Customer Reviews

The Xenophobe's Guide to the Kiwis (Xenophobe's Guides - Oval Books)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Jo Chambers is a bitter and twisted individual, who is in great need of a holiday. Jo ¡°sweetie¡±, I suggest a wonderfully relaxing holiday in beautiful New Zealand.

Anyone who knows a kiwi or has at least heard of one should read this book. A witty and insightful take on what makes New Zealanders so unique!

This book was a delight to read! It made me realise that a lot of my traits have a lot to do with being a kiwi and growing up in New Zealand!

It's also good for partners of kiwis and friends of kiwis who aren't kiwis! My husband was in stitches during points of the book as the author/s have mentioned and said things that often come out of my very own mouth..............

When you're away from NZ like I am, this book is a great little heart puller to make you giggle and understand why you miss my/our/this beautiful country so much...

A highly recommended book, well written, and very kiwi styled, being true and down to earth.

And of course you don't need to be a kiwi to enjoy this book, its great if your visiting NZ or just want to understand more about NZ culture.

I bought this as a humorous overview for my American girlfriend to read to perhaps explain some of my passions and idiosyncrasies as well as prepare her for a visit to NZ. I'm not disappointed by anything written in the book and hardly find anything in it terribly critical - if anything it underplays our OCD with beating Australia in Rugby & Cricket, and the national distaste for politicians, try-hards and wannabes. Buy this confident that it will raise some smiles and deliver some real, informal insight into our national psyche

As a globe-trotting Kiwi who unfortunately left their copy behind when changing continents and came on here to replace it, I can only recommend the book. I loved it and only disagreed with one minor point. Other than that, it was spot on. It pokes fun at our national foibles while highlighting some of our national strengths in a balanced and clear way. The first time I read it I alternated wry grins with sheepish smiles and outright laughs.

Good stuff.

I have enjoyed the Xenophobe's Guides to three of the peoples that I've lived among (Danes, Swedes and English), and have felt them to be insightful and humorous. Consequently I was very disappointed by the Xenophobe's Guide to the Kiwis. It was neither insightful nor humorous. I felt that the light-hearted teasing applied in the other books was largely replaced by an air of base critical negativity. It concentrated on some very odd, and utterly redundant things that I feel the XG is hardly the forum for. The Kiwi author has taken the very real Kiwi trait of self-bashing to an unfortunate extreme in the completely wrong publication.

Jo, you truly are the definition of a xenophobe. Assuming you have actually been to New Zealand, you must really have some issues if you came away with an attitude like that. Wherever you are from, at least the majority of all kiwis are broad-minded enough to realise that despite your apparent lack of intelligence and ability to make sweeping generalisations, these are probably not traits apparent in everyone from your country. Get a life.