you feel like things have gone off the rails - or are just about to?

If you've read the news, watched a zombie movie, or gotten into an argument on Twitter lately, the answer is probably yes.

And you're not alone.
What makes us such apocaholics?
What's so appealing about Armageddon? What are the pleasures - and also the perils - of our pessimism?
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The Cost Of Compassion

Who's in favour of compassion?

Pretty much everybody, actually. Left or right, religious or not, nobody seems to have a bad word to say about compassion.

So why do we have so much trouble addressing the conflict, inequality, and suffering in our world?

Ranging from the streets of St Kilda to the slums of Delhi, from Plato to Nietzsche, the Dalai Lama to Peter Singer, and from Seinfeld to the Good Samaritan, Tim Costello appeals to our common humanity - and takes an unflinching look at how costly compassion can be.
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Testimonies

The Freedom Trap
by Priyan Max Jeganathan

Priyan Max Jeganathan considers 'the cogs inside the freedom machine'. He concludes his philosophical journey with wise advice: slow down, practice kindness, declutter decisions and prioritise relationships.

— Dr. Andrew Leigh,
Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury.

The Freedom Trap
by Priyan Max Jeganathan

As a Gen-Z reader, this is a wonderful commentary on the world we stand to inherit, and a refreshing vision of freedom that aligns with our heart for social justice and global responsibility.

— Ethan Fitzgerald

The Freedom Trap
by Priyan Max Jeganathan

Is our culture’s insistence on complete individual autonomy and limitless choice really what freedom means? Engaging and timely, Max Jeganathan’s The Freedom Trap answers this question with an illuminating journey through history, tracing our evolving perceptions of freedom and the costs incurred along the way. Full of relevant examples from the news, pop culture, and his own family’s story, Max unveils why the promise of endless freedom has resulted in nothing but abounding anxiety and confusion. Ultimately, he points to a better way: where love for God and others leads us to embrace wise constraints and find genuine meaning, connection, and joy.

— Dr. Andy Steiger,
President of Apologetics Canada

The End of Men?
by Simon Smart

Simon Smart writes personally and vulnerably about his own journey to deeper and wider possibilities about what it means to be a male. The impasse of toxic masculinity is not fixed nor the final word. Change is occurring with boys and men and Simon Smart charts that progress and gives us hope for our future.

— Tim Costello

The End of Men?
by Simon Smart

Balanced, realistic and hopeful — it is refreshing to have a concise book which doesn’t get bogged in an overwhelm of advice for those wanting to be a positive influence on boys. The End of Men? sympathetically surveys the tumultuous landscape that young men are traversing and offers clear, enduring and, dare I say, noble principles for those seeking to help them wisely navigate their complex world."

— Dr Leisa Aitken
Clinical Psychologist

The End of Men?
by Simon Smart

"This book, “The End of Men?,” is a gem, beginning with Simon‘s own stories of toxic masculinity at the school which he attended. He clearly defines the challenges facing men, ranging from violence to mental health. Importantly, Simon doesn’t just define the problems but identifies potential solutions to these challenges, from the creation of structure, propagation of values, allowance of risk, rites of passage, increased and informed roles for fathers and, beautifully, developing love and vulnerability as men. I love this book."

— Professor Bruce Robinson
Founder of the Fathering Project

Achievement Addiction
by Justine Toh

Love it! A devastatingly accurate analysis of Australian society and individuals that hit me personally. Justine's social location also provides an empathetic, well-informed and insightful approach in tackling the meritocratic myth for ALL of us. As she frames so cleverly, 'everyone is kind of Asian now’.

— Grace Lung
Asians Between Cultures

Achievement Addiction
by Justine Toh

Achievement Addiction exposes the restlessness of the modern soul in its endless and elusive quest for success. Has our hunger to achieve made us happy and fulfilled? And what is it doing to our children? Justine Toh has managed to write a book that is as entertaining as it is confronting. It's definitely worth making time in your busy schedule to read it!

— Michael Jensen
Author of “My God, My God: Is it possible to believe anymore?”

The End of Thinking?

The End Of Thinking?
by Mark Stephens

"Do I think well? I think so! Hang on – not so fast! Mark Stephens, in his interesting and racy little book, gets us to think about thinking, or, to be more specific; to think about the fact that most of us don’t think – not much anyway, as it is too difficult, and too confronting. Instead, we look for threads which will confirm our prejudices, we are led by intuition, not reason. Additionally, we confuse correlation with causation, we overestimate our own competence, we allow experts in one field to bracket-creep their judgements into areas beyond their competence. Does it matter? Well yes, just as conviction needs to be based on reasonable evidence, epistemic humility is preferable towards those whose opinions differ. Is this book worth the trouble of thinking about? I think so!"

— John Collier
Dr John Collier is Head of St. Andrew’s Cathedral School, Sydney and is transitioning into the role of Dean of Education at Morling College.

The End of Thinking?

The End Of Thinking?
by Mark Stephens

"This clear, humorous and insightful book will help clear up your thinking, or at least help clear up the 'you' in your thinking. Mark writes about the hard questions of contemporary discourse with learning, courage and grace - a wonderful antidote to the vitriol of the culture wars awaits you!"

— Gordon Menzies
Author of Western Fundamentalism & Associate Professor of Economics, UTS, Sydney.

The End of Thinking?

The Pleasures of Pessimism

The Pleasures of Pessimism
by Natasha Moore

“At once gentle and unflinching, disturbing and soothing, realistic and hopeful, and entertaining to boot, this timely little book is a tonic for jaded hearts.”

— Brian S. Rosner
Principal, Ridley College

The Pleasures of Pessimism

The Pleasures of Pessimism
by Natasha Moore

“Do societies have personality traits? Natasha’s book is a thoughtful exploration that pessimism may well be ours … reading this, glimmers of real hope shine through the rather fascinating and compelling gloom.”

— Leisa Aitken
Clinical Psychologist

The Pleasures of Pessimism

About The Authors

Tim Costello

Tim Costello is one of Australia’s leading voices on social justice and global poverty, and has been instrumental in ensuring these issues are placed on the national and international agenda. He travelled the world for work in poverty alleviation and emergency relief as he led World Vision Australia for thirteen years. Tim is an ordained Baptist minister and currently a Senior Fellow with the Centre for Public Christianity as well as Executive Director of Micah Australia. He was named in the Australian of the Year awards in 2006 and was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2005. His bestselling books include Hope, Faith, Tips from a Travelling Soul Searcher and his memoir A Lot with a Little.

Natasha Moore

Dr Natasha Moore is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Public Christianity (CPX). She has a PhD in English Literature from the University of Cambridge and is the author of Victorian Poetry and Modern Life: The Unpoetical Age and editor of 10 Tips for Atheists and other conversations in faith and culture. Her book For the Love of God: How the church is better and worse than you ever imagined was the 2020 Australian Christian Book of the Year. She has worked for CPX since 2014 and written on topics that include books, movies, politics, food, domestic violence, Scripture in schools, war, Thanksgiving, and freedom of speech. She recently discovered she is an optimist.

Mark Stephens

Dr Mark Stephens is a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Public Christianity (CPX). He has a PhD in Ancient History from Macquarie University, and a Masters in Divinity from the Australian College of Theology. For 10 years Mark was lecturer at Excelsia College, teaching performing artists how to use their creativity to help audiences think deeply. Contrary to all rational thinking, Mark is a lifelong supporter of the Parramatta Eels rugby league team.

Justine Toh

Dr Justine Toh is Senior Fellow at the Centre for Public Christianity, where she speaks and writes about the Christian faith in publications like The Sydney Morning Herald, The Canberra Times, The Spectator, and ABC Religion & Ethics. She occasionally guest hosts ABC Radio National’s God Forbid, a panel program exploring contemporary religion, and has co-presented the documentary For the Love of God: How the church is better and worse than you ever imagined. Justine has a PhD in Cultural Studies from Macquarie University in Sydney and tweets, erratically, at @justinetoh. And yes, she is a recovering achievement addict.