South Africa Books

A comprehensive guide to keeping cichlids. There are also useful tables concerning plants and decorations suitable for cichlid tanks. The first 100 pages contain the more general info on natural habitats, aquarium selection, water requirements and filtration, heating and lighting, aquascaping, maintenance, feeding, health and breeding. The last section on breeding has separate sections on African, Central American and South American cichlids. This same division is used in the second part of the book, the species section. The descripion of the different fishes is very comprehensive and includes wonderful information such as sexing and compatibility. The index includes both scientific name as well as common name. Great reference book for the beginning and advanced hobbyist alike.

This book is absolutely beautiful inside - featuring lots of postcard-worthy photographs.

The pictures in the book are of actual places we have seen on our visit to South Africa - very representative of what the country actually looks like.

These are the pictures we would have taken ourselves - if the sun was always shining . . . if we had a telephoto lens . . . if we were professional photographers . . . if the perfect moments had presented themselves . . . if the wildlife would have stayed still!

Except for pictures of the people you meet, you could leave the camera at home, and just buy this book!

If you grew up in the rural outskirts of South Africa, you'll definitely enjoy this one! It is so real, it felt as if I was reading about my life. The way she writes keeps one turning the pages...btw this was my first book to read right to the last page!

Perhaps I am a little biased in this review as my father was a member of the regiment during the time it covers. I bought two copies last Christmas one for myself and one for my father. I couldn't put the book down and read it in two days flat (a feat for someone who is Dyslexic and shys away from reading!). I wouldn't expect anyone who does not have connections with the regiment to be so enthusiastic about reading the book!

The book covers the regiment from just before the start of the Second World War to its defeat in 1942. It is a good social history of the men who served and is written from audio transcripts they made and which are stored in the Imperial War Museum. The transcripts are of the soldiers who were mainly the lower ranks and thus gives a real insight into the war for the "common" man. It is not a dry account about battles or tactics, just commented transcripts of how the men lived, trained and fought.

The book does not cover in any detail the tactics and general stratergy of the war in North Africa. It would be nice to have a little of background knowledge on why the regiment was placed and moved around the continent.

My father claims there are a few exagerations in some of the acounts - especially the one of some men getting drunk on the front line in Tubruk.

I can recomend this book if you are interested in Nottingham, WWII and North Africa, or the lives of terratorial soldiers.

This book has it all: adventure, detective work, social history, insights and it all adds up to an excellent read. Tim Couzens keeps the reader interested from the first page to the last. His style makes one want to read the book slowly so as to make it last. The "story" itself is fascinating and for anyone interested in social history this is well worth the read. I have read the book three times and each reading has been a discovery of things missed before and a rediscovery of treasures from another time and another person's life. For teachers and lecturers of social history this should be a must read and their students could only benefit from the masterly scholarship and the love of the subject matter which the author shows so clearly.

"I cannot speak too highly of this book- the overall standard of presentation and production is excellent. It should be on the reading list of all university biology and environmental science courses, since it is the products of such courses who must deal with the major challenge facing our own species in the next 50 years: the sensible stewardship of the remaining forests. It also merits a place in school libraries, and will serve to provide a wealth of information to the concerned later day reader who seeks accesible, up-to-date information on the complexities of forest conservation."
-reviewed by Barry Meatyard

Mr. Newman has written one of the great and comprehensive rainforest books on the market. The book is loaded with great pictures from Mr. Newmans travels around the world. His book is research based but he explains it in a manner that everyone can understand. It is well organized. Each chapter has a differernt topic that breaks down the complexities into a much simplier discussion. He also outlines his beliefs in how society can save the rainforests. It is an outstanding book, one of the few everyone should own on the topic.

The book by Juo and Franzluebbers is the best book ever written on the subject of tropical soils and their management for sustainable agriculture. Authors discused systematically the properties of the major tropical soils, their linkage with agroecosystems and management options based on current knowledge. The book is very informative, easy to read, well illustrated and contains useful tables. It is highly recommended as introductory textbook for students in tropical soils and also for agricultural and environmental workers interested in natural resource management for agricultural production in the tropics.

"A masterful job...enjoyable to read...large number of photos a strongpoint of the book...photos complement the stories well...make them meaningful...does not pull his punches...sobering moments...runs the gamut of the Wing's experience in Korea...stories are revealing for folks who may not have been aware of what was going on in Korea...some stories paint graphic pictures of combat that may not be palatable to squeamish readers...it is about war, after all...includes the humor and pathos of every day events...When looking for a thorough, education history of the air war in Korea," readers "cannot do any better."
Graybeard Magazine, Korean War Veterans Association,
Nov-Dec 2005

The book contains pieces by noted academics such as Amy Gutman, Martha Minow and Kent Greenawalt, providing a reasonably through overview of the moral issues surrounding truth commissions. The book tries to pose and discuss questions such as "Do truth commissions sacrifice justice for pragmatic reasons?" and "Can truth commissions be justified by appeals to non-retributive theories of justice." Almost all of the essays are well written, and on the whole the book provides an excellent introduction into the theory behind truth commissions, though it focuses almost exclusively on the South African model and generally ignores commissions in Latin America and Europe. Although a number of the essays cite historical events, the book lacks pieces describing the actual formation and work of South Africa's Truth Commission; nor does it contain any primary documents. However, most of the relevant documents are easily accessible on the web, and their absence does not seriously detract from the book.

The book is solidly aimed at the academic realm; those wishing for an easy-to-read, general introduction to truth commissions should probably look elsewhere. However, I highly recommend this book as a general reference and for students and scholars seriously interested in the theoretical underpinnings of truth commissions.