Dan Brown's new novel, Inferno, features renowned Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon and is set in the heart of Europe, where Langdon is drawn into a harrowing world centred around one of history's most enduring and mysterious literary masterpieces.

As Dan Brown comments: "Although I studied Dante's Inferno as a student, it wasn't until recently, while researching in Florence, that I came to appreciate the enduring influence of Dante's work on the modern world. With this new novel, I am excited to take readers on a journey deep into this mysterious realm. A landscape of codes, symbols, and more than a few secret passageways."

About the Author

Dan Brown is the bestselling author of Digital Fortress, Deception Point, Angels and Demons, The Da Vinci Code and The Lost Symbol. He is a graduate of Amherst College and Phillips Exeter Academy, where he has taught English and Creative Writing. He lives in New England.


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Inferno By Dan Brown

I have a secluded courtyard.

It even has an outdoors bathtub in it. However, I've not used it all summer, referring to it as 'the snake pit.' Rather a shame, but we have had a bit of a snake plague this year and even the dog isn't allowed to use her doggie door to the courtyard.

Still, the roses look lovely though the window.

Courtyard gardens can be created in small areas. Ours is a small yet practical space between the back door of the studio and the shed and the rear wall and bedroom window of the house and the back fence. 

It was bare ground when we arrived with a clothesline attached to the wall. The first thing I did was to plant shade trees along the back fence, and climbing roses on the back wall to cool the house in summer.

Then I paved the ground and erected arches all around to support a vertical garden of climbing roses to maximize the small space and further insulate the garden for our hot summers. 

Here is the Gardening Australia Fact Sheet on designing a courtyard garden.

I have been reading an online  discussion about freedom of speech in my online university unit. 

Is everyone aware that freedom of speech is the argument and laws used to permit the worldwide distribution of pedophilia supporting literature?

Do you want freedom of speech or political correctness?

Think hard about it. It isn’t a simple choice with a clear answer. Both are good in moderation. As with most beliefs, they are harmful when taken to a radical extreme. 

Humanity demands we be tolerant and accept a swinging balance scale that allows attitudes aside from our own as long as they do not tip the scale to an extreme. To manage those extremes, society creates laws. Those laws vary with what is acceptable within that society.

The United Nations created an excellent human rights declaration that respects freedom of speech and tempers it with the varying political correctness within differing societies. It suggests that we observe human rights while respecting other’s long standing culture. 

This unit has made me look deeper into these issues. I have learned to see freedom of speech and political correctness as two opposing conditions that need to be balanced over the rock of humanity that has understanding for why we do not all think alike.

Rule of thumb:

"Which" refers to things.
"That" refers to people and things.
"Who" refers to people.

Accidental shootings will happen all the time, not just during duck shooting season. I'm frankly horrified at the idea that kids, will have guns where there are native, protected animals and bush walkers.

Animals Australia ‎12 year old children roaming national parks, killing animals with guns... and bows and arrows. This is not a horror movie; it's the vision of the chairman of the NSW government-funded Game Council.

In a controversial deal, Barry O'Farrell's government is already pushing ahead with plans to open NSW national parks to adult shooters soon, despite fierce opposition from park staff and the public. Now the Game Council wants to add children to this volatile mix.

TAKE ACTION: tell Premier O'Farrell "Kids + guns + hurting animals = a bad idea!" http://bit.ly/WZTBEI

I am inclined to agree with those who consider Julia Gillard has been given a hard ride as Austrsalia's Prime Minister because she is a woman and a lot of the criticism directed at her is due to the fact that the Australian public did not give any government the right to govern alone in the last elections. She simply had to modify her election promises and incorporate the desires of the Greens, the other party that effectively governed with Labor.

Labor's political divorce from the Greens this week proved just how far Australian politics has ventured into the 'anything goes' zone. From here until the election nothing can be ruled in or out says Barrie Cassidy, do you agree? Let us know your thoughts...

Here is Barry Cassidy's Another Week, and Other...

What's better than literature distilled?

I have begun to read more short stories. I find they are fantastic for a one evening or a leisurely wake up, or lazy afternoon, read.

Some great short stories are:

'Stephen King' - The Body
'The Other Side of the Hedge' by E.M. Forster.
'2 B R 0 2 B' by Kurt Vonnegut.'
'Barn Burning' by William Faulkner

I have written a few I like, myself and I'm looking at compiling them into a volume of short stories of a similar nature and publishing them.

Do you read and enjoy short stories?

Traditionally they have not been popular with publishers. Now with self publishing and E-Books, more authors are releasing them.


Some would argue short stories are enjoying a resurgence: http://nyti.ms/15z7lsY

Others would say that claim is unfounded: http://bit.ly/YeIlnx

What do you think? And do you have a favourite short story?

The all about romance website had list of historical, contemporary, medieval books with virgin heroes. I think if the story is done right a virgin hero is awesome

Author Sarah Maclean asks: "Last night, during my romance writing class, virgin heroes came up -- and we couldn't think of a single example in contemporary romance...can you? And how do you feel about the virgin hero in general?"

My reply is:
Well my hero is a virgin and will remain so until book 3 or 4. But then, I don''t consider my books romance and I don't read books in the romance genre so they don't influence me. I do write romance into books in other genre's though and love a good romance—combined with a story from another genre. Does this count?

Now this one is a tough call. Who has the right to say who a boss can employ?
If the boss is employing someone, it is their right to choose. Maybe they can be asked to interview all applicants and consider them on their merit but the candidate needs to be right for the job. I would be happy to employ a shoplifter as a gardener, but not as a jewellery assistant.

Would I want to hire a convicted shop lifter if I sols small items?

I definitely would refuse to hire a child sex offender if I had young children who would be near my employees, and to heck with nondiscrimination laws, I would fight them.

One day a father is on his way home from work and suddenly remembers that it's his daughter's birthday. He pulls over to the toy store and asks the sales person, "How much for one of those Barbie's in de display window?".

The sales person answers, "Which on do you mean, Sir? We have: Work Out Barbie for $19.95, Shopping Barbie for $19.95, Beach Barbie for $19.95, Disco Barbie for $19.95, Ballerina Barbie for $19.95, Skater Barbie for $19.95, and Divorced Barbie for $265.95."

The amazed father asks: "It's what?! Why is Divorced Barbie $265.95 and the other only $19.95?"

The slightly annoyed sales person rolls her eyes, sighs and answers: "Sir... Divorced Barbie comes complete with Ken's Car, Ken's House, Ken's Boat, Ken's Furniture, Ken's Computer and one of Ken's best Friends."