There is a lot that they don’t (and probably can’t) teach you in school. It feels like we spend a lot of time learning about plant cells and different types of rocks and too little time learning about budgeting, being healthy, human rights, sexual health, surviving heartbreak, and financial freedom.

The truth is that sometimes (often!) it is hard to be an adult. It involves making decisions all the time. It’s expensive. You have to navigate mostly dodgy expectations and stories about work and relationships and sex and your finances. And sometimes you want to scream – WHY DID NOBODY TELL ME THIS?

Join Jen Thorpe as she tells you about all the things you wish you knew as an adult. Thorpe covers your health, relationships, sex, work and money. She also discusses the government, media and social media, crime and climate change. This book is about how to survive in the real world, filled with helpful advice and practical tips, it has everything you need to know.

News of the sensational priosn escape of the murderer and 'Facebook rapist' Thabo Bester, assisted by his lover, celebrity doctor Nandipha Magudumana, shocked South Africa.

In this book, Marecia Damons and Daniel Steyn, the Ground Up journalists who first exposed the scam, tell the full story, from Thabo and Nandipha's life stories and their unlikely love affair, all the way to his faked death and their eventual arrest, though in disguise, in Tanzania.

In this multi-billion rand corruption memoir, former Bosasa C.O.O and whistleblower, Angelo Agrizzi rips open the can of worms, exposing two decades of untold greed, politicking, corruption, bribery and deep state capture.

Inside the Belly of The Beast is a detailed confession, exposing the intimate fraudulent workings of a company, under the cult-like leadership of Gavin Watson. Agrizzi is one of few people with a first-hand account of what really happened behind the closed doors of Bosasa.

VELD Birds of Southern Africa: The complete photographic guide incorporates the latest photographs of, and research and atlas information on, all species of birds recorded in southern Africa to date.

This comprehensive field guide contains almost 2 000 beautiful colour photographs, as well as:

• the latest information on all 991 bird species in southern Africa
• concise entries focusing on identification, behaviour, possible confusion and habitat, along with differences in sex, age, colour morphs and subspecies
• at-a-glance information on each species’ size, food, status and sociality
• brand-new, colour-coded distribution maps reflecting each bird’s status and abundance
• full-length and quick indexes
• an app providing bird calls and additional photographs of plumage variations.

An essential companion, whether you’re out in the field or on the couch at home.

Darlings of Durban follows the stories of four friends and how their lives intersect and influence each other.

Natasha owns a successful beauty company and is in a serious long-term relationship with the charming Sizwe. Natasha worries that his family will never truly accept her because of her mixed heritage. Does she even believe in marriage? Natasha often seeks the advice of her friend Sofia who's happily married with children. Sofia is the glue that holds the darlings together. The cousins, Farhana and Razia, both have their own complicated marriages. Farhana tries her best to support her husband in his harebrained schemes - even when it's to the detriment of her friendships. While Razia, the only darling in Johannesburg, feels stuck in her role as subservient wife to a husband whose attention is elsewhere.

All four women are navigating the complexities of love and life. But whatever life throws their way, the darlings always have each other.

Excellentia is g’n gewone skool nie. Die plek is vol geheime en tradisies wat Quinn se hare laat rys. Maar sy is nie daar om te integreer nie – sy is daar om te leer. Ongelukkig is die lewe nie so voorspelbaar soos ’n chemie-eksperiment nie. En soms maak dit nie saak wat jy doen nie, die moeilikheid kom soek jou.

In November 1993, ANC activist and development worker Clare Stewart’s body was found in a shallow ditch in rural KwaZulu-Natal as the province sat on the brink of civil war. Amid the ensuing chaos and euphoria of South Africa’s ‘new dawn’, the details of Clare's killing would stay hidden beneath the surface.

This gripping, moving account of Clare’s life and the mystery surrounding her death touches on the fragility of memory, family loss, apartheid’s evils, and the fault lines in our democracy.

"John, I’m exhausted. I barely have energy to change my socks, never mind reimagine a new life for me or my family. I’ve been working around the clock – for less money – to keep my job . . . Everyone wants something from me, and you know what, pal, I’m depleted. I have nothing left to give."

This is what John Sanei has been hearing over the past year as we come to terms with our bewildering, ever-shifting post-Covid world. In Who Do We Become?, John maps out our strange, new world and lays down a path to reframe our thinking, to recognise our discomfort, to survive and thrive.

Infused with empathy and personal anecdote, the book is divided into three sections. In Part 1: ANGUISH, John explores how to courageously mourn the loss of our ‘normal’ preCovid world. Part 2: ABNORMAL, shows us how to understand this new environment and recognise that uncertainty is the new normal. And in Part 3: ADVENTURE, John provides a toolkit for us to forge out into the new world, to succeed and recognise the signs of rebirth and renewal.

Mervyn King has transformed the global business landscape. King advocated reporting on society and the environment, not only on profit. His legacy transcends borders and continues to guide companies worldwide. His journey was enriched by his experience as a commercial lawyer; by his work as an advocate and a judge; and by his stellar career as a businessman, chair and director of many organisations.

DAVID WILLIAMS recounts his story.

The love language of the Cape Malays is food, and author Cariema Isaacs says tramakasie (thank you) every day that she gets to express herself in this way.

Modern Cape Malay Cooking, Cariema’s fourth cookbook, is a celebration of food and feasting, providing a contemporary view of Cape Malay cuisine and simple home cooking. The recipes showcase a blend of flavours that redefine the Cape Malay palate through modern ingredients and global influences. Though traditional Cape Malay cuisine and recipes have stood the test of time, adaptations have given rise to a culinary fusion. This is especially thanks to the Cape Malay millennial generation that craves popular dishes from the East and West, such as a comforting pasta or a quick stir-fry, but with a Cape Malay twist – this means it must be spicy, it must be saucy and it must be packed with flavour!

In Modern Cape Malay Cooking, Cariema shares the recipes and influences that have inspired these modern dishes, with simple ingredients and vibrant aromatics for anyone who is curious and courageous enough to create flavour.

Many people want to lose weight and are looking for the easiest way to do so. When it comes to weight-loss programmes, one of the excuses most frequently heard by dieticians is ‘I don’t know how to prepare the right meals’. This book provides a solution to that.

In A Slimmer You Cookbook, the author presents recipes for 1000 kJ meals to suit individual preferences, family circumstances and budgets. It demonstrates that by monitoring your portions, you can cook for a family, eat healthily, and enjoy a variety of foods, all while achieving your goal of losing weight. But eating correctly is not just about following a recipe or meal plan; we need to understand how what we eat affects our health. The introduction includes topics such as BMI and cholesterol, how to balance daily food intake with physical activity levels, the role of carbohydrates, proteins and fats in our diet, making the most of ‘free’ vegetables, and tips on how to interpret food labels.

Contents: Introduction; Breakfast; Salads; Soups; Chicken; Meat; Fish; Pasta; Preparing starches; Versatile vegetables; Meal plans; Store-cupboard essentials; Frequently asked questions.

On 1 January 1999, Travis Gale (aged 17) and Stephen Bonaconsa (aged 27) left Johannesburg on a mission to cycle across four continents and raise R1 million for children living with, and affected by HIV/AIDS in KwaZulu-Natal. They pedalled out of Johannesburg, riding mountain bikes equipped with panniers, carrying the basic requirements for an adventure. They rode unsupported. No Instagram or Facebook. It was just the two of them and the open road. The pair successfully cycled over 16 000 kilometres, across four continents, through 16 countries, raising R1.7 million for their cause.

When asked to share about his experience, Travis very rarely spends time talking about the start or the finish of the tour. The stories Travis shares are from The Middle. It’s The Middle that tests us with challenges, yielding a multitude of emotions. It’s The Middle that involves the raw and often painful need to dig deep, to push through the barriers that stand in our way, and show ourselves what we are capable of. The Middle is what we, as human beings, were designed for. We can all pitch up at start lines. We can all celebrate a finish. But no finish is without a Middle and every Middle is where WHO WE ARE is revealed.

This book, The Middle, includes eight stories, drawn from eight key days of a world cycle tour, which will encourage and equip people through The Middle; the territory we must navigate in pursuit of our goals.

In 1985, a group of white South African business leaders, led by Gavin Relly, the executive chairperson of Anglo American, travelled to a game lodge in Zambia to meet with the exiled ANC leadership under Oliver Tambo and Thabo Mbeki. This visit set in motion a coordinated and well-resourced plan by big business to influence and direct political change in South Africa.

In The ANC Billionaires, top-selling author Pieter du Toit draws on first-hand accounts by major roleplayers about the contentious relationship between capital and the ANC before, during and after the country’s transition to democracy, and shows how the liberation organisation was completely unprepared to navigate the intersection between business and politics.

He also ties the rise of the new elite – including Cyril Ramaphosa, Patrice Motsepe and Saki Macozoma – to the ANC, a party of government and patronage.

In the past decade, hundreds of thousands of women from poorer countries have braved treacherous journeys to richer countries to work as poorly paid domestic workers. In From servants to workers, Shireen Ally asks whether the low wages and poor working conditions so characteristic of migrant domestic work can truly be resolved by means of the extension of citizenship rights. Following South Africa's 'miraculous' transition to democracy, more than a million poor black women who had endured a despotic organization of paid domestic work under apartheid became the beneficiaries of one of the world's most impressive and extensive efforts to formalize and modernise paid domestic work through state regulation. Ally explores the political implications of paid domestic work as an intimate form of labour. From Servants to workers integrates sociological insights with the often-heartbreaking life histories of female domestic workers in South Africa and provides rich detail of the streets, homes, and churches of Johannesburg where these women work, live, and socialise.

Emma van der Walt is a pastor, mother and wife, and woman of God. She is also the fearless founder of the nonprofit organisation, Brave to Love. They tackle the dark world of sex trade and human trafficking head on to rescue young women from the clutches of evil. These girls are then lovingly cared for and guided as they embark on their new beginnings.

Emma and her team work side by side with local and international law enforcement agencies. Together they combat human trafficking and slavery to uncover the corruption and immense suffering that goes on behind closed doors.

This is her story and the shocking tales of the lucky ones who survive to escape the hell of human trafficking.

In the past two months, Thabo has experienced many exciting things.

He has:

• Flown to Mars;
• Met two Martians;
• Almost been eaten by a pod of seriously dodgy aliens;
• And also flown off Mars.

Now, Thabo and all his friends - human and alien - are on their way to the planet Gliese. Everything will go super-smoothly ... Right?!

The highly anticipated new cookbook from South Africa’s award-winning and bestselling cookbook author and chef.

Here she presents a brand-new cookbook full of delicious and easy-to-follow recipes from the African continent. Mogau shows readers how to host any occasion with stylish and tasty food, from soul-warming one-pot dinners, hearty plant-based dishes, and irresistible easy bakes to signature seven-colour meals, decadent desserts, and a vibrant cuisine. Patiently and with the exuberance her social followers will know well, she explains how to cook her incredible Oxtail stew, her savoury rice-stuffed chicken or her mouth-watering blueberry malva pudding.

Hosting with the Lazy Makoti is the food cookbook for every occasion - even if it's just a party for one.

In November 2019, Deon Wiggett’s sensational weekly podcasts held South Africa in thrall as he hunted down the paedophile who raped him as a schoolboy. Now, in My Only Story, he completes his exposé of Willem Breytenbach, the once brilliant teacher and later media luminary who led a predatory life.

Deon’s mission to expose his abuser takes him from Breytenbach’s high-school years at an agricultural school in South Africa’s hinterland to the famous Grey College in Bloemfontein and the media titan Naspers. But his quest reveals so much more. As he traces systemic failures through schools great and small, he uncovers a culture of complicity that poses a clear and present danger to the country’s children. While investigating men who prey on boys and girls, Deon devises a model that anyone can use to identify paedophiles in their midst. In his own words: ‘It’s pleasant to pretend that men don’t rape children, but once you accept that they do, it becomes surprisingly easy to recognise their trickery. Once you match a universal pattern to a specific man’s profile, you can spot the deceit before it is too late.’

My Only Story is a riveting, thoughtful and often irreverent account of one man’s determination to overcome childhood trauma; to help others face their demons; and to extract some beauty from the boyhood he lost.