If necessity is the mother of invention, No.8 wire is the father.
Celebrating the inventions and ingenuity of Kiwis — and taking that ingenuity to global success.
This is the website of the book of the same name. No.8 Re-Wired celebrates the inventions and ingenuity of Kiwis — and takes that ingenuity to global success.
There are well over 200 inventions or innovations of note from New Zealand, and over time this site will feature them all. From modern marvels like the Martin Jetpack to some of the earliest innovations in our history, No.8 Re-Wired celebrates New Zealand's impact on the world.
This comprehensive compendium is a treasury of New Zealand inventions — packed with the stories of 202 inventions and the people who made them. From the well-known (human flight, the discovery of DNA, the creation of the pavlova) to the less famous (instant coffee, the referee's whistle), to the newest high-tech world-leaders (robots and jetpacks!), this is the most complete and entertaining book ever written on Kiwi ingenuity.
The book's light-hearted approach and strong visual layout will appeal to a wide range of readers — perfect for Dad, and with stories to impress your aunty and entertain the whole family. It's a celebration of the No.8 wire spirit that made New Zealand what it is today, and a look at how innovation can power us into the future.
Published by Penguin — October 2014
Written by two of New Zealand's great storytellers.
David Downs and Jon Bridges — an innovation leader and a comedy producer — spent years gathering the stories behind the country's inventions.
What the country said.
A bestseller on release, reviewed and broadcast across New Zealand from 2014 onward.
Debuted at No.8 on the NZ bestseller list and No.3 on the Indie Top 20 — 25 October 2014.
Named in the Top 10 Business Reads of 2014 by Andrew Patterson.
Reviewed in the magazine of New Zealand innovation and ideas — November 2014.
Featured in Air New Zealand's in-flight magazine — October 2014.
Reviewed in the Bay of Plenty Times — 4 November 2014.
‘Innovative Thinking’ — review published 29 October 2014.
David Downs and Jon Bridges took the No.8 Re-Wired story to the TEDx Auckland stage.
Featured in Stuff, NBR, the Sunday Star Times, The Rural and Channel Magazine, and on Radio NZ, Radio Live, Newstalk ZB, Coast FM and TV One's Good Morning.
202 inventions. One unforgettable book.
No.8 Re-Wired is published by Penguin Books New Zealand and was a national bestseller. Ask for it at your local bookshop, or look for it online wherever Penguin titles are sold. It also features augmented-reality content that brings selected inventions to life through a companion app.