Marilyn Waring was in Ethiopia during the 1984 famine, in Bombay when Indira Gandhi was assassinated, in New York at the height of the feminist movement, and attended the Jamaican state funeral for Bob Marley. She is Associate Professor in Politics at Massey University (Albany), has recently concluded 15 years as an angora goat famer to become a director of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand. She also continues her international work in development, and lectures around the world on economic and political issues.

In the years since leaving Parliament in 1984, Marilyn Waring has continued to write. The best from her popular Listener columns appear here, along with much new writing. Introductions provide a contemporary framework for the central themes – international politics, New Zealand politics, feminist issues, women of influence, and (by no means least) life on the farm.

Marilyn Waring is ‘the rare expert who is witty, a populist, and an excellent explainer’ (Gloria Steinem); she is an acute political observer with a fund of knowledge and a profound sense of humanity. Her world is edged, on the one side, by the international questions of the day and, on the other, by the goats she farmed; from this perspective, she offers us a commentary on ‘the lifetime of a goat’, events large and small from 1984 to 2000.

Endorsements                                              

'In the Lifetime of a Goat is the sort of stimulating, mind-stretching read that left me in no doubt about Waring’s intellect and commitment to make a difference – a great addition to any library.' Northern Advocate

'Marilyn Waring is at times hard-hitting, at others witty. She writes with the strong, opinionated, intelligent voice of a woman who knows what she is talking about.' Nelson Mail

'This book is both a valuable addition to our social and political history and a thoroughly enjoyable read.' Waikato Times

Contents                                                       

Acknowledgements
Introduction

Series One: Starting points
 1.  Under the mountain    April 1998
 2.  On claiming a Pakeha identity    January 1996
 3.  On leaving parliament    May 1984
 4.  Open letter to the G7 leaders    May 1995
 5.  The precious planet    February 1989

Series Two: Women of influence 
 1.  Crusader bella    May 1985
 2.  Woman of the people    October 1985
 3.  African experience    June 1988
 4.  In memory    June 1988
 5.  Women of influence – on influence    August 1996

Series Three: Abused and left out
 1.  What the law calls it    August 1984
 2.  Mildly pleasurable harassment    September 1984 
 3.  Porn free    April 1985
 4.  Battle areas    May 1985
 5.  Production and reproduction    June 1985
 6.  Fertility in reality    August 1987
 7.  The games people play    August 1984
 8.  Jobs for the UN boys    December 1985
 9.  La difference    December 1987
10. Small percentage    April 1985
11. Waiting for a sign    June 1985
12. Late twentieth-century neanderthals    July 1996

Series Four: One way to see the world
 1.  Thailand    November 1984
 2.  Burma (Myanmar)    October 1984
 3.  India    October 1984
 4.  Ethiopia    November 1984
 5.  China    October 1985
 6.  Brazil    October 1987 
 7.  Philippines    December 1988

Series Five: A vigorous vigilance
 1.  Big brothers we’re watching you    July 1984
 2.  Dealers in death    April 1987 
 3.  Engaging play    March 1985 
 4.  Tackling ills with skills    August 1985
 5.  Top security chatter    July 1988 
 6.  At the camp    August 1988 
 7.  Suffrage sufferance    April 1987
 8.  The stink of success    October 1988
 9.  Voting reform: the conspiracy theory    August 1992
10. Being prime ministerial    August 1996

Series Six: Having a real life
 1.  Skiing is believing    May 1986
 2.  Tilling the friendly soil    December 1986
 3.  ‘Had a wonderful time’    January 1987
 4.  A power of good    May 1987
 5.  Orderly chaos?    June 1987 
 6.  Soulless cities    March 1988
 7.  From the farm    October 1988
 8.  A springtime bouquet    September 1996
 9.  A farming calm    February 1997 

Glossary