Book of the Month University of Pretoria

Book of the Month Jan/Feb 2012

2012-01-19T04:37:00.001-08:00

Summa Angelica de casibus conscientiae by Angelo Carletti di Chivasso printed in 1491 in Strassburg by Martin Flach.

The first edition of the Summa Angelica appeared in the year 1476 and from that year to the year 1520 it went through 31 editions, 25 of which are preserved in the Royal Library at Munich. The "Summa" is divided into 659 articles arranged in alphabetical order and forming what would now be called a dictionary of moral theology. The most important of these articles is the one entitled "Interrogationes in Confessione". It serves, in a way, as an index to the whole work.

This incunabulum ( a book, pamphlet or broadside that was printed (not handwritten) before the year 1501 in Europe) was donated to the library by Prof. A. van Selms. It is the oldest book in die Library and is still in excellent condition, the binding intact and a few pages showing slight water damage.

Blessed Angelo Carletti di Chivasso was a noted moral theologian of the Order of Friars Minor ; born at Chivasso in Piedmont in 1411 and died at Coni, in Piedmont in 1495.

As noted in catholic hagiography, Angelo as Blessed Angelo was "known from early age for the holiness and purity of his life". He attended the University of Bologna where he received the degree of Doctor of Civil and Canon Law. It was probably at the age of thirty that he entered the Order of Friars Minor.

Book of the Month Dec 2011

2011-11-22T04:03:00.001-08:00

From Groot Constantia to Google : 1685 to 2010 : a colourful history of brands and branding in South Africa

A history of brands and branding in South Africa uses a narrative of South Africa's social, economic and political history and consumer culture as a backdrop to the stories of many of our most recognised brands both old and new
With over a thousand pictures and illustrations including advertisements, brand registrations, products, consumer culture and moments in history, many never published before, the book is a colourful and fascinating read. It will be picked up and explored again and again for interesting did-you-knows, but also valuable insights into branding, advertising and intellectual property protection over the years.
Many of the 400-plus brands recorded in this book are over 100 years old. One of these - Groot Constantia, which dates back to 1685, was exporting to Europe as early as the 1700's. A favourite tipple of Napoleon during his exile on St Helena it was also favoured by King Louis Philippe of France.
Google by contrast is a teenager, yet recognised as one of the top four most valuable brands in the world.
The opportunity to build brands moved to another level with the coming of media advertising. Our first newspaper was the bilingual Cape Town Gazette and African Advertiser or Kaapsche Stads Courant en Afrikaansche Berigter, launched on Saturday August 16, 1800. It was owned by slave dealers and privateers Alexander Walker and John Robertson - sole printers to the corrupt Governor Sir George Yong. Space was sold for sixpence a column inch and broked for two or three pence more. Almost 100 years later the first advertising agency, SA Advertising Contractors, was launched in Cape Town in 1899 and continues, after many name and ownership changes to the present day. Brand advertising expenditure in 2010 exceeded 26 billion rand
The colourful characters, brands and events that helped shape South Africa and turn it into the democratic commercial powerhouse of Africa are all part of this remarkable story that takes us from Groot Constantia to Google and a world in which branding is recognised as the most significant gift that commerce has ever made to popular culture.

Source : From Groot Constantia to Google : 1685 to 2010 : a colourful history of brands and branding in South Africa

Book of the Month Nov 2011

2011-10-19T02:54:00.000-07:00

Many lives : 150 years of being Indian in South Africa / Goolam Vahed, Ashwin Desai, Thembisa Waetjen.
The stories of heritage affect the senses and emotions as much as the intellect. They combine to make up a shared memory that gives meaning to identity in the present.
The importance of individual stories is also in their power to surprise and contradict, as much as to affirm, what we have been taught about the past. The images presented here invite the opportunity to look into faces, to see gestures, poses, movement and expressions of people who have been captured by the camera and held fast in time.
These faces challenge us to meet them on their own terms, to try and imagine social conditions different from our own. They challenge us to see them in three dimensions.
Where there is a tendency to imagine the past as mired in hardship and struggle against the liberated present, these visual stories insist that the past held its joys and creativity and that the challenges of poverty and inequality continue in the present.
This book, spanning the 150 years since the arrival of the first Indian indentured labourers in Natal, illustrates the power of photographs. Its lens is wide as it captures the social, the economic, the political, and the religious. It invites readers to see beyond images to the human experience in the photographs.
While the focus is broad, this collection of over 700 photographs does not ignore life's minutiae. The strength of the book lies in the interweaving of big events with the everyday as the photographs are brought to life with well researched vignettes that provide context and meaning. As it explores the many lives of Indian South Africans, this collection challenges the partitioning of identity, while acknowledging its pull and protective presence.
The story is a beguiling one that will provoke feelings of nostalgia, dissonance and intrigue, anger and hilarity, as the pages peel back history to reveal stories of passion and pain, the ordinary and the courageous

Source : Many lives : 150 years of being Indian in South Africa / Goolam Vahed, Ashwin Desai, Thembisa Waetjen.

Book of the Month October 2011

2011-09-22T01:39:00.000-07:00

South African timber buildings : a craft revived / by Rosemary Rudd
Because this book is a pictorial 'journal' of the history of timber construction, it begins with the first wood and iron structures in the country - some ordered from European catalogues - dating back to the early 1800's. Many of these historical buildings still exist today, having been lovingly restored and well maintained. Pleasingly, a number of them have been declared National Monuments. However, a vast number have been destroyed by greedy developers or damaged by vandals. It is highly likely that few, if any, of these charming old buildings will exist beyond the next decade of two and some people regard this as our ' dying heritage'
As the objective of the book was to attempt to change people's perceptions of timber construction, it ends with pictures of some of the truly beautiful homes currently being built right throughout South Africa. The versatility and durability of timber construction needs to be brought to the attention of consumers, and this book seeks to do just that.
.Something about the author:
Rosemary Budd was born in Ndola, Zambia in 1956. Since then she has lived in Zimbabwe (where she completed her education), in England and South Africa, believing that Cape Town is one of the most spectacular places in the world. She has an abiding love of animals, especially cats, and lives in Kommetjie with her husband Keith and their cat Raffles.
She has diplomas in Small Business Management, Business Enterprise Studies, Public Relations and Journalism, and says that her 12 year tenure with the Timber Frame Builders Association was some of the most rewarding work she has ever undertaken.
Another of Rosemary's passions is The Chaeli Campaign - a non-profit organisation, of which she was a founder member. The Chaeili Campaign, powered by children, administered by adults, whose mantra is "mobilising the minds and bodies of disabled children", raises funds for wheel-chair needy children throughout South Africa.

Source : South African timber buildings : a craft revived / by Rosemary Budd.

Book of the Month September 2011

2011-08-23T01:12:00.001-07:00

The motorist's paradise : early motoring in and around Cape Town / Bob Johnston, Derek Stuart-Findlay

The spectacular scenery of Cape town's mountains and seascapes has fascinated its citizens and visitors for centuries.

This is the story of how the city's early motorists opened up the Cape Peninsula and its hinterland.

Bob Johnston, the author of the definitive pictorial history, "Early motoring in South Africa," and Derek Stuart-Findlay now reveal the sotry of the building of the All-Round-the Cape-Peninsula Road, the first motor journeys over the mountain passes to inland towns and coastal villages and incredible journeys commencing from or ending in Africa's southernmost city.

Above this is the story of many of the personalities involved in these adventures. Over 450 historic photographs reflect the challenges, frustrations and humour involved in the first 40 years of motoring in and around the Mother City.

Source : The motorist's paradise : early motoring in and around Cape Town / Bob Johnston, Derek Stuart-Findlay

2011-07-26T04:13:00.000-07:00

Women : South Africans of Indian origin / Devi Moodley Rajab ; portraits by Ranjith Kally ; edited by Kalim Rajab

150 Years after the first Indian indentured labourers to South Africa, our society's wider history has not escaped the risk of distortions and omissions that come from excluding critical voices and players in our struggle for democracy.
Featuring profiles by die award-winning academic and columnist Devi Moodley Rajab and portraits by the iconic South African photographer Ranjith Kally, Women : South Africans of Indian origin steps into a critical gap in our understanding of our evolution into a society united in its diversity. The changing status of Indian women over the last century and a half has been a remarkable journey of triumph over struggle.
For large periods of the country's history, such women were largely invisible within society. The taboos of culture, religion and other societal norms kept them locked in the restrictive duties of domesticity for decades. Post-apartheid freedom has, however, allowed for a renaissance among women achievers in the Indian community and this book is an attempt to tell their stories and chart some areas of the development of such women, from indenture to contemporary times.
The personal narratives in this book take the reader into the heart, home and hopes of women often ignored in public discourse. These narratives also take us ever so gently into a rich cultural milieu - not just the aromatic smells of spices of the glittering jewellery, but lives textured beyond clichés of subservience and dominance. These are narratives of the resilience of a culture that transcended the humiliation of the system of indenture to thrive in a democracy.
Above all, this is a celebration of the spirit of South African women of Indian origin and of the joy of breaking free.

Source : Women : South Africans of Indian origin. /Devi Moodley Rajab

Book of the Month July 2011

2011-06-26T23:04:00.001-07:00

Die Pretoria Centre of the Transvaal University College (TUC) is in Februarie 1908 gevestig. In daardie jaar het die kollege slegs vier dosente en 32 studente gehad. Die verkorte Afrikaanse naam van die kollege, TUK, het as Tuks en Tukkies bly voortbestaan nadat die kollege 'n volwaardige universiteit, die Universiteit van Pretoria, geword het. Tuks het oor die volgende nege dekades gegroei tot die grootste residensiële universiteit in die land. Dit bied die wydste spektrum van opleidingsrigings aan en het bekendheid as 'n tersiêre opleiding van besondere statuur verwerf.

'n Universiteit se opleiding en invloed is egter nie tot die akademiese terrein beperk nie. Sy gegradueerdes word die leiers op vele lewensterreine in die samelewing. Sy studente word gevorm deur die talryke situasies wat hulle in koshuise, verenigings en die algemene studentelewe ervaar. Dit is onmiskenbaar dat sportdeelname - as speler, aktiewe ondersteuner of selfs passiewe toeskouer - ook talle situasies skep wat 'n vormende invloed op die student het en tot voorbereiding vir volwaardige deelname in die volwasse gemeenskap bydra.

Rugby het oor die afgelope nege dekades 'n besondere belangrike plek aan die Universiteit geniet. Die deelname van die Universiteit se rugbyspanne aan die plaaslike ligakompetsies en intervarsities het grootskaalse belangstelling van studente, oudstudente, ouers en die plaaslike gemeenskap geniet. 'n Groot getal Tukkie-studente asook 'n aaantal dosente het provinsiale en nasionale kleure verwerf. Hierdie bydraes verdien erkenning, minstens deur die boekstawing daarvan.

Ek betuig graag my dank aan prof. Flip van der Watt wat hierdie boek op my versoek saamgestel het, sowel as aan die persone wat op welwillende wyse gegewens aan hom beskikbaar gestel het.

Johan van Zyl

Visekanselier en Rektor

Book of the Month June 2011

2011-05-30T23:23:00.000-07:00

Pioneers of the Waterberg : a photographic journey / compiled by Elizabeth Hunter

I was born in the Waterberg. My mother was born in the Waterberg ast 24 Rivers, where I am living at present. My grandparents came to the Waterberg before the Boer war in the 1890's. The house that I am staying in, on the farm 24 Rivers, was built 100 years ago, in 1910, after my grandparents had been married for several years. My grandparents met in South Africa during the Boer war.

Today 24 Rivers belongs to my siblings an me. Even though we didn't live here permanently as children we spent most of our holidays either here, or down in the "Bushveld" on a farm near Ellisras (now Lephalale) called Toulon.

One of my earliest memories is going from 24 Rivers to Toulon, near present-day Laphalale, by ox wagon, a trip that takes an hour today, but about three or four days then ... or more depending on the number of "outspans" along the way. There WERE cars at the time, but Ted Davidson, my grandfather (who we knew as Gabbo), preferred to go by ox wagon. The wagon that had at one stage belonged to Gen. Louis Botha was, in the beginning, the family's only form of transport. It was use for business and pleasure. The ox wagon is still there today, outspanned for the last time in front of the house at 24 Rivers.

An important part of any stay at 24 Rivers was looking at the photograph albums, particularly the photographs of early trips to the Bushveld by wagon. We still have those albums and they need to be preserved - hence this book.

I have beenl iving here semi-permanently for the past five years, during which I have explored some of the places that were travelled all those years ago by ox wagon, I have seen some of the "wagon roads" and I have understood the love that Gabbo had for these beautiful and mysterious ancient mountains.

I have tried to capture the story told in wonderful old photgraphs, of courage and adventure, of fortitude and faith, of zest for life and love of the Waterberg and its people. I have used text from my aunt Elizabeth Clarke's book on the family history, "Waterberg Valley" and some of her poems and paintings to tell the story. I have also included newspaper articles and various writings and poems by a number of other people, all helping to create the rich tapestry that makes the story of Twenty Four Rivers worth telling

Source : Pioneers of the Waterberg : a photographic journey / compiled by Elizabeth Hunter

Book of the Month May 2011

2011-04-17T22:53:00.000-07:00

Historic farms of South Africa : the wool, the wheat and the wine of the 17 th and 18 th centuries / Dorothea Fairbridge

In the seventeenth century of which Miss Fairbridge wrote in this, the last volume which will appear under her name, it was not uncommon for the Printer to address the Reader. My own excuse in adding these few words to this book is the excuse of intimate friendship which covered a period of some fourteen years, which allowed me to watch, often at a distance., Miss Fairbridge at work, and which has in the end honoured me by making me her literary executor. Miss Fairbridge was what her books are. She was the most indomitable of women having all the magnanimity of outlook which is born in big spaces. Moreover her passionate love of the country in which she was born added force to her natural courage and gave also that sense of almost overwhelming spontaneity to the picturesque detail and sincerity to the background of her work. Few people know that she had already received the warning of what was destined in the end to prove fatal, before she undertook the journey she called "The Pilgrim' way in South Africa" In the book which came of it and which bore that name, there is not a sign of failing powers. On the contrary the dominant note is the exhilaration of the surroundings through which she passed ; her call of faith in South Africa was never clearer. The Pilgrams' Way was in a sense the sequel of Historic Houses of South Africa, and in that same sense this posthumous volume Historic Farms of South Africa is the continuation of both of them. I know she would wish it so to be regarded All those who read it in South Africa will realize that in this volume the central point is the personality of Willem Adriaan van der Stel, the Cape Governor of 1700, who was the object of a determined conspiracy on the part of Adam Tas, Huysing, and other burghers of the day. It will not be forgotten that it quicken interest in him and did much to remove the slur that had lain on his career in history. For her devotion to South Africa was ever quick to discover romance everywhere, but her keen historical sense was as sure never to pervert it. Van der Stel was and is the central point of the book, but gradually Miss Fairbridge's interest in the writing of it grew outwards until in the end she rechristened it with the title which it bears. Had she lived the last signs of this change of scopes would have disappeared. As it is, if readers sometimes think the title a little too large for the book, they will remember what I now tell them and will see in it not a fault but only another sign of the expansiveness and wholeheartedness of the author. John Johnson 7 Oct 1931

Source : Historic Farms of South Africa : the wool, the wheat and the wine of the 17 th and 18 th centuries / Dorothea Fairbridge

Book of the Month April 2011

2011-03-28T03:02:00.000-07:00

Brakdak : flatroofs in the Karoo / Gabriel Fagan

This book contains photographs with brief notes on flat-roofed vernacular architecture in the Karoo. Taken during the 1950's, they portray buildings and unspoilt village scenes, many of which have suffered severe changes during the last half-century. Although change is inevitable and irrevocable, almost any visit today reveals a deteriorated environment. So apart from the sheer pleasure of recalling these scenes, this book might, in a small way, contribute to a realization of the simple beauty lost, and to a will to regain it.

Something about the author:

Gabriel Fagan was born in Cape Town on 15 th November 1925, the second son of Henry Allan Fagan and Jessie Fagan. After obtaining a B.Arch degree in 1952 at the newly established architecture faculty of the University of Pretoria, he worked for twelve years as resident architect for Volkskas Bank. To supervise the widespread new and recycled bank buildings he bought a Piper Tripacer aircraft, which he hangared on the family's small holding an through extensive flying he learn to know the topography of the country and most of the small country villages and outlying farmsteads, also from the air. In 1964 he opened an office in Cape Town, where he still runs his architectural practice. In addition to some 200 restoration projects he has many distinctive contemporary buildings to his credit.

Source : Brakdak : flatroofs in the Karoo / Gabriel Fagan

2011-02-20T23:15:00.000-08:00

Conversations with myself / Nelson Mandela

Conversations with myself gives readers access to the private man behind the public figure: from letters written in the darkest hours of Mandela's twenty-seven years of imprisonment to the draft of an unfinished sequel to Long Walk to Freedom. Here he is making notes and even doodling during meetings, or recording troubled dreams on the desk calendar of his cell on Robben Island; writing journals while on the run during the anti-apartheid struggles of the early 1960s, or conversing with friends in almost seventy hours of recorded conversations. In these pages he is neither an icon nor a saint; here he is like you and me

An intimate journey from the first stirrings of his political conscience to his galvanizing role on the world stage, Conversations with Myself is a rare change to spend time with Nelson Mandela the man, in his own voice: direct, clear, private.

Source : Conversations with myself / Nelson Mandela

Book of the Month Jan/Feb 2011

2011-01-12T01:29:00.000-08:00

One love, ghoema beat : inside the Cape Town Carnival / photographs and text by John Edwin Mason

Each year the coloured working class of Cape Town celebrates itself in a spectacular, lively Carnival. Historian, photographer and musician John Edwin Mason spent three Carnival seasons with one troupe, the Pennsylvanians Crooning Minstrels, becoming an ' honorary member' and marching in full troupe gear, camera in hand. He came to know several other troupes, too, among them the Fabulous Woodstock Starlites.
Mason's unique position - as an outsider with and insider's point of view - allowed him a singular documentary perspective on this inimitable cultural tradition and the people who keep it alive. He explores the Cape Town Carnival's history and records its public and private sides from within the troupe, rather than from the sidelines.
As a result, One Love, Ghoema Beat reveals aspects that outsiders rarely see - band and choir rehearsals, life in the klopskamers (clubhouses) and the making of costumes and drums. With several short essays and superb photographs, this book offers a comprehensive look at the minstrel troupes that are the exuberant face of Cape Town's Carnival

.John Edwin Mason teaches African history and history of photography at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville in the United States. He has written extensively on the history of Cape Town, an interest that led him, inevitably, to the New Year Carnival. In 2007, friends invited him to join the Pennsylvanians Crooning Minstrels, a leading troupe. Recognising the Carnival's cultural importance, he gladly accepted the offer and was able to document a unique behind-the-scenes perspective on the Pennsylvanians and other troupes. As a photographer, he also contributes regularly to music and motor-sports magazines.

Source : One love, ghoema beat : inside the Cape Town Carnival / photographs and text by John Edwin Mason

Book of the Month December 2010

2010-11-28T21:51:00.001-08:00

Evita se kossie sikelela / Evita Bezuidenhout

As die pad na versoening deur 'n land se maag loop, is Evita se boek die resep vir vrede. Die hele land - en die wye wêreled - word na haar tafel genooi waar almal saam kan smul aan geregte soos soet-en-suur pêreluitjies, aspersiekombersies, groenboontjiebredie en komynhoender met soetpatats. Wie kan skel en baklei met 'n mond vol okkerneutbolletjies of pampoenkoekies of gebakte appelnarre? Liewe aarde, na 'n rojale porsie rooiwynkonyn of tarentaal met sultanas en hanepoot kan daar net broederskap volg. Maar Tannie het aan alles gedink, want daar is ook respete vir diabete en vegetariërs, kosjer en halaal-resepte, en selfs resepte vir so 'n fietse lyf soos hare. Vir kleingoed, pieknieks, of Krismis - saam met Eviata is kokery towery vir lekkerkry.
"Om te eet, om lief te hê, om te sing en te verteer - dit is in der waarheid die vier bedrywighede waarmee ons mense ons bemoei in hierdie Opera Bouffe wat ons die lewe noem ... en wat so vlugtig is soos die borreltjies in 'n bottel sjampanje" - Rossini

Bron: Evita se kossie sikelela / Evita Bezuidenhout

Book of the Month November 2010

2010-10-25T05:14:00.000-07:00

Embracing Hout Bay : over a century of making things happen from Dorman & Son to Mariner's Wharf and Fisherman's World

Visitors to and residents of Hout Bay will welcome this magnificently illustrated book which describes how it developed from a source of timber to the beautiful village it is today, with its world-famous Mariner's Wharf - the first such harbourfront emporium in Africa and the Southern Hemisphere - and Fisherman's World, a themed olden-days fishing village in the making.
Covering the development of the farming and fishing industries in Hout Bay, from the early days of corn and cattle, of snoek salted for sugar plantations in Mauritius and unwanted lobsters reddening the bottom of the bay, to the cultivation of vines, vegetables, butter and cream, and the advent of lobster quotas and smoked snoek, Embracing Hout Bay also deals with the many and substantial contributions made by the Dorman family since the arrival of Simon Dorman in the 1890's and their struggle against a large conglomerate determined to oust them from the fishing industry.
It is a story of triumph against adversity set against the backdrop of a family's love for the village and a determination to preserve it and its unique ambience for the future.

The editor, Gwynne Schrire, has always been passionately concerned about the importance of recording local history before the facts and stories are lost ; and has written many articles, books and family histories on the subject
Her involvement with Hout Bay dates back to warm childhood memories of walking on the beach, sliding down its sand dunes on carefully-boarded cardboard, hiking to the manganese mine, picnicking on Chapman's Peak, and many of the other activities mentioned in this book
She has also participated in an archaeological dig at the ruins of the old fort near the harbour, uncovering desiccated bones and the hinge along which a gun carriage had swivelled
Considering Hout Bay to be a mine of historical interest Gwynne was as delighted to have the opportunity of being involved in producing Embracing Hout Bay as she was to discover the efforts documented in the book which have gone into the preservation of the village and its historic cottages.

Source : Embracing Hout Bay : over a century of making things happen from Dorman & Son to Mariner's Wharf and Fisherman's World / edited by Gwynne Schrire

Book of the Month October 2010

2010-09-28T22:31:00.001-07:00

Waar vye nog soet is : van die werf na die spens en die tafel / Emilia le Roux & Francois Smuts

Doornkraal is die plaas se naam, net duskant De Rust. Dis waar Swepie en Ann le Roux al jare lank boer. Dis waar hule kinders geleer het om van die werf te leef, al sewe van hulle. Alles op Doornkraal se eettafel kom van die plaas af. Die gerookte sonneblomsade, die botter, die ricotta ... Die vis sou pas daar in die plaasdam gebyt het, die kweperlekkers flussies nog vrugte gewees het wat swaargeel in die heining vol vinke gehang het en die room sou daardie oggend nog die separator se hart laat klink-klink-klink- het ...
Emilia le Roux is een van die sewe kinders wat op Doornkraal se grond mens geword het. Sy en haar man, Francois Smuts, het hierdie boek geskryf vir elkeen wat hunker na die grond, en elkeen wat wil bak en brou soos in 'n plaaskombuis. Die boek is nie net 'n kookboek nie, maar ook 'n aardse selfhelpboek wat jou leer plant en natmaak en bemes en grootmaak en sorg. Dis 'n boek wat jou sal inspireer om weer mt die aarde kennis te maak en eenvoudig en sielvol te leef.

Bron : Waar vye nog soet is : van die werf na die spens en die tafel / Emilia le Roux & Francois Smuts

Book of the Month September 2010

2010-08-31T02:43:00.000-07:00

Nieuwoudtville : Bokkeveld Plateau & Hantam : a guide to the wild flowers of Nieuwoudtville, Calvinia , Botterkloof / Johan Manning & Peter Goldblatt

Foreword : Having visited Nieuwoudtville in September 1996 when the heavy rains had caused the flowering to be truly spectacular, I am really delighted to introduce this guidebook written by real experts on the regional flora.
There are few sights in the world as beautiful as the blooming of the Nanaqualand flora and it must rank high on the world-wide lists of important heritage sites
It is to be highly commended that some farmers in the Nieuwoudtville region are managing their farms to protect and encourage the flora. This is a fine example of sustainability about which we hear so much today. Because of this action by farmers some of the world's rarest and most beautiful flowers are being well protected.
I wish that this well illustrated book had been available for my visit to Niewoudtville, because like so many other visitors, I want to know the identity of the flowers which I saw. I know that tjis field guide will encourage other people to go and see for themselves this remarkable flora. I hope it will encourage all of us to support the efforts of the new South Africa and its people to preserve its unique flora.
I hope it will encourage all of us to support the efforts of the new South Africa and its people to preserve its unique flora.
Professor sir Ghillean Prance, FSR Director Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Book of the Month August 2010

2010-07-28T00:35:00.000-07:00

Women and Art in South Africa / Marion Arnold

Women and art in South Africa. In this pioneering study, Marion Arnold explores the connections, hitherto hidden or neglected, between women and art in South Africa. By doing so, she recovers the rich histories of South African women artists and celebrates their creativity in the visual arts
In a series of related essays teeming with fresh insights, Marion Arnold asks new questions about the ways women have portrayed themselves, depicted landscapes, painted images of plants and sculpted the body. She examines, too, portraits of women (both black and whit)e in service and the long history of representations (usually by men) of the female 'other'
Throughout the book, the connections Marion Arnold makes between ideas, artists and their works are always illuminating and often unexpected. Here are not only familiar names viewed afresh - such as Maggie Laubser, Irma Stern, Helen Sebidi and Jane Alexander - but lesser-known artists who are rediscovered and brought to life
Dr Marion Arnold lectures in the Fine Arts Department at the University of Stellenbosch. Her two most recent books examine the work of Irma Stern and Thomas Baines (the latter book written with Jane Carruthers). She is a practising artist who has exhibited widely in South Africa and is represented in major collections.

Source : Women and art in South Africa / Marion Arnold

Book of the Month July 2010

2010-06-26T02:43:00.001-07:00

Classic African : authentic recipes from one of the oldest cuisines / Hilary Ford

An exciting collection of 40 traditional and new recipes from across the African continent - such as Yassa Chicken, Tanzanian Fish Curry, Black-eyed Bean Stew sith Spicy Pumpkin and many more.

Includes a fascinating introduction to African food, practical cook's tips and delightful illustrations.

Every recipe features step-by-step photographs of the techniques and a stunning colour picture of the finished dish.

Source : Classic African : authentic recipes from an ancient cuisine / Hilary Ford

Book of the Month June 2010

2010-05-31T01:56:00.001-07:00

African soccerscapes : how a continent changed the world's game

From Africa and Algiers to Zanzibar and Zululand, African football today reflects the history and culture of those who play the game and how they have shaped it in a distinctively African manner. Football may obey global rules, but the influence of magicians and healers, the nurturing of different tactics and styles of play, and local forms of spectatorship give football in the continent a cultural and sporting imprint all of its own. In African Soccerscapes Peter Alegis explores how football was influenced by colonialism, the growth of cities, independence, and globalisation. Regional differences and the links between sport, culture and politics feature prominently in his book. In the independent era football offered a rare form of "national culture" in ethnically diverse nations and symbolised pan-African unity and solidarity through the anti-apartheid struggle and the campaign for more guaranteed places for African teams in the World Cup finals. Huge numbers of Africans play overseas, disproportionately rewarding European leagues at Africa's expense, and this phenomenon is discussed, as are the recent privatisation of the African game, football development programmes and the growth of women's football.

Source: African soccerscapes : how a content changed the world's game / Peter Alegi

Book of the Month May 2010

2010-04-29T06:20:00.001-07:00

Roofvoëls - 'n identifiseringsgids vir Suider-Afrika

Die adellike, indrukwekkende en soms wrede voorkoms van roofvoëls dwing nie net die meeste mense se bewondering af nie, maar maak hulle ook die gesogste groep onder voëlgeesdriftiges. Ongelukkig kan dit egter baie moeilik wees om roofvoëls te identifiseer. Die feit dat kleurvariasies binne 'n spesie voorkom, en jong en volwasse voëls baie verskil, maak dat mens hulle nie bloot volgens kleur reg kan identifiseer nie.
Ongelukkig kan dit egter baie moeilik wees om roofvoëls te identifiser. Die feit dat kleurvariasies binne 'n spesie voorkom, en jong en volwasse voëls baie verskil, maak dat mens hulle nie bloot volgens kleur reg kan identifiseer nie.
Jare se ervaring in identifiseringstegnieke het aan die skrywers bewys dat die maklikste manier om 'n roofvoëel te identifiseer, is om eers die groep waartoe die voël behoort, te bepaal. Sodra 'n sekere roofvoël in een van die 11 roofvoëlgroepe geplaas kan word, kan hy in 'n japtrap van ander roofvoëls onderskei word.
In 'n unieke afdeling in dié boek word spesies wat met mekaar verwar kan word, vergelyk en die verskille uitgewys.
Roofvoëls - 'n identifiseringsgids vir Suider-Afrika het 'n uitsonderlik gebruikersvriendelike stelsel van kleurkodes en kruisverwysings wat die gebruiker in staat stel om vinnig by die verlangde plek in die boek uit te kom. Die 12 bladsye vol vliegpatrone maak dit ook moontlik om roofvoëls in vlug met mekaar te vergelyk.
Die skrywers:
Ulrich Oberprieler is die afgelope 20 jaar al by omgewingsopvoeding betrokke en het veral bekend geword vir die uitstekende kursusse oor natuurverwante onderwerpe wat hy aanbied. Hy is 'n geesdriftige natuurlewefotograaf, en in hierdie stadium adjunkdirekteur van die Nasionale Dieretuin in Pretoria. Hy en Burger Cillié is ook die skrywers van die Sakgids tot Suider-Afrikaanse Voëls en Suider-Afrikaanse Tuinvoëls

Burger Cillié se liefde vir die natuur en natuurlewefotografie het hom aangespoor om 'n aantal diere- en voëlgidsboeke die lig te laat sien. Benewens die voëlboeke wat hy saam met Ulrich Oberprieler geskryf het, is hy ook die outeur van 'n Veldgids tot die Soogdiere van Suider-Afrika, Sakgids tot Suider-Afrikaanse soogdiere en Die Soogdiergids van Suider-Afrika

Bron: Roofvoëls - 'n identifiseringsgids vir Suider Afrika / Ulrich Oberprieler and Burger Cillié

Book of the Month April 2010

2010-03-30T04:16:00.000-07:00

Koekemakranka: Khoi-Khoin-kultuurgoed en kom-kuier-kos

Die geskiedenis van 'n groep mense se eetgewoontes oor eeue heen word ook uiteindelik hul kultuurgeskiedenis. In dié eeue oue verhaal van die Khoi-Khoin se kos, word ook die verhaal vertel van hule kultuur en leefwyse van toe tot nou. Van hul musiek en die ramkie met net een snaar. Van hul kleredrag, hul eetgerei en woonplekke, met selfs 'n beskrywing van hoe matjieshuise gemaak is.
Talle vertellings regstreeks uit die mond van 'n paar Khoi-Khoin wat nog onthou hoe dinge nog 'n paar dekades gelede gedoen is - en dalk plek-plek nog gedoen word - omskep hierdie in 'n besondere leeservaring
Vir die bewaringsbewustes is daar volop raad vir die aanlê van 'n eie veldkostuin en 'n tydige waarskuwing oor plante wat aan die uitsterf is en liewer met rus gelaat moet word. En om seker te maak dat die Khoi-Khoin se kom-kuier-kos op almal se tafels kan voortleef, word 'n verskeidenheid resepte ingesluit
Renata Coetzee is 'n navorser van formaat. Sy het onlangs 'n eredoktorsgraad ontvang van die Noordwes Universiteit vir haar dekades lange navorsing oor die eetkulture van die inheemse mense van Suid-Afrika. Deur mekaar se eetkultuur te leer ken, leer ons ook mekaar ken. Boeke wat uit haar navorsing gespruit het is onder meer Funa food from Africa - Roots of African food culture en Spys en drank - die oorsprong van die Afrikaanse eetkultuur

Bron: Koekemakaranka: Khoi-Khoin kultuurgoed en kom-kuier-kos/ Renata Coetzee en Volker Miros

Book of the Month February 2010

2010-02-25T04:54:00.000-08:00

A life in transition / Alex Boraine

Alex Boraine's life is a fascinating story of fighting injustice and turning dreams into reality. A child of the Great Depression, he rose from lowly beginnings in a working-class family to become head of the Methodist Church, and MP for the Progressive Federal party, and deputy chairperson of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission

This is an insider's account of a range of important institutions and events in South African history: the halls of parliament in the 1970s and 1980s, the controversial conference with the ANC in Dakar in 1987, and the hearings of the TRC in the mid-1990s. Boraine gives insights into people he met along the way, including Harry Oppenheimer, Steve Biko, Van Zyl Slabbert, Thabo Mbeki and Desmond Tutu. He also takes us beyond South Africa to some of the world's most turbulent trouble spots, from Serbia to Sierra Leone, Liberia to Sri Lanka.

Something about the author:

Alex Boraine was born in Cape Town in 1931. After entering the ministry, he studied at Rhodes, Oxford and Drew University in the USA. He was appointed youngest-ever President of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa in 1970, worked as an employment practices consultant for Anglo American, and was elected to parliament as an MP for the Progressive Party in 1974. He resigned in 1986 and, together with Frederik van Zyl Slabbert, founded IDASA, which organised the 1987 meeting with ANC leaders in Dakar, Senegal.

Boraine was one of the main architects of the Truth And Reconciliation Commission, and served beside Desmond Tutu as its deputy chairperson from 1996 to 1998. After teaching transitional justice at the New York University Law School, he became the founding president of the International Center for Transitional Justice, and has travelled to many contries that are in transition from dictatorship to democracy, at the invitation of governments and NGOs' to share the South African experience and to assist countries in their search for a democratic culture and sustainable peace.

Book of the Month Nov/Dec 2009

2009-11-23T05:54:00.000-08:00

A complete guide to the frogs of Southern Africa / Louis du Preez & Vincent Carruthers
"These foul and loathsome animals are abhorrent because of their cold body, pale colour, cartilaginous skeleton, filthy skin, fierce aspect, calculating eye, offensive smell, harsh voice, sqaulid habitation, and terrible venom; and so their Creator has not exerted his powers to make many of them" Carolus Linnaeus (father of modern taxonomy and one of the great naturalists of his time), referring to amphibians, 1758
Harmless, colourful, melodious and ecologically vital, frogs are the antithesis of Linnaeus's disdain. Some 6 000 species of amphibians are known worldwide and more are discovered every year. At the same time, the decline and extinction of species is occurring at a disturbingly high rate, indicating widespread environmental malaise.
This beautiful and authoritative book is the most comprehensive treatment of frogs of the region ever produced. A Complete Guide to the Frogs of Southern Africa covers frog and tadpole biology and behaviour. All 160 frog species (with their tadpole stages) are fully described, giving conservation status, calls, habitat and habits. To aid identification, there are large, full-colour images of each species, detailed keys and clear summary panels showing 'Distinctive characters' and 'Key ID points'. Calls for most species are recorded on the accompanying CD, and spectrograms are provided, offering the surest method of identifying these secretive and often cryptic creatures.
For all nature lovers, amateur 'froggers', students, as well as professional scientists, this is an inspiring and significant guide.
Source : A Complete guide to the frogs of Southern Africa / Louis du Preez & Vincent Carruthers 2009

Book of the Month October 2009

2009-09-15T05:43:00.001-07:00

Vrypas / Dot Serfontein

Op tagtig, verklaar Dot Serfontein, neem mens kennis van die ouderdom se bedryfsrisiko's - en neem dan vir lief daarmee dat selfs die Bybel stilbly oor wat na tagtig met mens gaan gebeur. Jy vertel van dinge waaroor jy vroeër geswyg het en jy swyg oor dinge waarvan jy vroeër vertel het - want as jy dié mylpaal oorgesteek het, het jy die vrypas om te maak soos jy wil, sonder dat dit teen jou aangeteken staan.
Teen die agtergrond van agt dekades se sosiale, politieke en ekonomiese gebeure ( van die letsels van die Anglo-Boereoorlog, die 1914 Rebellie en die Groot Depressie, tot die verkiesing van 1948, apartheidsidealisme en die "politieke kapitulasie" van die negentigerjare) projekteer Dot Serfontein hier die gesins- en familiebande wat haar lewe as Vrystaatse Afrikaner gevorm het. Die leser leer ken 'n individu wat elke lewensfase met geesdrif en vurigheid aanpak en nie terugdeins om die tradisie van tyd tot tyd met 'n bietjie waagmoed en 'n porsie oorgeërfde stroomopgeit uit te daag nie.

"As ons spense vol is van wat vir ons van waarde is, kan ons harte oor brakplekke spring ; as ons niks anders kan doen nie, lag ons net saam"

Bron: Vrypas deur Dot Serfontein uitgegee deur Protea Boekhuis 2009

Book of the Month September 2009

2009-08-20T04:53:00.001-07:00

Flora Herscheliana ; Sir John and Lady Herchel at the Cape 1834 to 1838 :
Sir John Herschel (1792-1871) has long been recognized as one of Britain's great nineteenth century scientists. His accomplishments in astronomy, mathematics and physics are well known, but this publications focuses on his private interest in botanical matters.
A visit to the Cape of Good Hope from 1834 to 1838 to survey the southern skies exposed Herschel to another great natural wonder - the beauty and diversity of the Cape Flora. The profound impact this encounter had on both John and his wife Margaret resulted in a magnificent portfolio of botanical drawings, outlined by John using a camera lucida for scientific accuracy and painted in watercolours by Margaret. Herschel's restless, analytical mind also led him to consider deeper issues, among them the morphology of bulbs, the diversity of species, and botanical scents and perfumes.
Something about the authors:

Professor Brian Warner

, Head of the Department of Astronomy at the University of Cape Town, trained as an astrophysicist at University College London, and has D.Sc degrees both from the University of London and Oxford University. Although principally an observational astronomer, his interest in the history of astronomy at the Cape has resulted in the publication of seven books and about twenty articles.

Dr John Rourke, Curator of the Compton Herbarium, National Botanical Institute, Kirstenbosch, studied botany at the University of Cape Ton where he was awarded the degrees of M.S.c and Ph.D. His special research interest is in the systematics and phylogeny of the family Proteaceae. He has published extensively on all fourteen genera of this family in southern Africa, including two popular works, Proteas of Southern Africa (Cape Tons, 1980, 1982) and the elephant folio volume, Mimetes (Cape Town, 1982. Botanical history is another of his fields of interest in which he has co-authored several works, notably those on the famous eighteenth-century botanical explorers, Carl peter Thunberg and William Paterson, the latter published by the Brenthurst Press in 1981. Dr Rourke was elected one of the select group of only fifty Foreign Members of the Linnean Society of London in 1996.

Source: Flora Herscheliana: Sir John and Lady Herschel at the Cape 1834 to 1838

Book of the Month August 2009

2009-07-27T00:17:00.001-07:00

Naudé's van Naudésnek ; bouers van die Naudésnekpas oos van Rhodes, en hul voor- en nageslag / saamgestel deur Stephanus David Naudé in samewerking met verskeie lede van die familie.

Uit die Voorwoord:
Hierdie boek het ontstaan nadat oom Giep Goosen van Tzaneen en sy familie my op 5 Januarie 2008 besoek het. Sowat twee weke na hul besoek het oom Giep my gevra of ek bereid sou wees om 'n boek met baie foto's oor sy ma se mense saam te stel. Hy het die reëlings getref vir my besoek aan die Oos-Kaap gedurende April 2008 en dosyne telefoonoproepe gedoen om inligting en foto's by familielede aan te vra. Tant Lena Naudé van Lady Grey het my bederf en al die ou Naudé-foto's wat sy besit, aan my beskikbaar gestel. Tydens my besoek aan die Rhodes-omgewing is ek behoorlik op die hande gedra. Stephanus en Melani Naudé van die plaas "Dunley" het uit hul pad gegaan om my te versorg. ............. baie dankie vir jul hulp en gasvryheid
Faan Naudé.

26 Maart 2009

Iets oor die samesteller:

Die samesteller, Faan Naudé, is 'n agter-agterkleinseun van Charel Naudé, nommer 3 in hierdie boek.
Faan het kort nadat hy gegradueer het, in 1973 by die Staandemag aangesluit waar hy gevorder het van luitenant tot kommandant. In 1982 het hy by die Raad vir Geesteswentenskaplike Navorsing (RGN) aangesluit as hoofnavorser. Gedurende die tyd wat hy by die RGN werksaam was, is hy bevorder tot assistent-direkteur en later adjunk-direkteur. Hy is tans verbonde aan die Universiteit van Pretoria, Departement Biblioteekdienste.
Sy belangstelling in sy afstamming het begin na die geboorte van sy seun, Jacob Petrus, genoem Peet, gebore 18 Mei 1984. Aanvanklik het hy net sy eie lyn terug tot by die stamvader nagevors. In die proses het hy al die Naudé inligting wat hy teëgekom het, aangeteken. Later het hy begin om die hele familie na te vors en aan die begin van 2008 het hy oor 'n databasis van meer as 42 000 persone beskik. Hierdie persone is of was gebore Naudé's of hul huweliksmaats of die kinders van Naudé-dogters. Op daardie tydstip het hy reeds meer as 33 000 van hulle in een stamboom gekoppel.

Bron: Naudé's van Naudésnek ; bouers van die Naudésnekpas oos van Rhodes, en hul voor-en nageslag / saamgestel deur Stephanus David Naudé in samewerking met verskeie lede van die familie. 2009

Book of the Month July 2009

2009-06-29T02:53:00.001-07:00

The Mudjadji dynasty : the principles of female leadership in African cosmology / Mathole Kherofo Motshekga ; edited by Mari -Lais Emond

The primary aim of the study was to investigate the principles of female leadership in southern Africa, with special reference to the Mudjadji cosmology. The process involved tracing the origins of these principles back to Ancient Ethiopia - more specifically to the provinces of Napata and Meroe in the Sudan - and even further, to show that these principles are directly linked to the African cosmology and the goddess Mwari
Something about the author:

Dr. Mathole Kherofo Motshekga is the founder and executive director of the Kara Heritage Institute, which promotes the study of African history and culture, and an advocate of the Supreme Court of South Africa.
He is legal adviser to the Mudjadji Royal Council, the National Coalition of Traditional Leaders, and the National House of Traditional Leaders of South Africa.
He is a former premier of Gauteng, and chair and deputy chair of the African National Congress (ANC) in that province. He serves on numerous national task teams and committees.
Dr Motshekga holds a B Juris (Unisa); LLB (Unisa); and LLM (Harvard), and is an honorary professor of political sciences of the University of Pretoria.
He has also been a visiting scholar in the African Studies Centre at Harvard University in the United States; a visiting lecturer in law at the University of Freiburg; and a research fellow of the Max Planck Institute for Foreign and International Criminal Law, also in Freiburg, Germany.
He regularly speaks on radio and TV about issues relating to African heritage. Dr. Motshekga was born in 1949 in Balobedu, home of South Africa's fabled Rain Queens.

Source: The Mudjadji Dynasty: the principles of female leadership in African cosmology by Mathole Kherofo Motshekga ; edited by Marie-Lais Emond

Book of the Month June 2009

2009-05-28T05:35:00.000-07:00

The Art of Illumination : an anthology of manuscripts from the sixth to the sixteenth century
145 Illustrations, 24 in colour

The illumination of manuscripts is an art-form which has only recently taken its rightful place beside panel and wall painting in the history of art. Quite apart from its purely aesthetic appeal - rich in invention, excitement, skill and often dramatic impact - manuscript illumination throws light on whole periods of art history for which there is little other pictorial evidence, or where frescoes and panel paintings have suffered from retouching and restoration. Miniature paintings nearly always come down to us fresh and unspoiled, and since their scale permits them frequently to be reproduced in original size, we have the unique opportunity of enjoying and studying an art-form in the manner in which it was intended - in the book
The present publication offers a rich and fascinating anthology of illuminated manuscripts from the sixth to the sixteenth century. The selection includes not only pages from many great and familiar Bibles, Psalters, Gospel Books and Books of Hours, but also less well-known illustrations which are often profoundly imaginative and pictorially exciting. The choice of plates, 24 of which are in full colour, extends from the graceful early Byzantine illustrations and the more monumental Carolingian folios, to the late and ornate pages painted by 16 th century Italian artists. There are examples of English, Irish, German, Austrian, Flemish, French, Italian and Spanish illumination, some shown in enlarged details.
To introduce these impressive corpus of plates, Professor Aeschlimann and the late Professor d'Ancoma - both renowned authorities - have written a concise and informative survey of the history of miniature painting, tracing the development of the different schools and analysing briefly their stylistic features. There are also full and detailed notes on each plate, as well as a Bibliography.

Source : The art of illumination : an anthology of manuscripts from the sixth to the sixteenth century by P. D"Ancona & E. Aeschlimann

Book of the Month May 2009

2009-04-21T04:56:00.000-07:00

The Madiba years : cartoons from Sowetan and the Mail & Guardian / Zapiro

Zapiro, a.k.a. Jonathan Shapiro, has drawn editorial cartoons for some of South Africa's most important newspapers during the unique drama of the last days of Apartheid and the birth of a democratic nation. He has lampooned parties and personalities without favour. This collection is a quirky chronicle of the years 1994 to 1996.
Zapiro's cartoons are a national treasure. Frequently discussed on radio and TV, they have provoked public comment from politicians and are the source of such private delight that many are to be found mounted in the offices of power.
Zapiro brings to cartooning a background of political activism (which got him into trouble in the bad old days.) Now he keeps a vigilant pen on the new dispensations, which sometimes entails knocking comrades he met in the trenches.
Awarded a Fullbright Scholarship, Zapiro studied Media Arts at the School of Visual Arts in New York. His work appears regularly in the Mail & Guardian, Sowetan and the Cape Argus, and has appeared widely in other publications, both local and international. He has had solo exhibitions in Cape Town and New York.
He is married to photographer Karina Turok and they have a son, Tevya.

Book of the Month April 2009

2009-03-25T06:17:00.001-07:00

African Basketry : grassroots art from southern Africa / Anthony B. Cunningham & M. Elizabeth Terry

African Basketry is a unique contribution to African art and culture. More than any other African craft, basketry represents the finest blend of indigenous culture, environment and technology. Different types of basketry from southern Africa are featured in this book, with both historical and contemporary examples from Botswana, Lesotho, southern Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, western Zambia and Zimbabwe.
In the past, various basketry items reflected the lifestyles of the hunter-gatherers, pastoralists, fishing communities and agriculturalists who made them. Later, with rapid urbanisation and cultural change, some basketry styles and century-old skills disappeared, almost without a trace. More recently, there has been a dramatic increase in the international appreciation of African basketry as an art form, which has brought both its functionality and aesthetics into the limelight. The export of African basketry to collectors, interior designers and museums in the USA, Europe and Australia has flourished.
To date, no comprehensive book has been published on basketry in southern Africa. This has meant that many basketry enthusiasts have acquired "traditional" African basketry items with little background knowledge of their origins, historical context, use, or the raw materials used in their crafting
African Basketry provides detailed information on historical perspectives, weaving techniques, construction methods, designs, styles and raw materials used in basketry. The impact of commercialisation is also described, which has brought with itvarious benefits and challenges for basket makers.
Photographs of baskets from major museum collections in southern Africa, the USA and Britain, feature alongside unique images of basket construction and use. Previously unpublished black-and-white photographs taken by Alfred Duggan-Cronin in the early 1900's enhance the historical record.
African Basketry describes past, present and future trends, enabling the proper recognition of this art form in both time and place.

Source: African basketry : grassroots from southern Africa / Anthony B. Cunningham & M. Elizabeth Terry

Book of the Month March 2009

2009-02-20T04:53:00.001-08:00

Onderstepoort 1908-2008 portrays an intriguing history and makes fascinating reading. Although not intended to be one, it is a textbook on animal diseases in South Africa; it is also a textbook on perseverance, innovation, human relations and the art of negotiation and problem solving, while providing glimpses of the future and where we are going. The book is essentially a resumé of the challenges that faced researchers, scientists and diagnosticians over the past 100 years, who came forth with solutions to the problems posed by animal diseases that were in many instances unknown - not only in South Africa but also in much of the rest of the world. Many of the solutions found by its dedicated and devoted gallery of scientists, researchers, technologists and teachers were often a world's first, and many remain valid and in use today. The golden thread of the book is the wonderful insight it gives into the people who made history, the interplay of human relations, the leaders who effected changes in direction; the human successes and failures, veterinary politics, and personality clashes, all recounted with a good deal of underlying and essential veterinary humour. It is a book that asks to be read again and again - not only by veterinarians, scientists and researchers, but also by students, farmers, agriculturalists, historians, animal lovers and those who have heard the name of Onderstepoort and wish to know more about this historic cradle of veterinary science in southern Africa.

Source : Onderstepoort 1908-2008 ; editors D.W. Verwoerd & R.D. Bigalke

Book of the Month Jan/Feb 2009

2009-01-07T01:52:00.000-08:00

The Karoo Cookbook /compiled by Rose Willis photography by Ryno (first published 2008)

From the earliest days of South Africa's history, food has set the social scene in the Karoo. It was a treat, a reward, and a way to welcome guests and bid farewell to friends. Karoo food is as limitless as the land - vast, diverse, all consuming. And like the land, the cuisine captivates visitors, enticing them back time and time again to experience the culinary delights.
Karoo lamb is famous the world over for its delicious flavour and tenderness, and visitors to the region, even from the earliest days, make a point of trying out this speciality. Today farms supply every need as far as fresh or dried fruit are concerned and the small stock farmed throughout the Karoo provides a tasty range of mutton, lamb and goat. Pork, poultry and beef help ring the changes and venison and ostrich cater for those who are watching their waistlines.
Karoo kitchens are redolent of roasting lamb, venison, pies, hearty casseroles, or coffee, rusks and fragrant home-made bread, and their doors are always open to welcome friends, family and visitors to share in this bounty. The rich tradition of Karoo cuisine and hospitality dates back to a time when there were no hotels in the area and travellers were welcomed into homes to bring news to these isolated areas.
The collection of recipes in The Karoo Cookbook portrays this region's diverse social fabric and, while some dishes such as Mutton Bredie and Venison Stew are rooted in tradition, others like Beef Fillet with Anchovy Stuffing or Karoo "oysters" with Wild Mushrooms and Red Wine Sauce are as modern and adventurous as tomorrow.
The recipes in The Karoo Cookbook have been gathered from those who live (or have lived) in and love the Karoo. These warm, hospitable people all enjoy entertaining and have generously contributed their recipes so that others may bring some of the magic of this place into their own homes.
Something about the author:
Rose Willis's great love for the Karoo began in the 1980's, when she and her husband, Wally Kriek, bought a house allegedly designed by Sir Herbert Baker for Beaufort West's first magistrate. It was in great need of TLC, but it had a mountain almost in its backyard and a huge, farm-style kitchen. Rose, a city girl, had never lived in a dorpie before, but the Karoo allowed her to indulge her dual love of historic research and cooking. She discovered that this was a world where townspeople and farm folk easily shared recipes - and the stories behind them - so she began collecting these taste treats, which led to the publication of this book.
After the death of her husband in 2003, Rose moved to Bloemfontein to be closer to her family. She has not lost touch with her beloved Karoo and still publishes Rose's Round-up, a monthly newsletter she created in 1990 to promote the area. Rose now serves on The Free State Archives Council, is president of The Town and Country Ladies Group and also teaches English to pre-school children.
Source : The Karoo Cookbook /compiled by Rose Willis (2008)

Book of the Month December 2008

2008-11-25T03:34:00.000-08:00

Craft South Africa In an African context there is really no distinction between "craft" and "art".
Craft South Africa is a visual celebration of South Africa's extraordinary wealth of handmade objects and the people who craft them. From elegant traditional water-storage pots made in rural areas to sophisticated silver jewellery fashioned in urban studios, from headdresses that have adorned Zulu maidens for over a century to contemporary tapestries that explore new materials such as safety pins, the tradition of inspired craft remains a vital expression of the communal nature of South African society.
The authors, all experts in the field of South African craft, develop three themes:
Traditional looks at objects created in ways that have remained unchanged for decades. Many of these objects, originally used for practical everyday activities, now have pride of place in homes from Johannesburg to New York.
Transitional explores craft objects that have their roots in traditional methods of materials but have been adapted to incorporate new materials and techniques - for instance telephone wire baskets that combine traditional basket-making technique with a new material to create highly sought-after decor objects.
Contemporary celebrates the creation, using both old and new materials, of contemporary designer ware and one-of-a-kind craft objects.
Craft South Africa is a fascinating tale of the intuitive creativity of craftspeople in a country of widely diverse people, all contributing their knowledge, skill and, frequently, their humour and whimsy to a pool of crafts that is unique to South Africa

Source: Craft South Africa by Susan Sellschop, Wendy Goldblatt and Doreen Hemp

Book of the Month November 2008

2008-10-27T02:35:00.000-07:00

1455 Gutenberg Bible: The first book ever printed
Facsimile reproduction

"The first thing ever printed by the inventor of the printing press, was a Latin Bible printed in Germany in 1455. A magnificent work of art, these Bibles were hand-illuminated with many full-colour images and decorations.
One would think that the first book would have been very primitive and of poor quality, but this is not the case. Gutenberg's Bible was a stunningly beautiful work done in beautiful type style, and then hand-illuminated in a rainbow of colours, as well as liquid gold. Even the paper used was of the highest quality and bore unusual and artful watermarks."

http://www.greatsite.com/facsimile-reproductions/gutenberg-1455.html

Experts have established that Gutenberg probably printed 180 Bibles, 30 on parchment and 150 on paper. Today only 20 complete originals exist in the world. Six are in the United States, including one in the Library of Congress.

The Gutenberg Bible was first referred to as the 42-line Bible for purely technical reasons. The typesetting was prepared so that the text would appear in compact columns of exactly 42 lines.

The identical reprint of the Gutenberg Bible required countless hours of work by highly qualified professionals: craftsmen and artists who employed century-old methods first used by 15 th century printers and 16 th century papermakers.

Who was the man responsible for the greatest invention of all time?

To begin with, his real name was Johann Gensfleisch. His family home had a sign in front bearing the inscription, "Zu Guten Berg", meaning " the beautiful mountain", and this pseudonym became the accepted family name. His father was a master goldsmith and coinmaker for the Archbishop of Mainz and belonged to the city's wealthy class of families. The young Gutenberg was a gifted apprentice in his father' s shop, and quickly mastered the necessary skills for metalwork.
Gutenberg was born in Mainz between 1394 and 1399. Almost sixty years later, between 1452 and 1456, Gutenberg printed the first book ever - the Bible. He died in 1468.

Source: Pamphlet by Midwest Library Service, 11443 St. Charles Rock Road Bridgeton, MO 63044

Book of the Month October 2008

2008-09-29T04:40:00.000-07:00

101 Beloved Bars of Southern Africa is really a travel book with lots of interesting pit stops built into it. Long-time road writers, humourists and tipplers-at-large Pat Hopkins and Chris Marais each take half of southern Africa and drink it dry on a mission to seek out and expose some of the wackiest, wildest and most beloved watering holes south of the Sahara. In this book you will discover why a beer tastes good in one pub and not in another; the dubious pleasures of Vattikakki Witblits; why drinking in a Karoo bar actually boosts your health and longevity; how to get drunk in a baobab tree; where Elvis Presley's love child drinks; the art of bokdrol spitting; and much, much more. 101 Beloved Bars of Southern Africa has everything a drinking man or woman needs for a companion guide to some of the best boozy establishments of southern Africa.

Something about the authors:

Pat Hopkins is a history and political science graduate from the University of Natal. He is an award-winning writer, travel journalist and author of more than a dozen books, including The Boy, Eccentric South Africa, Cringe, the Beloved Country, Ghosts of South Africa and Voëlvry. He lives in Johannesburg with his wife and two daughters.
Chris Marais a writer and photographer who has worked on assignment in more than 50 countries around the world, normally travels with his wife, Julienne du Toit. Together they have produced A Drink of Dry Land, Namibia Space, Shorelines and Coast to Coast. This is his first co-production with his old friend and drinking buddy, Pat Hopkins.

Source: 101 Beloved Bars of Southern Africa by Pat Hopkins and Chris Marais

Book of the Month September 2008

2008-08-22T02:24:00.001-07:00

Tukkies oorskou sy eerste honderd jaar 1908-2008 / Flip van der Watt

In Tukkies Oorskou sy Eerste Honderd Jaar het prof. Flip van der Watt, kerk- en kultuurhistorikus van formaat, deur middel van kort, tematiese essays verskillende fasette van die ontstaan, wasdom en prestasies van die Universiteit van Pretoria meesterlik toegelig. Dit is geen dorre, volledig kronologiese geskiedenis van Tukkies nie, maar die outeur het nietemin daarin geslaag om 'n magdom inligting aangaande die Universiteit in 'n maklike verteerbare vorm deur middel van flitsbeeldkameë in 'n vloeiende en onderhoudende skryfstyl byeen te bring. Die outeur het nie daarvan teruggedeins om omstrede en sensitiewe onderwerpe, soos byvoorbeeld die taalkwessie, aan te sny en met 'n groot mate van objektiwiteit te skets nie. Die talle, deeglik geselekteerde illustrasies sluit uitmuntend by Van der Watt se teks aan en het daartoe bygedra dat hierdie publikasie 'n keurige en waardige eeufeesbundel is.

Bron: Tukkies oorskou sy eerste honderd jaar 1908-2008 / Flip van der Watt
Prof Cobus Ferreira
Stigtingsdirekteur van UP Argief.

Book of the Month August 2008

2008-07-28T04:54:00.000-07:00

A new, up-to-date history of South Africa
Written by 31 of South Africa's top historians
The first comprehensive history since 1991
Includes new discoveries about the origin of humanity in Africa
Lavishly illustrated
Readable narrative style, interspersed with text boxes, makes the story of South Africa come alive
Also available in Afrikaans as Nuwe Geskiedenis van Suid-Afrika

Book of the Month July 2008

2008-06-20T03:01:00.000-07:00

The Art & Heritage Collections of the University of Pretoria 2008/Alexander Duffey, Sian Tiley-Nel, Gerard de Kamper and Joey Ernst

Throughout the world there are educational institutions which have collections of artefacts and artworks, in many instances these objects were acquired over a period of time and in most cases they were accumulated as part of the academic programmes of those institutions. In the case of the collections of the University of Pretoria it is also true, but the University also owns a number of magnificent collections which were donated in their entirety to the institution by a single benefactor. The van Tilburg and Van Gybland-Oosterhoff collections are examples of these. The scope of these collections is so large that there are very few institutions in the world which can boast of collections equalling them
The Art and Heritage Collections of the University of Pretoria is the first comprehensive survey of some of the major collections of the University of Pretoria ever published. The book highlights some of the most important artefacts and artworks accumulated by the university in its first 100 years. With the benefit of fresh knowledge and modern attitudes, the authors embark on a detailed description and appraisal of six of the University of Pretoria's most important collections. Impeccably constructed, the book deals with the histories, descriptions and noteworthy individual pieces in these collections.
The reader is treated to excellent reproductions of ceramics and other artefacts from the Van Tilburg collection, rare and historically unique objects from the Mapungubwe collection, major sculptures from the Anton van Wouw and Edoardo Villa collections, beautiful and important artworks from the University of Pretoria Art Collection and unique and very rare objects and artefacts from the Van Gybland-Oosterhoff collection.
The Art and Heritage Collections of the University of Pretoria is an important contribution to the cultural history of South Africa

Source: The Art & Heritage Collections of the University of Pretoria 2008 / Alexander Duffey, Sian Tiley-Nel, Gerard de Kamper and Joey Ernst.

Book of the Month June 2008

2008-05-23T06:02:00.000-07:00

Die voëlgids van Suider-Afrika / Ulrich Oberprieler, Burger Cillié

Hierdie voëlgids het die volgende unieke kenmerke:
'n Gebruikersvriendelike stelsel met kleurkodes en kruisverwysings om vinnig by die regte voël in die boek uit te kom.
Meer as 1 200 uitstekende kleurfoto's van 809 voëls wat die verskillende kleuvorms illustreer: mannetjie, wyfie, jonge, broeidrag en ander variasies.
Simbole wat die voël se voorkeur, habitat, kos, sosialiteit en nes-tipe uitbeeld.
Verspreidingskaarte wat die voorkomsdigtheid en migrasiepatrone aandui.
'n Stelsel wat al die voëls op uiterlike kenmerke en gedrag in 12 logiese groepe met kleurkodes indeel.
Volledige teks wat klem lë op identifikasie en gedrag, en ook bruikbare inligting verskaf oor voëlfamilies en kleiner groepe.

Iets oor die outeurs:
Ulrich Oberprieler het drie ander voëlboeke saam met Burger geskryf. Hy is tans Bestuurder: Opvoeding van die Nasionale Dieretuin in Pretoria. Hy is 'n entoesiastiese natuurlewefotograaf en baie bekend vir die uitstekende kursusse wat hy aanbied oor soogdiere, voëls en die omgewing

Burger Cillé is 'n bekende natuurlewefotograaf en skrywer van twee veldgidse oor soogdiere van Suider-Afrika. Hy en Ulrich is ook medeskrywers van twee park-eie veldgidse en drie ander veldgidse oor die voëls van Suider-Afrika.

Bron: Die voëlgids van Suider-Afrika / Ulrich Oberprieler , Burger Cillé

Book of the Month May 2008

2008-05-06T04:52:00.000-07:00

The War Diary of Johanna Brandt / edited by Jackie Grobler

Johanna Brandt, one of four children, was born in 1876. Her Dutch father and Afrikaner pioneer mother greatly influenced her worldview, which eventually made Johanna Brandt a household name.
Following the Anglo-Boer War, Johanna emerged as a prolific author, focussing mainly on the Boer War. In later life, however, her eccentric character came to the fore as she explored aspects of natural healing, mysticism and feminism.
Johanna died in 1964.
I am anxious to get this book filled and out of the way ... our friend the enemy will come and search our house for documents and then they will carry away this chronicle of my griefs and woes and - joys, lately. What agonies I would endure if this book were to fall into strange hands ! Johanna van Warmelo, 9 February 1902.
When Johanna wrote these words, she was 24 years old and had already experienced helpless anger at the horrors of a concentration camp, the anxiety of working undercover for the Boer Secret Service and the excitement of falling in love. Her diary, secret diary and love diary, combined in this publication, weaves her remarkable experiences during the war together with her everyday life as an ordinary young woman living in an extraordinary time.
The War Diary of Johanna Brandt is an accurate reproduction of Johanna's three diaries, two of which, the secret diary and the love diary, was originally written using lemon juice. Through these diaries, and with extensive research by Jackie Grobler, we are offered a unique insight into the war that did not allow indecision or disloyalty.

Something about the author:

Jackie Grobler is senior lecturer at the University of Pretoria, Department of Historical and Heritage Studies. He holds a Doctor Philosophiae in History and is the author of three books, co-author of a further ten chapters in books; co-editor of one book; author of 31 biographies in biographical dictionaries and author of many academic journal articles.
He lives in Pretoria with his wife Elize.

Source: The war diary of Johanna Brandt / edited by Jackie Grobler

Book of the Month April 2008

2008-04-21T05:07:00.000-07:00

Sound Diagnosis a harmonized approach to medicine - Sound Diagnosis to the rescue - a little prompt at the bedside, when you need sound guidance to see through a hazy clinical picture and make sense of a problem in the most lucid and confident way.
How will you benefit from this diagnosticum?
As your bedside companion it will:
Shed bright light on unclarified diagnostic pictures
Encourage use of a systematic method of diagnosis
Structure and simplify diagnosis
Help you define a problem
Make you notice and respond to diagnostic key pointers
Direct your energies to the core of the problem
Give your knowledge an opportunity to surface
Make you more aware and open to reading signs of disease
Serve as a ward-round guide
Keep you fresh and motivated with each case
Tie up the loose ends, enabling you to complete a diagnosis
"I came upon the drawings of Gerard Hoffnung in 2002 whilst browsing in the bookshop of the Royal Festival Hall in London. I am delighted to combine the strengths of artist and physician to appreciate the music in medicine and to help you hear the "symphony" when a problem comes to resolution. Suddenly it all comes together to crescendo, just before the diagnosis is made, into a naturally harmonized and realistic diagnosis" Maria Ribeiro, in the Preface

Source: Sound Diagnosis a harmonized approach to medicine /Maria Ribeiro

Book of the Month March 2008

2008-02-25T05:06:00.001-08:00

What happens to a dream deferred?

This question, from one of President Thabo Mbeki's favourite poems by Langston Hughes, provides the thread for this magisterial new biography. In the long shadow of Nelson Mandela, Mbeki has attempted to forge an identity for himself as the symbol of modern Africa. And yet, as he prepares to leave office in 2009, his legacy remains intensely contested.
This book is both a work of deep scholarship and a gripping, highly readable story. By tracing the path of Mbeki's life, it sheds new light on his political personality and provides unprecedented insight into the dramtatic role he has played in South African history.
Mark Gevisser brings to life the voices and places that have made Thabo Mbeki - the frontier of the Eastern Cape; "Swinging Britain" and neo-Stalinist Moscow in the sixties; the frought world of African exile, of fatherhood and family. He tells the story of South Africa's black elite over a turbulent century - from "black Englishmen" to revolutionaries to heads of state - and Mbeki's own transition from doctrinaire communism to economic liberalism. He comes to grips with the current political turmoil bu examining the history of a man who has caried, on his shoulders, the collective burden of a country seeking to realise a dream too long deferred.
MARK GEVISSER has been working on Thabo Mbeki: the Dream Deferred since 1999. He was born in Johannesburg in 1964 and educated at Yale. His journalism has appeared in dozens of publications in South Africa and abroad; his celebrated Mail & Guardian political profiles were collected in Portraits of Power: Profiles in a Changing South Africa. Recently he has also been working as a documentary film maker, a museum exhibition designer, heritage consultant television scriptwriter. He lives in Johannesburg and Cape Town.

Book of the Month February 2008

2008-02-05T23:53:00.000-08:00

Field Guide to the Animals of the Greater Kruger Park /Christo Joubert, Ulrich Oberprieler & Burger Cillié

The Greater Kruger Park is not only Big Five coutnry; it is home to thousands of plant and animal species, each a link in a delicate ecological web.
The Park is situated in the Lowveld, a wide coastal plain of fairly dry savanna. The mosaic of habitats created by the various soil types and larger rivers disecting the Park supports a myriad of organisms, both large and small.
The purpose of this book is to introduce the richness of animal life to the Park's visitors. All the common, readily seen species are thus described here in an unique, user-friendly way which combines text, photographs and easily recognised symbols.
This book allows you to experience 68 mammal species, 215 birds, 17 reptiles and 8 amphibians. Enjoy!

Something about the authors:

Christo Joubert, a keen wildlife photographer, is practicing environmental management in the platinum industry. He is also involved in youth environmental education programmes and is co-author of a field guide to the animals of Pilanesberg.

Ulrich Oberprieler, a well-known ornithologist and wildlife photographer, has co-authored four bird and mammal guides with Burger and Christo. He is presently education manager at the National Zoological Gardens and is widely recognised for his superb wildlife courses.

Burger Cillié is a well-known wildlife photographer and the author of various field guides to the mammals of Southern Africa. He has co-authored three bird guides with Ulrich, and a book on the animals of Pilanesberg with both Ulrich and Christo.

Book of the Month January 2008

2008-01-11T01:39:00.000-08:00

How to identify trees in Southern Africa by Braam van Wyk & Piet van Wyk ( 2007 )

Tree identification is generally perceived as difficult, all the more so in a botanically diverse region such as southern Africa, where about 2 100 species occur naturally, not to mention several hundreds more that have been introduced from elsewhere in the world.
How to Identify Trees in Southern Africa - a first of its kind for the region - provides the background knowledge essential for tree identification. The book promotes an approach that will equip readers to use any field guide to trees with greater ease and more confidence. Starting with the basics of plant form, it systematically uncovers the structure of trees to enable a clear understanding of what to look for when trying to identify an unknown tree.
The book is divided into two parts: Part One, well-supported with colour illustrations and photographs, describes the various parts of a tree and their significance for identification. Part Two features a key to 43 tree groups based on easy-to-observe stem and leaf features. As a first step towards identification, the group-recognition approach has proved to be more helpful to the layperson than the often-used formal botanical families. An icon is used to depict the principal characters of a group, thus making it easier for the beginner to record and conceptualize tree diversity. Group accounts present explanatory notes on group characters and tips on species identification. A selection of tree species is described and illustrated, and a list of all the southern African plant families represented in each group is supplied (greater coverage of species is featured in the authors' Field Guide to Trees of Southern Africa, 1997)
Something about the authors:
Braam van Wyk gained a master's degree in Botany from Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education. He later joined the teaching staff of, and was awarded a doctorate by, the University of Pretoria, where he is currently Professor of Botany and Curator of the H.G.W.J. Schweickerdt Herbarium. An authority on the classification of trees, he is the author of numerous scientific articles, papers and books including Field Guide to the Wild Flowers of the Witwatersrand & Pretoria Region (Struik, 1988) and Field Guide to trees of Southern Africa (Struik, 1997)
Piet van Wyk (1931-2006)no relation, but also a graduate of Potchefstroom University, worked as a research biologist at the Kruger National Park prior to his retirement in 1991. In that year he was awarded a Chancellor's medal by the University of Pretoria and an honorary doctorate from Unisa, in recognition of his contributions to botany, nature conservation and environmental education in southern Africa. An excellent photographer, Piet's extensive travels throughout southern Africa enabled him to build up the largest collection of photographs of native trees.

Source: How to identify trees in Southern Africa 2007 by Braam van Wyk & Piet van Wyk

Book of the Month Dec 2007

2007-11-15T02:01:00.001-08:00

Mpumalanga History and heritage 2007 edited by Peter Delius

Mpumalanga is known for its spectacular landscapes and its teeming game reserves. But is also has an extraordinarily rich and vivid history that has not been adequately recognised or represented, and whose potential contribution to tourism, education, and economic development therefore remains largely unrealised.
This ground-breaking study is aimed at ensuring that the province's compelling past lives on in the present. Written by some of South Africa's foremost researchers, and richly illustrated with historical and contemporary photographs, it tells a story beginning with the geological records of the first emergence of life on Earth more than three billion years ago, and concluding with the dawn of an inclusive democracy in South Africa.
Areas covered include geology, archaeology, rock art, traditions of early settlement, frontier conflicts, the South African War, conservation, economic development, political struggles in the 20th century, and the significance of all of this in the light of contemporary debates over heritage.
This book is aimed at raising awareness of and stimulating debate about issues of history, heritage, and identity in Mpumalanga. Ultimately, it seeks to invite and contribute to new initiatives to preserve the province's heritage and present it in ways that will enrich the lives of current and future generations.

Peter Delius is professor of history at the University of the Witwatersrand. His previous publications include The Land belongs to Us and a Lion Amongst the Cattle

Book of the Month November 2007

2007-10-29T01:52:00.001-07:00

Fritz Eloff 'n Man tussen die leeus 'n leeu tussen die manne - n Biografie deur Jan Roderigues.

Fritz Eloff - Die legende leef voort.

Lede van die Internasionale Rugbyraad, selfs 'n uitgesproke en wêreldbekende All Black-slot soos Andy Haden, asook die Suid-Afrikaanse pers het professor Fritz Eloff die hoogste lof toegeswaai vir sy vermoë om die administrasie van rugby na hulle penne laat gryp en kort voor lank het die wêreld geweet: As rugby ooit 'n heer van die hoogste orde opgelewer het dan was dit Fritz Eloff; die man wat hulle as dié sport se grootste jintelman beskryf het.

Maar rugby het glad nie die prof se lewe oorheers nie; daarvoor was sy liefde vir die natuur heeltemal te groot. Sy veeertig jaar lange navorsing op die Kalaharileeu was 'n openbaring; sy belangstelling in die wel en wee van die Boesmans laat 'n mens met nuwe oë na hierdie nomadiese en dodelike jagtertjies van die rooiduine kyk, terwyl sy studie van die Namib-olifante 'n nuwe wêreld vir die dierkundiges laat oopgaan het.

Vir toekomstige geslagte gaan die prof se lewensverhaal nie bloot net 'n naslaanwerk wees nie, maar ook dien as inspirasie vir diegene, wat soos hy, arbeidsaamheid, toegewydheid en lojaliteit baie hoog aanslaan.

Bron: Fritz Eloff 'n Man tussen die leeus - 'n leeu tussen die manne. 'n Biografie deur Jan Roderigues 2006

Book of the Month October 2007

2007-09-21T05:28:00.000-07:00

Kruger's Pretoria : Buildings and personalities of the city in the nineteenth century with drawings by Hannes Meiring / Vivien Allen.

Available form abebooks.com

Pretoria's history is comparatively recent. It was once the capital of Kruger's Republic, a time of turbulence and insecurity; and it was the Western outpost of what in those times were the wilds of Africa.

The houses and public buildings that have remained from that period are interesting from an architectural point of view because there was no local tradition or style. The visitors and settlers who were there were unusual men with strong and often eccentric personalities; the homes that they built are used by Vivien Allen as the basis for a lively and very personal history of early Pretoria.

Over 200 photographs support the text, often rescued from family albums, and from archival sources. In addition, there are many specially-drawn illustrations of old buildings by Hannes Meiring.

The book is introduced and welcomed by Judge J.F. Marais

Something about the author:

Vivien Allen was born in England in 1925 and came to South Africa in 1966, where she lived in the family's ancestral home, Melrose House. Since coming to this country she has worked as a free-lance journalist and broadcast.

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Book avalaible at abebooks.com

Book of the Month September 2007

2007-08-20T05:01:00.000-07:00

The Richtersveld is one of the most remote and least explored regions of South Africa; it is also one of the richest in terms of both biological and mineral wealth. Tucked away on the Atlantic coast in the far northwest corner of South Africa, the Richtersveld's northern and eastern borders are defined by the "big bend" of the Orange River, with the desolate Atlantic shores defining its western edge, flanked by the freezing waters of the Benguela Current. The region forms part of Namaqualand, which was home to the Nama people long before Europeans first landed at the Cape.

At first sight it is perhaps a forbidding part of the country: its vast sandy plains, rugged mountains and few permanent water sources appear to offer little respite from the extreme temperatures and aridity. But it comprises an extraordinary often cryptic plant and animal life; here, in a land almost without liquid sustenance, the richest diversity of succulent flora in the world is found. As part of the surrounding Succulent Karoo, this region was identified as the first entirely arid biodiversity hotspot on Earth.

Furthermore, it is home to an assembly of remarkable people. Initially disparate communities have found themselves united here through dispossession - of their land and of many basic human rights - and have worked together in exemplary fashion in a bid to survive in this harsh refuge.

The isolation of the Richtersveld and its enigmatic beauty make it an ecnreasingly attractive destination for adventurous travellers an for those seeking out Earth's final frontiers. This book explores all aspects of the region - its scenic wonders, diverse plant and animal life and the history of its peoples. And it takes a look at the struggles and triumphs of the emerging community in their ongoing quest for justice.

Something about the author:

Francois Odendaal has been involved in the Richtersveld for almost two decades as a researcher, filmmaker and development facilitator. He obtained his BSc at Natal University, his honours degree at the University of the Witwatersrand and did his doctoral research in the semi-desert environment of South Australia. Subsequently he became a Research Associate at Stanford University in California and later a research and teaching associate at Duke University. He spent 10 years as a visiting professor at Southern Connecticut State University in the United States. Now based in South Africa, he manages EcoAfrica Environment Consultants and holds a position as Adjunct Professor at the Cape Peninsula Univeristy of Technology in Cape Town. His first love is to collaborate with local communities on natural resource management

Source: Richtersveld the land and its people /Francois Odendaal & Helen Suich, photography by Claudio Velasquez Rojas

Book of the Month August 2007

2007-07-24T02:40:00.001-07:00

In celebration of women's day 9 August 2007 Special Collections book of the month:

Life and soul portraits of women who move South Africa ©2006/ Karina Turok

This exquisite book presents 75 portraits by award-winning photographer Karina Turok, of inspirational South African women from diverse backgrounds - writers, musicians, artists, actresses, spiritual leaders, activists, journalists, politicians, sportswoman, businesswomen and academics. Accompanying each portrait is a distilled narrative from the personal and revealing conversations Karina Turok had with the women in which they relate their stories, experiences and insight.

Something about the author:

Born 29 October 1963 in Cape Town, Karina Turok calls the production of Life and Soul a career highlight, along with having worked as stills photographer on the 1993 Island Pictures documentary on Nelson Mandela called Son of Africa, Father of a Nation, when she had the privilege of travelling the country photographing the former President. She first studied fine art as a Rotary exchange student at the Newcastle College of Advanced Education in Australia. On completing her Bachelor's Degreein Fine Art at the University of Cape Town's Michaelis School of Fine Art, she received the Michaelis Prize. She later obtained a Master's Degree from Michaelis. She has also studied and worked at the International Centre of Photography in New York. She has received Tel Aviv's Beit Hatfutsoth Prize and the Cape Times Award for Photojournalistic Excellence. Her work features in Long Walk to Freedom and Portrait of a President; in newspapers, amongst others The Sunday Times(London), The Village Voice(New York); in magazines including Leadership and Marie Claire. She was photographer for three educational photocomics: Roxy - Life, Love and Sex in the Nineties (1993, on HIV/Aids); Tomorrow People - Countdown to Democracy (1994, voter education), Nokhwezi's Story (1999, on cervical cancer). Turok has exhihbited in South Africa, Mali, Zimbabwe, Germany, Israel and the USA. She is married to editorial cartoonist Jonathan Shapiro. They have two children, Tevya and Nina.

Source: From Life and Soul portraits of women who move South Africa by Karina Turok/2006

Book of the Month July 2007

2007-06-18T05:38:00.000-07:00

"People's Plants" is a photographic guide to the useful plants of southern Africa. It is the first fully illustrated ethnobotanical handbook for southern Africa. Traditional and contemporary uses of more than 650 plants are described and illustrated in 20 chapters, each dealing with a specific category of plant use:
Foods and Drinks - (1)cereals, (2)seeds & nuts, (3)fruits & berries, (4)vegetables, (5)roots, bulbs & tubers, and (6)beverages.
Health & Beauty - (7)general medicines, (8)tonic plants, (9)mind & mood plants, (10)women's health,(11)wounds, burns & skin conditions,(12)dental care, (13)perfumes & repellents, and (14)soap plants & cosmetics
Skills & Crafts - (15)hunting & fishing, (16)dyes & tans, (17)utility timbers, (18)fire-making and firewoord, (19)basketry, weaving & ropes, (20)thatching, mats & brooms.
Plants and plant-derived products of special cultural and/or commercial significance are highlighted. Key references for further reading are provided for each of the 20 categories of plant use. More than 530 excellent photographs are included, showing the plants, plant products and the way in which they are used.
This fascinating book is a must for anyone interested in useful plants, new crop plants, medicinal plants, new product development, ecotourism, rural development, traditional crafts, African culture, ethnobotany, and botany in gerenal.
Something about the others:
Ben-Erik van Wyk is a professor of Botany at the Rand Afrikaans University in Johaneesburg. He is an authority on systematic botany and indigenous plant use.
Nigel Gericke is a medical doctor and and authority on medical ethnobotany. He has a natural products consultancy in Cape Town.
Both authors passionatley believe that there has to be a concerted effort to develop novel products of exceptional quality from selected "people's plants" for regional and global markets. They want to encourage a new breed of eco-entrepreneurs to harness the synergies between indigenous knowledge systems, scientific research, and modern technologies to drive sustainable development in the southern Arican region for the benefit of all its peoples.

Source: People's plants a guide to useful plants of Southern Africa © 2000 / Ben-Erik van Wyk & Nigel Gericke

Book of the Month June 2007

2007-05-29T06:29:00.000-07:00

Voëlvry was the Boere-Woodstock" writes Max du Preez. "It was a significant movement in every social, political, cultural and musical sense of the word ..."Rock revolution" just got a delicious new double meaning"
At a time when Souh Africa was embroiled in the Border wars, PW Botha was die Groot Krokodil and Potchefstroom University was debating whether dancing was a sin, an eccentric mix of young Afrikaans artists took to the road and became the voice of their generation. Their goal was the emancipation of Afrikaner youth from the strictures of their authoritarian, patriarchal culture, and they would make it cool to be an Afrikaner.
Organised by Vrye WeekblJohannes Kerkorrel en die Gereformeerde Blues Band, and Bernoldus Niemand (James Phillips) en die Swart Gevaar. Based on interviews with participants and observers, this is the definitive account of those heady days.
At times nostalgic, funny, sad and outrageous, this is a rollicking read that will appeal to those who were there, those who say they were there and those who wish they were there.

Something about the author:

Pat Hopkins is a history and political science graduate from the University of Natal. He is an award-winning writer, travel journalist and author of more than a dozen books, including the Boy, Eccentric South Africa and Cringe, the Beloved Country. He lives in Johannesbur with his wife and two daughters.

Source: Voëlvry: the movement that rocked South Africa / Pat Hopkins 2006