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It was the World Day of Social Justice yesterday. In her book, Conversations with my Sons and Daughters, Mamphela Ramphele urges young South Africans to set aside their fears, take control of their rights and responsibilities as citizens in upholding the values of the constitution; and to confront the growing inequality that is undermining good governance, social justice and stability in South Africa.
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The famed action sports show Nitro Circus Live hit South African shores this past week! Making Champions by Michael Jenkins includes a chapter on legendary off-road motorcycle champion, Alfie Cox and is just the thing to help you re-live the excitement of the show or to get you revved up if you’re going to see it this weekend in Johannesburg. |
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The big news in the digital sector this week is that Facebook has bought out messaging application WhatsApp. In a radically transforming digital economy, Nicholas Lovell’s The Curve offers a new way of doing business and of seeing the world. The Curve shows us not to be afraid of giving some things away for free. The internet helps you forge direct relationships with a vast global audience, and take them on a journey from freeloaders into superfans. Value lies in how you make people feel, by building communities, bespoke products and experiences. Small numbers of high spenders are enough to fuel a profitable business. |
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The second test match against Australia began yesterday in Port Elizabeth. While selectors work hard to find the next great all-rounder after Jacques Kallis’ retirement from test cricket, you can learn more about the man himself and some of South Africa’s other great all-rounders in Jacques Kallis & 12 Other Great South African All-rounders by Ali Bacher and David Williams.
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All eyes are on Russia at the moment with the Winter Olympics well underway in Sochi. In his book, The Last Man in Russia, Oliver Bullough offers a portrait of the country like no other; a quest to understand the soul of Russia. Award-winning writer Oliver Bullough travels the country from crowded Moscow train to empty windswept village, following in the footsteps of one extraordinary man, the dissident Orthodox priest Father Dmitry. His moving, terrifying story is the story of a nation: famine, war, the frozen wastes of the Gulag, the collapse of communism and now, a people seeking oblivion. |