If necessity is the mother of invention, then Kiwi ingenuity is its father. No. 8 Re-Wired is a comprehensive, colorful treasury of New Zealand inventions--jam-packed with the stories behind 202 home-grown creations and the crafty people who dreamed them up. From well-known innovations (human flight, the discovery of DNA, the pavlova) to lesser-known feats (instant coffee, the referee's whistle, the electronic petrol pump) to the newest in high-tech world-firsts (robots and jetpacks!), it is the most complete and entertaining book ever on Kiwi ingenuity. And, yes, the pav is definitely ours. A surprising and absorbing account of Kiwi can-do, and a celebration of the No. 8 wire spirit on which New Zealand is built, it's also a revealing look at how innovation can power us into the future.