C Murray - New Zealand Unleashed: The Country, Its Future and the People Who Will Get It There

The jury is out on this book. When the verdict is returned, Ill happily credit those mentioned below with its successes and accept full responsibility for any failings and errors.

Firstly, Campbell Murray, a partner in this project from the outset, has been a valuable contributor to the book. His insights, ideas, and research have played an important part in the books final form.

My employer, McKinsey & Company, was gracious enough to provide a leave of absence to allow me to work on the book full-time. Needless to say, any opinions expressed in the book are my own, and not those of my employer.

Rachael Germann and Paul Ryan were the backbone of the research effort, spending more time in libraries than any undergraduate ever should.

My thanks to the Sir Peter Blake Trust for its belief in, and financial support of, this project.

A number of very busy people were prepared to read and comment on the book during the writing phase. Hazel Petrie, Amokura Kawharu, Gary Bartlett, Patrick Snedden, Derek Aframe, and Malcolm Paterson all gave highly insightful comments on selected chapters. Dr Andrew Leigh, Georges Baron van Tuyll van Serooskerken, David Madden, Dr David Skilling, Ian Narev, Professor Alan Davidson, Sarah OBrien, MacGregor Duncan and Clinton Lawgun all provided very helpful comments on the entire manuscript as it was approaching completion. Peter Tynan reviewed in detail various drafts of the manuscript and made substantial suggestions.

My brother, Dr Craig Carden, had the unenviable task of reading the first full draft of the book. Thats a task you give to someone you both respect and trust. His diplomatic, constructive suggestions came at a pivotal time.

Random House took a gamble on an unknown, first-time author when it agreed to publish this book. Jenny Hellen has managed the process from start to finish with great patience and experience. Her guidance throughout has been invaluable. My editor, John MacKinven, worked hard to smooth out the prose. My thanks also to Nic McCloy and Sarah Thornton and the rest of the team at Random House.

I might have completed the project in half the time were it not for my young son Lucas, who came up with far better uses for my time than writing.

Finally, its no exaggeration to say that this book would never have been completed were it not for the help and support of my wife, Kristin. She was unfailingly encouraging and carried the burden of everything but the book itself for the countless days I locked myself away to write. On top of that, her astute insights and merciless red editing pen helped shape my writing in numerous ways. This book is dedicated without reservation to her.

Don Juan: I, my friend, am as much a part of Nature as my own finger is a part of me. If my finger is the organ by which I grasp the sword and the mandoline, my brain is the organ by which Nature strives to understand itself

The Devil: What is the use of knowing?

Don Juan: Why, to be able to choose the line of greatest advantage instead of yielding in the direction of the least resistance. Does a ship sail to its destination no better than a log drifts nowhither? The philosopher is Natures pilot. And there you have our difference: to be in hell is to drift: to be in heaven is to steer.