Backlist > General Non Fiction

The bodies of 29 men are still entombed in the collapsed Pike River mine, more than a year after the tragic explosion and fire of 19 Novem­ber 2010. What do their deaths mean for workplace health and safety? Is there a future for coalmining in this era of climate change? How has the Coast changed from the centre of radicalism it represented in the early 20th century? What is the way forward for a region that has felt betrayed by a succession of political decisions and developments over several decades? Playwright and film ... read more

A reasonably priced paperback re-issue of a luxury lifestyle classic Insider access to an exclusive world of opulence, beauty and craftsmanship-- sure to inspire and bedazzle Size: 22.8 x 28.8 cm / 9 x 111/3 in. 220 pp. Paperback with flaps 212 color photographs Text in English, German, French, Spanish, and Italian

A new take on the story of Easter: Carla Lindsey asks questions about the subtleties of the text, the people involved and the reasons why some things were mentioned and much was left for speculation. Like Who was Rufus?, and who were the others said to have come back to life that weekend? What Carla has created is a book of serious musings about the most talked about event in the Christian Calendar, bringing it to life in a completely fresh and meaningful way.

This classic of ethnography was assembled in the19th century by an astute observer and skilled illustrator who first encountered the Maori art during his military service in New Zealand. Maori tattooing (moko) consists of a complex design of marks, made in ink and incised into the skin, that communicate the bearer’s genealogy, tribal affiliation, and spirituality. This well-illustrated volume relates how moko first became known to Europeans and discusses the distinctions between men and women’s moko, patterns and design... read more

In the 80 years since veteran journalist and broadcaster Eric Beardsley arrived in Christchurch from the West Coast, he has lived a full and varied life and devoted much time to observing the Canterbury scene, its people, politics, conflicts and progress. The result is Sliding Down the Hypotenuse, an eclectic and wholly delightful mix of memoir, biography and history. Beardsley gives a breezy account of a satisfyingly free-range childhood spent in the wasteland of sandhills and scrub that was Aranui in the Jazz Age of the 1920s and... read more

A whole world of free entertainment is out there waiting to be discovered, in gardens, rough land and open spaces. Alison Wilson Smith, now a grandmother, recalls her childhood activities using nothing but nature

The Crescent Moon : The Asian Face of Islam in New Zealand opens new doors into the lives of the largest group of Muslims in New Zealand and in the world as a whole: those of Asian descent. Photographer Ans Westra and writer Adrienne Jansen - armed with a camera and a tape recorder - take a trip through the country, catching up with people in their everyday lives. They meet a very diverse group, ethnically, culturally, and theologically. There are lawyers and farmers, computer trainers and butchers, fourth generation New Zealanders... read more

Land Very Fertile is a collection of poetry and prose about Banks Peninsula on the eastern coast of New Zealand's South Island. Drawing from a wide variety of sources, including such New Zealand greats as Ursula Bethell, Denis Glover, James K. Baxter, Ngaio Marsh, Allen Curnow and Maurice Shadbolt, along with many newer voices such as Joe Bennett, Fiona Farrell, Bernadette Hall and James Norcliffe, as well as exciting lesser-known talents, this collection is a landscape of literature, seeking to capture the spirit of a much-loved a... read more

152 x 228 mm, 256 pp Arising from proceedings of a 2007 symposium organised by the University of Canterbury’s School of Law, the National Centre for Research on Europe and the University of the South Pacific, this book explores the challenges facing the vulnerable small Pacific island countries in the 21st century and the models of regional governance available to them. It reviews the development of Pacific regionalism to date, surveys t... read more

This is the first detailed exploration of the early history of legal education in New Zealand. It draws on extensive research into a range of historical material and periodical literature, as well as a rich variety of accounts and recollections from former staff and students, to explore the first 100 years of teaching and study of law at Canterbury. In doing so it offers a fresh insight into the often uneasy relationship between teachers and practitioners, particularly the long struggle over control of examinations for the law degr... read more

Remaking The Tasman World explores New Zealand's most important and extensive relationship - with Australia - on a variety of levels over the past century. The authors present a combined narrative about a 'Tasman world', a working region defined by a history of traffic in ideas, policies, objects and people. From early maps of Australasia to accounts of shared state experiments, of a trans-Tasman business world, sport and Anzac bonds, the authors unearth a common past and reorder it in a history infused with wit and insight. They ... read more

"Me and Dad flew home from Australia on Ear New Zealand and there was nothing we wanted more than fush'n'chups with youse guys". Is New Zealand English going to hell in a handcart, or is it simply evolving into an increasingly distinctive Kiwi form? Should we be seeking to hold on the old and claw back what we have 'lost', or should we learn to accept change and rejoice in something that is uniquely our own? Sociolinguist Elizabeth Gordon has been commenting on this and other matters of linguistic debate in a weekly column in the C... read more

Wars have been used as a means of settling territorial and other political disputes since the dawn of human civilisation. The Futility of War takes the reader through the long history of human conflict in all its forms, and considers the reasons why wars still exist today. In so doing, it offers a fascinating insight into how people in key positions of leadership have reacted to the threats and opportunities that have been presented to them. Any discussion of this topic raises the question: Is there something about the nature o... read more

The Reinvention of Everyday Life: Culture in the twenty-first century features 20 essays, each tracing a different field of cultural change that became prominent in the late twentieth century, from email to cyborgs, and from reality television to the "Californification" of youth culture.

63 stories from an ancient Greek classic, the parables, Arthurian legends, Eastern wisdom, to happenings that are being lived and talked about in this 21st century - a collection of stories from all ages and traditions. Most of them are less than a page in length so they are short, short stories. Some are funny, many of them have twist in the tail, and all of them have relevance today, showing that human nature does not seem to have changed over the centuries. First published December 2007.

Papers from the Conference held at the University of Canterbury in October 2004. Trouble in paradise’, ‘africanisation of the Pacific’, ‘arc of instability’, ‘failed states’, 'petri dish for terrorism’ . . . Are these labels for the Pacific justified? Why has the Pacific experienced growing levels of conflict and political instability in recent years? What has been the impact on Pacific peoples? What can be done to avoid further conflict? This book, based on a major intern... read more

This annotated bibliography of New Zealand trade union literature includes human resources, labour studies and social history. It is more complete and up to date than Bert Roth's (1970, 1977 reprint) bibliography, and much of the material does not appear in Austin Bagnall's "New Zealand National Bibliography". Other than trade unions themselves, political and union activists, social historians, students and book researchers will find "Words at Work" a valuable resource. Even a cursory glance at the wealth of literature, cov... read more

The rural church has been profoundly affected by economic and social change, and by theological and liturgical revolution in the wider church. With an ecumenical scope, Bill Bennett looks in-depth at the traditional churches that still maintain a rural presence and their ministries. Bennet develops a theology of land in Aotearoa New Zealand, and a theology of mission and ministry that may be seen a starting point for all who minister in rural areas. First published 2005

Simon Acland was born in South Canterbury, New Zealand. He has a background in journalism and is a retired Anglican parish priest. He divides his time between New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and countries in-between. His "Thoughts from Abroad" are brodacast on Radio New Zealand and his one-man shows have been staged in London and New Zealand. Cartoon illustrations by Thongsook Sawatnatee who was Thailand's most popular cartoonist. He is now known chiefly for his water colours and has exhibited in London, Bangkok and Tokyo. Firs... read more

The Science of Christianity takes us beyond the usual evolution versus creation debate and presents a critical look at how belief in God and belief in science originated, how they developed over time, and how they were influenced by a range of external factors, such as education, religions other than Christianity, and philosophy. What gives us the life force that we all have? Do we really have a soul or a spirit, and if so, what form does it take and how does it impact on our daily lives? This book attempts to answer these and... read more