The Best Australian Essays 2008 presents a selection of the year's finest works of non-fiction. These essays capture and illuminate the themes of an eventful year, demonstrating the quality of our writers across a range of topics as well as the vitality of the essay as a form of commentary, analysis and exploration. From the Henson affair to the US election, from theme parks to the bottom of the ocean, this is a collection with something for everyone. Previous contributors include: Inga Clendinnen, J.M. Coetzee, Tim Flannery, Raimond Gaita, Nicolas Rothwell, Hazel Rowley, Helen Garner, Gideon Haigh, Robyn Davidson, Clive James, Chloe Hooper, David Malouf, Robert Manne, Mark McKenna and Noel Pearson, plus many more.