On Getting Off

‘Covering everything from ‘what makes sex funny?’ to nakedness through the writing of Zadie Smith and Deborah Levy, it’s a book we could all do with reading.’

* Stylist *

‘Young has a deftness with language that lays out complex ideas with such beautifully written digestibility that you feel osmotically clever when you read them.’

* The Irish Times *

‘A beautiful piece of work. It’s funny. It’s human. It really does make you think about something that’s either put on a pedestal or relegated to the toilet. A triumph.’

-- Krissy Kneen, author of Triptych

‘A spicy examination of the frequently ambivalent, ambiguous and even incongruous ‘tangle’ of eros, libido and romance that we call sex.’

-- Linda Jaivin * The Saturday Paper *

‘Drawing on personal experience, literature, myth, art and philosophy, Young examines how the fragile tension crucial to sexual arousal is akin to a narrative, the way sex highlights the impossibility of knowing another’s pleasure, and how nakedness offers not so much a revelation of someone’s ‘true self’ as an invitation to learn more about that person.’

-- Fiona Capp * Sydney Morning Herald *

‘Erudite.’

-- John Shand * Times Higher Education *

Praise for The Art of Reading:

'For Damon Young, writers are like secret agents gone rogue, grabbing us by the lapels and inviting us into a realm of delicious ambiguity. The Art of Reading is an intimately conspiratorial book — erudite, surprising, and persuasive.’

* Henry Hitchings, author of Browse: the world in bookshops *

Praise for The Art of Reading:

‘Its short length belies a book heavy with insight, creativity, and wit. To Young’s credit, he treats all types of reading, from scholarly meditation to frivolous binge reading, with seriousness and respect … This literary study is serious but also witty and fun — a tough balance to strike, but Young nails it.’ STARRED REVIEW

* Publishers Weekly *

Praise for Philosophy in the Garden:

‘This is a gardening book that takes readers not on a walk around great estates but on a tour of great minds … It's a lovely extension on the notion that gardens make you contemplative and in working with the soil you see life's big picture.’

* The Daily Telegraph *

Praise for Philosophy in the Garden:

‘A gentle dig for ideas about how to live — this book will grow your mind and put a glow in your cheeks.’

-- Deborah Levy, author of Swimming Home<

• Long-listed for Tasmanian Literary Awards for Nonfiction 2022 (Australia)