Readers Digest Australia October 2021

STARTING A NEW JOB CAN BE DIFFICULT. Yet when you’re a famous athlete working in an elite sport, the public tends to assume the transition is seamless. The reality isn’t always the case. Today, Daniel Ricciardo is one of the world’s top Formula One drivers. In our exclusive interview with the 32-year-old Australian (‘Deep Focus’, page 32), Daniel discusses how personally challenging his new job with the famed McLaren team has been, how COVID-19 has impacted him the past two years, and even how tricky braking in the McLaren has proved. And then there’s the ever-present reminders of legends who drove before him. Each year, many thousands of people place their hope in receiving a lifesaving organ transplant. For those needing multiple organ transplants, that hope involves cruel odds. This month’s…

Creating Circumstances Thanks for the most informative quiz on Napoleon Bonaparte in the May issue. However, I was disappointed there was no reference to a famous remark attributed to Napoleon when an aide is said to have commented, “Circumstances alter cases, your lordship.” Napoleon’s reply was “Circumstances – what are circumstances? I make circumstances.” ARNOLD BENTLEY On Your Bike Then And Now: ‘The Bicycle’ (July) took me down memory lane. The BMX bike was a coveted and prized possession for children in the 1980s. I was envious of my friend who received a BMX bike for his birthday. I longed for a BMX back then but it never came. Now I own a giant mountain bike but I still relish the nostalgic thought of the BMX era. DAVID TOH The Bright Side Olivia Newton-John struck a chord when…

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I was introduced to the world of stories in books, comics and on the wireless long before starting school. At the time we lived in a sleepy little village in Yorkshire, England. The year was 1956. When my baby brother, Stephen, was put down for his afternoon nap, Mum and I shared a special time. We sat by the fire and read our magazines. Mum read Woman, a weekly that thoughtfully included a children’s story which she read to me. Then at two o’clock was Woman’s Hour on the wireless, which also including a children’s story. Best of all, I received a comic called Sunny Stories. Mum read me the stories until I was old enough to read them myself. In January 1957, aged four and ten months, I started school. My parents…

Homer’s Odyssey JOAN CAMPBELL Our family lived in a old house on land near the Waikato River in New Zealand. We had a very large orchard and grassy paddocks that led down to the river. It was a great opportunity for me to own many pets – a horse, a goat, a sheep, rabbits and, of course, cats. I was about five when our resident cat gave birth to a litter of kittens. One in particular was my favourite, a spunky and playful ginger tom that we named Jack. My mother kept hens in a wellfenced hen run and as time went by she purchased some sittings for eggs and I waited eagerly to see them hatch out – and so it seemed did Jack. At first, we didn’t suspect Jack of treachery, but every…

Our regular pet columnist, Dr Katrina Warren, is an established and trusted animal expert. ALTHOUGH DOGS AND CATS are by far our most popular pets, there are other choices. Rabbits, for example, are small, quiet and can make a lovely furry friend for the right household. It’s important for would-be owners to be aware that rabbits have very specific care requirements to keep them happy and healthy – they’re not as low maintenance as many people often believe. LONG-TERM COMMITMENT Rabbits that are well cared for can live for eight to ten years, even up to 15, so be prepared to provide appropriate long-term care. COMPANIONSHIP Rabbits are social animals and therefore should always be kept with an appropriate companion, preferably a neutered rabbit of the opposite sex and similar size. (The phrase…