Why did Mel Gibson want to kill a journalist's dog? Why does Helen Garner keep a hammer in her kitchen drawer? Why did Joanne Capper admiringly describe Antonella Gambotto as a 'real psychopath'?

In Best Australian Profiles, Matthew Ricketson has selected pieces that artfully combine the mini-biography with the face-to-face encounter, and show us the world and the personality of their subject in a new light.

Each piece makes for compelling reading, whether celebrating mighty achievement, criticising failure, or laying bare the soul of the person written about. This is a collection that shows journalism at its best, while also delving unforgettably into the things that make some very interesting people tick.

Profile subjects include: Geoffrey Blainey, Don Bradman, Warwick & Joanne Capper, Geoff Clark, Andrew Denton, Malcolm Fraser, John Gorton, Germaine Greer, David Gulpilil, Pauline Hanson, Bob Hawke, John Howard, Barry Humphries, Michael Long, John Marsden, Dame Nellie Melba, Kylie Minogue, Geoff Mullen, Keith Murdoch.