Guardian Australia's weekend wrap of essential reads from the past seven days, selected by Imogen Dewey. Get this in your inbox every weekend. Sign up for Five Great Reads here.
Good morning. I hope you have at least a few hours unfurling before you this weekend with absolutely nothing to do. If, during this time, you want something to read, these are the stories I most enjoyed around the Guardian this week.
1. How to Survive the Information Crisis
"I have a confession to make," writes Guardian editor-in-chief Katharine Viner. "It has taken me years to write this article." Viner's long read delves into our age of crises – environmental, political, informational – where technology increasingly pulls us apart. But journalism at its best, she argues, can bring us together again. "When done well, it can help nourish civic life, build a shared understanding of reality, and forge the kind of connections that people are missing, that people long for." How long will it take to read: 13 minutes.
2. David Attenborough Has Turned 100
We have gathered 100 of his most spectacular moments. The man has been besieged by birds, had 120 million crabs try to crawl up his trouser leg, and stayed cool beside an erupting Icelandic volcano. To use Stuart Heritage's words, Attenborough is "without question, Britain's greatest national treasure." Hard to disagree. "As ambitious as television gets": There are so many highlights here (100, in fact), but #34, Life on Earth, is hard to top. How long will it take to read: Not too long to scroll through – but many happy hours if you stop to look them all up. Further reading: The tributes have been lavish. To celebrate this centenary, we got readers to send in their most treasured memories of their own encounters.
3. 'Human Beings Are Natural Philosophers'
Sophie McBain's interview with existential therapist Emmy van Deurzen is full of gold. Especially interesting is the part where McBain tries the therapy herself – and by her own admission, loses her usual journalistic distance from her subject. "It sounds too corny – too convenient – to be true, but my conversation with Van Deurzen was one of the most profound and potentially life-altering encounters I've had." How long will it take to read: 7 minutes. A therapist's reading picks: Van Deurzen sometimes gives her clients reading lists, often recommending Rollo May's writing, as well as Erich Fromm's The Art of Loving and Paul Tillich's The Courage to Be.
4. Could You Live a Day Without Oil-Based Products?
The US-Israel war on Iran has brought global reliance on petrochemicals into sharp focus. Beyond the bowser, as reporter Caitlin Cassidy notes, they provide raw materials for digital devices, cosmetics, detergents, plastic packaging, medical supplies, and fertilisers. So she wondered: could she buck the trend of a hopelessly dependent economy and go 24 hours avoiding them altogether? Spoiler: No. But her attempt is eye-opening – and very entertaining. How long will it take to read: 4 minutes. Further reading: In other DIY adventures this week, Cassidy cut her own fringe.
5. 'An Airport Novel Deep-Fried in Conspiracy Theories'
Longtime readers of this newsletter will recall my love of 70s conspiracy thrillers. It's shared by Brogan Morris, who used this week's Stream team column to sing the deserved praises of The Parallax View. What's it about? A tousled Warren Beatty stars as a reporter who, while investigating a murder, stumbles onto a sinister corporation's even more sinister ties. Its pulpy plot, while gripping, also acts as a Trojan horse: an excuse to punch into themes of US corruption, aggression, and malaise. Evergreen content: Morris points out the reason this film, "frazzled by conspiracy theories and soaked in the threat of political violence," still hits in 2026. After all, "bubbling fascism, the erosion of democracy in an increasingly corporate age and America's legacy of brutality" are on all our minds. How long will it take to read: 2 minutes.
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