Non-fiction Highlights

Non Fiction Highlights

A selection of new arrivals to our shelves.

At the Existentialist Cafe: Freedom, Being and Apricot Cocktails. Sarah Bakewell.

An excellent introduction and a delightful examination of existentialism and the famous thinkers behind it. Sartre, de Beauvoir, Camus, Heidegger, and others are really brought to life.

This Brutal World. Peter Chadwin

A collection of amazing architectural creations in the Brutalist style. Master works by architects such as Le Corbusier and Marcel Breuer are represented, as well as many more bold and beautiful structures from around the world that are relatively unknown.

Fat Science: Why Diets and Exercise Don't Work, and What Does. Robyn Toomath.

Dr Toomath is Clinical Director of Auckland City Hospital and is very experienced in the field of diabetes and obesity. Her well-researched book is an eye-opener and a must-read for all New Zealanders.

Food and the City: New York's Professional Chefs, Restaurateurs, Line Cooks, Street Vendors and Purveyors Talk About What They Do and Why They Do It. Ina Yalof.

These character stories are well-written, lively and interesting. If you enjoy food, you will love this book.

Freedom: My Book of Firsts. Jaycee Dugard.

After being kidnapped at 11 years old, giving birth to two children in captivity, then rescued at age 29, this is the story of Jaycee's life so far in the real world. Written without a ghostwriter, she lays bare her experiences.

The Games: A Global History of the Olympics. David Goldblatt

If you are feeling you haven’t quite had enough of the Olympic Games, then this is the book for you – the definitive social history of the modern games.

Go Big Knits: 20 Projects Sizes 38-54.

Twenty stylish designs including cardigans, ponchos, waistcoats, jackets and shawls for women sized 38-54. Compiled by Marie Claire Idées.

Hands: What We Do with Them and Why. Darian Leader

According to this UK Psychoanalyst and popular writer, we are a species that fidgets. His thought-provoking book looks at human change and development with the hands as the primary focus. He even has a prediction for the future because of smartphone technology.

Invisible Man, Got the Whole World Watching: A Young Black Man's Education. Mychal Denzel Smith.

This hard-hitting memoir describes growing up in America and coming of age under Barack Obama. The style is intense and gripping, and gives the reader an insight into important issues such as race, equality, gender and politics.

The Kiwi Pair: The Story Behind Our World-Beating Rowers. Hamish Bond and Eric Murray with Scotty Stevenson

Unbeaten in their last 69 races, rowing pair Bond and Murray are one of the most successful sporting partnerships of all time. This is the story of how two completely different personalities, one introverted and one extraverted, have achieved elite status in their sport, as well as mutual respect for one another. 

Richie McCaw 148. Richie McCaw

A coffee table offering which chronicles the 148 games Richie played as an All Black.

Up With the Lark: My Life on the Land. Joan Bomford.

Joan wanted to be a farmer like her dad. She drove a tractor at 8 years old and skipped school to help on the farm. Now as an 83 year-old, she is still active in UK farming life. This is her remarkable story.

What Language Do I Dream In?: A Memoir. Elena Lappin.

The author was born into the Russian language; transposed into Czech, then German; introduced to Hebrew; and finally adopted by the English language. This is a fascinating look at how language and culture interact.

Zero to 60: From a Wooden Caravan to a Multi-Million Dollar Business Empire. Tony Quinn

The remarkable story of Hampton Downs and Highlands Motorsport Park owner Tony Quinn, whose journey has taken him from a wooden caravan in Scotland where he grew up, to living the life of a self made millionaire and petrolhead in Central Otago.