What I'm Reading...

Olivia Goes to Venice by Ian Falconer

A children's book, the latest excursion for Olivia sees the little pig and her family travel to Italy. Olivia feeds the pigeons, rides in a gondola and eats a lot of gelato. What would be the perfect souvenir? Falconer's gorgeous pictures and Olivia's sparky personality have made this a favourite with the entire family (children aged 4 and 7).

Available from the Education Library.

The Time Trap
by R. Alec Mackenzie

"I don’t have enough time!" is an oft-heard complaint, so this e-book begins by explaining why time management is so problematic. It takes a practical approach in identifying common time vampires and suggesting preventative strategies. Effective time management skills will make you a valued member of any study, work or personal team that you want to make an effective contribution to. Reading this book may prove a good investment of your time!

Perceptual consequences of centre-surround antagonism in visual motion processing
by D Tadin, J.S Lappin, L.A Gilroy & R Blake

This article contained some valuable data on how the size of objects can affect our ability to perceive movement. The reported results turned out to be useful in the development of my model of primate visual motion processing. Via Proquest.

Gustav Mahler Symphony no.2 'Resurrection'

One of the great Romantic symphonies, Mahler's Second is a huge aural canvas of depth, extremes and imaginative brilliance. In it the composer reflects on death and how fear of it can be transcended in life. Having survived a life-threatening illness myself recently, coming back to this work now I find it especially potent. It really is a treasure, a musical and philosophical monument of Western civilization, something to love and to marvel at.

A recording of this piece can be found in the Library Music CD Collection, Level 3

Treme. The complete first season

A few weeks ago a colleague who has an interest in 'music geographies' alerted me to the American television drama series Treme which premiered on HBO in April 2010. Treme is the name of a neighborhood in the city of New Orleans. The series begins three months after Hurricane Katrina. Residents including musicians, chefs, Mardi Gras Indians and other New Orleanians are attempting to rebuild their lives and culture in the aftermath of the 2005 hurricane. I’ve got just two of the first 10-episode season left watch and I am very much hoping I can get hold of the second season (which premiered in the USA in April 2011). The complete first series is available in the Central Library.

Yanoáma: the story of a woman abducted by Brazilian Indians by Helena Valero

At a recent conference in Perth, a Brazilian anthropologist alerted me to a book written by a white woman kidnapped as a young girl by Yanoáma Indians in Amazonia in 1937. She lived with them for 20 years before returning to her previous life. Her name was Helena Valero and the book, translated from Italian as 'Yanoáma' (1969), is the story of her experiences 'as told to' Ettore Biocca. It provides an alternative perspective on the group known to present-day anthropologists as Yanomamö or Yanomami. Despite its inevitably sensationalist flavour, I am pleased to bring it to the attention of a new generation of students. Found in the Library General Collections.

Dresden: Tuesday 13 February 1945 by Frederick Taylor

Like many baby-boomers, I am very interested in World War II. This book, authoritative and readable, is one of the best on the air war. It reveals the real story of how and why Dresden suffered the Luftwaffe fire-bombing tactics on which the raid was modelled, who should carry most of the blame for the huge number of casualties, and how propaganda from both Nazi and later Soviet governments generated persistent myths about the event. Held in the Library General Collections.

Travels with My Mother by Peter Calder

A sensitive but witty account of travelling with his 82 year old mother to England interspersed with memories of his Hamilton childhood. Written by a highly respected NZ writer, this is an enjoyable read and a good size for reading on, or while waiting for a bus! Found in the New Zealand Collection.

The Conscience of a Liberal by Paul Krugman

I am a big fan of Paul Krugman, a Nobel Prize-winning economist who writes a great regular column in the New York Times. This book is a highly readable and persuasive prescription for political and economic reform in the US, aimed at reversing the massive increases in inequality of recent years, and strengthening the institutions that limit extremes of wealth and poverty. He says: "I believe in a relatively equal society,...democracy, civil liberties, and the rule of law. That makes me a liberal, and I’m proud of it." It’s worth reading.

In the Devil’s Garden: a Sinful History of Forbidden Food by Stewart Lee Allen

If food is your passion, and you're not averse to a short walk on the wilder side, enlightenment awaits you. Everything from Eve and the apple to cannibalism is covered. Held in the Education Library.

Metadata Fundamentals for All Librarians by Priscilla Caplan

Although published in 2003, this book has a wealth of detail about metadata concepts and schema that is proving useful for our current digitisation project. It can be found in the Library’s General Collection .