Festive Current Affairs

From renowned historian and global bestselling author Yuval Noah Harari comes the story of how information networks have made, and unmade, our worldFor the last 100,000 years, we Sapiens have accumulated enormous power. But despite all our discoveries, inventions and conquests, we now find ourselves in an existential crisis. The world is on the verge of ecological collapse. Misinformation abounds. And we are rushing headlong into the age of AI – a new information network that threatens to annihilate us. If we are so wise, why are we so self-destructive?NEXUS considers how the flow of information has shaped us, and our world. Taking us from the Stone Age through the Bible, early modern witch-hunts, Stalinism, Nazism and the resurgence of populism today, Yuval Noah Harari asks us to consider the complex relationship between information and truth, bureaucracy and mythology, wisdom and power. He explores how different societies and political systems have wielded information to achieve their goals, for good and ill. And he addresses the urgent choices we face as non-human intelligence threatens our very existence.Information is not the raw material of truth; neither is it a mere weapon. NEXUS explores the hopeful middle ground between these extremes, and of rediscovering our shared humanity.

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Just how good is your world knowledge? Challenge friends and family with this interactive quiz book and discover who is the ultimate armchair explorer. 'Like having a light shone on your understanding’ - Evening Standard on Prisoners of Geography Do you know your continents from your countries, your landmarks from your latitudes, your mountain ranges from your rivers? Put your geographical and political knowledge to the test and discover your geography IQ with bestselling geopolitical author Tim Marshall. Covering every area of the globe, Prisoners of Geography: The Quiz Book tests your trivia with a variety of questions, puzzles, word games and maps, designed to challenge you whilst expanding your world knowledge.· Based on the #1 Sunday Times and internationally bestselling Prisoners of Geography· Over 300 questions, puzzles and word games to test your geopolitical knowledge· From geopolitics and foreign affairs commentator Tim Marshall, bestselling author of Prisoners of Geography, The Power of Geography, The Future of Geography and more. For fans of Ordinance Survey Puzzle Book; Murdle; Bletchley Park Brainteasers; and GCHQ Puzzle BookPraise for Tim Marshall’s bestselling geopolitical series: 'Like having a light shone on your understanding... I can't think of another book that explains the world situation so well’ - Evening Standard'Sharp insights into the way geography shapes the choices of world leaders' - Financial Times'I can't imagine reading a better book this year’ – Daily Mirror‘Insightful, hopeful and endlessly fascinating’ – Daily Express

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Amidst a backdrop of political unrest and voter disillusionment, South Africa finds itself at a crossroads, challenging its resiliency like never before. Bruce Whitfield, leveraging his deep connection with the nation's most innovative minds, presents The One Thing: Small Ideas, Big Outcomes, A Brighter Future for South Africa. This book is a clarion call for focused action, inspired by the wisdom that when everything is a priority, nothing truly is.Through exclusive insights from business leaders to pioneers in various fields, Whitfield orchestrates a compelling narrative on the transformative power of single, impactful ideas. 'The One Thing' is not just a book; it's a blueprint for individual and collective commitment to propelling South Africa towards a brighter, more potent future.

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RELEASE DATE: 02 SEPTEMBER 2024 The ANC has ruled South Africa for three decades during which time the country has gone from the promise of the Rainbow Nation to disfunction and despair. In The Super Cadres, bestselling author Pieter du Toit examines this legacy from the early halcyon days through to the disappointment of the Ramaphosa presidency. Du Toit asks key questions before coming to a critical observation and a damning conclusion: - What was the state of the ANC when it took power? - Was ANC failure inevitable? Did they inherit a country so stricken by apartheid that success was impossible? - When did the first signs of misrule and corruption occur? - How did each of the presidencies perform, from Mandela to Ramaphosa? What role did each play in the road to failure? - What was President Cyril Ramaphosa doing to stop state capture while he was deputy president? Du Toit concludes that at the very centre of ANC – and thus state - failure is ‘cadre deployment’ which the ANC adopted as official party policy under President Thabo Mbeki. He shows how, over time, the appointment of cadres at every level of government inevitably led to the (con)fusion of party and state, the spread of incompetence, and the dire corruption that ate into every part of the country once Jacob Zuma took over.

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