Non-Fiction General

We human beings have trouble with infinity - yet infinity is a surprisingly human subject. This title takes us on a tour of that borderland between the extremely large and the ultimate that takes us from Archimedes, counting the grains of sand that would fill the universe, to the theories on the physical reality of the infinite.

Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May are back in this official "Top Gear Annual 2012" - the perfect Christmas gift for young petrol-heads! Find out what the ten worst cars in a thunderstorm are, discover exactly how fast 257mph really is and get ready to compete in catchphrase bingo! This title is presented with car facts and stats, puzzles and features on all your favourite bits of the show. Some say it's the most fun you can have with a book.

A handy reference book showing you how to deal with those small repair jobs around the home.

This is the paperback edition of the hardback published in 1997 and Montana Book Awards category winner in 1998.This book has it all, and more. New Zealand's most popular styles of fishing are covered: from shore, small boats and wharves to gamefishing and land-based gamefishing, and trout fishing (fly and spin-fishing). It also covers saltwater flyfishing, salmon fishing, setting nets, collecting cray, mussels and paua, and much more. There are chapters on tackle, knots, handling fish and the how the moon and weather influence fis... read more

The only motivational book you will ever need. Well-written, pragmatic and grounded, everyman's guide to achievable wealth of spirit and the accumulation of and enjoyment of abundance in your life. Relax and Grow Rich is simple, inspiring and life changing. Its objective is to help you to be as good as you can be. With wisdom, logic and illuminating examples, the authors share secrets of how you can relax and enjoy unleashing your imagination and unlocking your capacity for enrichment. With a refreshing lack of gobbledegook, and in... read more

This handsome book celebrates the rich variety and depth of the Special Collections of the Auckland City Libraries. These amazing collections are full of rare, valuable and beautiful items that are not widely known. One hundred treasures are featured, each pictured in full colour with accompanying text written by Iain Sharp and grouped in sections: Auckland, New Zealand, book arts, travel, literature, science. Among the treasures shown are a "First Folio of Shakespeare", a six-page catechism - the first work printed in New Zealand,... read more

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Discover the big ideas that changed our world. From matches to mobiles, antibiotics and the flexible drinking straw - some inventions don't just change the way we do things but change the world. Marvel at some of the world's most amazing discoveries that have made a sensation, from the first wheel to satellite navigation. Kids will love the incredible facts and info, such as why the tin can was invented 60 years before the can opener? Read on in wonder at the stories behind each ground-breaking discovery - the people, ideas and kno... read more

Many bright minds have come up with expressions we now take for granted as part of the English language, and which we use freely in vernacular speech. But the originators of many of our most useful second-hand remarks go uncredited. The Bible and Shakespeare are rich sources of many common phrases, but in this book Max Cryer concentrates on familiar expressions whose origins lie elsewhere. So who said it first? This collection sets out to credit - as far as it's possible to do so - the people who actually created many familiar term... read more

Dave Pelzer was brutally beaten and starved by his emotionally unstable, alcoholic mother, a mother who played tortuous, unpredictable games - games that left one of her three sons nearly dead. She no longer considered Dave a son, but a slave; no longer a boy, but an 'it'.
His bed was an old army cot in the basement, his clothes were torn and smelly, and when he was allowed the luxury of food it was scraps from the dog's bowl. The outside world knew nothing of the nightmare played out behind closed doors. But throughout Dave ... read more

In this remarkable spiritual journey about his life-long struggle with the questions of God and death, Bishop Spong reveals how he ultimately came to believe in eternal life. God, says Spong, is ultimately one, and each of us is part of that oneness. This is how we live on after death: not in Heaven or Hell, but as part of the eternity that continues after we die beyond the barriers of time and space. Spong says the discovery of the eternal can be found within each of us as we go deeper into ourselves and become most fully human. B... read more

The timely release of Jane Dove Juneau's latest book, Listen to the Heartbeat of the Earth, ensures it is well-positioned in the debate heating up on climate change in New Zealand. With increasing concerns on climate change throughout the developed world, this new book is designed to reach people and stimulate thought and action. Launched on 2 December 2008, the book is beautifully produced and is accessible to all age groups. Jane Dove Juneau has spent over 30 years photographing images throughout the world for news outlets, corp... read more

Offering ancient wisdom on how to use skill, cunning, tactics and discipline to outwit your opponent, this bestselling 2000-year-old military manual is still worshipped by soldiers on the battlefield and managers in the boardroom as the ultimate guide to winning.

A treasure trove of Schama's writing with subjects ranging from cookery to Barack Obama.

On February 13, 2003, a plane carrying three American military contractors - Marc Gonsalves, Tom Howes, and Keith Stansell - crashed in the mountainous jungle of Colombia. Dazed and shaken, they awoke covered in blood with automatic rifles pointing at their faces. As of that moment they belonged to the Colombian terrorist organization known as the FARC, American captives in Colombia's volatile conflict that has stretched over the last half century. Now in "Out of Captivity", Gonsalves, Howes, and Stansell recount their amazing tale... read more

From the dawn of civilisation humankind has looked for answers to the meaning of existence. The big questions like, 'where did we come from?', 'how should we live?', and 'where do we go when we die?' have perplexed and puzzled. Each generation has been eager to follow the prophets who might manifest and offer their guidance. The roads taken to find certain truths were varied, ranging from the ridiculous, or horrific and strange, to the sublime. From the prophets of doom, to the eccentric characters from the Bible, to solitary visio... read more

Prince William and Kate Middleton's fairytale romance is the greatest love story of the century, with a happy ending to come - a Royal wedding that will truly capture the hearts of the British people. Will was the boy who would one day be king; Kate was the middle class girl who had harboured a crush on him since her school days. Both were new students at the University of St Andrews in 2001, facing the same challenges that any new student faces -- away from the family nest and striving to find their niche -- albeit under the scru... read more