I have been busy (again!)

Somewhat predictably, but a bit earlier than I expected, the National Library of Australia has decided to publish a fourth edition of The Big Book of Australian History. (By the way, I notice that this link was out of date, so I have updated it: you may need to refresh the page, if it doesn't show the four editions at the start.)

The third edition weighs 1.1 kg, so it is, indeed, big. It contains 90,000 words in 120 articles, covering the key points in the continent's history, from pre-Gondwana onwards: I don't accept that Australia began in 1788.

It comes right up to present day, so I now need to fit in same sex marriage legislation, the Uluru Statement, and keep an eye out in case the Korean War is finally officially closed. I have to get the changes in Prime Minister in, trends in The Yarts, stuff like that.

Meanwhile Australian Backyard Earth Scientist and I note that this was another link in need of updating, so I did that as well. Don't forget to refresh, if you don't see an ISBN.

Another book that has been a little troublesome has been through the editor, but it has yet to get an imprimatur, so I will hold back on saying more just yet. I think it will be useful.

One good thing I have done this year is Going Micro. This is a pro bono work that I did for the people in Adelaide who are behind the excellent Go Micro, a clip-on low-power microscope that works with tablets and smart phones.

If you click on that link, you can get a free copy in PDF format. I retain the copyright in the text, and therein lies my current project. I don't have a publisher yet, but its working title is Looking at Small Things, and it uses the text that was written for Going Micro, but the tools to be used now are hand-lens, clip-on and full-on microscope. Right now LaST is two-thirds complete

I might add that later this term, I will be doing master classes with Stage 3 students at my local school, using clip-ons and also microscopes through a USB camera.

Meanwhile, in parallel, Not Your Usual Rocks (70% complete), a giant history of science (mostly done) and a work currently called A Shore Companion (half-done) are pushing ahead, though the last two may be sidelined for a fun work loosely based on my Science Playwiths website. That is scoped, and most of the text is there.

Why do I have so many things on the go?  Putting it simply, there's no writer's block in this house: I just switch to the next title. To be honest, I think that if I were at school today, I would be diagnosed ADHD.  This is why I don't damn kids who jump from idea to idea: we ADHD people just have superior brains, and can do several things at once.

The best computers use parallel processors, the best minds are capable of multi-tasking, but developing minds are slammed with the libellous label:

ADHD

Another reason: as I approach advanced middle age, I need to ask myself: if I cark it, which works would I be most annoyed having not finished?

In the middle of the night, the answer that comes back is all of them? so I suppose I should get on with it.