Or should that be rowing in a father's, er, oarsteps? Tasman Trespasser II (HarperCollins, $42, pbk) is the story of Quincey's bid to become the second man to row solo across the Tasman Sea.
His father, Colin Quincey, had done it first in 1977, taking 63 days.
The son, after some years of flitting about from job to job, has an epiphany of sorts when he realises he wants to do something with his life, something epic, something he will never forget.
For most of us, the thought of two years of planning, raising $50,000 and rowing for 17 hours a day, every day, for two months would be just a little daunting.
But Quincey, who quickly emerges in the early pages of his story as a likeable and spirited character, approaches the task with gusto.
His effervescence, added to the intriguing details of his journey, combine to make this a pleasant read.
- Hayden Meikle.
Her memoir, The Bedwetter (Faber, hbk) is a curious amalgam of anecdote, exposition and advice on subjects as diverse as what and who not to joke about (anything to do with rich blonde white girls), to the best way to handle drugs, alcohol, sex and fart jokes.
Written in a light and self-deprecating manner, I could imagine many of the episodic chapters being incorporated into a stand-up routine.
She discusses the shame of enuresis (from which she suffered until her late teens), and a teenage period of debilitating depression, with a wry and insightful humour that will give hope to others struggling with similar experiences.
And although I don't share her love of scatological humour, she has some pertinent points to make about the role of satire in revealing the hidden prejudices in society.
Later sections dealing with her career were less engaging, partly because I am unfamiliar with the American comedy scene, and partly because, at 39, few people have enough material to justify a full-length memoir.
Amusing enough (visions of her stabbing Al Franken in the head with a pencil during a Saturday Night Live rewrite meeting have stayed with me for some time), but unless you are a Silverman fan, probably not worth the bother.
- Cushla McKinney
They Continue in Faith: The Last 25 Years.
The long list of contributors to chapters covering all areas of the life of the city church includes ministers, professional and amateur historians, and many others with long memories.
Examples of continuity and change appear throughout, detailing how Knox has been impacted by, and responded to, a changing world with changing values and new ways of thinking - biculturalism, feminism and the rise of postmodernism.
While most chapters involve a gentle remembering, and some a dry accounting, Janet Sim Elder recalls the heightened emotions as the wider church confronted the issue of the ordination of gay clergy, and the book elsewhere notes the way in which Knox found itself sitting outside some mainstream Presbyterian currents with its approach of "we welcome all people".
But the book is in the main about a community of people and their dedication to each other and a faith, regardless.
- Tom McKinlay
