Why do these large financial institutions with hundreds of billions on their books fail out of the blue? What role do central banks play in these dramatic failures? How can the global financial system be reformed to be more resilient, and what path should South Africa take?

In a world where banks are perceived as unshakeable fortresses, there is a worrying truth that lies just beneath the surface: banks are far more fragile and fail more frequently than we choose to believe.

In the US alone, more than 560 banks have failed since the turn of the century. In South Africa, the collapse of Saambou in 2002 sparked the A2 Banking Crisis, which saw half the country’s banks deregistered in the aftermath. In 2023, the high-profile failures of Silicon Valley Bank, First Republic Bank, Signature Bank and Credit Suisse dominated global headlines and set off waves of panic across the international banking landscape.

Cape Town, South Africa. Retired police chief Piet Pieterse has been murdered, necklaced in fact. A tyre placed round his neck, doused with petrol, set alight. An execution from the apartheid era and one generally confined to collaborators. Who would target Pieterse this way, and why now?

Veteran cop Schalk Lourens is trying to forget the past. But Pieterse was his old boss and when Schalk is put on the case, he finds the past has a way of infecting the present.

Meanwhile, it's an election year. People are pinning their hopes on charismatic ANC candidate Gideon Radebe but there's opposition and in this volatile country, unrest is never far from the surface.

Schalk must tread a difficult path between the new regime and the old, between the personal and the professional, between justice and revenge.

This investigation will change his life, and could alter his country's future.

Do you feel lost in a difficult season, wondering, “GOD, WHERE ARE YOU?!”

Perhaps you heard God speak, but now He seems silent. Maybe you moved forward in faith, but now His presence is nowhere to be found. Welcome to the wilderness―the place between receiving a promise from God and seeing it come to pass.

But here’s the good news―this is no purposeless wasteland. God uses the wilderness to prepare and equip you for your destiny―that is, if you navigate it correctly. Contrary to what many may think, getting through this season isn’t just a matter of waiting on God. You have a part to play in navigating through it. A big one. And if you don’t want to waste time wandering in circles, it’s important to learn what that is.

In this eye-opening book, best-selling author John Bevere equips you with key biblical insights and profound stories that will help you navigate your dry or difficult seasons and step into all that God has for you.

Nobel Peace Prize Laureates His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu have survived more than fifty years of exile and the soul-crushing violence of oppression. Despite their hardships - or, as they would say, because of them - they are two of the most joyful people on the planet. In April 2015, Archbishop Tutu travelled to the Dalai Lama's home in Dharamsala, India, to celebrate His Holiness's eightieth birthday and to create this book as a gift for others. They looked back on their long lives to answer a single burning question: how do we find joy in the face of life's inevitable suffering?

They traded intimate stories, teased each other continually, and shared their spiritual practices. By the end of a week filled with laughter and punctuated with tears, these two global heroes had stared into the abyss and despair of our times and revealed how to live a life brimming with joy.

This book offers us a rare opportunity to experience their astonishing and unprecedented week together, from the first embrace to the final goodbye.

We're often told that we're living amidst a startup boom. Typically, we think of apps built by college kids and funded by venture capital firms, which remake fortunes and economies overnight. But in reality, most new businesses are things like restaurants or hair salons. Entrepreneurs aren't all millennials -- more often, it's their parents. And those small companies are the fabric of our economy. The Soul of an Entrepreneur is a business book of a different kind, exploring our work but also our passions and hopes. David Sax reports on the deeply personal questions of entrepreneurship: why an immigrant family risks everything to build a bakery; how a small farmer fights to manage his debt; and what it feels like to rise and fall with a business you built for yourself. This book is the real story of entrepreneurship. It confronts both success and failure, and shows how they can change a human life. It captures the inherent freedom that entrepreneurship brings, and why it matters.

Performance management is, by its very nature, a contentious and emotionally charged topic. Because the lines between management and appraisal are often blurred, performance management tends to get cast in a harsh and negative light, creating anxiety and distrust that defeats the object. Performance management: A contemporary South African perspective examines the practice of performance management in the modern South African workplace and how to balance the positive with its more challenging negative facets.

Performance management: A contemporary South African perspective explores various aspects of performance management systems and processes. It highlights best practice and innovative ideas for implementation that will enable managers, employees and teams to achieve success and improve results. Examples and real-life scenarios provide practical guidelines and applications.

Contents include the following:

• Understanding performance management
• Business strategy and performance
• Creating a high-performance culture
• Performance management process
• Development and implementation of performance management systems
• An overview of performance measurement
• Performance measurement in practice
• Team performance management
• Performance management skills
• Dealing with underperformance
• Performance development
• Rewarding good performance
• Monitoring and evaluation
• The future of performance management in the new world of work

Performance management: A contemporary South African perspective is aimed at senior undergraduate as well as postgraduate students at further and higher education institutions within South Africa. It will also serve as a valuable resource to human resource practitioners and managers.

The one and only Zadie Smith, prize-winning, bestselling author of Swing Time and White Teeth, is back with a second unmissable collection of essays.

No subject is too fringe or too mainstream for Zadie Smith's insatiable curiosity. From social media to the environment, from Jay-Z to Karl Ove Knausgaard, she has endless enthusiasmand the boundless wit, insight and wisdom to match. In Feel Free, pop culture, high culture, social change and political debate all get the Zadie Smith treatment, dissected with razor-sharp intellect, set brilliantly against the context of the utterly contemporary, and considered with a deep humanity and compassion.

This electrifying new collection showcases its author as a true literary powerhouse, demonstrating once again her credentials as an essential voice of her generation.

Huis Madeliefie word deur die staat se vlak 5-inperking in die gesig gestaar. Hans besef teen dié virus groei geen kruid nie, maar die drakoniese reëls van die tehuis se interne bevelsraad kry nie vatplek by Hans en kie nie.

Voorts is Hans oor die hoof gesien as leier van dié raad. Altoon Ahlers, befaamde akteur van weleer, neem die leisels.

Hans se plan om die inwoners met die verbode vrug se sap aan sy kant te kry, boemerang sleg. Hy sal Ahlers op ’n ander manier moet onttroon . . .

Making sure the end of the world never happens again – that is Enver Eleven’s task. A spy for the Historical Agency, Enver is based in Johannesburg, the only city to survive – thanks to its mining tunnels – when a supernova hit.

In Enver’s Joburg, time-travelling agents jump between the past and future, searching for an elusive enemy plotting against the Agency. Enver’s mission starts off on shaky ground: when his mentor Shanumi Six disappears, Enver must prove that he is no double agent, an allegation as frightening as a white skin in a world where it has become vanishingly rare.

But if you could go back and change the past, would the future turn out the way you want it to? Imraan Coovadia’s dazzlingly original A Spy In Time is an extraordinary tale for extraordinary times.

Tissue salts are minerals that our bodies need to ensure optimal health. They are found in the Earth’s rocks and soil, and in food that is grown organically in mineralrich soil. Considered to be the basic constituents of our bones, blood, organs and muscles, they are easily absorbed by the human body, with no side-effects. In this book, Margaret Roberts draws on decades of experience to advise readers on using the 12 key tissue salts to slow the ageing process, promote vitality and enhance health. Each tissue salt is presented in its own chapter, with tips on treating specific ailments; and advice on increasing the intake of the salts through the diet. An ailment chart is included for quick reference. An indispensable guide for anyone interested in health, wellness, and using natural remedies to ease the effects of ageing.

In November 1905 beskryf ’n Windhoekse koerant Siegfried Bock as ’n nuwe soort held. Maar die moordenaar wat hy voor die hof gebring het se advokaat stel Siegfried in ’n heel ander lig. Boonop is oberleutnant Berghammer en die Namakryger Jager Orlam albei daarop uit om Siegfried te laat boet. En dan is daar die burokraat Stauffacher met sy ondraaglike planne. Siegfried sien nie uitkomkans nie. Maar daar móét een wees, veral noudat liefde vir hom wink . . .

Daan van der Walt, a Latin-quoting, God-fearing former Kalahari farmer, visits his estranged son in China for the first time.

When he has a vertigo attack soon after his arrival, his son drops him off at a Buddhist monastery. Under the guidance of Master Yang, an obstreperous Daan is made to practice Tai Chi to recover his balance, both physically and spiritually. He soon finds himself on a difficult path (the Dao of the title) to come to terms with his feelings of remorse and guilt. He sets out to write his Historia, or confessions, in the form of letters to his deceased wife and imaginary observations to his beloved dog.

An unusual, often very funny, novel whose fields of reference include Roman and Greek mythology, Christian theology, Chinese history and Daoism.

An astounding debut by an octogenarian author; translated by Michiel Heyns.

Managing Training and Development focuses on the training and development of people from a human resource management perspective.

The book provides detailed discussions, case studies and activities to integrate theory and practice, and guide students through a wide spectrum of training and development issues. It includes, for example, relevant training and skills development legislation, macro and management factors that influence training and development in organisations, the training process from a systems perspective, management development and talent management. The book is written for undergraduate students of Human Resource Management, Human Resource Development, Industrial Psychology, Management and Business Management at universities, universities of technology, as well as industry training providers.

The new edition takes into account the changed business environment, including developments which may impact the management of training and development of employees in orga nisations. Consideration is given to Covid 19 and its impact on learning and development strategies, for example, design considerations for virtual learning environments, technologies to enhance employee training and development, the role of virtual instructor-led training, gamification, artificial intelligence and developing talent in the new world of work.

The extraordinary, powerful second novel from the Booker prizewinning author of Shuggie Bain, Young Mungo is both a vivid portrayal of working-class life and the deeply moving story of the dangerous first love of two young men: Mungo and James.

Born under different stars, Protestant Mungo and Catholic James live in a hyper-masculine world. They are caught between two of Glasgow’s housing estates where young working-class men divide themselves along sectarian lines, and fight territorial battles for the sake of reputation. They should be sworn enemies if they’re to be seen as men at all, and yet they become best friends as they find a sanctuary in the doocot that James has built for his prize racing pigeons. As they begin to fall in love, they dream of escaping the grey city, and Mungo must work hard to hide his true self from all those around him, especially from his elder brother Hamish, a local gang leader with a brutal reputation to uphold.

But the threat of discovery is constant and the punishment unspeakable. When Mungo’s mother sends him on a fishing trip to a loch in Western Scotland, with two strange men behind whose drunken banter lie murky pasts, he needs to summon all his inner strength and courage to get back to a place of safety, a place where he and James might still have a future.

Imbuing the everyday world of its characters with rich lyricism, Douglas Stuart’s Young Mungo is a gripping and revealing story about the meaning of masculinity, the push and pull of family, the violence faced by so many queer people, and the dangers of loving someone too much.

The first of its kind in South Africa, Brand Management constitutes an invaluable tool for the growing number of academic institutions that offer this exciting subject. Making use of both local and international examples and cases, the subject is approached from a holistic, yet applied perspective. Written in an accessible style, this book assists both students and practitioners to develop the ability to manage brands from the outset to the ultimate outcome. This text is an invaluable reference work for practising professionals, written by authors who have extensive academic and professional expertise and international exposure.

Recession, inflation, interest rates, income tax, exchange rates, junk bonds ... We are bombarded with these terms every day, but what do they actually mean? And how do they affect you?

In this updated edition of Everyone's Guide to the South African Economy, all these issues - and more - are addressed. The book clearly explains and evaluates a wide range of economic occur rences - from the budget and the rand/dollar exchange rate to the balance of payments and the role of the South African Reserve Bank.

The book investigates the impact of the 2008/2009 global financial crisis and the COVID pandemic, assesses the state of the sub-Saharan African economy, and explores human development issues in South Africa and their implications for policy-making.

If you are baffled by the specialised jargon of economists and bankers and want to know more about the economic forces that subtly dictate your day-to-day existence, Everyone's Guide to the South African Economy will put you in the picture. This is essential reading for every South African consumer and taxpayer. Economics, after all, is too important to be left to economists.

This essential new book is a practical "how-to" guide to enhancing the quality of relationships between leaders and individuals in organisations – the proven key to maximising performance, building resilience, and retaining talent.

Integral vision, seen through each of the four quadrants described in this book, gives access to a range of perspectives, irreducible to one another but each significant in adding a kaleidoscope of understanding to a topic or body of knowledge. The author draws on recent research which focuses on Integral theory and emphasises the benefits to an organisation, including cultivating, at several levels, leaders and teams through coaching, improving the quality of meetings, introducing an understanding of emotional intelligence, and more recently, addressing adult stages of development. The book also demonstrates how the Integral quadrants can bring clarity to interpersonal and cross-sector communication, especially in diagnosing, planning, and implementing team and organisational strategy.

The concepts and practical skills explored in this book will be a valuable resource for senior leaders, human resources specialists, and in-house and external coaches focusing on leadership development, as well as students and trainers of coaching.

The English Handbook and Study Guide (DHET) is a comprehensive English reference book, invaluable to lecturers, students and as a home reference. It covers the basics and fills in the gaps. Practical and user-friendly – simple, visual and logical. Colour-coded for easy understanding, recall and application.

This book will provide a ready-made, user-friendly scheme of work. It is not meant to be used in isolation, but rather in conjunction with regular lessons and other textbooks.

The basic structure of the English Language is constant, only the application will differ between classes.

FOR THE LECTURER

This book will replace the notes you give at different levels every year. It will save you the time, effort and expense of compiling and photocopying notes.

You will have the security of knowing that your students have a comprehensive set of notes, which can be added to or omitted according to the level being taught.

These notes may be used in class for instruction or revision. The book may also be used independently by your students for self-study and homework tasks. Once taught, each section can simply be revised and updated each year, freeing you from having to re-teach it.
The main benefit is that you will be able to teach English in context. You will have the freedom to use whatever is current, relevant and of interest to your students.

They will have a constant source of reference and you will therefore be able to teach without having to stop for note-taking or lengthy explanations.

After many years of continuous development, operational risk management can now be regarded as an important and independent management discipline in its own right. It is a value-adding activity that has a direct or indirect impact on bottom-line performances of organisations and is fundamentally concerned with good governance and involves consistent alertness and continuous improvement. As a result, it is essential for business managers at all levels to understand the concept of operational risk management and its methodologies. Operational risk management will assist organisations to develop and implement an operational risk management process that will support the achievement of business objectives. In addition, Operational risk management attempts to bridge the gap that exists between some of the theoretical concepts of operational risk and the practical implementation. It firstly deals with the development phases of operational risk, and then illustrates the effective application of an operational risk management process. It also discusses relevant issues in the field and how to deal with current risk exposures. Operational risk management is aimed at undergraduate students as well as managers interested in the management of operational risk. Jackie Young is a professor in risk management at the University of South Africa, specialising in operational risk management.

This should be the story of Hercules: his twelve labours, his endless adventures…everyone’s favourite hero, right?

Well, it’s not. This is the story of everyone else:

Alcmene: Herc’s mother (She has knives everywhere)

Hylas: Herc’s first friend (They were more than friends)

Megara: Herc’s wife (She’ll tell you about their marriage)

Eurystheus: Oversaw Herc’s labours (He never asked for the job)

His friends, his enemies, his wives, his children, his lovers, his rivals, his gods, his victims. It’s time to hear their stories.

Told with humour and heart, Herc gives voice to the silenced characters, in this feminist, queer (and sometimes shocking) retelling of classic Hercules myth.

Perfect for fans of Madeline Miller and Joanne M. Harris

The riveting new book on the momentous year, campaign, and election that shaped American history.

It’s January 2, 1960: the day that Massachusetts Senator John F. Kennedy declared his candidacy; and with this opening scene, Chris Wallace offers readers a front-row seat to history. From the challenge of primary battles in a nation that had never elected a Catholic president, to the intense machinations of the national conventions—where JFK chose Lyndon Johnson as his running mate over the impassioned objections of his brother Bobby—this is a nonfiction political thriller filled with intrigue, cinematic action, and fresh reporting. Like with many popular histories, readers may be familiar with the story, but few will know the behind-the-scenes details, told here with gripping effect.

Featuring some of history’s most remarkable characters, page-turning action, and vivid details, Countdown 1960 follows a group of extraordinary politicians, civil rights leaders, Hollywood stars, labor bosses, and mobsters during a pivotal year in American history. The election of 1960 ushered in the modern era of presidential politics, with televised debates, private planes, and slick advertising. In fact, television played a massive role. More than 70 million Americans watched one or all four debates. The public turned to television to watch campaign rallies. And on the night of the election, the contest between Kennedy and Nixon was so close that Americans were glued to their televisions long after dawn to see who won.

The election of 1960 holds stunning parallels to our current political climate. There were—potentially valid—claims of voter fraud and a stolen election. There was also a presidential candidate faced with the decision of whether to contest the result or honor the peaceful transfer of power.

In his seventh business book, bestselling author, entrepreneur, and investor Gary Vaynerchuk offers fresh, in-depth advice to enhance brand development, grow sales, and beat the competition using modern advertising strategies grounded in social media.

In his 2013 bestseller Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook, Gary Vaynerchuk showed the world how to create winning content for underpriced attention channels. But since then, new platforms have emerged, others have become less relevant, and algorithms are incentivizing new styles of content. New skills are necessary to create advertising that builds brand and sales.

In his latest book, Vaynerchuk argues that today’s fast-growing businesses, brands, content creators, and influencers have one thing in common: they mastered storytelling in areas of underpriced attention, which predominantly exists across a handful of social media platforms. Informed by 20+ years of business and marketing success, he contends that the biggest transformation and opportunity is the “TikTokification of Social Media.” Increasingly, platforms are distributing content based on what users are interested in, rather than who they follow.

Small businesses, large corporations, and creators can take advantage of this trend to develop brand and grow sales by producing relevant, strategic content, even if they don’t have an audience. But how does one make relevant content? What should advertisements look like, in this new world?

In this book, Vaynerchuk provides detailed answers to these questions and more, revealing the tactics to master modern advertising with strategies you can apply to the moment you’re currently living in.

The Hawks, South Africa’s elite crime-fighting force, have put scores of our worst criminals behind bars. In this book, investigative journalist Graham Coetzer offers us a rare glimpse into the secretive world of this top police unit.

While exposing the deviousness of South Africa’s dangerous criminals, Hunting with the Hawks is also an ode to the hard work and dedication of the best of our police service.

This beautifully illustrated book will share the infinite wisdom of flowers,providing inspiration from nature to gain perspective,resilience and live a beautiful life.

Taking sixty of the world’s most amazing flowers and flowering plants, including the corpse flower from Indonesia, the bat-face cuphea and the chocolate cosmos flower from Mexico, the Pohutukawa tree from New Zealand, the lipstick tree and the giant water lily from South America, the voodoo lily from the Mediterranean, the lesser-known plum blossom and the skeleton flower from Japan, and not forgetting the beautiful jade vine from the Philippines, this book will share their unique symbolism and the characteristics and strengths that allow them to thrive, inspiring us to follow their example and make the most of every moment.