Book Reviews

When the body breaks and the mind spirals, this is what it takes to fight your way back. Born with a congenital aortic valve defect, Brandon Fairweather was always destined for open-heart surgery. However, he never expected to need it at just 28 years of age. He shares his encounters with gripping spells of physiological and medical-related anxiety throughout his journey to, and beyond, the life-changing surgery.

Lidia Rauch was born at the crossroads of South Africa’s past and present. She is the granddaughter of one of apartheid’s longest-serving ministers, Fanie Botha. She grew up in a world built for her comfort, yet she chose to reckon with its cost. Her story moves between privilege and pain, from a childhood marked by fracture to a career inside the machinery of government.

Drift happens. Not because leaders lack intelligence. Not because the strategy was wrong. Instead, execution decays quietly and predictably under the weight of competing priorities, unclear ownership and fragmented attention. Ethiopian Airlines sustained commercial focus through five government transitions and became Africa’s most profitable carrier.

The book arrives at a time when many women are seeking ways to strengthen their financial independence and build a more secure future. Financial Confidence for Her Wellbeing is a practical guide that helps women build a stronger relationship with money. It also gives them the confidence they need to make informed financial decisions.

Blending personal testimony with practical tools, the book examines how trauma and adversity shape the way people live, work, lead and relate. It also offers a path toward healing, self-awareness, and authentic transformation. In Trauma to Triumph, Botha draws on her lived experience and her professional work in law, mediation, and conflict resolution.

A literary crime novel and multi-generational family saga, blending mystery, history and psychological depth with touches of magical realism. Tom Cottrell grew up in suburban Johannesburg. In 2013, he found himself drawn unwillingly into the unsolved murder of his cousin. However, the search for answers stirs something older and darker.

The author returns with an urgent call to reimagine the essentials of courageous leadership. In a time of deep uncertainty, bluster, hubris and even cruelty are increasingly being accepted as acceptable leadership traits. However, the author delivers practical and actionable insights.

Queer Mozambique offers a wide-ranging exploration of Mozambique’s distinctive cultures of sexual and gender dissent and fluidity. It traces these histories from the mine compounds of the late nineteenth century to the current LGBTIQ+ movement. It also examines the formation of new sexual and gender identities, including those of the manas trans women.

The 1976 Soweto Uprising represents a decisive turning point in South Africa’s history. Even contemporaries viewed it as the beginning of the end of apartheid. This compelling book examines both the underlying causes and the immediate factors that led to this watershed event. It explores the crucial role of Black Consciousness ideology. It also examines emerging school-based organisations that shaped the character and form of the revolt.

The book marks a deeply personal turning point in Kalene Oliver’s journey. In the book, she opens up about living with undiagnosed Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), mental health challenges, emotional overwhelm and rebuilding her identity after years of misunderstanding herself.