Compiled by Ruth Parker and showcasing Brita Lomba’s evocative photographs, this collection pays tribute to our oldest living companions – the majestic trees that grace South Africa’s wild and urban spaces, nourishing our intricate, often fragile ecosystems.

South Africans from a range of backgrounds – writers, conservationists, historians and tree lovers of all stripes – offer intimate tales of their encounters with these extraordinary beings: from forest giants to shade-giving childhood companions, from urban landmarks to remote desert dwellers, from mighty baobabs to storied vines. Each account distils the essence of a beloved tree and shows how its long life is interwoven with human culture and history.

The branches of this diverse selection bear rich fruits for readers with a passion for nature, history or photography. Tree Encounters is a moving homage to these quiet, powerful mainstays of the natural world – and a compelling plea for their protection.

The limits of fifteen-year-old Kambili's world are defined by the high walls of her family estate and the dictates of her fanatically religious father. Her life is regulated by schedules: prayer, sleep, study, prayer. When Nigeria is shaken by a military coup, Kambili's father, involved mysteriously in the political crisis, sends her to live with her aunt. In this house, noisy and full of laughter, she discovers life and love - and a terrible, bruising secret deep within her family. This extraordinary debut novel from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, author of 'Half of a Yellow Sun', is about the blurred lines between the old gods and the new, childhood and adulthood, love and hatred - the grey spaces in which truths are revealed and real life is lived.

Koketso Sylvia Milosevic runs a global business, travels the world managing her property empire, and hosts international TV shows about investing in property. How didan ordinary girl from the township of Ga-Rankuwa achieve all this, amassing considerable wealth in the process?

In Winning the Property Game, Koketso reveals how she built her property portfolio, turning it into a multi-million-rand business.

Toe sê sy, terwyl sy skuins afkyk na die mat, asof sy met haarself praat: “Vir te lank in my lewe het ek ongedefinieerd geleef. Ek weet nie wie ek is nie.”

Iets of iemand moet die katalisator wees wat ’n mens aan die dink sit oor jouself. Die vrou van Waterkloof was dit vir my, die een wat my oor myself laat wonder en bewus gemaak het: hier binne is ’n mens. Die vraag laat vra het: Wie is ek?

Oorkant jou is gevul met die stories van die uiteenlopende mense wat Juliana Coetzer se pad kruis as psigoterapeut. Deur hul verhale van swaarkry en herstel, neem Juliana die leser op ʼn reis wat eintlik ons almal sʼn is: Die pad van grootword en eienaarskap neem.

Sy vertel hoe sommige kliënte haar inspireer en uitdaag om haar eie vrese te konfronteer, maar ook watter uitwerking dit op terapeute het om aan die wreedheid van die mensdom blootgestel te word. Daar is die families wat uitmekaar geskeur is as gevolg van seksuele misbruik, die man wat sukkel met sy selfbeeld weens afknouery en ook die prostituut Venicia wat ’n tragiese symbool van verwaarlosing word.

Juliana se aardse humorsin maak dat sy egter ook die komiese oomblikke raaksien – totdat die volgende storie oor die menslike toestand jou wind uitslaan.

Lienke en Dezi beleef die vakansie van hulle lewe in Kalkbaai.

By die hotel ontmoet hulle Danroy, 'n kelner wat vakansiewerk doen, wat hulle na al die mooiste plekke in die baai vat. Hulle leer ken Danroy se "skwad" en sy geliefde Uncle Kaz. Dan is daar 'n tragedie op see wat Danroy en sy ma se lewe omkeer.

Soos Uncle Kaz altyd sê: "Mens het net drie goete nodig om gelukkig te wees: iemand om lief te hê, iets om jou hande mee besig te hou, en iets om na uit te sien."

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.

The Misery Merchants is a hard-hitting exposé of G4S, the company running one of South Africa’s private prisons in Mangaung. Hopkins presents up-close encounters with the gangs who run the prisons, and a unique insight into the minds of the men on the torture squad, who doused inmates with water before electrocuting them, and in some cases, strapped down ‘unruly’ prisoners and forced anti-psychotic medicines into their systems.

In the Free State of Ace Magashule, both the gangs and the prison bosses competed to run Mangaung Prison, one of South Africa’s few private prisons. Torture and forced medication were the order of the day. Hopkins, a seasoned journalist, has interviewed over 100 prisoners and many prison warders in order to understand what makes this prison so dysfunctional. Her insights and revelations will astonish you.

This book follows several characters who were held in or worked at the prison. L. is a prison gang general and an advocate for prisoners’ rights. He smuggled information on assaults, injections and corruption out of the prison for the author. Dan is a prison guard and a shop steward for the union. He led the workforce during two strikes and paid for it with his job and union membership. Setlai is a Department of Correctional Services official who blew the whistle on the abuse at Mangaung Prison in 2009. His reports were ignored and he was punished for speaking out. He was criminally charged and moved to another DCS post. Shakes is a member of the Emergency Security Team (EST) also known as the Ninjas. He engaged in torture and abuse but now feels ‘what we did was wrong’.

G4S is the largest security company in the world, and has its claws deep in SA’s government and private companies. Drive down any street and you’ll find a G4S van collecting or delivering money.

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.

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.

Relationships are wonderful . . . until they're not.

Have you ever thought, I can't keep doing this--something has to change? Or, I've tried everything to fix this relationship but nothing is working--I fear I'm becoming someone I don't even like? Or even, I love this person, but this is starting to feel impossible?

You've listened to all the advice. But you're beginning to realize that if the other person doesn't want to change what's broken in the relationship, you can't change it on your own. So now what?

Lysa TerKeurst understands this dance with dysfunction and wants to be your insightful, compassionate friend who will teach you that it isn't unloving to set a boundary, and it isn't unchristian to say goodbye. You'll be relieved to learn that boundaries aren't just a good idea, they're a God idea.

This eye-opening book will be refreshingly helpful in giving you the biblical wisdom and confidence to set boundaries you can keep, communicate them, and finally see them working in your life. Good Boundaries and Goodbyes was born out of Lysa's own personal struggles with boundaries, extensive theological research, and therapeutic experiences that transformed the way she defined and pursued healthy relationships. Lysa is now more committed than ever to loving people well without losing the best of who she is. She wants to help you do the same.

Celebrate the incredible career of pop music’s biggest star in this sparkling biography.

We’re all living in the Taylor Swift Era. Since her 2006 debut album she’s sold more than 200 million records, sold out countless arenas and become one of the most influential artists of her generation. Her Eras Tour is on track to gross more than $1 billion by the time it concludes in December 2024, and her most recent studio album hit No. 1 in more than 25 countries.

In this revealing and entertaining biography, author and music journalist Caroline Sullivan charts Taylor’s journey from budding country starlet to pop music phenomenon, encompassing her evolution as an artist, her high-profile relationships and the stories behind her songs. Each of Taylor’s Eras is explored in depth, detailing her influences, her collaborators and the aesthetics that have become such a crucial part of her performance.

Featuring a stunning photographic section with pictures spanning her entire career, this is the most complete portrait yet of one of the most popular artists on the planet.

Captured in stunning Ultra-high definition detail, Planet Earth II is an immersive exploration of the jungles, mountains, deserts, islands, grasslands and cities of the world.

Journey to the four corners of the globe to discover the extreme forces that shape life in each of these iconic landscapes and the remarkable ways animals manage to overcome the challenges of surviving in the wildest places on Earth. From eye-to-eye encounters with incredible creatures to epic journeys through breathtaking wildernesses, experience the wonder of the natural world as never before.

Episodes:

• Islands
• Mountains
• Jungles
• Deserts
• Grasslands
• Cities

Almost fired for insubordination, detectives Benny Griessel and Vaughn Cupido find themselves demoted, exiled from the elite Hawks unit and dispatched to the leafy streets of Stellenbosch. Working a missing persons report on student Callie de Bruin is not the level of work they are used to, but it's all they get. And soon, it takes a dangerous, deeply disturbing turn.

Stellenbosch is beautiful, but its economy has been ruined by one man. Jasper Boonstra and his gigantic corporate fraud have crashed the local property market, just when estate agent Sandra Steenberg desperately needs a big sale. Bringing up twins and supporting her academic husband, she is facing disaster. Then she gets a call. From Jasper Boonstra, fraudster, sexual predator and owner of a superb property worth millions, even now.

For Sandra, the stakes are high and about to get way higher. For Benny Griessel, clinging to sobriety and the relationship that saved his life, the truth about Callie can only lead to more trouble.

This first South African edition of Human Development: A Life-Span View introduces the student to the issues, forces, and outcomes that make us who we are. It covers contemporary research and theory on human development, set within a South African context, with emphasis on the multidisciplinary approach needed to describe and explain how people change over time.

The text follows a chronological approach, tracing development from conception through late life in sequential order with several chapters dedicated to topical issues across the life span.

The organisation and learning features of the text are designed to make it easier for students to learn about human development.

Worlds collide in The Flash when Barry Allen uses his superpowers to travel back in time in order to change the events of the past. But when his attempt to save his family inadvertently alters the future, Barry becomes trapped in a reality in which General Zod has returned, threatening annihilation, and there are no Super Heroes to turn to.

That is, unless Barry can coax a very different Batman out of retirement and rescue an imprisoned Kryptonian… albeit not the one he’s looking for.

Ultimately, to save the world that he is in and return to the future that he knows, Barry’s only hope is to race for his life. But will making the ultimate sacrifice be enough to reset the universe?

Criminal defense lawyers must make their peace with one harsh fact of life: most of their clients are guilty. Yet when William Tucker, a celebrated and self-centered star college football player, is suddenly arrested and charged with the brutal rape and murder of a college co-ed two years before, his broken-down, drunken estranged father Frank can't believe he's guilty. What father could?

But Frank is also an ex-criminal defense lawyer. Now Frank must find a way to sober up and save his son from the death penalty sought by an ambitious district attorney.

Can a father's love for his accused son save him from death?

Quick answers to tough questions about Jesus' life, ministry, and divinity.

Is there archeological proof that Jesus existed? Did Jesus ever actually claim to be God? Is Jesus really the only way? There's a good chance that every Christian will be asked tough questions like these at some point in their lives, whether from combative skeptics, curious seekers, or even doubts in their own minds.

To help followers of Christ answer questions quickly and confidently, Josh and Sean McDowell adapted the wisdom from their apologetics classic Evidence That Demands a Verdict into an accessible resource that provides answers to common questions about Jesus.

Evidence For Jesus answers these questions and more:

• Is there evidence that Jesus was real?
• Did Jesus ever actually claim to be God?
• What makes Jesus unique from other religious figures?
• Is Christianity a copycat religion?
• What does the Old Testament teach about the coming Messiah?
• Did Jesus really rise from the dead?
• Why does the resurrection of Jesus matter?

Evidence for Jesus will equip brand new believers and lifelong Christians alike with time-tested rebuttals to defend their faith in Jesus against even the harshest critics.

This Cape Town, the Winelands & the Garden Route guidebook is perfect for independent travellers planning a longer trip. It features all of the must-see sights and a wide range of off-the-beaten-track places. It also provides detailed practical information on preparing for a trip and what to do on the ground. And this Cape Town, the Winelands & the Garden Route travel guidebook is printed on paper from responsible sources, and verified to meet the FSC’s strict environmental and social standards.

This guidebook covers: The City Centre; V&A Waterfront, Robben Island and De Waterkant; Table Mountain and the City Bowl, Southern Suburbs and Cape Flats; Atlantic seaboard; The False Bay seaboard to Cape Point; The Winelands; The Whale Coast and Overberg Interior; The Garden Route; Route 62 and the Little Karoo; Port Elizabeth, Addo and the private reserves.

Inside this Cape Town, the Winelands & the Garden Route travel book, you’ll find:

• A wide range of sights – Rough Guides experts have hand-picked places for travellers with different needs and desires: off-the-beaten-track adventures, family activities or chilled-out breaks
• Itinerary examples – created for different time frames or types of trip
• Practical information – how to get to Cape Town, the Winelands & the Garden Route, all about public transport, food and drink, shopping, travelling with children, sports and outdoor activities, tips for travellers with disabilities and more
• Author picks and things not to miss in Cape Town, the Winelands & the Garden Route – Table Mountain Aerial Cableway, Ocean Safaris, Township Tours, Zeitz Mocaa, Cape Point, The Bo-Kaap, Winelands, Mother City Queer Project Party, Neighbourhood Markets, Chapman's Peak Drive, Canopy Tours, De Hoop Nature Reserve, Robben Island, Cape Town International Festival, V&A Waterfront
• Insider recommendations – tips on how to beat the crowds, save time and money, and find the best local spots
• When to go to Cape Town, the Winelands & the Garden Route – high season, low season, climate information and festivals
• Where to go – a clear introduction to Cape Town, the Winelands & the Garden Route with key places and a handy overview
• Extensive coverage of regions, places and experiences – regional highlights, sights and places for different types of travellers, with experiences matching different needs
• Places to eat, drink and stay – hand-picked restaurants, cafes, bars and hotels
• Practical info at each site – hours of operation, websites, transit tips, charges
• Colour-coded mapping – with keys and legends listing sites categorised as highlights, eating, accommodation, shopping, drinking and nightlife
• Background information for connoisseurs – history, culture, art, architecture, film, books, religion, diversity
• Essential Afrikaans dictionary and glossary of local terms
• Free download of the eBook – available after purchase of the printed guidebook to Cape Town, the Winelands & the Garden Route
• Fully updated post-COVID-19

The guide provides a comprehensive and rich selection of places to see and things to do in Cape Town, the Winelands & the Garden Route, as well as great planning tools. It’s the perfect companion, both ahead of your trip and on the ground.

“There were three other people present, or five, depending on whom one chooses to include. Five, let’s say, the men divided from the women according to the timeworn tradition… The ceremony lasted precisely thirty minutes, as had been agreed on well in advance, not a second longer. One of the people present announced the end in a voice as blunt as it was relieved.”

What kind of bar mitzvah lasts no more than thirty minutes? Which five people could have been in attendance, and where could such a ceremony –– if there really was a ceremony –– have taken place under these circumstances? This book has echoes of a detective trail and as Denis Hirson gradually reveals the answers, he explores the wider ancestral and political strands of his story.

We are reminded of what the world might have looked like to a thirteen-year-old boy in the Johannesburg of the 1960s. This perspective is, thanks to his daughter, set against that same boy’s adult understanding of what had happened. This is a breathtaking account of the author being confronted by his own past.

My reis, eers as pleegma en later as aanneemma, was nie een waarop iemand my kon voorberei nie. Rooiletterkind is my poging om hierdie reis so eerlik as moontlik te ondersoek, vanaf die vertrekpunt een oggend voor ’n kerkdiens tot by ’n handgemaakte Moedersdagkaartjie meer as vyf jaar later.

Wat maak jy met ’n kind wat aanhou om teen jou liefde te baklei? Hoe help jy haar deur die slaggate van die lewe as jyself nooit daardeur is nie?

Dit is maar net twee van die vele vrae wat ek myself onophoudelik moes vra terwyl ek verbete vasklou aan ’n rooiletterdatum, ’n halsstarrige kind en ’n hart wat gereeld uit my borskas geruk word.

Saam met ons eie verhaal was daar egter ook ander stories wat vertel moes word — stories van ons kind se herkoms, van gebrokenheid en straatmense en kriminele en ’n drughuis sonder reëls of taboes.

From the #1 NYT bestselling author of Celery Juice and Liver Rescue, here's everything you need to know about cleansing.

Anthony William, the Medical Medium, has placed a vast wealth of insight into a one-stop resource for cleansing of all kinds, starting with his nine-day 3:6:9 Cleanse and expanding into life-saving plans for specific health needs - including an anti-bug cleanse, a morning cleanse and a heavy metal detox.

You'll discover:

• how to choose the cleanse that's right for you
• a deep dive into the causes of your symptoms and conditions
• critical cleanse dos and don'ts, including modifications and substitutions
• the truth about trendy topics such as fasting and the microbiome
• a guide to supplements you may choose to add to your cleanse
• more than 75 recipes and sample menus to cleanse
• spiritual and soul support to remind you that healing is possible

Every couple has their secrets . . .

It's wedding season, and tensions are brewing.

When one lavish wedding ends in disaster before it can even begin - with the maid of honour discovered dead in Nantucket Harbor just hours before the ceremony - everyone in the wedding party is suddenly a suspect.

As Chief of Police Ed Kapenash digs into the best man, the bride, the groom's famous mystery novelist mother, and even a member of his own family, the chief discovers that every wedding is a minefield - and that no couple is perfect.

Legends collide in Godzilla vs. Kong as these mythic adversaries meet in a spectacular battle for the ages, with the fate of the world hanging in the balance.

Kong and his protectors undertake a perilous journey to find his true home, and with them is Jia, a young orphaned girl with whom he has formed a unique and powerful bond. But they unexpectedly find themselves in the path of an enraged Godzilla, cutting a swath of destruction across the globe.

The epic clash between the two titans - instigated by unseen forces - is only the beginning of the mystery that lies deep within the core of the Earth.

The Bountiful Bowls Cookbook has 80 recipes to build a fresh, vibrant, and nutritious meal with easy to find ingredients. Features include:

•     Each recipe includes beautiful photos and easy-to-follow instructions on high quality pages for beginners and experts alike
•     Create nutritional balance in your meals with wholesome ingredients and superfood
•     Recipes range from gluten free, grain free, vegetarian, dairy free, raw, clean eating, and vegan
•     80 healthy recipes from breakfast to main dishes - one bowl meals!
•     The power of a bowl is not a new phenomenon. Many cultures have strong bowl food traditions, ranging from the northern European bowl of porridge to the Korean rice dish bibimbap
•     Nutritional Information included with every recipe