Author(s): John Bluck

Business

Brain drain, dollar drop, the dearth of Olympic medals and rugby or cricket victories...Why is the optimism of a fresh millennium so hard for New Zealanders to catch? Why the spiral of self-doubt and anxiety encircling Kiwi culture? Why the focus on what's wrong when New Zealand has so much going for it?John Bluck detests this cancer of negativity that eats away at the things he loves about Aotearoa New Zealand and the pride he has in belonging here. He believes our culture has somehow slipped into a grievance mode that starts by saying no rather than yes, expects the worst rather than the best, looks for what's wrong rather than what's right, settles for excuse and resignation that tip easily into depression and despair.KILLING US SOFTLY probes into our colonial past to discover where this complaint culture was born and makes some hard calls about our accountability to one another, both as Pakeha and Maori. It takes an unsentimental look at the New Zealand obsession with sport and the unrealistic expectations it sets up, and asks why we are still thinkiing big when thinking smaller and more originally could offer so much more.But this is not just a book that complains about complaining. John Bluck is immensely optimistic about the future of this country and passionately convinced that all New Zealanders can come to see that the glass is half full, not half empty. This lively, challenging and provocative book will be essential reading for all those who love and care about this country.