8 tribes

As someone who is in the process of immigrating to New Zealand I have tried to be a student of Kiwi culture. Therefore, when I saw this book on the shelf in the store I couldn't resist picking it up. 8 Tribes: The Hidden Classes of New Zealand is a sociological look at the various subcultures that exist within this country.

The aim of the book is to break the stereotype of the "traditional" New Zealander (a common myth within the country) by showing that there are actually several distinct approaches to life that Kiwi's adopt. The tribes are labeled with geographical markers but the authors insist that the various mindsets of the individual tribes can be observed all over New Zealand.

The book is an easy and interesting read. I would recommend it to any of my Kiwi friends who keep up with this blog and I would suggest that it should be required reading for anyone thinking of moving to New Zealand or spending an extended period of time here. You can read more about the book here. Also, if you're interested in finding out what kind of Kiwi you are (or would be if you were a Kiwi) you can find your tribe here.

In other news, it's Friday in New Zealand and I have one more week before I head home. I miss my wife and am really looking forward to seeing her.