First of all, despite what the title sounds like, this is not a book on how to get your students to perform Romeo and Juliet. This is an amazing book of activities that can be used in the ESL classroom. The first part of the book, in which the authors explain their own ideas about language teaching, is alone worth the price of the book. The activities, some of which are drawn from drama classes, are humanistic, fun, and very unique. These activities for all levels and ages. Very highly recommended!

I'm the author of AKA DOCTOR. Alan's writing leaves me wanting more, and he delivers in this sequel to Once Were Warriors. I learned something of a far away culture in every chapter. Alan gives you a rollercoaster of emotions in these books. A must read following Once Were Warriors.

To be fair I should point out my personal bias at the onset. I don't like Mr Duff's writing. I find his fiction clumsy and transparent, and his non-fiction to be mostly fictional, clumsy and transparent. I read "Once Were Warriors" anyway, partly because I loved the film and partly to see how Mr Duff had managed to write such a good story.
He hadn't. In between the book and the movie someone obviously stepped in and did an excellent job on converting yet another "get a job" diatribe into a stunning story about urban Maori life. In the process they moved the Heke's from Rotorua (Two Lakes - love that!) to Auckland and changed Jake from the daughter-raping, totally unlikable thug of the book into someone slightly likeable whom Temuera Morrison would be willing to play (ooh, that may be harsh on Mr Morrison, sorry).
"Once Were Warriors" reads much like Mr Duff's (allegedly non-fictional) book "Maori, the Crisis and the Challenge" - he sets up a fictional situation and then he uses that to repeatedly drive in his opinions about the jobless, the social welfare state, land rights, etc.
There is also a charming mistake near the end when the Te Arawa chief Te Tupaea is talking to the assembled masses about history. Mr Duff seems to like slipping these deliberate inaccuracies into his books just to make sure people are paying attention. Ironically enough this one comes half way through a lecture from Te Tupaea/Alan Duff on how NZers don't learn their own history:
Te Tupaea's sequence of events goes something like: the Maori fought the Pakeha, then set up their own King (the Waikato-centred Kingitanga movement), then everybody signed the treaty of Waitangi.
In fact the treaty was signed in 1840, then the first King was elected in 1858, then the bulk of the wars were fought from 1860 to 1872.
Maybe Mr Duff's "fighting" refers to the first war in Northland from 1845 to 1846 but the timeline is still pretty inventive, and besides that conflict only involved the NgaPuhi, not Te Arawa (in fact from the mid 1850s the Te Arawa supported and fought with the British, that's why they were awarded so much of Ngati Awa's land in the post-war confiscations - let's be generous though and assume that Te Tupaea and his entire audience were from the couple of Te Arawa hapu who fought with the King movement).
On the whole a quaint and amusing example of muddled history. A tad dangerous though, readers not aware of Mr Duff's liking for these factual pranks could actually take him seriously and he himself could contribute to the very lack of historical knowledge he is complaining about.

The style of writing is a little difficult in the beginning but anyone who sticks with it for a dozen pages or so will find it becomes easier to comprehend and the resulting insight into the minds of the characters is well worth the effort. Jake and Beth will make you angry and make you cry. Your heart will break for Grace. I became acquainted with Mr. Duff's works four years ago after a visit to New Zealand when I saw the movie based on this book. I then saw the just-released sequel "What Becomes of the Broken Hearted" while in Australia the summer of 1999. Jake Heke and his family kept returning to my mind over and over (The compelling performance of Temuera Morrison undoubtedly had something to do with this.) I read both books, thinking that would help bring some closure to my fascination with the subject. I now understand the characters, the country and the social situation much better but find I am still haunted by this story of a man's journey to maturity. Jake isn't a hero in the classical sense but there is enlightenment in his journey and hope in the end. The strengthening Beth experiences by returning to her cultural roots holds a lesson for all of us and perhaps Americans most of all. Anyone who is interested in the problems of integrating cultures and the long-term effects of European colonialism on indigenous peoples should read this novel for its insight into the psyche of a disinherited, disenfranchised people.

I'm the author of AKA DOCTOR. Alan Duff's writing of this book and the sequel, What Becomes of the Broken Hearted, grabbed me by the shirt collar with both fists. Alan opened my eyes to do my own research of the Maori culture. I have friends in Nelson, New Zealand who helped in this research. Alan hits close to home, with this riveting insight of the Maori culture. A violent, hard hitting story of world magnitude. My hidden emotions were brought to the surface by the movie. A must see.

From the author of "Once Were Warriors" comes another gritty tale set in New Zealand's underclass. This book focuses exclusively on two thieves Jube (white), and Sonny (half-Maori) who also share an apartment. Their miserable existence sitting around a nasty bar full of ex-cons is rendered in full detail as they drink through the weekly welfare check. Jube is a insecure loudmouth of the kind that likes to drive his muscle car real fast and brag about everything. Sonny is more of a thinker and feels trapped and out of place. One night they rob a fancy house and score big, changing both their lives. It's a pretty nasty read, and gets a little tiresome at times as the duo move through a familiar cycle of hopelessness. Duff strings the two men's conversation together into single blocks so that who's saying what is a little confusing at times. Reminiscent in some ways of the Australian film "Romper Stomper."

In case you didn't read what I said about Alan Duff's previous book "Once Were Warriors", I shall point out again that I am not an Alan Duff fan, not by half!
This new book was a far better read than "Once Were Warriors". Sadly though it was also transparently obvious that "One Night Out Stealing" was written with the movie sequel in mind. Thus Jake is redeemed, he is proven to be innocent of the rape of his daughter and the rape is vaguely attributed to Uncle Bully to fit the movie.
There is also another of those charming deliberate factual errors of which Mr Duff is so fond; although this one is far less important than getting the Maori Land Wars and the Treaty of Waitangi 'round the wrong way (many NZers at rec.sport.rugby might dispute that).
It's a subtle error this one. In a conversation with the (unrealistically English-squire-like) Mr Trambert, Jake discusses the drop kick by Zinzan Brook in the 1995 World Cup final against south Africa - but the goal was actually against the English in the semi. The irony being that the English kicking game had disposed of the Aussies in the quarter by a drop goal you see.
Well spotted huh? Do I win a prize for spotting these Mr Duff?

I really liked this book - it's about two men who rob a house one night and it changes their lives forever. Duff is a great writer. Incidentally 'Errol' who wrote the review above this is actually talking about another Duff book called 'What Becomes of the Broken Hearted' (it's the sequel to 'Once Were Warriors' - it's really good - don't be put off by the cheesy title or the fact that it's a sequel) - I guess Errol got the titles mixed up - because 'One Night Out Stealing' is NOT the sequel to 'Once Were Warriors'.

The usual Appalachian Trail guide. Full of information you need and information you don't need, missing things you wished you knew. Apparently the people who publish these books have yet to figure out that, when hiking the Appalachian Trail, the amount of weight on your back is a consideration. Photocopy the important bits, cut them out and paste them together on an 11 x 17 piece of paper, photocopy again, on both sides of an 8.5 x 11 piece of paper, leave the book at home and throw a half dozen chocolate bars in your pack instead. Enjoy the hike.