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Because he initially had no formal academic training, Wellman started with few preconceived ideas, and based his thinking on what he observed in the field. His research ranged widely over many ideas of earth science, and he acted as an inspiration and mentor to many young scientists in the DSIR and at Victoria University. Harold Wellman: A Man Who Moved New Zealand is the first biography of this fascinating individual. Written with verve and illustrated with over 150 photographs, maps and diagrams, it is a major contribution to New Zealand’s scientific history. [Wellman] is remembered mainly for two things - his larrikin eccentricity and for transforming the way that scientists think about the New Zealand subcontinent. ...Read more about this remarkable man in Simon Nathan's newly published Harold Wellman: A Man Who Moved New Zealand. Bob Brockie DOMINION POST Praise for Harold Wellman: A Man Who Moved New Zealand The liberal use of Wellman's own voice adds colour to Harold Wellman: a Man Who Moved New Zealand. The first section of the book, an edited version of a memoir written by Wellman in his eighties, segues neatly into Nathan's biography, which is peppered throughout with photographs, maps, snippets from the original memoir and diaries, and accounts from family members. ...There are few biographies of 20th-century New Zealand scientists and Nathan does an admirable job, telling not only the story of Wellman, but also the story of the evolution of geological thinking in New Zealand. This most enjoyable book is a rich source of inspiration for geologists, educationists and those interested in how Harold Wellman put New Zealand on the tectonic map. Simon Nathan skilfully narrates the career of this brilliant, dogged, prickly, abrasive yet sociable man who inspired, encouraged and irritated New Zealand geologists for many decades. Wellman's scientific research is thoroughly documented. We also get some sense of his equally remarkable wife, Joan. Contents Introduction Simon Nathan started his career as a DSIR geologist on the West Coast, following Wellman’s footsteps, and has a wide experience of New Zealand geology. In recent years he has become interested in the history of science, and has prepared biographical accounts of Wellman’s contemporaries Max Gage and Brian Mason. He now works as Science Editor for the Encyclopedia of New Zealand.
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