Phosphorescence, by the always wonderful Julia Baird, is a masterful mix of science and psychology journalism, personal development book and memoir. Although I’ve found it difficult to describe to friends at times, it is not at all a difficult read.
Julia Baird
The book takes as its jumping off point the idea that the very human experience of awe and wonder is good for you – good for your health, general wellbeing, ethics, and your spirit too. I’m not usually one for anything even mildly woo woo so I was grateful for the practical, no-nonsense diversions into solid pop science territory, where Dr Baird meanders delightfully through study after study backing up her points.
This isn’t to say that the writing is in any way workmanlike or sterile. The prose can even be quite lyrical, not shying away from describing anything from the beauty of a sunrise (“In Australia, the dawn is an arsonist who pours petrol along the horizon, throws a match on it and watches it burn”) to medical trauma (“those millions of us with cracked hearts, battered bodies, blackened brains”).
The book is, in some ways, a reaction to Dr Baird’s own medical ordeal. After being diagnosed with cancer several years ago, she has gone through a number of extremely traumatic surgeries to remove a tumour that ended up being the size of a basketball lodged in her abdomen. One gets the impression that this experience turned the author into a philosopher – and not in a bad way. At times the book seems to be trying desperately to communicate greater wisdom to the next generation (two chapters are addressed directly to her two children). It wasn’t a surprise to learn that she wrote parts of the book between surgeries and while recovering from her last, without knowing for sure whether she would recover.
Phosphorescence is a surprise and a delight wrapped in a frankly gorgeous cover, and I’d have no hesitation in recommending it to virtually anyone. However, if you liked First, We Make the Beast Beautiful by Sarah Wilson or Any Ordinary Day by Leigh Sales then this book will find a special place on your bookshelf (and in your mind) for years to come.
—Phosphorescence by Julia Baird (HarperCollins Australia) is out now.
Phosphorescence
On Awe, Wonder And Things That Sustain You When The World Goes Dark
A beautiful, intimate and inspiring investigation into how we can find and nurture within ourselves that essential quality of internal happiness - the 'light within' that Julia Baird calls 'phosphorescence' - which will sustain us even through the darkest times.
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Comments
August 13, 2020 at 3:01 am
Really an inspirational and detailed book on medicine. Thanks for sharing a glimpse of what you have for this book
May 23, 2021 at 4:48 pm
Phosphorescence is an example of how you cannot judge a book by it’s cover. The cover is gorgeous. That is what attracted me to make a purchase.
However I found the content a grab-bag of different ideas some interesting – others ho-hum.
A lot of the material relates to personal life experiences which I found of no interest at all but I am sure female readers would identify strongly with.
August 3, 2021 at 11:49 pm
I’ve just read this for my book group. Because Baird is a popular tv journalist it has an appeal and of course it won Australian booksellers non fiction book of the year.
I don’t want to be negative but after Baird’s excellent biography of Queen Victoria this really is disappointing. It’s a mish mash of ideas and opinions that are not supported by evidence.
The first chapter actually on phosphorescence in sea creatures is fascinating but other parts are questionable. Talking about fashion and appearance and women’s relation with this, she’s all over the place, she flits from magazine articles to discussion of a truly malformed baby the appearance of whom would break any mother’s heart.
Her letter to her her daughter I found cringe worthy. I have two adult daughters and I would never insult their intelligence, let alone embarrass them by such advice.
I truly sympathise with her awful cancers and the radical operations she’s undergone.
I read a lot of biographies but this is not a book for me.