Volgens PG du Plessis het Pirow Bekker ʼn “benydenswaardig-heldere pen”. In hierdie, Bekker se 23ste publikasie sedert 1965, word die leser meegevoer deur sy herinneringsreise na plekke van herkoms en vroeëre verblyf, sowel as die verlede in sy eie gedagtes. Daar is juwele in hierdie teks.

’n Belangrike bydrae van die boek is die beligting van demensie en Alzheimer. Beurtelinge se stralende eerlikheid maak dit ʼn waardevolle werk.

Emma Bekker se debuutpundel Skryn (poësie) is goed ontvang en die eerste druk het uitverkoop. Hierdie bundel kortverhale getuig van dieselfde fyn waarneming, musikaliteit, verbeeldingrykeid en sensualiteit. Dit gaan hier oor struktuur, oor lae van betekenis en gevoel, oor die skelette van stories wat met vel oorgetrek word. Die verhale is soms donker, soms humoristies, altyd vreesloos en eroties gelaai. Die onderwerpe strek van ’n porn-ster se hartseer oor sy ma se dood tot ’n uitbundige relaas van ’n skoolkonsert.

Handbook of HIV Medicine represents the knowledge, skill and experience of more than sixty experts in HIV medicine, making it the definitive reference book for southern Africa.

This third edition remains invaluable for doctors, medical students, and primary health care workers, presenting an updated approach to critical issues. It is ideal for quick reference in urban and rural clinics and hospital wards.

The handbook is targeted specifically at the needs of the developing world and contains guidelines on antiretroviral therapy, HIV emergencies, and adult and paediatric HIV medicine.

Ek het ‘n Engel gesien is stories wat skrywer en raak prater Amore Bekker ontvang het as voormalige RSG-aanbieder nadat sy luisteraars gevra het om hul ontmoetings met en geletedeel. “Die terugvoering was oorweldigend,” sê sy. “En met elke storie was die versoek, ‘Sit dit vir ons in ‘n boek, asseblief’.”

Dié boek is gevul met diep menslike ervarings van hoogs geestelike wesens vanuit elke uithoek van ons land...Van gevaarlike paaie en traumatiese ongelukstonele tot pediatriese sale en intensie sorgeenhede ... Van die verpletterde ma wat langs haar dogter se ongelukstoneel gehelp is deur drie onsigbare vroue in hoëhakskoene en die wanhopige pasiënt wie se oorlede ouma ‘n leerskare engele na haar bed toe gelei het tot die geheimsinnige vertroosting van 'n wit veer op ‘n tafel in 'n industriële gebied sonder bome of voëls.

Rakende hier die sonderlinge versameling, haal Amore ‘n wyse man aan: “Dit wat ons kantel, tel glad nie; dit wat ons nie kantel nie, is al wat tel.”

Die verhale in Ek het ‘n Engel gesien gaan inderdaad oor die onsigbare en ontelbare wat elke leser sal verstom en inspireer.

Die woord “skryn” het verskillende betekenisse: 'n Skryn is 'n klein kissie of houer waarin kosbaarhede soos juwele bewaar word, en as werkwoord kan die woord dui op afskuur of -skaaf (soos wat 'n skrynwerker doen) of op 'n pynlike wrywingsproses (vandaar die beskrywing van 'n ervaring as “skrynend” of “skrynerig”). Alhoewel al hierdie betekenisse geaktiveer word in Emma Bekker se debuutdigbundel, sal die leser vergeefs soek na konvensionele “vroulike” skatte soos juwele, klere en meubels. Reeds in die tweede gedig is daar 'n aanduiding van wat in die res van die bundel te wagte gaan wees: In hierdie herinnering aan 'n ontwrigtende kinderervaring, word die dogtertjie se krytblikkie, versier met 'n afbeelding van die Taj Mahal, 'n soort skryn word waaraan sy kan vashou. Algaande ontvou die beweging tussen die skrynende en die kosbare wat as gedigte bewaar word en word die bundel self die skryn. 'n Tweede belangrike tema in die bundel is die verkenning van 'n enigsins ongewone, onkonvensionele vroulikheid. Al open die bundel met 'n kwatryn oor die gewone buurt met “'n drankwinkel, 'n pawn shop en die Spar” waar die digteres woon, word hierdie skynbaar gewone voorstedelike bestaan gou die vertrekpunt van waar verskillende enigsins alternatiewe en onkonvensionele vroulikhede ondersoek word. Sy maak die luike van die binnekamer oop en ervaar tuin, veld en stad; Sy herken die tierboskat in haar skootkat en in haarself; In die liefdespel wil sy niemand se baby wees nie; Sy waag dit om op 'n tweede wittebrood die jas van “onverpoosde verantwoordelikheid” uit te trek en in die kombuis gee sy haar oor aan die sinnelike vreugde – en soms selfs wrede – van kosmaak. Bewaring en blootstelling, kwesbaarheid en krag, sinnelikheid en spiritualiteit word in hierdie bundel verwoord deur 'n vaardige digteres wat sowel die tug van die kwatryn, die liriese van kabaretagtige verse as vryer, narratiewe verse beheers.

Die omslag van die bundel met sy abstrakte figure suggereer die gesprek wat in hierdie bundel gevoer word met die self, die geliefde, die lewe en die dood. Die digter ondersoek erskillende fasette van ’n lang en kreatiewe lewe. In die eerste afdeling kom die verhouding met die aarde ter sprake; in die tweede afdeling die ambivalente verhouding met die land waarin hy gekies het om te bly woon, ten spyte van die ongenaakbaarheid van klimaat, plae en sosio-politieke kwessies. In die volgende afdelings kyk die digter op ironiese wyse na die dreigende dood wat hom in verskille gedaantes voordoen. Dan volg gedigte oor die liefde: vir die taal, die woord en vir die geliefde vrou. Die fyn humor waarmee die digter na die ouderdom kyk, sorg dat die laaste gedigte nie neerdrukkend is nie, maar die lewe bly omhels, soos in “Hansie Slim herbesin”, waarin gespot word met die “mediese kernplan” waarmee voorsorg vir siekte en ouderdom getref word. En tog, die hele infrastruktuur ten spyt verlaat Hans sy huis, begeef hy hom op ’n lukraak ryloopreis die wyer wereld in. Daarom kan die digter in die slotgedig terugkyk op die verrassing van ’n lewe wat sonder beplanning of padkaart, sy eie verloop geneem het.

Met die skerp waarnemingsvermoe eie aan sy skryfwerk bring Pirow Bekker met die bundel alledaagse gegewens opnuut onder die leser se aandag. Benewens die satiriese gedigte oor die aktuele werklikheid waarvoor Bekker ook bekend geword het, bevat die ses afdelings van die bundel ook mooi liefdesverse, gedigte oor die ouderdom en gedigte oor die verlange van ouers na hul kinders in die vreemde.

Although much has been said and written about the need for government to adapt to the new realities that resulted from the transformed paradigms in the Information Age, the world is lacking practical, tangible solutions on how to respond to these changes. This title analyses the trends that can be regarded as manifestations of transition, as the world struggles to get to grips with adopting deeply entrenched paradigms and traditional truths to enable effective service renderings and restore the declining relationship between government and its clients, the Information Age citizenry.

Citizen participation has developed into an ideology rather than a practical mechanism to promote participation by citizens and to improve local governance. This comprehensive publication substantiates the concept as a phenomenon in the discipline of public administration and development. The relevance of this book is enhanced by its content which forms an information base reaching beyond the traditional target group of academics and practitioners.

Whisper lives in a circus. Even though she's just a cub, the lion tamer already starts teaching her tricks. Whisper's heart is sore. She doesn't want to do tricks like Mama and be in a cage. Mama tells Whisper that they come from Africa and were born to be free. They are rescued from the circus and taken to South Africa. There they are free to climb trees and roll in the grass.

Pickle sleeps tightly against Mama every night in the mountain. Early every morning, the whole troop of baboons start searching for food. Sometimes there isn't enough food in the mountain and on the beach. Then they have to go to the village. A mean man wants to chase Pickle and Mom out of a marula tree. But the woman and little girl who live there don't mind that they came to visit. Pickle now knows they have friends in the village.

Smiley plays with Mom in the shallow water. That day the little dolphin becomes friends with Leila, a girl who rides a surfboard with her dad. From then on, they play together every morning, having a great time. One terrible morning, there is plastic wrapped around Smiley and Mom, and they wash up on the beach. Leila finds them there. She and her dad do everything they can to save their new friends.

Humbug lives with his family in the marsh. The horses roam wild and are very shy. A photographer takes photos of them for a calendar. People really like the photos. One day the photographer brings a boy in a wheelchair along. Humbug forgets to be shy. He does all sorts of silly things to make the boy smile. It becomes a very special day and the boy promises to visit again.

Danser bly saam met sy familie in die vlei. Die perde loop wild rond en is baie skaam. ’n Fotograaf neem foto’s van hulle vir ’n kalender. Die mense hou baie daarvan. Eendag bring die fotograaf ’n seuntjie in ’n rolstoel saam. Danser vergeet om skaam te wees. Hy doen allerhande lawwe dinge om die seuntjie te laat glimlag. Dit word ’n baie spesiale dag en die seuntjie belowe om weer te kom kuier.

Druppel baljaar saam met Mamma in die vlak water. Die dolfyntjie raak vriende met Leila, ’n dogtertjie wat saam met haar pa op ’n branderplank ry. Van toe af speel hulle elke oggend tog te lekker saam. Een vreeslike oggend draai daar plastiek om Druppel en Mamma, en hulle spoel op die strand uit. Leila kry hulle daar. Sy en haar pa doen alles wat hulle kan om hulle nuwe vriende te red.

Patat slaap elke aand styf teen Mamma in die berg. Vroegoggend begin die hele trop bobbejane kos soek. Partykeer is daar nie genoeg kos in die berg en op die strand nie. Dan moet hulle dorp toe gaan. ’n Kwaai man wil vir Patat en Mamma uit ’n lukwartboom jaag. Maar die vrou en dogtertjie wat daar woon, gee nie om dat hulle kom kuier het nie. Patat weet nou hulle het vriende in die dorp.

This comprehensive textbook explores the policy process from a multitude of perspectives, including rationalism, culturalism, institutionalism and from a political point of view. This allows students to discover key concepts from the policy science literature and gain a deeper understanding of how public policy is discussed academically and shaped empirically. Public Policy in Action gives a detailed breakdown of all stages of the policy process by discussing the emergence of policy problems affecting the agenda, the formulation of policy alternatives, the decision-making process, the implementation of policies and the progression to evaluation, learning and policy change. The authors also outline the sets of factors which influence the steps of the policy process internally and externally. The book is supported by a wide variety of case studies from a number of national and international contexts of relevance to an international audience. Key features include: Up-to-date review of the literature on the policy process Coverage on all key elements of the policy cycle Insight into the complexity of policy making in practice Multiple perspectives of the policy process Critical reflections on the roles of policy analysts Multiple case studies including water management, migration and social policies. This extensive and detailed textbook will be an invaluable resource for undergraduate and masters students of public policy, policy analysis and public administration, by providing an insight into the complexity of policy making in the real world.

This comprehensive textbook explores the policy process from a multitude of perspectives, including rationalism, culturalism, institutionalism and from a political point of view. This allows students to discover key concepts from the policy science literature and gain a deeper understanding of how public policy is discussed academically and shaped empirically. Public Policy in Action gives a detailed breakdown of all stages of the policy process by discussing the emergence of policy problems affecting the agenda, the formulation of policy alternatives, the decision-making process, the implementation of policies and the progression to evaluation, learning and policy change. The authors also outline the sets of factors which influence the steps of the policy process internally and externally. The book is supported by a wide variety of case studies from a number of national and international contexts of relevance to an international audience. Key features include: Up-to-date review of the literature on the policy process Coverage on all key elements of the policy cycle Insight into the complexity of policy making in practice Multiple perspectives of the policy process Critical reflections on the roles of policy analysts Multiple case studies including water management, migration and social policies. This extensive and detailed textbook will be an invaluable resource for undergraduate and masters students of public policy, policy analysis and public administration, by providing an insight into the complexity of policy making in the real world.

Qualitative Researcher Vulnerability provides conceptual, experiential, and practical insights into the vulnerability of the qualitative researcher. Compared to participants’ vulnerability, researcher vulnerability has seen limited attention in the qualitative research process, but yet it is an important consideration. Drawing on an interdisciplinary group of authors—across criminology, education, feminisms, geography, health, kinesiology, nursing, management and organisation, policy, political science, psychology, sociology, and qualitative inquiry writ broad—the book explores the ways in which we might understand and work with researcher vulnerability, most notably in relation to ethics, risk, empathy, emotion, and power. Ultimately, the authors suggest researcher vulnerability is a vital component of our research practices throughout the research process, for emerging as well as experienced researchers. Whilst researcher vulnerability can be something to protect against, it is also something to be aware of, explore, learn from, work with, and at times (and with care and consideration) embrace. This book is suitable for undergraduate, post graduate students, and emerging and established researchers who are utilising qualitative research. It will be especially useful for researchers examining (potentially) sensitive topics, or for those who wish to develop more responsive, responsible, ethical, or reciprocal approaches to qualitative practices.