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Books > Promotion > New Reads > Social & Politics
Life is frequently about ‘turning up’ and Tony Leon was present at the making of history both big and small. Being There is a frank and insightful collection of insider accounts from a life in politics. The centrepiece is Leon’s riveting diary of the GNU negotiations that went down to the wire following the 2024 elections. This is the first and only inside account of these talks. He also casts his gimlet eye on the fault lines of the Middle East, shares ambassadorial adventures in Argentina, and outlines the perils of political party fundraising. Written in Leon’s vintage style – observant, witty, acerbic – he proves the maxim that much of success is simply about being there.
Since the Zuma presidency weakened crime intelligence, violent crime surged, with murder rates rising over 75%. South Africa faces severe femicide, and most murderers evade justice. Prisons fail by perpetuating crime; harsher sentences do not help. Edwin Cameron, after visiting prisons, advocates for reform. Along with colleagues, he suggests abolishing minimum sentences, cash bail, and decriminalizing drug use to improve safety and justice.
On the night of 30 October 2002, eight bomb blasts tore through Soweto,
leaving one woman dead and damaging vital infrastructure. The bombs
were the work of a far-right white Afrikaner separatist group called
the Boeremag, whose stated aim was to overthrow the ruling ANC
government, rid the country of black people and reinstate a new
Boer-administered republic. For months before the bombings, police had
been investigating the terror group and had made several arrests. In
December, after an intense cross-country manhunt, the perpetrators were
finally caught. All in all, 23 men were arrested and charged with high
treason after the police seized explosives, homemade pipe bombs,
weapons and ammunition in arms caches hidden all over the country.
Douglas Murray, international bestselling author and renowned cultural
commentator confronts what he views as the most pressing issue of our
time: why Western support of the Palestinian cause is ultimately
playing into the hands of a much more dangerous force.
This book describes the anguish of men battling with mental health issues and reflections from the people who treat them. Marion Scher weaves together the stories of South African men who have confronted their mental health issues with the stories the doctors who treat them have to tell. It gives practical guidance on where men (and their friends and families) can turn for help in overcoming the ever-increasing scourge of mental illness in our society. Marion Scher is a well-known SA mental health journalist and has done pro bono work for SADAG for over 30 years.
What role could music play in a death camp? What was the effect on those women who owed their survival to their participation in a Nazi propaganda project? And how did it feel to be forced to provide solace to the perpetrators of a genocide that claimed the lives of their family and friends? In 1943, German SS officers in charge of Auschwitz-Birkenau ordered that an orchestra should be formed among the female prisoners. Almost fifty women and girls from eleven nations were assembled to play marching music to other inmates - forced labourers who left each morning and returned, exhausted and often broken, at the end of the day - and give weekly concerts for Nazi officers. Individual members were sometimes summoned to give solo performances of an officer's favourite piece of music. It was the only entirely female orchestra in any of the Nazi prison camps and, for almost all of the musicians chosen to take part, being in the orchestra was to save their lives. In The Women's Orchestra of Auschwitz, award-winning historian Anne Sebba tells their astonishing story with sensitivity and care.
In what will surely become a classic of South African non-fiction, Led by Shepherds begins with twelve-year-old Jeffrey Rakabe leaving his village to attend an initiation ceremony, believing it to be the key to his manhood. But the weeks-long rite of passage in the mountains is a far cry from the adventure he’d imagined. Years later, as a student, Rakabe discovers the nurturing world of books and thrives within the hush of the Johannesburg Public Library. The presence of caring women in his life, from his concerned mother and supportive partner to a librarian who feeds his intellectual curiosity with a steady supply of literature, spur Rakabe to investigate the possible links between the koma ritual, awash with misogynistic language, and gender-based violence in SA. Part memoir, part manifesto, Led by Shepherds is a moving, vital and controversial book and Jeffrey Rakabe a brave voice for a new generation.
Weaving in fifty years of experience with Israel, Bernard-Henri Lévy analyzes global responses to October 7, the new virulent waves of the oldest hatred in the world: anti-Semitism, why Israel is waging this existential war against barbarism alone, and what’s at stake for Israel and the world. Bernard-Henri Lévy’s Israel Alone is a passionate and outraged cri-de-coeur, about the loneliness of Israel and the tragedy of October 7, starting with Lévy’s eyewitness account the day after the pogroms. On October 8, 2023, Bernard-Henri Lévy flew to Israel to bear witness to the unprecedented invasion and massacre committed by Hamas. Israel Alone begins here and weaves in Lévy’s fifty years on the ground in Israel, from his first trip in 1967, his experiences writing on all the conflicts since, and his participation in various peace plans and contacts with all the Israeli leaders from Menachem Begin to Shimon Peres and from Ariel Sharon to Yitzak Shamir and Yitzak Rabin. From his unique philosophical and humanist perspective, Lévy analyzes the ultimate evil unleashed on Israel on October 7 and delves into how the Islamic Republic of Iran, Russia, radical Islamist groups, Turkey, and China have played roles and profited from this tragedy. The book addresses how October 7, though historic in scope, became, within weeks, a “detail” in the global consciousness amid a worldwide eruption of anti-Semitism, cloaked in anti-Zionism. Lévy deconstructs the arguments of those calling for a “cease-fire now” without the release of all hostages and of those who demand that October 7 be seen within a greater “context.” Lévy’s meditation on the soul of Zionism and Israel shows why this war is existential, not only for Israel but for the global West. And yet, despite the urgency and critical nature of this war, Israel takes it on alone. Lévy analyzes, today, why this is so and why Israel’s solitude is greater than ever.
From autism to allergies, ADHD to long Covid, more people are being labelled with medical conditions than ever before. But can a diagnosis do us more harm than good? The boundaries between sickness and health are being redrawn. Mental health categories are shifting and expanding all the time, radically altering what we consider to be 'normal'. Genetic tests can now detect pathologies decades before people experience symptoms, and sometimes before they're even born. And increased health screening draws more and more people into believing they are unwell. An accurate diagnosis can bring greater understanding and of course improved treatment. But many diagnoses aren't as definitive as we think. And in some cases they risk turning healthy people into patients. Drawing on the stories of real people, as well as decades of clinical practice and the latest medical research, Dr Suzanne O'Sullivan overturns long held assumptions and reframes how we think about illness and health.
Evolution is a series of bets, and no animal gambles the way humans do.
This has led us to unprecedented ecological dominance, via the steepest
odds and unlikeliest of outcomes, but our winning streak cuts both
ways: the secret to our success may yet be our downfall.
A history of humanity on the brink of decline. We are living through a period that is unique in human history. For the first time in more than ten thousand years, the rate of human population growth is slowing down. In the middle of this century population growth will stop, and the number of people on Earth will start to decline - fast. In this provocative book, award-winning science writer Henry Gee offers a concise, brilliantly-told history of our species--and argues that we are on a rapid, one-way trip to extinction. The Decline and Fall of the Human Empire narrates the dramatic rise of humanity, how a scattered range of small groups across several continents eventually inbred, interacted, fought, established stable communities and food supplies, and began the process of dominating the planet. The human story is relatively brief―the oldest fossils of H. Sapiens date to approximately 300,000 years ago―yet the spread of our species has been unstoppable…until recently. As Gee demonstrates, our population has peaked, and is declining; our environment is becoming inimical to human life in many locations; our core resources of water, arable land, and air are diminishing; and new diseases, simmering conflicts, and ambiguous technologies threaten our collective health. Can we still change our course? Or is our own extinction inevitable? There could be a way out, but the launch window is narrow. Unless Homo sapiens establishes successful colonies in space within the next two centuries, our species is likely to stay earthbound and will have vanished entirely within another ten thousand years, bringing the seven-million-year story of the human lineage to an end. With assured narration, dramatic stories, and his signature sprightly humor, Henry Gee envisions new opportunities for the future of humanity―a future that will reward facing challenges with ingenuity, foresight, and cooperation.
Do you want to live a life driven by intention, not impulse? Are you curious about the neuroscience behind addictive behaviours? Social media, eating and gambling are just some of the things that can trigger a release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter in our brain’s reward system that has a huge influence on our behaviours and habits. In The Dopamine Brain, addiction expert and clinical psychologist Dr Anastasia Hronis lifts the lid on dopamine – what it is, how it works inside our brain and how it drives our daily choices – so we can take back control. Packed with the latest research in neuroscience and psychology, fascinating case studies and actionable advice, you’ll find out:
We all have the power to transform our life – this book will show you how.
In this moving narrative of resilience and pure love, three mothers share their experiences and learnings about life alongside autism Kate Swenson, Adrian Wood and Carrie Cariello are from different parts of the country and backgrounds, but they were brought together by a singular experience: they are each a mother to a child with autism. Together they have shared laughter, tears, victories and the unconditional love that molds their lives. Kate, Adrian and Carrie have children with very different autism profiles, and in Autism Out Loud they write about their unique experiences on a variety of topics, from diagnosis to caregiving, schooling and aging. Through their varied stories and lessons they’ve learned, these incredible women provide a glimpse of what to expect on the autism journey and show parents that they are not alone. Written with honesty and heart, the stories within these pages serve as a reminder that even amid the storms of life, there is always hope and beauty to be found. A tribute to the unparalleled love of mothers, this inspiring book illuminates the joys, challenges and everyday miracles of life on the spectrum.
Budapest, autumn 1943. Four years into the war, Hungary is allied with Nazi Germany and the Hungarian capital is the Casablanca of central Europe. The city swirls with intrigue and betrayal, home to spies and agents of every kind. But Budapest remains at peace, an oasis in the midst of war where Allied POWs, and Polish and Jewish refugees find sanctuary. The riverside cafes are crowded and the city's famed cultural life still thrives. All that comes to an end in March 1944 when the Nazis invade. By the summer, Allied bombers are pounding its grand boulevards and historic squares. Budapest's surviving Jewish population has been forcibly relocated to cramped, overcrowded Yellow Star houses. By late December, the city is surrounded and under siege from the Red Army. Tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians die in the savage siege as Budapest collapses into anarchy. Hungarian death squads roam the streets as the city's Jews are forced into ghettos. Russian artillery pounds the city into smoking rubble as starving residents hack chunks of meat from dead, frozen horses. Using newly uncovered diaries, documents, archival material and interviews with the last survivors, Adam LeBor brilliantly recreates life and death in the wartime city, the catastrophic fate of half of its Jewish population and the destruction of the siege. Told through the lives of a cast of vivid, gripping characters, including glamorous aristocrats, spies, smugglers and SS Officers, a rebellious teenage Jewish schoolboy, Hungary's most popular actress and her spy chief lover, a Jewish businesswoman who negotiated with Adolf Eichmann, a Christian doctor hiding her Jewish neighbours and a teenage Hungarian soldier, the story of how Budapest slowly dies as the war destroys the city is utterly compelling.
In ’n pragtige plattelandse dorpie ontvou ’n ondenkbare tragedie.
Deveney Nel, ’n talentvolle 16-jarige, se lewe eindig skielik, en die
gemeenskap, saam met die res van die land, is geruk. Julian
Jansen, skrywer van topverkoperboeke soos Moord op Stellenbosch,
het as misdaadverslaggewer vir Rapport van die begin af oor die saak
geskryf. Hy benut sy uitgebreide kontakte binne die polisie, sowel as
onderhoude met vriende en familie om die gebeure te rekonstrueer en om
Deveney Nel te eer.
In the heart of a village untouched by the world’s chaos, five-year-old
Popina took solace in the simple joys of childhood – climbing mango
trees, chasing baby baboons, and exploring the fields. But her
innocence was shattered in an instant when a group of strangers invaded
the village, bringing with them a terror that a young girl could never
have imagined.
STRONGER MUSCLES AND BONES, INCREASED MOBILITY, LIFELONG INDEPENDENCE
AND A NEW MENTALITY FOR AGEING WITH POWER.
Including a six-week, master exercise protocol to jumpstart skeletal and muscular strength, critical information about baseline blood and mobility tests that will help you understand your current health state, and twenty easy, anti-inflammatory recipes, Unbreakable is an invaluable guide to adding more vibrantly healthy life to your years.
Captain Jonathan Morris, the Confessor Cop, used empathy to extract
confessions from even the toughest criminals. With a 99% success rate,
his cases, from catching serial killer Jimmy Maketta to investigating
the Sizzler’s Massacre, earned him the respect of prosecutors and
profilers. In this memoir, Michael Behr explores Morris’s high-profile
investigations and personal struggles, revealing the man behind the
badge in a gripping blend of true crime and personal story.
Julian Jansen, author of bestselling true crime books like The De Salze
Murders, tells the Devené Nel story.
A richly imagined new view on the great human tradition of apocalypse, from the rise of Homo sapiens to the climate instability of our present, that defies conventional wisdom and long-held stories about our deep past to reveal how cataclysmic events are not irrevocable endings, but transformations. A drought lasts for decades, a disease rips through a city, a civilization collapses. When we finally uncover the ruins, we ask: What happened? The good news is, we’ve been here before. History is long, and people have already confronted just about every apocalypse we’re facing today. But these days, archaeologists are getting better at seeing stories of survival, transformation, and even progress hidden within those histories of collapse and destruction. Perhaps, we begin to see, apocalypses do not destroy worlds, but create them anew. Apocalypse offers a new way of understanding human history, reframing it as a series of crises and cataclysms that we survived, moments of choice in an evolution of humanity that has never been predetermined or even linear. Here Lizzie Wade asks us to reckon with our long-held narratives of these events, from the end of Old Kingdom Egypt, the collapse of the Classic Maya, to the Black Death, and shows us how people lived through and beyond them—and even considered what a new world could look like in their wake. The more we learn about apocalypses past, the more hope we have that we will survive our own. It won’t be pleasant. It won’t be fair. The world will be different on the other side, and our cultures and communities—perhaps even our species—will be different too.
Discover the power of DBT with this 12-week workbook. Getting started with dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) can feel like a lot, but this friendly guide breaks it down into simple steps over a clear, 12-week schedule that helps you build the skills to balance your emotions and achieve your goals! Each week, you'll practice healthier habits that make it easier to manage intense emotions, reduce stress, build happier relationships, and create lasting change in your life. What is DBT?―Get an overview of DBT with simple terms and relatable examples to help you understand the 4 key principles: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. Hands-on exercises―Dive into an easy-to-follow program of writing prompts, questions, routines, and more that make it easy to put DBT into practice every day. Guidance from a therapist―Author Valerie Dunn McBee is offers compassionate support through her years of clinical experience. Build stronger self-worth and emotional intelligence with The 12-Week DBT Plan.
A revelatory, inside look the Biden, Harris, and Trump camps during the 2024 battle for the White House, arguably the most consequential contest in American history. The ride was so wild that it forced a sitting president to drop his re-election bid, a once and future president to survive felony convictions and a would-be assassin’s bullet, and a vice president, unexpectedly thrust into the arena, to mount an unprecedented 107-day campaign to lead the free world. Fight is the backstage story of bloodsport politics in its rawest form—the clawing, backstabbing, and rabble-rousing that drove Donald Trump into the White House and Democrats into the wilderness. At every turn, the combatants went for the jugular, whether they were facing down rivals in the other party or their own. Bestselling authors Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes give readers their first graphic view of the characters, their motivations, and their innermost thoughts as they battled to claim the ultimate prize and define a political era. Based on real-time interviews with more than 150 insiders—from the Trump, Harris, and Biden inner circles, as well as party leaders and operatives—Fight delivers the vivid and stunning tale of an election unlike any other. In the end, Trump overcame voters’ concerns about his personal flaws by tapping into a deep vein of dissatisfaction with the direction of the country. At the same time, Democrats struggled to connect with an electorate that felt gaslit by Biden’s insistence that he had delivered economic prosperity—and his pledge to be a “bridge” president. He tore his party asunder, leaving destroyed personal relationships in his wake, as he clung to power. And when he gave it up, he kneecapped Harris by demanding unprecedented loyalty from her. As Allen and Parnes have done in the #1 New York Times bestseller Shattered and Lucky, they provide readers with a skeleton key to the rooms where it all happened, revealing a story more shocking than previously reported.
Douglas Murray, international bestselling author and renowned cultural
commentator confronts what he views as the most pressing issue of our
time: why Western support of the Palestinian cause is ultimately
playing into the hands of a much more dangerous force.
Izikhothane―township youth from impoverished backgrounds who engage in mock battles of conspicuous consumption where luxury items are often destroyed―gained notoriety in South Africa in the early 2000s. Sifiso Mnisi delves into the life of the izikhothane, providing an in-depth account of what it means to be a young man within the ukukhothana (Zulu slang for “boasting”) subculture and showing how their seemingly destructive behavior can be a complex way of asserting their masculinity and demanding recognition in a society that has historically dehumanized them. |
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