It is past time, writes William J. Lines in Romancing the Primitive, the latest release from Quadrant Books, to set aside the distorting lens of Rousseauean fantasies:

Millions of Australians now obsess over the idea that race matters above everything and accept racist absurdities: people of Aboriginal descent are inherently wise and good-natured as well as naturally expert custodians and conservators of the land, while people of non-Aboriginal descent are, by nature and in contrast, alienated and unconnected.

Every day, mil­lions of people take part in cult practices that divide the world into indigenous and non-indigenous, believing a far­rago of New Age Aboriginal spirituality proclaims the one true path to moral improvement.

Romancing the Primitive defends science against superstition and liberalism against thralldom, seeking to reinstate genuine intellectual inquiry and discovery and build debate on real information.

Order your copy here.