Ambition - What New Zealanders Think and Why It Matters

Published by AmbitionNZ, Motueka, 2019, 164 pages. In good condition.

In Ambition: What New Zealanders Think and Why it Matters, consulting economists Julie Fry and Hayden Glass draw on research and writing about ambition in New Zealand over time, and compare it with the results of a national survey and a set of face-to-face interviews they conducted. The book explores the connections between ambition and economic performance, wellbeing, national identity, and satisfaction in our personal and family lives. Many commentators say New Zealanders lack ambition, and that aspects of our character, or our comfortable lives, limit our achievements. We are said to be too keen on time off, too concerned about everyone fitting in, suspicious of people who try too hard, enthusiastic about humility, afraid of risk and failure, and unmotivated everywhere but on the sports field. The book reveals that actually New Zealanders are plenty ambitious. We just put a really high value on being relatable and minimising social distance. And this means that we struggle to celebrate each other's achievements or feel safe talking about our plans and dreams with others, says Fry.