New Zealand Books

I have to confess that I am comfortable with mathematics, but I've only really studied statsitics beyond high school level and not anything much more complicated.

This book is relatively easy to read and introduces interesting concepts that many people may be unaware of such as Feigenbaum's number - used in chaos theory.

The coverage of this book is very broad. Lots of topics are covered, from the shape of water droplets to prime and Fibonacci numbers. You haven't heard of Fibonacci numbers? Read the book, it explains these curious things well, with intereting examples.

"Natures Numbers" is not crammed with formulae, sums, numberical values, or diagrams: any of which could confuse readers with limited mathematical background. In fact, it could even benefit from further pictorial illustration.

Despite the overall positive tone of my review the reason I haven't give this book 5 stars is that it is a little more "dry" than many other popular science books I've enjoyed.

A wonderful read for any trekking enthusiast, someone interested in New Zealand or observers of "human nature." Ms. Orrell's charming command of language combined with her marvelous powers of observation and sense of adventure makes for a compelling, unique travelogue. Well worth the several week wait.

In the 1980s governments of the political left undertook broad reaching market reforms in both Australia and New Zealand. The New Zealand reforms (deregulation of almost all industries, removal of almost all tariffs and subsidies and later almost total labour market deregulation) were most pronounced. This was combined with expected goals of the (new) left (recognition of traditional rights for indegenous peoples through the Treaty of Waitangi Act, and the banning of Nuclear Warships) to produce a Government which was particularly right leaning on economic matters and left leaning on social matters. This book (along with Paul Kelly's "The End of Certainty) are the definitive description of this Antipodean social experiment, an experiment from which both countries are gradually retreating. Bath water really does swirl down the drain in the opposite direction down here.

I just recently finished reading this little book, and I definitely recommend it to anyone who doesn't know much about NZ. It is indeed a "quick guide" but it has a surprising amount of information packed into a few pages. My only "complaint" is that the author doesn't mention any negatives--I'm willing to believe it's a wonderful place, but there must be SOMETHING less than fabulous about it. All in all, it was worth the purchase.

Gorgeous photographs with a brief commentary in English and German. Fun to look at. Great to show people "professional photos" when you return from your trip.

We get an analysis of NZ's foreign policy issues in the last few years. The globalising in the title is not confined to purely economic matters of offshoring. Some chapters delve into the effects of the WTO on NZ's trade activities. But most of the book concerns NZ's activities in the Pacific. Its foreign policies have been distinct from Australia's. In part reflecting historical tendencies to assert a separate identity from a much larger and economically dominant neighbour.

Thus one chapter describes how in the Bougainville unrest, NZ was able to play a more honest broker role than Australia. Since Australia had historically maintained close ties with the Moresby government, the rebels in Bougainville regarded Australia as too biased to act as an effective peacemaker.

Another chapter deals with the contentious arena of French nuclear testing. NZ took strong exception to this, and we see the amount of diplomatic effort expended was considerable.

"This editionfirst published 1977
by john McIndoe Limited, 51 Crawford Street, Dunedin

ISBN 0 908565 31 3 Casebound
ISBN 0 908565 32 1 Paper

Foreword (c) James Bertram 1977
This selection (c) John McIndoe 1977

Printed in New Zealand
by John McIndoe Limited, Dunedin"

INDEX of FIRST LINES
INDEX of AUTHORS

-- no info about dustcover, but likely was there, as no printing on face of my hardcover

- so, Amazon has separate, not linked listings of each ISBN

"This editionfirst published 1977
by john McIndoe Limited, 51 Crawford Street, Dunedin

ISBN 0 908565 31 3 Casebound
ISBN 0 908565 32 1 Paper

Foreword (c) James Bertram 1977
This selection (c) John McIndoe 1977

Printed in New Zealand
by John McIndoe Limited, Dunedin"

INDEX of FIRST LINES
INDEX of AUTHORS

-- no info about dustcover, but likely was there, as no printing on face of my hardcover

- so, Amazon has separate, not linked listings of each ISBN

I find it fascinating to pore over the record charts of other countries, compare and contrast them to the US, UK, etc. This book presents the chart data from the New Zealand charts from when they began in 1966 to 1996, featuring chart entry date, peak position, weeks on chart, etc., and is quite revealing about that nation's musical tastes and history. NZ and Australian artists fare better in these charts than they generally do elsewhere, but major US and UK artists certainly show up in strength. The book is perhaps unecessarily large in size and the weekly number one list at the back could have been laid out more felicitously, but I won't quibble about that. I do dock it a star for ethnic chauvinism, though (the author, in the foreward, calls the US and UK charts "a joke" : not very sporting, mate).

The premise of this book is contained in the fact that no part of New Zealand lies more than 60 miles from the ocean as the crow flies. Following an initial introductory chapter, the book moves to a long, scintillating series of aerial photographs of New Zealand's coastal features, beginning with the northerly coast of South Island, moving down the western coast and proceeding all around that island. The photographs of the Fiordland Park sounds, particularly the little-known Dusky and Doubtful Sounds, cannot be described adequately in terms of beauty by word alone. They must be seen to be believed.

The book is broken into coastal sections, and each chapter is preceded by a clear, eloquent commentary, followed by the pictures. Additionally, each photo has its own small, but informative comment. These narratives, althogh rather short, contain much information about New Zealand that doesn't seem to have been published elsewhere. The reader comes away with an enhanced urge to visit, or revisit, this amazing nation.

The same process is used on North Island, beginning at Wellington, and then proceeding up the coast and around the island back to Wellington. In particular, the photos of Mt. Egmont, a dormant volcano, are breathtaking.

My only reservation about the book was its failure to show the interior volcanic area of North Island, but that is a small quibble. If you want to go to New Zealand, you should read this book. If you can't go, save it for your dreams. I own the book, and I won't loan it out to anyone. Highly recommended.