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Cat Miscellany by Max Cryer
$25.00 NZD
Category: NZ non-fiction
At last the cat flap is opened to reveal the secret literary life of our feline companions! Did you know that the bible does not mention cats at all? Do you know why we say the cat has been put among the pigeons? Why do we think they have nine lives? How much of our great literature refers to cats - and ...Show more
Cat's Out of the Bag: Truth and Lies About Cats by Max Cryer
$28.00 NZD
Category: NZ non-fiction
We cannot get enough of cats: from ancient times they have occupied a special place in many different cultures around the world. They have also generated a fascinating array of words, expressions and observations, as well as poems, books, movies, cartoons and artworks. In this witty and entertaining boo ...Show more
Curious English Words and Phrases by Max Cryer
$30.00 NZD
Category: NZ non-fiction
'Cloud nine', 'at the drop of a hat', 'spitting image', 'mollycoddle', 'rigmarole', 'round robin', 'spill the beans', 'kick the bucket', 'balderdash' and 'touch wood'. There are so many curious words and phrases that we often use and yet haven't you ever wondered why we say them, where they come from a ...Show more
Curious English Words and Phrases - The Truth Behind the Expressions We Use by Max Cryer
$20.00 NZD
Category: Non-fiction general
Have you ever wondered where terms like 'end of your tether', 'gets my goat' or 'letting ones hair down' come from? Or why we call some people 'geezers', 'sugar daddies' or 'lounge lizards'? Or where the words 'eavesdropping', 'nickname' and 'D-Day' come from? They are just a few of the many words and p ...Show more
Curious Thoughts by Max Cryer
$19.99 NZD
Category: Miscellaneous
At the conclusion of his 'Curious Questions' slot on National Radio each Saturday morning, Max Cryer delivers a final bon mot or aphorism, usually pithy and amusing, sometimes thought-provoking.
Every Dog Has its Day: A Thousand Things you Didn't Know About Man's Best Friend by Max Cryer
$30.00 NZD
Category: NZ non-fiction
Why has Fido become a generic term for all dogs? Why did hundreds of people collect dog faeces - and sell it? Dogs never eat other dogs, so why is it a dog-eat-dog world? Did any dogs survive the 'Titanic'? What is a Yorkipoo? Do mad dogs really go out in the midday sun? 'Every Dog Has Its Day' pays hom ...Show more
Hear Our Voices, We Entreat by Max Cryer
$30.00 NZD
Category: History
'God Defend New Zealand" is our national anthem but seems to have a remarkable capacity to create strife and war rather than bonds of love. So why is this controversial song our national anthem The story is a curious one. After enterprising Irish settler Thomas Bracken penned the words in 1876, he held ...Show more
In Praise of Cats by Max Cryer
$11.50 NZD
Category: NZ non-fiction
At last the cat flap is opened to reveal the secret literary life of our feline companions! Did you know that the bible does not mention cats at all? Do you know why we say the cat has been put among the pigeons? Why do we think they have nine lives? How much of our great literature refers to cats - and ...Show more
Is It True? The facts behind the things we have been told by Max Cryer
$30.00 NZD
Category: Fiction and NZ Fiction
In this revealing book, Max Cryer explores the truth or otherwise of facts and beliefs we may have always been told are true, but which on closer examination may not be. In a wide-ranging book encompassing social history, language, music, politics, food, sport, the natural world and much more, we disco ...Show more
Love Me Tender: the Stories Behind the World's Favourite Songs by Max Cryer
$40.00 NZD
Category: Music | Reading Level: Very Good
Love Me Tender tells the remarkable stories behind 40 popular and traditional songs. Some evolved from folksongs, some are from musical theatre, while others hit the mark because a particular recording appeared at just the right time. First published September 2008.
Preposterous Proverbs: Why Fine Words Butter No Parsnips by Max Cryer
$30.00 NZD
Category: Reference | Reading Level: very good
From our earliest years we have heard proverbs, and many of them are repeated without much thought. Yes, 'birds of a feather flock together' and 'absence makes the heart grow fonder', but these sayings are so familiar that we are scarcely aware they are proverbs. It has been so for thousands of years, i ...Show more
Superstitions & Why we Have Them by Max Cryer
$24.00 NZD
Category: NZ non-fiction | Reading Level: very good
Some people casually say 'touch wood' when they speak of something they hope will happen. Others won't allow peacock feathers into the house. And almost anyone who finds a four-leafed clover will treasure it and keep it. Why? Some superstitions are so ancient and have been practised for so long that the ...Show more