$36.06
- Paperback
272 pages
- Release Date
22 August 2023
Summary
Gregory Smith explains how after a decade living as a recluse in a rainforest he rejoined society and found something better than happiness - contentment. And how you can find contentment too if you just stop trying to be happy.
‘There’s a realm beyond happiness that very few people inhabit. Follow what I’ve done and you may one day enter it. It’s a wonderful place called contentment.’
When Gregory Smith stumbled out of a New South Wales rainforest in 2000 he …
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781761341380 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 1761341383 |
| Author: | Gregory Smith |
| Publisher: | Penguin Random House Australia |
| Imprint: | Penguin Life Australia |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Number of Pages: | 272 |
| Release Date: | 22 August 2023 |
| Weight: | 342g |
| Dimensions: | 20mm x 154mm x 232mm |
You Can Find This Book In
Gregory Smith
Gregory Peel Smith was born in Tamworth, New South Wales, in 1955. His childhood was marked by a dysfunctional and abusive household, followed by periods in a Catholic orphanage, foster care, and juvenile detention centres. He experienced homelessness for much of his adult life.
At the age of thirty-five, Gregory retreated into near-total isolation in a rainforest in northern New South Wales for ten years. He re-emerged in 1999, determined to re-engage with society. Despite a limited formal education, he pursued higher learning, starting with a Certificate I in Information Technology, followed by a bridging course at TAFE. In 2004, he commenced a sociology degree at Southern Cross University. He graduated in 2007 with first-class honours, still experiencing homelessness during his studies.
In 2016, Gregory earned a PhD for his significant research on “Forgotten Australians,” individuals who, like himself, endured abuse in institutional out-of-home care during the 20th century. He is now employed by Southern Cross University as a research fellow, a senior lecturer in the social sciences, and chair of the faculty of Business, Law and Arts.
Gregory is recognized as one of Australia’s leading experts by lived experience in post-traumatic stress disorder, mental illness, domestic violence, alcohol and drug addiction, rough sleeping, and homelessness. He is a popular public speaker and policy advisor, serving as a specialist consultant for government initiatives, including the End Street Sleeping Collaboration, a New South Wales Premier’s priority project aiming to end street sleeping by 2030.
A prominent advocate for the disenfranchised, disadvantaged, and disconnected globally, Gregory is a patron for numerous organizations providing services to vulnerable homeless populations in New South Wales and Queensland. He also works as a global consultant for the Institute of Relational Health, a project by CareSource in the United States focused on systemic change in supporting disadvantaged families.
Gregory’s memoir, Out of the Forest, was published in 2018. He currently resides in Orange, New South Wales, with his partner, Catherine, their family, and his chickens.
Returns
This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.