''Black's genealogy is a continuity of symbolic significance reproduced throughout New Zealand's history.''
On this theme, Stone's narrative strolls, academic gown fluttering, through a variety of ''black'' subjects dear to the ''Kiwi'' psyche including rugby.
She says at the outset rugby contributes significantly in establishing New Zealand's distinction internationally and on this symbolic level the shade black and the game of rugby add to each other's value.
Stone argues black in New Zealand has acquired a positive symbolic value and greater social distance from the older racial currency. The national collective, she says, has come to identify with black on a non-racial basis.
This theme continues later in the book, when Stone suggests the social drama Springbok rugby relations brought on for New Zealand's national identity might be seen in another way. As a social drama, New Zealand's ironic black pride brought on for the entire Western world.
However, New Zealand's white power, Stone implies, lay hidden beneath a jersey, keeping its public stupefied. Black is explored widely through genealogy, ethnicity, religion, history, sexual mores and a hijacked ''Black Power''.
Here, Stone discusses Black Power and Rei Harris' strange act of nominal piracy that confused White Power to the point of distraction. (His gang, ''Black Bulls'', became ''Black Power''.)
Harris seized a slogan, but had no knowledge of how vastly connected he had become to a world movement and relishing its power.
This book demands much of the reader and is certainly not a self-described ''coffee table'' work.
It is a highly interesting and debatable treatise led astray by indifferent design, layout and typography that do not aid reading.
Dare I say it, black marks for these?
Ted Fox is a Dunedin online marketing consultant.
