Welcome to "I Really Need a Coffee" - The Book

I Really Need a Coffee is the autobiography of Warren Dawson, who grew up in Taranaki, New Zealand. The book traces Warren’s journey from a curious young boy to a successful businessman, filled with amusing and insightful adventures along the way. Among the many twists of fate in his life, one remarkable encounter with an Israeli couple leads Warren on an unexpected journey — one that connects him deeply to his family’s past. This adventure takes him in the footsteps of his grandfather, Gerald Dawson, who fought alongside many brave soldiers in World War I, and whose legacy continues to shape Warren’s own story.

An incredible, intriguing and adventurous story, packed with a series of unexpected events that required conquering adversity, risk taking, perseverance, courage and hope.  Be inspired as you travel with Warren as he lives "Life to the fullest", never missing as opportunity in his endeavor to follow the footsteps of his grandfather's service in the little known history of the brave New Zealand Mounted Rifles during World War 1.  I also enjoyed how Warren has so cleverly woven his sense of humour throughout the book.  A most enjoyable read.  Suzanne.

After reading "I really need a coffee" over several cups of coffee my self, I found it is one of those books that one cannot put down.  Easy to read with short chapters of a man's journey through life.  The hard times and good times coming through it all and now hopefully  being able to enjoy the fruits of his labour with his lovely wife and family.  A great read, well done.  John.

"I Really Need a Coffee".

 

It was a brisk winter morning when, Yossi and Michal Eshed, found themselves driving from Hamilton to Tauranga.  The highway signs blurred past, and their energy was flagging.  A prominent roadside board promised “COFFEE-NEXT RIGHT”, and that was enough for them.  They flicked their indicator, turned off at the very next exit, and 12 kilometers later realised that they had chosen the wrong road and were lost.

 

This lengthy detour led them down a narrow country road, flanked by farms and kiwifruit orchards, before stopping at the gates of the ‘Sarona Park Estate’.  There was no sign of a café, but a seed of curiosity was sown in Yossi’s mind.

 

Two days later this Israeli couple returned to Sarona Park Estate and met Warren Dawson, and following a hunch Yossi asked where the name of his development had come from.  When Warren mentioned that his grandfather had served with the New Zealand Mounted Rifles in the Middle East during World War One, Michal and Yossi exchanged glances.  They knew about Sarona, a suburb in Tel Aviv, and they were fascinated by Warren’s story.

 

“I Really Need a Coffee” is much more than an entrepreneurial memoir.  Though it certainly charts the messy, crisis-laced path of an entrepreneur businessman.  At its heart this book is about what happens when you follow small initiatives into unfamiliar territory – be it a caffeine craving, or plain curiosity.  Warren writes in the warm, no-nonsense style of a man who is used to rolling up his sleeves.  Yet tucked between the Kiwi idioms and self-depreciating humour you will find lessons on grit and determination, on listening to providence, and on honouring those who came before him.

 

By the final chapter you may recognise, as Warren had, that the distance between a chance roadside stop and a life shaping mission is only a cup of coffee away.

 

Christopher Archer

Tauranga, Aotearoa New Zealand

September 2025

 

About us

ireallyneedacoffee.nz is the official webpage for I Really Need a Coffee. It’s designed to help readers access the book and explore more about the stories, people, and places featured within its pages.