The Best Books


Book Description




Extraordinary Leadership in Australia and New Zealand


Book Description

The research-driven guide to the leadership behaviours which create more engaged workplaces and higher performance, Extraordinary Leadership in Australia and New Zealand is a guidebook for what it takes, at any level of an organisation, to bring out the best in people. And full of insights not just from people who are making a difference, but also evidence from their direct reports, colleagues and managers about the impact that The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership® has on them and their performance. Drawing upon empirical data from more than 75,000 people in the Australian and New Zealand workforce, the authors document how The Five Practices are being applied here, and also compares this region with data from 28 other countries. Interviews with more than 100 leaders and their teams provide real examples and practical applications within the grasp of every reader who aspires to make a difference. Case studies are balanced across gender, function, and industry providing a broad perspective, identifying why leadership matters, and offering keen insights into how you lead others to greatness. Study examples of extraordinary leadership in Australia and New Zealand Discover the behaviours that make great leaders, and why they're so important Examine the research that shows how leadership affects engagement and organisational performance Learn why people need great leadership, and why it motivates them to perform at their best Leadership must be nurtured. While all leaders are born, great leaders are made! With expectations higher than ever, and resources unprecedentedly scarce, today's leaders face some of the most difficult, complex organisational challenges yet. Extraordinary Leadership in Australia and New Zealand presents a data-driven framework for being an effective leader, with expert guidance toward the actions that you can take to improve the performance of your team and organisation.




Best Books for Young Adults


Book Description

This is a classic, standard resource for collection building and on-the-spot readers advisory absolutely indispensable for school and public libraries.













The Complete Guide to Finding the Mammals of Australia


Book Description

Australia has a rich and unique array of animals, including the largest diversity of marsupials on earth. The recent growth in ecotourism has increased the popularity of mammal-spotting, particularly whale and dolphin-watching, but also spotting of perennial tourist favourites such as koalas and kangaroos. Birdwatchers have for many years known of sites where special or difficult-to-see species may be reliably located. However, despite their comparative abundance and spectacular diversity, many of Australia's unique mammals remain under-appreciated because there has been little available information on where to see them – until now. For the first time ever, The Complete Guide to Finding the Mammals of Australia advises interested amateurs and professionals where to locate many of Australia's mammals. The book describes Australia's best mammal-watching sites state-by-state. It also includes a complete, annotated taxonomic list with hints on finding each species (or why it won't be easy to see); sections on travel and logistics in Australia; and appendices with hints on finding and photographing mammals. This book will be of interest to anyone wanting to observe or photograph Australian mammals in the wild, mammal enthusiasts, biological field workers and volunteers, tourists and ecotourists.




The Best Book of Useless Information Ever


Book Description

From the creators of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Book of Useless Information comes another enlightening, entertaining, and ultimately useless assortment of trivia. If you find yourself transfixed by the most trivial of trivia, or mesmerized by the most minor of minutiae, The Useless Information Society's latest findings can satisfy your every need. This wide-ranging collection will fill every nook and cranny of your brain with information you'll surely never need, but will enjoy learning anyway! Did you know... - that penguins can jump six feet out of the water? - that everyone is color-blind at birth? Would you care to know... - what the first meal eaten on the moon was? - what country drinks the most Coca-Cola? (Hint: It's not the United States.) In 1995, a secret society was formed comprising Britain's foremost thinkers, writers, and artists to trade and share in useless information (or, as founding member Keith Waterhouse, playwright and journalist, would have it, "totally bloody useless").




Historical Dictionary of New Zealand


Book Description

The Historical Dictionary of New Zealand, Fourth Edition provides a broad introduction to New Zealand, as well as rich detail about the people, events, laws, concepts, and institutions that have shaped New Zealand history. This is done through a chronology, an introduction, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has more than 800 cross-referenced entries on important personalities as well as aspects of the country’s politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture. This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about New Zealand.




Pop Culture in Asia and Oceania


Book Description

This ready reference is a comprehensive guide to pop culture in Asia and Oceania, including topics such as top Korean singers, Thailand's sports heroes, and Japanese fashion. This entertaining introduction to Asian pop culture covers the global superstars, music idols, blockbuster films, and current trends—from the eclectic to the underground—of East Asia and South Asia, including China, Japan, Korea, India, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and Pakistan, as well as Oceania. The rich content features an exploration of the politics and personalities of Bollywood, a look at how baseball became a huge phenomenon in Taiwan and Japan, the ways in which censorship affects social media use in these regions, and the influence of the United States on the movies, music, and Internet in Asia. Topics include contemporary literature, movies, television and radio, the Internet, sports, video games, and fashion. Brief overviews of each topic precede entries featuring key musicians, songs, published works, actors and actresses, popular websites, top athletes, video games, and clothing fads and designers. The book also contains top-ten lists, a chronology of pop culture events, and a bibliography. Sidebars throughout the text provide additional anecdotal information.