Latest news with #LeadingUnderPressure
Scoop
6 days ago
- Sport
- Scoop
An Evening Of Inspiration: Ian Foster's Book Signing & Charity Auction Raises Funds For Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre
A full house gathered on Thursday night for an unforgettable evening with former All Blacks coach Ian Foster, who shared powerful insights from his new book Leading Under Pressure, at a special fundraising event for Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre. Held at Masterton's Copthorne, Solway Bar & Grill, the event featured a lively and thought-provoking on-stage conversation between Foster and interviewer John Prendergast. Foster spoke candidly about his journey coaching the All Blacks, reflecting on both the challenges and triumphs of leading one of the world's most iconic rugby teams. His honesty, humility and leadership wisdom left many in the room inspired. Following the book talk, guests enjoyed a charity auction with incredible items generously donated by local Wairarapa businesses. Among the highlights was a signed All Blacks jersey donated by Ian himself, which sparked generous bidding. 'The event exceeded expectations with a packed house' said Shane McManaway, Pūkaha Board Chair, 'we were very privileged to have Ian Foster as our keynote speaker. The level of community support Pūkaha continues to receive to get this magnificent National Wildlife centre back on its feet has been nothing short of amazing' said McManaway. The atmosphere was warm and buzzing throughout the evening, with guests enjoying refreshments, mingling, and the chance to have their books personally signed by Ian. Many left with not only a signed copy of Leading Under Pressure, but also a deeper appreciation for the values of leadership and resilience. All proceeds from the evening will go toward supporting the work of Pūkaha, helping protect and restore Aotearoa's unique wildlife and forest.
Newsroom
01-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsroom
This week's bestselling books, Aug 1
NONFICTION 1 A Different Kind of Power by Jacinda Ardern (Penguin Random House, $59.99) Number of reviews commissioned by ReadingRoom to cover the publication of Jacinda Ardern's memoir: three. Number of reviews commissioned by ReadingRoom to cover the upcoming publication of Jacinda Ardern's childrens book: hmm probably zero. 2 Polkinghorne: Inside the trial of the century by Steve Braunias (Allen & Unwin, $37.99) My book, holding fast to the Number 2 position for the second consecutive week; a free copy of the book everybody is talking was up for grabs in last week's giveaway contest, but I wasn't entirely satisfied that the very many entries included a deserving winner, so it's up for grabs again this week. Readers were asked to share a story or an opinion about Dr Philip Polkinghorne. The opinions were kind of generic. The stories, though, were fascinating, from people who knew him at school, as neighbours, and as a patient of his during his long career as an eye surgeon. And so part 2 of the giveaway contest is directed only at readers who have some kind of personal story to tell about the man found not guilty in the most sensational murder trial in modern New Zealand history. A meeting, an encounter, an observation … Anonymity granted on request. Send the entries to stephen11@ with the subject line in screaming caps HIS NAME WAS POLKINGHORNE by midnight on Sunday, August 3. 3 Leading Under Pressure by Ian Foster & Gregor Paul (HarperCollins, $39.99) 4 The Last Secret Agent by Pippa Latour & Jude Dobson (Allen & Unwin, $37.99) 5 No, I Don't Get Danger Money by Lissette Reymer (Allen & Unwin, $37.99) 6 Everyday Comfort Food by Vanya Insull (Allen & Unwin, $39.99) 7 Whānau by Donovan Farnham & Rehua Wilson (Hachette, $29.99) 8 Sam the Trap Man by Sam Gibson (Allen & Unwin, $45) Guy on Insta makes book. 9 Easy Weeknight Meals (10th Anniv. Ed.) by My Food Bag & Nadia Lim (Allen & Unwin, $39.99) Includes her Malaysian roti chicken pie. Curry filling 600g boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2cm cubes 2 carrots, cut into 2cm cubes 400g potatoes, cut into 2cm cubes 2 shallots, thinly sliced ½ bunch curry leaves 1 tsp salt 1 Tbsp minced garlic 1 Tbsp minced ginger 20g mild curry powder 2 Tbsp cornflour pinch of chilli flakes 1 cup chicken stock 1 cup water 1 tsp fish sauce 200ml coconut milk 100g baby spinach Pie topping: 2 packs (480g) flaky roti ½ bunch curry leaves olive oil, to drizzle Method: Preheat oven to 220°C. Pat chicken dry and season cubes with salt and pepper. Set aside. Heat a drizzle of oil in an ovenproof skillet (or fry pan) on medium to high heat. Add carrots, potatoes, shallots, first measure of curry leaves and salt measure. Cook for about 5 minutes, until shallot is softened. Add garlic and ginger, mild curry powder, cornflour and chilli flakes and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute, until fragrant. Add chicken, stock, water, fish sauce and coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 20 minutes, until vegetables are almost tender. Stir through spinach until just wilted, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Place curry filling in pie dish, if using. Scrunch roti roughly and place on top of curry filling. Sprinkle over second measure of curry leaves and drizzle with olive oil. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until roti are golden. 10 Coach by Mike Cron (HarperCollins, $39.99) FICTION 1 The Book of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey (Te Herenga Waka University Press, $38) Huzzah to Catherine Chidgey as she chalks up week 12 of her latest novel holding fast to the Number 1 bestseller position. 2 Dead Girl Gone (The Bookshop Detectives 1) by Gareth and Louise Ward (Penguin Random House, $26) 3 Delirious by Damien Wilkins (Te Herenga Waka University Press, $38) Sales continue to give a second lease of life to the Wellington writer's beautiful novel which was published last year and kind of quickly sank, but was revived when it won the Acorn prize for fiction at the Ockham book awards in May. It's on its way to being considered a modern New Zealand classic. Huzzah, Damien! 4 Tea and Cake and Death (The Bookshop Detectives 2) by Gareth and Louise Ward (Penguin Random House, $38) 5 The Stars Are a Million Glittering Worlds by Gina Butson (Allen & Unwin, $37.99) 6 For Such a Time as This (Kāwai 1) by Monty Soutar (David Bateman, $39.99) 7 1985 by Dominic Hoey (Penguin Random House, $38) 8 Tree of Nourishment (Kāwai 2) by Monty Soutar (David Bateman, $39.99) 9 See How They Fall by Rachel Paris (Hachette, $37.99) The 2025 Whitcoulls Top 100 Books List was announced on Monday – and included Auckland writer Rachel Paris's debut novel at number 17, ranked higher than To Kill a Mockingbird, Lord of the Rings, Normal People, Edmonds Cookery Book, Jane Ayre, Little Women, The Tattooist of Auschwitz, and The Bible. Huzzah, Rachel! 10 Black Silk and Buried Secrets (Tatty Crowe 2) by Deborah Challinor (HarperCollins, $37.99)
NZ Herald
18-07-2025
- Politics
- NZ Herald
Top 10 bestselling NZ books: July 19
Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech. Holding steady: Top three bestselling books remained unchanged. Photos / Supplied 1. (1) A Different Kind of Power: A Memoir by Jacinda Ardern (Penguin) The former PM's memoir, the first such account since Jim Bolger, tops the bestsellers for a fifth week. Ardern's book has generally found favour among reviewers, including Henry Cooke for the Listener. He thought it intimate and fluent, 'compulsively readable, easily consumable in two or three sittings, and often very funny', even if it barely explained her government's policy decisions. 'Ardernism was always more a sensibility than a full ideology. It was a way of looking at the world and reacting to it, not a theory of change.' Cooke says 'there are some hints, near the end of the book, that perhaps she isn't so certain quitting was the right idea … There is little attempt to engage with the arguments against the latter half of the Covid period, when MIQ's usefulness looked shaky and vaccine mandates radicalised thousands of people.' Tracy Watkins, editor of The Post and Sunday Star-Times, agreed the book let us into some of Ardern's emotional highs and lows. 'We also gain some fresh insight into her own personal mechanisms for coping with such momentous events as the terror attack, and Covid. But we don't learn a lot more about what was going on behind closed doors within her government, which must, at times, have been under enormous strain.' The Guardian considered it 'an emotionally rich and candid read, [but] the downside of skipping the political detail is that it's hard to get a sense of how exactly her astonishing early popularity ebbed away'. Tim Stanley of the Telegraph was more acerbic, writing that 'the practicalities of the job don't interest her: this book hinges on how everything felt'. The natural disaster at Whakaari White Island and the Christchurch mosque killings 'brought out Ardern's best: authoritative and sensitive, she has a fine temperament'. But she subtly vilified her opponents, he says: 'I am so kind that anyone who disagrees with me must be nasty; so reasonable that my critics must be nuts.' A Different Kind of Power: A Memoir, by Jacinda Ardern. Photo / Supplied 2. (2) Leading Under Pressure by Ian Foster & Gregor Paul (HarperCollins) Demonstrating the rule that rugby memoirs are a sure bet in the NZ books market, Ian Foster's account of his time as All Blacks coach holds on firmly to second place in the bestsellers. I haven't read the book, but I hope it goes into the – in my opinion – unedifying way he was replaced as coach. Only super-retrospective refereeing stopped his team of All Blacks winning the RWC. From the publisher: 'Appointed as head coach 2019, Ian Foster led the All Blacks through one of the most tumultuous periods of the team's 120-year history. Leading Under Pressure is a fascinating look into the pressure cooker inner-sanctum of the world's most famous rugby team. With revelations about Foster's time in the job, it also delves into the politics of rugby, and the events preceding the dramatic 2023 Rugby World Cup.' Leading Under Pressure: My Story by Ian Foster. Photo / Supplied 3. (3) No, I Don't Get Danger Money by Lisette Reymer (Allen & Unwin) Waikato-born Reymer, after covering the Tokyo Olympics, found herself in the UK, where she became Newshub's Europe Correspondent. She burst into tears when she got the job, which the Listener's reviewer found instantly endearing. 'Her next three years were 'London, August 2021 … Przemysl, Poland, March 2022 … Bucha, Ukraine, May 2022 … Kahramanmaras, Turkey, late April 2023 … Tel Aviv, late October 2023 …' So it goes, with other locales in between, ending in Ethiopia, Lucerne, London again, and Barcelona, August 2024.'Her commitment to catastrophes starts with watching the Twin Towers fall on Mum and Dad's TV. It's the first of many, many narratives in a text that's anecdotal rather than analytical. But then, stories are frequently the best way of getting to the guts of an issue, and Reymer tells hers with clarity and competence-plus.' No, I Don't Get Danger Money by Lisette Reymer. Photo / Supplied 4. (5) Māori Millionaire by Te Kahukura Boynton (Penguin) The publisher says the book 'offers a beginner's guide to healing your money mindset, building better habits for your money and life, and understanding how you can increase your income. Because no amount of budgeting can compensate for not earning enough. 'Discover how to: — Introduce small, life-changing habits — Master your mindset to align with prosperity — Get out of debt — See real returns by investing in yourself — Protect yourself with insurance — Overcome obstacles to achieve your goals And so much more! 'The lessons in this book will teach you how to become 1% better every day — not only for you, but for your whānau too.' Māori Millionaire by Te Kahukura Boynton. Photo / Supplied You'll find Te Kahukura Boynton on the Listener online's 30 Under 30 – the young New Zealanders shaping our future list 5. (4) The Book of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey (Te Herenga Waka University Press) Holding its own on the list is Catherine Chidgey's much praised latest novel, which tells the mysterious, ominous story of three boys in an alternative 1970s Britain. It's a 'tense, compelling, genre-fusing book', said Emma Neale in the Listener. 'There is the hint of submerged identity; of aspiration and prosperity, rubbing skins with disappointment and neglect; a preoccupation with what is authentic and what is fraudulent; the self and truth only dimly visible … Calling on the deeply rooted psychological power of the storytelling rule of three, the novel is divided into The Book of Dreams, The Book of Knowledge and The Book of Guilt. Three women, Mother Morning, Mother Afternoon and Mother Night, care for a set of thirteen-year-old triplets in an all-boy's orphanage. There are three main narrative perspectives: Vincent, one of the triplets; the Minister of Loneliness, a government minister in charge of national care institutions known as the Sycamore Homes; and Nancy, a young girl kept in seclusion by fastidious older parents. This attention to pattern also coolly embodies the quest for order and control, the troubling obsession at the core of the fictional investigation.' You can read Michele Hewitson's interview with Catherine Chidgey here. The Book of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey. Photo / Supplied 6. (6) Dr Libby Fix Iron First by Dr Libby (Little Green Frog) 'The one thing that changes everything,' reckons the subtitle of the latest book from Libby Weaver. Iron is essential for our health, and its lack is particularly common among girls and women. Menstruation, pregnancy and hormonal change can lead to iron deficiency, iron absorption can be an issue for some people, and it's often a trial to eat enough iron-rich foods. Weaver's new book Fix Iron First aims to address this. As her website, which also sells iron supplements made from organic peas, notes that low iron doesn't just make you tired. 'It can alter your brain chemistry, slow your metabolism, impact your thyroid, disturb your sleep and lower your emotional resilience. It affects how you think, how you feel, how you show up in the world – every single day.' Fix Iron First: The One Thing That Changes Everything by Dr Libby Weaver. Photo / Supplied 7. (NEW) Moto Mike the Motorbike (Nee Naw and Friends) by Deano Yipadee & Bruce Potter (Scholastic) School holidays have ensured the rise of the latest from Mosgiel's finest children's troubadour, Dean O'Brien, aka Deano Yipadee. From the publisher: 'Singer-songwriter Dean O'Brien has produced yet another toe-tapping, singalong song, this time about Nee Naw's friend, Moto Mike the Motorbike. Farmer Tom and his tractor are leading the annual pumpkin parade. When the tractor wheel jolts off the edge of the bridge, Tom finds himself in a precarious situation. Enter Nee Naw's mate, Moto Mike, who swiftly takes action and saves the day.' Moto Mike the Motorbike (Nee Naw and Friends) by Deano Yipadee & Bruce Potter. Photo / Supplied 8. (NEW) Ellie Copter (Nee Naw and Friends) by Deano Yipadee & Paul Beavis (Scholastic) And yet another from Dean O'Brien. This time: 'There's a fire in a field where two goats, Plinky and Plonky, are trapped. Nee Naw is on the way, but when a bridge collapses and Nee Naw can't drive any further, Ellie Copter whirs into action and saves the day.' Ellie Copter (Nee Naw and Friends) by Deano Yipadee & Paul Beavis. Photo / Supplied 9. (NEW) Mātauranga Māori by Hirini Moko Mead (Huia Publishers) A companion publication to anthropologist and historian Hirini Moko Mead's best-selling book Tikanga Māori. From the publisher: 'In Mātauranga Māori, Hirini Moko Mead explores the Māori knowledge system and explains what mātauranga Māori is. He looks at how the knowledge system operates, the branches of knowledge, and the way knowledge is recorded and given expression in te reo Māori and through daily activities and formal ceremonies. Mātauranga Māori is integrated into every activity people engage in. It touches the lives of people in whatever they do, in the way they act, in the way they think, in the way they learn and in the way their knowledge is shared with others.' Mātauranga Māori by Hirini Moko Mead. Photo / Supplied 10. (4) Whānau by Donovan Farnham & Rehua Wilson (Moa Press) This illustrated pocket hardback, ideal as a gift, aims to improve your te reo Māori one special phrase at a time. Donovan Te Ahunui Farnham and Rehua Wilson offer up dozens of expressions, often with metaphorical or proverbial origins, such as 'He toka tū moana' (stalwart) and 'Kei mate wheke' (never surrender). Whānau by Donovan Farnham and Rehua Wilson. Photo / Supplied Source: NielsenIQ BookScan – week ending July 12.
