Others – Hellobooks.co.za

The Giant Bathroom Reader

Anna Howcroft — Mon, 20 Nov 2017 14:11:02 +0000

Did you know that during a visit to Germany, Peter the Great once used his host’s curtains as toilet paper? That a French dwarf once sued his government for the right to participate in ths port of dwarf tossing?

From Mother Goose to Gold Fever, Celebrity Scandals to Cults and Fanatics, and from Wis Thoughts to the World’s Longest…, this is a wealth of incredible and occasionally improbable information. Be amazed, be appalled, but above all be enthralled by this cornucopia of craziness

Wonderland – Steven Johnson

Anna Howcroft — Mon, 06 Nov 2017 06:32:16 +0000

What connects Paleolithic bone flutes to the invention of computer software? Or the Murex sea snail to the death of the great American city? How does the bag of crisps you hold in your hand help tell the story of humanity itself?

A staggering amount of the landscape of modern life is populated by environments and technology designed to entertain and delight us, and the pursuit of novelty and wonder continues to be a powerful driver of world-shaping technological change.Most history books don’t concern themselves with play and delight. History is the serious business of war, treaties, governments and monarchs; it is imagined as a battle for survival, for power, for freedom, for wealth. Wonderland is a different kind of history book. Throughout history, Johnson locates the cutting-edge of innovation wherever people are working the hardest to keep themselves and others amused. He introduces us to the colourful innovators of leisure: the explorers, proprietors, showmen and artists who changed the trajectory of history with their luxurious wares, exotic meals, taverns, gambling tables and magic shows. Everyone knows the old saying ‘necessity is the mother of invention’, but if you carry out a paternity test on many of the modern world’s most important ideas or institutions, you will find, invariably, that leisure and play were involved in their conception as well

Love Me Like You Hate Me – Venus O’Hara, Erika Lust

Anna Howcroft — Thu, 02 Nov 2017 12:10:18 +0000

This book provides a modern perspective on a variety of practices that may be considered taboo for many women: to be tied up oneself or to tie someone else up, role-play and dressing up, giving pain or receiving it, being a strict dominatrix or being a submissive slave, punishing our partner or being punished by them

Holy Cows – Gareth van Onselen

Anna Howcroft — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 08:56:04 +0000

Incisive and witty, this book exposes the strange contradictions and ambiguities at the heart of South African society. Van Onselen identifies the many ways in which cultural practice or belief fly in the face of our much vaunted constitution. For instance, can lobola be reconciled with equal rights? And why are initiation rites, practiced not only by cultural groups, but also in university residences and by the Springbok rugby team, still accepted when they often lead to death or injury?
He mocks political correctness, dissects the booming business of death, superstition and witchcraft, and bemoans the growing influence of religion in politics.
Fiercely liberal and committed to constitutional values, Van Onselen will make you question accepted practices and see the absurdity of what passes for just another day in South Africa

Brilliance and Fire – Rachelle Bergstein

Anna Howcroft — Tue, 03 Oct 2017 15:34:01 +0000

Rachelle Bergstein’s cultural biography of the diamond illuminates the enticing, often surprising story of our society’s enduring obsession with the hardest gemstone and the people who have worked tirelessly to ensure its continued allure. From the South African mines where most diamonds have been sourced since the late 1890s to the companies who have fought to monopolize them; from the stars who have dazzled in them to the people behind the scenes who have carefully crafted our understanding of their value “Brilliance and Fire” offers a glittering history of the world’s most coveted gemstone and its greatest champions and most colourful enthusiasts. Brilliance and Fire is illustrated with 16 pages of colour photographs

The Discourse of Blogs and Wikis

Anna Howcroft — Tue, 03 Oct 2017 08:58:40 +0000

Blogs and Wikis have not been with us for long, but have made a huge impact on society. Wikipedia is the best known exemplar of the wiki, a collaborative site that leads to a single text claimed by no-one; blogs, or web-logs, have exploded into the mainstream through novelisations, film adaptations and have gathered huge followings. Blogs and wikis also serve to provide a coherent basis for a discourse analysis of specific web language. What makes these forms distinctive as genres, and what ramifications does the technology have on the language? Myers looks at how blogs and wikis: allow for easier than ever publication; can claim to challenge institutional hierarchies; provide alternate perspectives on events; exemplify globalization; challenge demarcations between the personal and the public; construct new communities; and, more. Drawing on a wide range of popular blogs and wikis, the book works alongside an author blog that contains regularly updated links, references and a glossary

Knock ’em Dead Social Networking – Martin Yate

Hellobooks — Tue, 30 May 2017 11:24:03 +0000

Today, most employers use popular social media platforms like LinkedIn, Google+, Facebook, and Twitter for recruitment. With millions of professionals also social networking, it’s essential to create a brand that stands out. With “Knock ’em Dead Social Networking”, you can learn how to integrate social networking into every aspect of your job search. You’ll learn how to create compelling social media profiles that dramatically increase your visibility, how to build professionally relevant networks, and how to reach out directly to the hiring managers who can most influence your career. You’ll develop networks that help you navigate a long work life, and gain greater control over your professional destiny

ISBN-10: 1440569711 | ISBN-13: 9781440569715