Tales of survival and thriving, methods for authentic improvement, examinations of systemic issues and insight from leading and diverse voices, these five new releases provide numerous opportunities for refreshed perspectives and rejuvenated outlooks.
Take a look:
When Secrets Become Stories: Women Speak Out Edited by Sue Nyathi
With the ongoing and righteous drive to illuminate the experiences of girls and women, come these revealing and powerful tales of strength, survival and appalling mistreatment. When Secrets Become Stories is a collection that uncovers just how chillingly common and widespread incidents of patriarchal violence and abuse are in South Africa.
In South Africa, a country burdened with a shocking profusion of gender-based violence, it is quite rare to encounter a woman who has not endured some form of abuse, or who doesn’t know somebody who has. So many survivors are forced or shamed into secrecy. The women whose stories are represented here have broken this too-often imposed silence in order to tell the truth; in order to disclose just how many emotional, financial, physical, sexual and structural forms the victimisation of women can take. The women speaking out include those from all walks of life, of all ages and demographics, but they all have one triumphant thing in common: they refuse to be defined by the abuse they have survived, they refuse to be identified as victims. These are survivors with hard-hitting stories to tell… survivors whose stories deserve to be read.
The Kindness Method: Changing Habits for Good by Shahroo Izadi
So this sounds familiar, right: you identify a habit you have that you wish you didn’t and in attempting to break it you are scornful of yourself, you are critical of yourself to a degree that renders you disinclined toward action, disempowered.
Shahroo Izadi is proof that the only real way to make lasting change is to treat yourself kindly: to redirect your focus from your shortcomings to your strengths and skills. Following a painful relationship with dieting regimes and yo-yoing weight loss and gain, Izadi was finally able to transform herself and to make that transformation permanent. In the process, through a combination of evolving personal experience and professional training, she developed a way to make this kind of victory accessible to us all.
The Kindness Method eschews the regimental strictures that have for so long defined approaches to personal change in favour of more empowering and positive techniques. Whether it’s weightl oss you’re hoping to achieve, whether it’s improved relationships or broken dependencies, Izadi’s book will help you to achieve your goals and escape the cycles of shame and punishment that would hobble your progress.
The New Apartheid by Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh
Do not be tricked into thinking that structural systems of discrimination have been eradicated. Yes, we’ve made things better. Yes, South Africa has triumphed over one of the modern world’s most notorious systems of racial oppression. But damaging, distressing traces of Apartheid linger on.
Our democracy may have righted many wrongs, but the past is still very much present and, somehow, occasionally as a direct result of our new institutional practices, deleterious forms of hate and exploitation endure. With this book, author, musician and activist Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh tackles the persistent myths that warp life and politics in SA while exploring the extent to which systemic racial oppression continues to thrive.
Intentional Integrity: How Smart Companies Can Lead an Ethical Revolution by Robert Chestnut
Ask anyone. Every company out there will have some idea of the single most important aspect of business culture. Robert Chestnut, chief ethics officer of AirBnB and Silicon Valley expert, argues that those who do not think carefully about the essential role that integrity plays in corporate culture are bound to fail.
It’s a difficult concept to define, but we all have an idea of what constitutes integrity and why it is to be respected. In an age where companies are becoming increasingly expansive and far-reaching, a clear idea of right and wrong practices – and the skill and the will to consistently enforce it – is critical to ensuring stability and maintaining trust… especially while faith in large institutions continues to fall.
In Intentional Integrity, Chestnut outlines and explores a six step programme that leaders in all fields can employ in order to ensure that they are fostering a culture of integrity. By explaining the legal and ethical rationale for integrity in the workplace, and by offering a wealth of sensitive, flexible approaches, this book makes an inarguable case for a smarter, more principled way of conducting business in the private sector… a way that contributes positively to the world at large while guaranteeing the right kind of corporate growth.
You Are a Champion: How to Be The Best You Can Be by Marcus Rashford
A role model is a hard thing to be, but Marcus Rashford has certainly achieved it. From an ordinary boy, he has become one of the world’s most celebrated footballers and activists. It’s something we can all achieve. Every young person is presented with the opportunity to change the game and to champion meaningful change.
With this book, Rashford draws authentically from his own experiences to present us with a roadmap for attaining whatever success we strive for. Filled with stories and tips designed to help you thrive despite adversity, master the importance of mindset, craft lasting resilience and harness the power of your own voice, You Are a Champion contains a mix of inspiration and practical advice for achieving your dreams.
Featuring cool graphics, relatable scenarios and expert input this, Rashford’s first book for children, is a thoughtful, hugely informative volume that will turn any young dreamer on to the boundless possibilities of their own potential.
Happy Reading