The Republic of Gupta: A Story of State Capture


Pieter-Louis Myburgh - 2017
    Since then, they have become embroiled in allegations of state capture, of dishing out cabinet posts to officials who would do their bidding, and of benefiting from lucrative state contracts and dubious loans. The Republic of Gupta investigates what the Gupta brothers were up to during Thabo Mbeki’s presidency and how they got into the inner circle of President Jacob Zuma. It shines new light on their controversial ventures in computers, cricket, newspapers and TV news, and coal and uranium mining. And it explores their exposure by public protector Thuli Madonsela, their conflict with finance minister Pravin Gordhan, and the real reasons behind the cabinet reshuffle of March 2017.Pieter-Louis Myburgh delves deeper than ever before into the Guptas’ business dealings and their links to prominent South African politicians, and explains how one family managed to transform an entire country into the Republic of Gupta.

Albert Camus: A Very Short Introduction


Oliver Gloag - 2020
    His widely quoted works have led to countless movie adaptions, graphic novels, pop songs, and even t-shirts.In this Very Short Introduction, Oliver Gloag chronicles the inspiring story of Camus' life. From a poor fatherless settler in French-Algeria to the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, Gloag offers a comprehensive view of Camus' major works and interventions, including his notion of the absurd and revolt, as well as his highly original concept of pure happiness through unity with nature called "bonheur". This original introduction also addresses debates on coloniality, which have arisen around Camus' work.Gloag presents Camus in all his complexity a staunch defender of many progressive causes, fiercely attached to his French-Algerian roots, a writer of enormous talent and social awareness plagued by self-doubt, and a crucially relevant author whose major works continue to significantly impact our views on contemporary issues and events. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

The Wander Year: One Couple's Journey Around the World


Mike McIntyre - 2011
    So they rent out their California home--dog and cat included--and embark on a yearlong trip around the world. The couple is swept up in the adventure of a lifetime: traversing the Sahara on camels, trekking in the Himalayas, scrambling over Cambodian temples, crossing the Andes, scaling a New Zealand glacier.The book traces the odyssey in forty-eight colorful dispatches from six continents. Whether barreling across India with a former tank driver at the wheel, getting clipped by Vietnam's oldest barber, touring a notorious Bolivian prison with inmates as guides, or braving a cyclone in Fiji on a rubber raft, McIntyre taps his signature wit to convey the joys, perils, and frustrations of prolonged travel. He also writes eloquently of such touching moments as flying kites with a boy in Indonesia and sleeping under the stars in Morocco.Funny, heartwarming, and full of expert tips, The Wander Year will inspire and entertain veteran and armchair travelers alike."A superb writer."--Los Angeles Times"A reader's dream."--San Diego Union-Tribune

Waiting for an Angel


Helon Habila - 2003
    His mind is full of soul music and girls and the lyric novel he is writing. But his roommate is brutally attacked by soldiers; his first love is forced to marry a wealthy old man; and his neighbors on Poverty Street are planning a demonstration that is bound to incite riot and arrests. Lomba can no longer bury his head in the sand.Helon Habila's vivid, exciting, and heart-wrenching debut opens a window onto a world in some ways familiar-with its sensuously depicted streets, student life, and vibrant local characters-yet ruled by one of the world's most corrupt and oppressive regimes, a scandal that ultimately drives Lomba to take a risk in the name of something greater than himself. Habila captures the energy, sensitivity, despair, and stubborn hope of a new African generation with a combination of gritty realism and poetic beauty. Winner of the Caine Prize for African Writing 2001. Reading group guide included.

Feather Woman of the Jungle


Amos Tutuola - 1962
    They learn of his adventures, among them his encounter with the Jungle Witch and her ostrich, his visit to the town of the water people and his imprisonment by the Goddess of Diamonds. Each night the people return, eager to discover if there is a happy ending.

Fruit Of A Poisoned Tree: A True Story Of Murder And The Miscarriage Of Justice


Antony Altbeker - 2011
    The trial itself was sensational enough to attract the attention of the world’s largest association of professional forensic investigators. At the start, everyone expected a ‘guilty’ verdict. His fingerprints were at the scene, the murder weapon was in his car and a blood stain in the bathroom was matched to one of his shoes. And yet, he was acquitted and is now suing the Minister of Police, saying that the evidence was fabricated. Altbeker witnessed the trial, and looks closely at how the justice system failed both van der Vyver and Lotz.

We have now begun our descent: How to Stop South Africa losing its way


Justice Malala - 2015
    I am furious. Because I never thought it would happen to us. Not us, the rainbow nation that defied doomsayers and suckled and nurtured a fragile democracy into life for its children. I never thought it would happen to us, this relentless decline, the flirtation with a leap over the cliff.” In a searing, honest paean to his country, renowned political journalist and commentator Justice Malala forces South Africa to come face to face with the country it has become: corrupt, crime-ridden, compromised, its institutions captured by a selfish political elite bent on enriching itself at the expense of everyone else. In this deeply personal reflection, Malala’s diagnosis is devastating: South Africa is on the brink of ruin. He does not stop there. Malala believes that we have the wherewithal to turn things around: our lauded Constitution, the wealth of talent that exists, our history of activism and a democratic trajectory can all be used to stop the rot. But he has a warning: South Africans of all walks of life need to wake up and act, or else they will soon find their country has been stolen.

The Voluptuous Delights of Peanut Butter and Jam


Lauren Liebenberg - 2008
    The Voluptuous Delights of Peanut Butter and Jam is, above all else, a magical evocation of childhood; at times laugh-out-loud funny, at others heartbreakingly sad. It tells the story of two young sisters, Nyree and Cia O'Callohan, who live on a remote farm in the East of what was Rhodesia in the late 1970s. Beneath the dripping vines of the Vumba rainforest, and under the tutelage of their heretical grandfather, Oupa, theirs is a seductive world laced with African paganism, bastardised Catholicism and the lore of the Brothers Grimm - until their idyll is shattered forever by their orphaned cousin, Ronin. His arrival at the farm sets in motion a chain of events that result in tragedy and the loss of innocence.

Into the Fire


Jeffrey S. Savage - 2002
    Everyone agrees that Joe Stewart is a pillar of the community. But the pillar is about to crumble.In a dramatic series of events, Joe loses virtually everything: his job, his wealth, his home, his reputation, and his health. Even his family teeters on the brink of falling apart.Joe finds himself miles from civilization, his health deteriorating rapidly, and his family menaced by the dark entity that haunts his dreams. Joe must somehow find a way to unite his family and use their strength to save them all before it is too late.

How to Improve Your Memory and Remember Anything: A Very Easy Guide


John Connelly - 2012
    It contains advice on time management, goal setting and how to get the best grades with the least effort. Advice that transfers just as well for professionals and the self employed to get ahead of the competition.----------HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR MEMORY: FREE EXCERPT BELOW----------Reviews from other eBook websites:"Effortless reading, and I now feel much more confident studying for tests. This was exactly what I've been looking for."-Graham Panci"Thank you for showing me how I can use my mind much more effectively. It all makes sense now that I've read it here. Eye opening!"-Clay Winters"Brilliantly simple, I've heard of some of these things before, but never had it explained so completely and so clearly. Many thanks John."-Julie YotoFREE EXCERPT:Mnemonic Tip 2- Convert Digits into WordsRemembering phrases is easier than remembering a series of digits. Similarly whole words are easier to remember than just single letters. So try to convert single digits and letters into words and then out them into memorable sentences.The reason these are more memorable than digits or letters alone is that there is no meaning, no reference point to a single number or a letter, and so they don’t make much of an impression on our minds. Actors can remember whole scripts, some then remember these for the rest of their lives. They can do this because the words, the phrases, have such a clear meaning to them; they are characters and stories. If they tried to remember the same amount of information in the form of just numbers or letters they would have no chance.This is an important aspect to all of these mnemonic devices, moving information of little meaning, to something of greater meaning.For example we can turn the digits 0 1 8 2 4 into the phrase “Only One Crate of beer tonight for me”. Here I have converted the numbers into words in the following way:Only= 0 or ZeroOne= 1Crate=8 (here I am using only a phonetically similar word, but still this is more than enough to make it memorable and link us back to the number 8.)Tonight= TwoFor= FourThis was quite straight forward for just five digits. But for longer series of digits, such as a whole phone number, the same process applies. Take your time to practice this on your own phone number now, or maybe create a random series of digits, and then code it into a sentence. It will seem difficult at first, but with a small amount of practice you can quickly become adept at this method.The exact same process can be applied to letters. Perhaps the letters H P become the words “Harry Potter”. And so, if you wanted to remember the code 01824HP you could encode it into the phrase:‘“Only one crate of beer tonight for me” said Harry Potter.’Read it a few times aloud to yourself then turn into an image in your mind, visualize it clearly; picture Harry Potter sat drinking beer at a bar, then saying this as he burps loudly. Creating a visual image will cause the phrase to route more deeply into your mind as you are creating a clear memory, and building a still deeper and stronger collection of new pathways in your mind.I promise you this image and phrase will be easier to remember than the 5 digits and 2 letters would by themselves.

Hollow Earth Dragons


Juniper Hart - 2018
    **The final book in the series, Protecting His Mate, can only be found in this romance collection!**Dragon DesireA forbidden wish. A dragon prince. A fairy who could change everything. Chosen MateForbidden love. Dragon royalty. An international conspiracy that threatens to ruin everything.Bound to the AlphaThe daughter of an Alpha Lycan and the Dragon Prince of the Hollows were never meant to fall in love… until fate pushed them together. Secret MatesCan a human be trusted with a secret that’s been kept for thousands of years?Protecting His MateShe holds the power to save the kingdom. Wilder will do all he can to protect her. Now, all he has to do is find her. Series EpilogueA final twist to the story of the Hollows! If you love dragon shifter romances, bad boys, and alphas who know how to take charge, then you will love the Hollow Earth Dragons shifter romance collection. Content Warning: Explicit love scenes and lots of sexy shifters. Intended for 18+ audiences.

The Great Ponds


Elechi Amadi - 1970
    By the author of The Concubine and Estrangement.

All Things Wild And Wonderful


Kobie Krüger - 1996
    After eleven years in the remote Mahlangeni region they are transferred, first to Crocodile Bridge and then to Pretorius Kop. Fully at peace in the wild and lonely landscapes of the North, Kobie fears she will never adapt to the relatively people-populated southern area. It takes time, but eventually she is able to acknowlege that the move has shown her "other Edens" and has given her a store of the new and precious memories. Foremost among these memories is the unique experience of raising Leo, an abandoned lion cub. It is a facinating and emotional encounter with the king of the beasts, which brings her and her family equal measures of joy and sorrow.

Songs of Silence


Curdella Forbes - 2003
    Held together by the sure and simple voice of a child, this powerful collection is interspersed with the whisper of adult reflection, rendering the accounts at once sensuous and disarmingly honest.Inhabiting an elusive space between what is said and what is felt, what is conveyed and what is perceived, silence becomes a metaphor of rage and fear, of loneliness and contentment, confusion and clarification in these songs that explore social change and individual growth.Oscillating between Creole and Standard English, Songs of Silence is an accomplished piece of writing distinguished by an extraordinary sophistication of language and stylistic confidence. Relayed with a rare intimacy and detail, recollections are translated into a series of tales in which the narrator becomes a mouthpiece for a multiplicity of voices, each with their own story to tell.This novel comprises a series of eight linked episodes, all of which focus on different members of a rural community in Jamaica, seen through the eyes of a young girl growing up and remembered by the adult she became.

The Profiler Diaries: From the case files of a police psychologist


Gérard Labuschagne - 2020