Read, watch and be inspired

By Jess Handley Feeding children and making sure they receive all the necessary vitamins, minerals, fatty acids etc that are pivotal for healthy development, can sometimes prove to be a rather uphill battle. But there are many ways to skin…

by Melissa Baird The title is a classic example of understatement in that the story tells of nothing short of an abundance of miraculous events, interventions, intricate collaborations and the dogged action of a group of people, spearheaded by Princess…

Review by: Jess Handley Throughout history, many different people from scientists to media reports have been witness to some incredible symbioses in nature. Some of these symbioses exist for biological reasons, such as rhino and ox-peckers; other for survival reasons,…

By Jess Handley When we are young, many of us dream of having a wild, exotic animal as a pet; or we simply pretended that the family cat was a lion or jungle tiger. For ranger Graham Cooke, this was…

Who says vegans are “sissies”? A full colour Kickstarter-funded cookbook featuring 80 recipes and mouthwatering photos, as well as activist profiles, is in the final stages of planning having exceeded, by over $5,000, their goal of $3,000 – with more…

Gardeners, travellers and anyone interested in nature and ecosystems would find something useful in one or both of these excellent guide about the trees of Southern Africa. In both cases the authors, Braam van Wyk and Piet van Wyk (not…

There is no longer any dispute that permaculture benefits both people and the earth. Gardeners, professional landscape designers, farmers and community projects are embracing this powerful and effective tool. Rosemary Morrow’s fully revised and updated ‘Earth User’s Guide to Teaching…

John Bauer is a well known South African ceramicist who approaches life with enthusiasm and a healthy dose of ‘can do’. Now he has re-written the dictionary, of our emotions, in a novel way. So if you’re not sure what…

Off the Chain is the result of Bobby J Brown’s research into pit bull fighting in the US. It offers an unprecedented look at an abusive subculture including views from the dog fighters themselves. Please note that this full length…

VISUAL FUNK Future Retro by Kilmany-Jo Liversage “Future-retro” is the add-on attached to the street art and indoor wall-work – or paintings – by Kilmany-Jo Liversage. Like all good descriptors, it’s catchy, accounting for the endgame of contemporary art where…

Writing about people you have worked with (but perhaps more importantly, enjoyed working with) can often be an exercise in self-restraint. Unfortunately, like most artists who have interacted and/or collaborated with Lauren von Gogh and Robyn Cook, the two Joburg-based…

Today’s international move towards industrialised, mechanised and automated agriculture has vastly changed the way in which food is produced. Monoculture crops like corn, soy and rice dominate the market, with plant diversity, heirloom varieties of vegetables, and a large selection…

Review by: Lia Labuschagne The rhino has survived on Earth for more than 50 million years. Yet man has fast driven these animals to endangered species status. The black rhino especially is critically endangered while the white rhino’s status is…

What a happy zingy book for summer documenting the delightful recipes created by Jane. In 2009, she joined the crew of Eos, Barry Diller and fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg’s sailing yacht – a position that has taken her throughout…

Arbour month encouraged people all over the world to plant trees, and lots of them. For myself I am mostly flummoxed when trying to identify the more obscure trees which is why this book is a must for novice tree…

Celebrating South Africa’s biodiversity is a wondrous affair and what better way to magnify the charm and efficacy of the natural world than through art and appreciation. So it was at this year’s Kirstenbosch Biennale as the focus of the…

This memoir of conservationist Linda Tucker describes her struggle to protect the white lions of South Africa from the trophy-hunting industry. The story of the white lion is a curious one and steeped in mystery and legend. No wonder they…

Nontobeko Ntombela may be short in stature, but she sure makes up for it in curatorial vigour. A curator with a discerning and curious eye, Ntombela produces exhibitions that question and challenge prescribed histories, structures and positions. She wants to…

By: Nick Mulgrew Books are integral to a well-rounded education. Whichever form they take – paper or digital – they act as repositories of knowledge that can be shared, stored and implemented. It’s a shame, then, that books – and…

In celebrating International Youth Day on the 12 of August, the African Leadership Academy has launched an essay competition aimed at 15-19 year olds with some amazing prizes and recognition to be had. This is a fantastic opportunity for any…