All the numbers on South Africa’s crisis dashboard are blinking red. The economy is failing to grow and more and more young people find themselves on the outside looking in as education falters and jobs disappear. Energy and transport are in crisis. Governance is floundering as debt mounts and government runs out of money.

Better Choices is a collection by South Africa’s top thinkers on the political economy, providing an unflinching account of the myriad challenges the country faces. The picture that emerges is of a nation on the brink of a catastrophic slide into failure unless better, if tough, policy choices are made. As stark as these problems are, their solutions are tantalisingly close at hand. The chapters in this book outline exactly the solutions – those ‘better choices’– that need to be made by leadership to alter the country’s bleak trajectory.

South Africa cannot talk its way out of trouble. Key to success is removing the sources of friction – the red tape, over-regulation and rents – that slow down investment. This is only possible if a more effective, focused government acts decisively.

Compiled by The Brenthurst Foundation, Africa’s leading think tank on economic development, Better Choices is for those who want to build a positive, inclusive future for South Africa.

Tales of Two Countries is Ray Dearlove’s third book. He takes the reader through his childhood in apartheid-era South Africa and the turbulent years before Nelson Mandela assumed the presidency in 1994.

Living in Australia for more than thirty years brought its own share of interesting people, events and opportunities. There are many stories about the raw challenges of moving countries. It has some very moving and some very humorous moments, all told in Ray’s discerning and direct style.

Forewords by Tony Park, Jean-Claude van Damme and Andrian Gardner.

Free Fall recounts how and why the present education crisis has become the leading cause for black university students in South Africa. Probing deep beneath the surface of the crisis, the book reveals uncomfortable truths about colonial- and apartheid-era education, and traces the tangled web of connections between foreign and South African business interests, the apartheid government, and the role of universities in propping up a white elite and co-opting a subservient black class to their cause.

It brings to life the people and ideas that, over a century-and-a-half, have created a perfect storm for the present crisis in South African higher education. Malcolm Ray combines intellectual rigour with the intimacy of narrative non-fiction, introducing readers to the main protagonists since the end of slavery in 1834, through the rise of missionary education as an instrument of indoctrinating and subjugating black people, and into the apartheid era. Beyond apartheid, the book details how policy blunders by the democratic government since 1994 have conspired with the past to fuel South Africa’s slide into increasing economic and social disarray.

It is the story of the failure of South Africa's democratic government to deal with major fault lines fissuring higher education, and the circumstances that led to the #RhodesMustFall and #FeesMustFall movements. The book ends on a high note, answering the question: ‘What now?’ This book aims to be the beginning of the solution.

"He either enchants or antagonizes everyone he meets. But even his enemies agree there are three things Ray Kroc does damned well: sell hamburgers, make money, and tell stories." --from Grinding It Out

Few entrepreneurs can claim to have radically changed the way we live, and Ray Kroc is one of them. His revolutions in food-service automation, franchising, shared national training, and advertising have earned him a place beside the men and women who have founded not only businesses, but entire empires. But even more interesting than Ray Kroc the business man is Ray Kroc the man. Not your typical self-made tycoon, Kroc was fifty-two years old when he opened his first franchise. In Grinding It Out, you'll meet the man behind McDonald's, one of the largest fast-food corporations in the world with over 32,000 stores around the globe.

Irrepressible enthusiast, intuitive people person, and born storyteller, Kroc will fascinate and inspire you on every page.

Being an entrepreneur is hard. What do you do when all the financial indicators are telling you your business is failing and you are a failure too? You know that you do have something special to offer and can ultimately succeed, but how do you overcome the odds of entrepreneurial failure? In his first book Raiz looked at what is takes to start a new business, in this, his second book, he explains how to get past the temptation to give up on your own business. Raiz uses a case study to show entrepreneurs how to face down the ultimate business survival questions: Do I concede or do I carry on? Do I find a way to build my business or do I get a job? Do I follow my head or risk following my heart? Allon has faced the same challenges himself and has coached countless business people through their own entrepreneurial journeys. A must read for entrepreneurs and business people who are facing failure and want to give up.

An engaging and accessible examination of what ails insurance markets—and what to do about it—by three leading economists.

Why is dental insurance so crummy? Why is pet insurance so expensive? Why does your auto insurer ask for your credit score? The answer to these questions lies in understanding how insurance works. Unlike the market for other goods and services—for instance, a grocer who doesn’t care who buys the store’s broccoli or carrots—insurance providers are more careful in choosing their customers, because some are more expensive than others.

Unraveling the mysteries of insurance markets, Liran Einav, Amy Finkelstein, and Ray Fisman explore such issues as why insurers want to know so much about us and whether we should let them obtain this information; why insurance entrepreneurs often fail (and some tricks that may help them succeed); and whether we’d be better off with government-mandated health insurance instead of letting businesses, customers, and markets decide who gets coverage and at what price. With insurance at the center of divisive debates about privacy, equity, and the appropriate role of government, this book offers clear explanations for some of the critical business and policy issues you’ve often wondered about, as well as for others you haven’t yet considered.

From the bestselling author of Everything Is Beautiful, comes an utterly heartwarming new novel, about what it truly means to belong to those you love.

When unexpected circumstances bring Grace's estranged daughter Amelia and granddaughter Charlotte to live in her home, complicated feelings start to emerge, revealing a messy and emotional past which drove this family apart.

It will take a school mystery, an exquisite miniature railway and some brave decisions to help them each find not only themselves, but also each other - and to appreciate what it truly means to belong together.

Combining a rich blend of research, best practice and policy, Strategic Information Systems Management is the eagerly awaited new introduction to the interconnected world we live and work in.

A top-ranked team of global experts combine both industrial and scholarly perspectives, bringing a wealth of experience to make this the complete introduction for 21st century business.

This textbook is essential reading for all Information Systems modules with a strategic focus and for broader Strategic Management, Information Management and professional courses.

It's Die Hard in a stadium when an American ex-soldier has to use all his lethal fighting skills to save 35,000 fans and prevent mass destruction when deadly Russian terrorists take a British football stadium under siege.

Believing his traitorous brother Dimitri is somewhere in the Upton Park stadium, Arkady, the former leader of a revolution in the Russian state of Sukovia, locks down the ground during the European semi-final between West Ham United and Dynamo FCC. In the crowd with his niece, Danni, is US-veteran Mike Knox, who stumbles upon the plot and goes about taking out Arkady's heavily armed team. Can he get to Arkady before Arkady gets to Dimitri?

The fate of 35,000 people inside the stadium and many more in Russia depends on it...

South Africa is facing an extraordinary ‘polycrisis’. The dimensions of this crisis include an energy collapse; a failing rail network; weak education outcomes; an interrupted water supply; and the effects of decades of endemic corruption that have brought much of government to a halt.

But the country also has incredible assets: a wealth of sought-after minerals; an enviable Constitution that protects rights and advocates social inclusion; an advanced financial and services sector; thriving agricultural and auto industries that compete with the best in the world; a prosecution service that is rapidly rebuilding; and, most of all, strong-willed people determined to make life better through hard work, entrepreneurship and hustling.

The choice is stark: we either build on the positives and take the country forward or we will be overwhelmed by the negatives and end up as another Zimbabwe or Venezuela. We have the people, the policies and the resources. What is missing is the political will to make the difficult choices that will save South Africa from disaster.

This book takes you on a journey that ends with one of three possible future scenarios: the Good, the Bad or the Ugly. Compiled by The Brenthurst Foundation and In Transformation Initiative, and workshopped with high-powered leaders in business and politics, the scenarios have stimulated intense public interest as the country grapples with its mounting problems.

The good news is that there is a clear road towards a positive future. It will take courageous leadership and smart thinking to get there, but the ‘Good’ scenario is tantalisingly within grasp.

For fans of Gene Luen Yang’s American Born Chinese and Svetlana Chmakova’s Awkward, this funny yet poignant middle-grade coming-of-age story highlights the struggle of feeling invisible while yearning to be seen by all.    Kevin Lee is having a really bad week. Although he lives in a crowded Toronto apartment above the family’s alterations and dry-cleaning store, he mostly goes unnoticed. School isn’t exactly an oasis either—being one of the few Asian kids makes for some unwelcome attention. But when Kevin’s class plans a trip to Thrill Planet, a spectacular theme park, will he finally have a chance to turn his life around, or will it just be another day for Kevin Lee?

This is the astonishing true story of Zeraffa, a giraffe who was sent as a gift from Egypt to France in 1827. A young boy takes care of Zeraffa on her epic journey to Paris, where she is the first giraffe ever seen. Everyone falls in love with the beautiful giraffe. An amazing story by an award-winning author and an internationally acclaimed artist.

From legendary investor Ray Dalio, author of the international bestseller Principles, who has spent half a century studying global economies and markets, Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order examines history's most turbulent economic and political periods to reveal why the times ahead will likely be radically different from those we've experienced in our lifetimes - but similar to those that have happened many times before. A few years ago, Ray Dalio noticed a confluence of political and economic conditions he hadn't encountered before. They included huge debts and zero or near-zero interest rates that led to massive printing of money in the world's three major reserve currencies; big political and social conflicts within countries, especially the US, due to the largest wealth, political and values disparities in more than 100 years; and the rising of a world power (China) to challenge the existing world power (US) and the existing world order. The last time that this confluence occurred was between 1930 and 1945. This realisation sent Dalio on a search for the repeating patterns and cause/effect relationships underlying all major changes in wealth and power over the last 500 years. In this remarkable and timely addition to his Principles series, Dalio brings readers along for his study of the major empires - including the Dutch, the British and the American - putting into perspective the 'Big Cycle' that has driven the successes and failures of all the world's major countries throughout history. Dalio reveals the timeless and universal forces behind these shifts and uses them to look into the future, offering practical principles for positioning oneself for what's ahead.

For fans of Gene Luen Yang’s American Born Chinese and Svetlana Chmakova’s Awkward, this funny yet poignant middle-grade coming-of-age story highlights the struggle of feeling invisible while yearning to be seen by all.    Kevin Lee is having a really bad week. Although he lives in a crowded Toronto apartment above the family’s alterations and dry-cleaning store, he mostly goes unnoticed. School isn’t exactly an oasis either—being one of the few Asian kids makes for some unwelcome attention. But when Kevin’s class plans a trip to Thrill Planet, a spectacular theme park, will he finally have a chance to turn his life around, or will it just be another day for Kevin Lee? Praise for Alterations “A funny and heartfelt story that beautifully communicates the honest and awkward relationships we have with life and our immigrant parents.�  —Dan Santat, Caldecott Medal winner and creator of A First Time for Everything 

Drawing on the diverse experience of a team of internationally recognised specialists, Teaching Political Sociology provides educators with a concise and accessible guide to the main topic areas likely to form part of term, semester, or year-long courses in political sociology. The book focuses on the key pedagogic challenges posed to teachers of political sociology, from general issues of value-freedom and engagement with students’ political commitments, to more specific issues which arise in relation to sensitive areas such as political violence and extremist ideologies of the far right. Chapters introduce readers to the state of the art in a wide range of topics, including race and postcoloniality, postcommunism, legal sociology, human rights, and the sociology of war and peace. Highlighting the challenges and opportunities presented by these topics for political sociology teaching and curricula, the book provides an invaluable starting point for educators. Diverse in scope and approach, and offering an evaluation of appropriate literature at various levels, this book will prove an essential resource for teachers of political sociology and related fields such as international relations.

In the 1920s and 1930s, Oregons legendary bridge engineer Conde B. McCullough designed a first-rate collection of aesthetic bridges on the Oregon Coast Highway to enhance an already dramatic and beautiful landscape. The six largest of these, at Gold Beach, Newport, Waldport, Florence, Reedsport, and Coos Bay, eliminated the last ferries on the Oregon Coast Highway between the Columbia River and California. McCullough planned to build one bridge each year after completion of the Rogue River Bridge at Gold Beach in 1932, but the tightening grip of the Depression threatened his plans. In 1933, McCullough and his staff worked day and night to finish plans for the remaining five bridges, and in early 1934, the Public Works Administration funded simultaneous construction of them. The combined projects provided approximately 630 jobs, but at least six workers perished during construction. After the bridges were complete, Oregon coast tourism increased by a dramatic 72 percent in the first year.

When Mr and Mrs Little (Hugh Laurie and Geena Davis) visit an orphanage to find a brother for their son George (Jonathan Lipnicki) they come away with a charming talking mouse called Stuart. After initial misgivings, George and Stuart begin to get on famously, and everything seems to be going perfectly; but unknown to the family, the neighbourhood cats have ganged together with the sole intention of getting rid of Stuart. Co-written by M. Night Shyamalan ('The Sixth Sense') and featuring state-of-the-art computer-generated effects and Michael J. Fox as the voice of Stuart.

Billy Bob Thornton directs and stars in this drama set in 1960s Alabama featuring an ensemble cast that includes Robert Duvall, John Hurt, Kevin Bacon, Robert Patrick, Frances O'Connor and Ray Stevenson. Jim Caldwell (Duvall), an ageing World War I veteran, is the head of a family that includes two sons who fought in World War II, Skip (Thornton) and Carroll (Bacon). Almost 30 years ago the family was torn in two when Jim's wife left him and moved overseas to marry Brit Kingsley Bedford (Hurt). When Mrs Bedford passes away her will indicates that she'd like to buried back home in Alabama, setting the Caldwells and the Bedfords on collision course. How will the two families change each other?

Triple bill of crime dramas. In 'Bad Karma' (2012), starring Ray Liotta and Dominic Purcell, a criminal's attempts to go straight are sabotaged by his former partner. Relocating from Sydney to the Gold Coast to start afresh, Molloy (Liotta) is remarkably successful and even finds something approaching domestic bliss with a new girlfriend. Naturally, when his old crime partner Mack (Purcell) tracks him down he finds that Molloy is reluctant to return to his past life. Unfortunately, this doesn't deter the increasingly deranged Mack as he sets about convincing Molloy to help him pull off one last job. In 'The Entitled' (2011) social misfit Paul (Kevin Zegers) is driven to desperate measures when he is turned down for yet another job and his ill mother is given a foreclosure notice on the family home. He enlists the help of two friends to abduct three kids from rich families and hold them ransom for a million dollars each, but the plan goes badly wrong and they soon find themselves in way over their heads. 'Officer Down' (2012) follows Detective David Callahan (Stephen Dorff), known as 'Cal' on the force, who has had a mixed career as a police officer, struggling with drink problems and straying to the wrong side of the law himself at times. When he finds himself caught up in a murder investigation, Cal must attempt to overcome the demons from his own past as well as the challenges of the case.