Extract: South Dunedin to Whitehall

Enjoy this extract from Len Cook’s funny, reflective and sharply observed story of his life and career which took him from working class roots in South Dunedin to the highest echelons of public service in New Zealand and the UK.

Len talks of his statistical curiosity and the power of speaking up — even when it gets you the cane.

Len’s career has spanned five decades, two hemispheres, and some of the most important shifts in government policy, data transparency, and public trust.

This book captures not just the facts of that career, but the principles and values that guided it — from census reform and Māori data sovereignty to the quiet power of public service done well.