"What are democracies meant to do? And how does one know when one is a democratic state?" These incisive questions and more by leading political scientist, Steven Friedman, underlie this robust enquiry into what democracy means for South Africa post 1994.

Democracy and its prospects are often viewed through a lens which reflects the dominant Western understanding. New democracies are compared to idealised notions of the way in which the system is said to operate in the global North. The democracies of Western Europe and North America are understood to be the finished product and all others are assessed by how far they have progressed towards approximating this model. The goal of new democracies, like South Africa and other developing nation-states, is thus to become like the global North.

Power in Action persuasively argues against this stereotype. Friedman asserts that democracies can only work when every adult has an equal say in the public decisions that affect them. From this point of view, democracies are not finished products and some nations in the global South may be more democratic than their Northern counterparts. Democracy is achieved not by adopting idealised models derived from other societies – rather, it is the product of collective action by citizens who claim the right to be heard not only through public protest action, but also through the conscious exercise of influence on public and private power holders.

Viewing democracy in this way challenges us to develop a deeper understanding of democracy’s challenges and in so doing to ensure that more citizens can claim a say over more decisions in society.

After 25 years, Madam & Eve is still going strong and are back with more hilarious cartoons looking back at another year of the crazy rollercoaster that is COVID-restricted daily life and mixed with politics in South Africa.

Madam & Eve cartoons appear regularly in the Mail & Guardian, The Star, The Saturday Star, Herald, Mercury, Witness, Daily Dispatch, Cape Times, Pretoria News, Diamond Fields Advertiser, Die Volksblad, EC Today, Kokstad Advertiser and The Namibian.

Madam & Eve is South Africa’s best reminder that we need to laugh at ourselves as a society. The perfect gift for anyone wanting to understand South African politics.

After 25 years Madam & Eve is still going strong. The duo is back with more hilarious cartoons reflecting on another year of the crazy rollercoaster that is daily life and politics in South Africa.

Scholars agree that a direct correlation can be made between poor governance and the emergence of extremist movements. As UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres puts it: ‘I am convinced that the creation of open, equitable, inclusive and pluralist societies, based on the full respect of human rights and with economic opportunities for all, represents the most tangible and meaningful alternative to violent extremism.’ This book challenges both the efficacy and wisdom of purely militarised responses to extremist movements typified by the Global War on Terror, as well as the cursory replication of international counter-terrorism frameworks promulgated by the United Nations and European Union in Africa.

Emphasis is given to the importance of understanding local history, culture and regional geopolitics, among a variety of context-specific factors to truly understand and thereby effectively address the emergence and spread of extremisms in Africa. As such, it draws on contributions from a range of thematic and regional experts, including security-sector specialists, conflict analysts, journalists, international relations and governance specialists, political scientists, social anthropologists, psychologists and theologians, among others. A diverse range of extremist movements on the continent are examined, from radicalised religious groups to race-based organisations.

These case studies provide in-depth insight into answering why and how these movements came to be, while thematic chapters address issues pertinent to addressing them, such as public perceptions of extremism, methods of recruitment and radicalization among marginalised communities, supporting survivors of extremism and former combatants, strategic approaches to counter-terrorism and the role of governance, among others.

This is an introductory anthology and the first of its kind on this topic to be authored and published in the African continent.

This year we are in for a treat: After 25 years, Madam & Eve is still going strong and are back with more hilarious cartoons looking back at another year of the crazy rollercoaster that is daily life and politics in South Africa. Madam & Eve cartoons appear regularly in the Mail & Guardian, The Star, The Saturday Star, Herald, Mercury, Witness, Daily Dispatch, Cape Times, Pretoria News, Diamond Fields Advertiser, Die Volksblad, EC Today, Kokstad Advertiser and The Namibian.

Refined and streamlined, Systems Analysis And Design In A Changing World helps students develop the conceptual, technical, and managerial foundations for systems analysis design and implementation as well as project management principles for systems development.

Using case driven techniques, the succinct 14-chapter text focuses on content that is key for success in today's systems analysis and design. The authors use a highly effective presentation to teach both traditional (structured) and object-oriented (OO) approaches to systems analysis and design. The book highlights use cases, use diagrams, and use case descriptions required for a modeling approach, while demonstrating their application to traditional, web development, object-oriented, and service-oriented architecture approaches.

The Seventh Edition's refined sequence of topics makes it easier to read and understand than ever. Regrouped analysis and design chapters provide more flexibility in course organization. Enabling students to apply what they learn as they go, the text's running cases have been completely updated, and now include a stronger focus on connectivity in applications.

The multi-award-winning drama about the nuns and nurses of Poplar, East London, returns.

1971 sees the dawn of a new era - it heralds the launch of the Women’s Liberation movement in the UK. More babies are being born in hospital, and a complete reorganisation of the National Health Service is on its way.

As the year unfolds, the Nonnatus House team handle cases including a premature birth, slavery, carbon monoxide poisoning, male breast cancer, child cruelty and lupus.

There's trouble in paradise ... or is it murder? The third explosive Matt Standing thriller from the bestselling author of the Spider Shepherd series.

The SAS are used to deaths during combat - it goes with the turf. But when one of their own is said to have committed suicide in Thailand, red flags are raised.

Pete Green wasn't the sort of soldier who would ever take his own life - and no one is more sure of that than his twin brother, Davie.

Davie is determined to fly to the Land Of Smiles to find out what really happened to his twin brother. But if he is going to find out the truth he'll need help - the sort of help only SAS Sergeant Matt Standing can provide.

But soon after they arrive they come under attack, leaving Standing to investigate on his own. There are clearly people who want to shut down all enquiries and Standing knows he will have to use all his SAS jungle skills to survive. This will be the toughest of assignments but nothing will come between him and the truth ...

The third edition of Database Principles maintains its engaging writing style and brevity; its unique balance between theory and practice; and its wealth of examples throughout the text. It provides a solid and practical foundation for the design, implementation and management of database systems. The new edition has been updated with all the latest developments and technologies and incorporates a generous number of localised and motivating business vignettes that tie the concepts to real-life situations. The coverage of SQL provides numerous examples and simpler explanations that focus on areas most important for a database career. This edition is suitable for a first course in databases at undergraduate level and will also provide essential material for conversion postgraduate courses. Providing comprehensive and practical coverage of core database concepts, it is an ideal text not only for those studying database management systems in the context of computer science, but also those on courses in the areas of information systems and business information technology.

Hans was a grade-A student, but now he is an SS officer stationed at the infamous Auschwitz Birkenau concentration camp.

Charged by his superior officer with building a new, efficient gas chamber Hans slowly starts to realise the atrocity of what he is constructing. And when he befriends one of the intended victims little does he know that she has a secret that could change his life forever.

The Guard Of Auschwitz is a harrowing story of the human spirit's ability to survive even the most horrific of situations.

Stephen King's HOLLY marks the triumphant return of beloved King character Holly Gibney. Readers have witnessed Holly's gradual transformation from a shy (but also brave and ethical) recluse in Mr Mercedes to Bill Hodges's partner in Finders Keepers to a full-fledged, smart, and occasionally tough private detective in The Outsider. In King's new novel, Holly is on her own, and up against a pair of unimaginably depraved and brilliantly disguised adversaries.

When Penny Dahl calls the Finders Keepers detective agency hoping for help locating her missing daughter, Holly is reluctant to accept the case. Her partner, Pete, has Covid. Her (very complicated) mother has just died. And Holly is meant to be on leave. But something in Penny Dahl's desperate voice makes it impossible for Holly to turn her down.

Mere blocks from where Bonnie Dahl disappeared live Professors Rodney and Emily Harris. They are the picture of bourgeois respectability: married octogenarians, devoted to each other, and semi-retired lifelong academics. But they are harbouring an unholy secret in the basement of their well-kept, book-lined home, one that may be related to Bonnie's disappearance. And it will prove nearly impossible to discover what they are up to: they are savvy, they are patient, and they are ruthless.

Holly must summon all her formidable talents to outthink and outmanoeuvre the shockingly twisted professors in this chilling new masterwork from Stephen King.

Matilda Wormwood is a little girl with big curiosity, a sharp mind and a vivid imagination — and the worst parents in the world.

On meeting her inspirational teacher, Miss Honey, Matilda is encouraged and begins conjuring her own fantastical tales. Excited to attend Crunchem Hall, Matilda is surprised to find the school is an ominous and oppressive place led by the huge and villainous Miss Trunchbull. As well as kind Miss Honey, the bright lights among the meanness are story-loving librarian, Mrs. Phelps, and Matilda’s newfound school friends.

Matilda the Musical is an inspirational musical tale of an extraordinary girl who discovers her superpower and summons the remarkable courage to help others change their stories, and takes charge of her own destiny.

This emotionally-charged, critically acclaimed thriller reunites Stephen Dillane in his award-winning role as Karl Roebuck with Clémence Poésy as Elise Wassermann, in a provocative and thrilling drama.

The Tunnel: Vengeance is set in a post-Brexit Europe where the English and French teams come together once more in an emotionally charged finale.

When a stolen fishing boat is found adrift and on fire in the English channel, Karl and Elise believe the missing cargo consisted of trafficked migrant children. As a disenfranchised and toxic duo enact a terrifying endgame, Elise is shocked to the core by a miscarriage of justice from her past. Together and apart, they are forced to grapple with decisions they have made and must make decisions that cut to the deadly heart of the matter: what is the value of a single life?

After 31 years, Madam & Eve are still going strong and are back with more hilarious cartoons looking back at another year of the crazy rollercoaster that is daily life and politics in South Africa.

Madam & Eve is South Africa’s best reminder that we need to laugh at ourselves as a society.

The perfect gift for anyone wanting to understand South African politics.

All ten episodes from the second season of the action adventure show starring Hayley Atwell as the Marvel Comics character Peggy Carter.

Following the Second World War, Strategic Scientific Reserve (SSR) agent Peggy moves to Los Angeles intent on stopping new, atomic age threats to humanity.

In this season, Peggy finds links to Isodyne Energy after a powerful new substance is discovered, which, in the wrong hands, could have potentially catastrophic results.

Using a practical and easy-to-understand approach, DATABASE SYSTEMS: DESIGN, IMPLEMENTATION, & MANAGEMENT, 14th edition, equips students with a solid foundation in database design and implementation.

This market-leading resource provides in-depth coverage of database design, balancing theory and practice with engaging visuals. The 14th edition offers enhanced coverage of today's most commonly used database systems, including Oracle, MySQL, SQL Server and Microsoft Access.

Revised and reorganized chapters highlight SQL, big data analytics, NoSQL and data visualization technologies.

What if the secret to more energy, stronger immunity, better digestion and weight loss didn’t lie in a supplement, but rather in your gut? This book is part handbook, part recipe book, built entirely on scientific research and made for real life. It's not a fad diet. It’s a clear,
evidence-based guide to healing and supporting your gut, using practical strategies, real food and small steps that create lasting change for you and your family. You’ll learn:

• to understand your gut biome – explained in easy terms by a medical professional;
• how your gut and microbiome influence nearly every part of your health, from digestion and brain function to skin and immune resilience;
• why so many people damage their gut lining, and how to protect and rebuild it which foods and eating patterns truly support gut health;
• how to make and use fermented foods like yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut and pickled vegetables, even if you’re a beginner;
• and how to build a gut-supportive, family-friendly food plan.

Zibusiso Mkhwanazi’s entrepreneurial journey has taken him from being a digital advertising prodigy to founding South Africa’s largest black-owned advertising agency group. His experiences have led him to believe that anyone has the potential to become a leader.

In this book, Business By Grace – How I Built a World-Changing Advertising Business with R2 000, Zibusiso shares the lessons he’s learned along the way, highlighting that the road to success is never easy. From his early struggles and business breakdowns to his current status as a revered entrepreneur, Zibusiso’s account demonstrates how resilience, tenacity, and his faith have helped him overcome challenges. His story is both inspiring and informative, offering valuable insights for entrepreneurs and business leaders alike.

At its core, the book is a tribute to the South African spirit. It tells the story of a young boy who sold sweets at school and grew up to become one of the country’s most successful business icons.

Business By Grace is a compelling and engaging book, a must-read for anyone seeking inspiration and guidance on their own entrepreneurial path.

Steven Bartlett, creator of The Diary of a CEO, returns with his most unique and uncompromising book yet.

How do you do the thing when you don’t know how to do the thing?

There are two kinds of people in this world: those who talk about changing their lives, and those who actually do it. This book is written for the second group: for anyone ready to cross that line.

After close to a decade spent interviewing scientists and spies, monks and misfits, billionaires and athletes, founders and failures, Steven has learned one truth that sits above all others: the thing blocking you isn’t talent, luck, resources or readiness. It’s the wall you’ve built around yourself. And it’s not made of concrete - it’s made of paper.

Blending unforgettable stories from the world’s biggest doers with methods drawn from behavioural science, Just Fcking Do It gives you the tools to overcome fear, easy comfort, inertia, embarrassment or self-deception and to take action. Now. Before the window closes.

Because this isn’t just a book – it’s a wake-up call. Will you answer it?

DCI Banks returns for its grittiest season yet with an explosive serial crime story that weaves through three feature length episodes.

To Burn in Every Drop of Blood:
When the victim of a frenzied attack is found in woodland, the team wonder if it’s a random killing or related to the location - a shrine to a local girl who recently committed suicide there. But when Banks uncovers a link to local crime boss Steve Richards, he becomes convinced that this is his chance to finally nail the hitherto untouchable criminal.

A Little Bit of Heart:
What starts out as a missing person case in Leeds’ Chinese community soon escalates into a kidnap and ransom and then finally murder. Banks and his team are plunged into a world of protection gangs and the exploitation of immigrants before the discovery of a dark family secret reveals the true motive behind the crimes.

Undertow:
Banks and his team struggle to put personal feelings aside as they investigate the stabbing of a fellow officer. As they attempt to nail the culprit, Banks’ actions become increasingly reckless, forcing Chief Superintendent Anderson to put him on gardening leave. With Helen made Acting DCI, Banks finds himself operating on the other side of the law, using his years of experience to crack this most harrowing case.

In the wake of Charles Town, the world lives in fear of Captain Flint. But when his campaign of terror crosses over into madness, it falls to John Silver to locate the man within the monster.

Meanwhile, with Eleanor Guthrie gone, Jack Rackham and Captain Charles Vane struggle to secure Nassau for the ages. All will be tested when a new threat arrives.

It knows them. It understands them. And in the blink of an eye, it will turn them against each other.

At the very heart of all the success and failure I've been exposed to - both my own entrepreneurial journey and through the thousands of interviews I’ve conducted on my chart-topping podcast - are a set of principles that ensure excellence.

These fundamental laws underpinned my meteoric rise, and they will fuel yours too, whether you want to build something great or become someone great. The laws are rooted in psychology and behavioral science, in my own experiences, and those of the world's most successful entrepreneurs, entertainers, artists, writers, and athletes, who I’ve interviewed on my podcast.

These laws will stand the test of time and will help anyone master their life and unleash their potential, no matter the field.

They are the secret sauce to success.

Sometimes the hardest journey is the way back home . . .

Wily Odysseus, King of Ithaca, has won Troy for the Greeks – after a decade of brutal, bloody warfare. But now this warrior remembers he is a husband and father – and his gaze turns longingly towards home.

Setting sail with a small fleet, Odysseus dreams of soon lying in the arms of his beloved wife Penelope, and of teaching his son Telemachus the ways of a warrior. However, the gods laugh at the foolish hopes of mortals. And, angered by this upstart, Poseidon – God of the ocean realms – curses our hero to wander the seas for ten long years.

Encountering one-eyed giants, six-headed monsters, terrible storms, titanic whirlpools, hypnotic sirens, seductive witches and jealous goddesses, Odysseus is tempted and tormented beyond any man’s endurance.

Yet he is no mere mortal – and the lure of his wife and son draws him, step by step, stroke by stroke, ever closer to home and his ultimate destiny . . .

A tale of love and longing, return and redemption, home and hope, Stephen Fry’s Odyssey sees the author and national treasure weave the final threads of the fabulous story begun in the worldwide bestseller, Mythos, into an astonishing and mesmerising tapestry for the ages.

Bestselling author Sean Covey has made it his mission to understand trust in organizations. In his new breakthrough leadership book Trust and Inspire, Covey shows that though our world has evolved, our style of leadership still has not—but it’s time to change that.

Traditionally, businesses have relied on a “command and control” management style, focusing on rigid hierarchies and compliance from employees. Covey argues we must shift from a “command and control” to a “trust and inspire” leadership model. Trusting and inspiring your team is defined by commitment from both sides, with a focus on effectiveness and fostering a growth mindset. It is based on the belief that employees are creative, collaborative, and full of potential; through trust, you can inspire them to do their best work.

Trust and Inspire is a simple yet radical shift in how business must be done in the 21st century and an expansive, visionary, and inviting guide to the future of leadership.

A star-crossed lovers romance that spans a millennia, for fans of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, They Both Die at the End and One Day

‘Maybe that’s all love is, in the end. An endless tempting of fate.’

Evelyn can remember all her past lives. She can also remember that in every single one, she’s been murdered before her eighteenth birthday.

The problem is that she’s quite fond of the one she’s in now, and more importantly, her sister needs her for bone marrow transplants to stay alive. So now she has to:

1. find the centuries-old enemy who hunts her through each life and destroy them forever
2. figure out exactly why she’s being hunted in the first place,
3. try quite hard not to fall in love with them