Book Review
Rama Gaind
By Rama Gaind
PS News Books

Building, Always Building: The Life and Times of Gerry Karidis, AM
   By Gerry Karidis and Brian Abbey (Wakefield Press, $29.00, hardcover, 357 pages)

Gerry Karidis is a self-made millionaire, who from humble beginnings became one of Australia’s wealthiest men. His motivating memoir encapsulates a few commendable crusades.
    As one of South Australia’s most successful property developers and investors, this book tells the story of foresight, adversity, resolve, tenacity and inspired entrepreneurial instinct.
   The tell-all Building, Always Building is an enlightening migrant experience that also highlights a meaningful contribution to Australia’s progress.
Building, Always Building: The Life and Times of Gerry Karidis, AM by Gerry Karidis and Brian Abbey.
Building, Always Building: The Life and
Times of Gerry Karidis, AM by Gerry
Karidis and Brian Abbey.
   As an 18-year-old, Karidis migrated to Australia from Greece in 1958. This chronicle spotlights his youth in Lefkada, manhood in Adelaide as a new Australian and the creation and building of his business in the swiftly changing economic context of the late 20th and 21st centuries.
    The greatest incentive for Karidis was ‘to give people confidence to exceed their own expectation’ as witnessed by his campaigns to create a policy framework that would foster the re-population of the inner city of Adelaide, restrict urban sprawl and protect public housing for those who needed it most.  
   He reveals the extent of his involvement as ‘the Adelaide connection’ in the federal political crisis known as the Loans Affair of 1974-75 which led to the dismissal of the Whitlam government.
   While there may be some anger over the past and some answers still being sought, certain controversial issues are explored, strong views are expressed on specific matters, selected people attract praise and gratitude and others are not considered deserving.
    The authors “…explain, by reference to the climate of the times, a distinctive way of seeing and acting on a public affairs agenda that was shared by many Australians in
   The past seven decades have seen errors and excesses, but the aspirations, values and the need for correct processes are abundantly clear.
Edition 338, 6 November 2012

To find out more about Rama Gaind click here.
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