Books

A Life on Gorge River – New Zealand’s Remotest Family

Posted 4:11am Monday 23rd August 2010 by Brittany Travers

Author: Robert Long Publisher: Random House (2/5)      This book tweaked my interest ever since the author, Robert Long, was given a rock star’s welcome at the Dunedin Public Library, where he launched this début book. It’s the sort of story Read more...

Inherent Vice

Posted 4:10am Monday 23rd August 2010 by Henry Feltham

Author: Thomas Pynchon (4/5)    When you are famous for writing difficult books, there will always be a handful of people who are going to be put off when you write a noir detective thriller, set in seventies surf-hippie Los Angeles (where, incidentally, Pynchon – age Read more...

Second Nature: the Inner Lives of Animal

Posted 4:22am Tuesday 10th August 2010 by Mariya Semenova

Author: Jonathan Balcombe Publisher: MacMillan (4.5/5)    Second Nature is an engaging and inspiring must-read for everyone, from animal lovers to anthropocentric sceptics. The author, Jonathan Balcombe, is a biologist with a great body of knowledge about animal Read more...

Pretty Monsters

Posted 4:21am Tuesday 10th August 2010 by Sarah Maessen

Author: Kelly Link Publisher: Text Publishing (4/5)    If you are looking for something short and bittersweet, this is the book for you. Pretty Monsters is a collection of short stories featuring everything from your childhood nightmares – werewolves, aliens, Read more...

the Bookseat

Posted 4:19am Tuesday 10th August 2010 by Jonathan Jong

Product: the Bookseat Manufacturer: Emerging Products Website: www.thebookseat.com Retailer: University Bookshop (5/5)      Even among gadget geeks, there is often some unease over reading accessories. They somehow seem to go one step too far: Read more...

Religion

Posted 3:00am Monday 2nd August 2010 by Jonathan Jong

Title: Dialogues Concerning Religion Author: David Hume Publisher: Oxford University Press Title: The Miracle of Theism: Arguments For and Against the Existence of God Author: John L. Mackie Publisher: Oxford University Press   Title: The Existence of God Read more...

Relax and Grow Rich: How to Live a Successful, Satisfying and Sustaining Life

Posted 12:24am Monday 26th July 2010 by Kathy Young

Authors: Mike Hutcheson & Claire Wadey Publisher: Harper Collins 1/5 This book is not about getting rich in a practical sense, and the ‘relax’ aspect is certainly not in relation to what you would do as you bank the bucks from passive income. Relax and Grow Rich spends 280 Read more...

QI: The Book of General Ignorance (The Noticeably Stouter Edition)

Posted 12:22am Monday 26th July 2010 by Marie Hodgkinson

Authors: John Lloyd and John Mitchinson Publisher: Faber and Faber 4/5 QI (Quite Interesting), now in its seventh series, is a panel quiz show with a twist. The “bantermeister” guests, most of whom you’ll be familiar with if you’re a fan of British comedy, attempt Read more...

Economics for Everyone: A Short Guide to the Economics of Capitalism

Posted 12:18am Monday 26th July 2010 by Sue Hui Ong

Author: Jim Stanford Publisher: Pluto Press 4/5 Let’s be honest: reading about economics is not really my idea of a leisurely Sunday afternoon activity. However, in an attempt to expand my horizons, I picked up Economics for Everyone: a Short Guide to the Economics of Read more...

Do Llamas Fall in Love?

Posted 12:14am Monday 26th July 2010 by Jonathan Jong

Author: Peter Cave Publisher: One World 4/5   There’s been a spate of these popular philosophy books recently. I guess it was just a matter of time before philosophers capitalised on this phenomenon. It makes me wonder, though, if the market for popular philosophy and popular Read more...