Archive for the ‘Reference’ Category
by Amanda on Apr 11th, 2012
As part of the Institute for Humanities in Africa (HUMA) seminar and book lunch series, Rajend Mesthrie and Jeanne Hromnik will be discussing their book Eish, but is it English? Celebrating the South African Variety on 16 April 2012 at 1PM.
Mesthrie and Hromnik will be in conversation with Peter Anderson in the HUMA Seminar Room on the University of Cape Town’s upper campus.
Don’t miss it!
Event Details
- Date: Monday, 16 April 2012
- Time: 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM, lunch will be served from 12:30 onwards
- Venue: HUMA Seminar Room,
4th floor, Oppenheimer Institute Building,
Upper Campus,
University of Cape Town,
Rondebosch | Map
- Guest Speaker: Peter Anderson
- RSVP: heather.maytham@uct.ac.za, 021 650 4592
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by Amanda on Apr 3rd, 2012
Taxpayers often pay over more to the Receiver than required, and nowhere is this more evident than in the payment of Value Added Tax.
There are thousands of VAT vendors in South Africa who are obliged to prepare a VAT return every two months. On the face of it, the process is very simple: record the VAT paid in respect of producing your product or service, subtract from this the VAT received in respect of your product or service, and pay the balance over to the Receiver. But in practice it is rather more complex, as certain rules apply to what you can and cannot claim as a legitimate amount, and on imports and exports related to your business.
Tax consultants, who service several returns at a time, rush through the work, with the result that large amounts often get overlooked through ignorance or haste and millions of rands go unclaimed, or are paid over to the Receiver unnecessarily. But help is now at hand with The VAT Handbook, everyone’s essential guide on all matters concerning this tax.
About the authors
Geoff Hull is a Commerce graduate with over 15 years’ experience in the financial departments of major corporations, and has also lectured at Damelin. He is currently travelling extensively throughout Africa training staff at various mines, and in his spare time writes poetry, some of which will be published in Holland this year.
Clive Gibson is an Economic Sciences graduate with 30 years’ experience in the field of management development and training. He is the co-author of several bestselling learner’s and driver’s licence books and is the author of 53 different titles published by various publishers, including some in the UK. He has also co-authored several books for children, learners and management.
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by Amanda on Nov 25th, 2011
Yesterday evening Rajend Mesthrie and Jeanne Hromnik launched their book, Eish, but is it English? Celebrating the South African variety at The Book Lounge, where they kept word sleuths and lovers of the English language intrigued with historical anecdotes about the history and currency of English in South Africa.
Providing the audience with a background to the development of the book, Jeanne Hromnik said the catalyst for writing Eish, but is it English was another book by Mesthrie, World Englishes, which Hromnik was drawn to for the seeming incorrectness of the title. Hromnik said she attended the launch of World Englishes, but after reading the book, found the text difficult to understand and the numbered paragraphs off-putting.
But it was the spoken and not written word that won Hromnik over. At the launch of World Englishes, Hromnik found herself identifying with the things Mesthrie was speaking about. Mesthrie, who used to feature on SAFM‘s now defunct Word of Mouth programme, was hesitant at first when Hromnik approached him with the idea of writing a book about language for an audience outside of academia. Later (at a time when he was immobilised and thus susceptible due to a knee operation), Mesthrie warmed to the idea.
Anyone who has ever been called out for inapproapriate or ungrammatical usage of English will take please in finding that, as Mesthrie reveals in the book, “in speech…we are all equally well dressed”. Furthermore, Mesthrie points out that “speaking a language well does not make you an expert on language, the same way that breathing oxygen does not make you an expert in biology”.
On the topic of South African colloquialisms, Mesthrie says it is actually very difficult writing a book about English without talking about the influence of other languages. He says every time we say “now now” or “quick quick” we are “paying abeyance” to Afrikaans and its Malay influences.
Mesthrie then read some passages from the book about the origins of the word “robot” and how in South African English the word has come to be associated with traffic lights. Mesthrie traced the word back to its Czech origins, “robota”, which means “forced labour”. Later, when an audience member challenged him on this translation, arguing that “robota” simply means “labour” and not “forced labour”, Mesthrie joked that in Eastern Europe perhaps all labour is “forced”. A third passage considered how black English is often seen as “not proper” for its placement of the subject in certain phrases where the subject is usually absent. However, Mesthrie argues that despite this being considered “incorrect” by the “language police”, this linguistic habit is far more logical than leaving the subject out of a sentence, as in the phrase, “As can be seen, …”.
Mesthrie conlcuded his talk with a “message of hope”, remarking that we are very fortunate to be living in a country that has English as a resource. He says mastery of the English language is such a sought-after skill that in places like South Korea families are broken up and their kids are sent away to learn English abroad. Said Mesthrie, “They are so desperate that they will send their kids to Potchefstroom!”
Eish, but is it English promises to be a highly satisfying read; it applies a linguistic microscope to South Africa’s history, revealing facts about our heritage we might not otherwise have known. The books also contains what Mesthrie calls “the most amazing sentence in the English language”, which was written, not by Shakespeare or JM Coetzee, but by a German missionary in South Africa. Despite pleas from the audience for him to reveal this sentence, Mesthrie displayed his more shrewd side by advising, “you will have to read the book to find out”.
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Books LIVE tweeted from the launch using #livebooks:
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by Amanda on Nov 17th, 2011
Join Zebra Press and The Book Lounge for the launch of Eish, but is it English? Celebrating the South African Variety by Rajend Mesthrie and Jeanne Hromnik.
Mesthrie and Hromnik will discuss the evolution of language in South Africa and the varieties of English on Thursday, 24 November at 5:30 for 6:00 PM
See you there!
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by Amanda on Nov 9th, 2011
The Bedside Book of Algebra is a fun and interactive introduction to algebra and the way in which it affects the world around us.
The book features clear and concise explanations of key concepts to demonstrate the principles of the various disciplines at work in the real world.
There are exercises that challenge the reader to consider the concepts presented and help them learn how they relate to common experiences. The book profiles key figures throughout history and presents dozens of fun facts in each discipline and it is written by specialists in their field in an accessible and fun style that will appeal to both the expert and the layperson.
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The Bedside Book of Geometry is a fun and interactive introduction to geometry and the way in which it affects the world around us.
The book features clear and concise explanations of key concepts to demonstrate the principles of the various disciplines at work in the real world.
There are exercises that challenge the reader to consider the concepts presented and help them learn how they relate to common experiences. The book profiles key figures throughout history and presents dozens of fun facts in each discipline and it is written by specialists in their field in an accessible and fun style that will appeal to both the expert and the layperson.
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by Amanda on Nov 4th, 2011
This month, Zebra Press presents The Bedside Book of Physics by Isaac McPhee and The Bedside Book of Chemistry by Joel Levy:
The Bedside Book of Physics is a fun and interactive introduction to physics and the way in which it affects the world around us.
The book features clear and concise explanations of key concepts to demonstrate the principles of the various disciplines at work in the real world. There are exercises that challenge the reader to consider the concepts presented and help them learn how they relate to common experiences.
The book profiles key figures throughout history and presents dozens of fun facts in each discipline and it is written by specialists in their field in an accessible and fun style that will appeal to both the expert and the layperson.
About the author
Isaac McPhee was born in northwest Washington State and majored in English literature at Western Washington University. His passion for science and mathematics has led him to write numerous freelance articles on these subjects, and to serve as the feature writer for Math and Chaos Theory on Suite101.com. He lives and works in New York, and is the author of The Bedside Book of Physics.
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The Bedside Book of Chemistry is a fun and interactive introduction to chemistry and the way in which it affects the world around us.
The book features clear and concise explanations of key concepts to demonstrate the principles of the various disciplines at work in the real world. There are exercises that challenge the reader to consider the concepts presented and help them learn how they relate to common experiences.
The book profiles key figures throughout history and presents dozens of fun facts in each discipline and it is written by specialists in their field in an accessible and fun style that will appeal to both the expert and the layperson.
About the author
Joel Levy is a writer and journalist specialising in science and the history of science. He is the author of more than a dozen books, including Poison: A Social History, which examines the science and history of toxic substances; Great Scientists, Mad Science, the secret histories of madness, magic and mysticism among great inventors and scientists from Newton to Edison; and The Doomsday Book, a guide to the science of doomsday scenarios. He has a degree in molecular biology and a master’s degree in psychology.
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by Amanda on Oct 24th, 2011
This November from Zebra Press, Eish, but is it English? by Rajend Mesthrie and Jeanne Hromnik:
Did you know that there was English in South Africa before the English? Have you ever wondered where the words ‘tsotsi’, ‘larney’, ‘gogga’ and ‘chakalaka’ come from? Do you know that the first sentence uttered by a South African in English was ‘Coeree home go’, by a kidnapped Khoikhoi man in 1613?
South Africa is home to several unique varieties of English. This entertaining book traces the evolution of the language in the country, looking at the diverse forms of English spoken here, where they come from and how they fit into the world spectrum of English. Humorous and informative, it outlines the distinctive features of South African English and is packed with examples and explanations of common expressions, slang, pronunciations and typically South African words and phrases, including ‘bunny chow’, ‘just now’, ‘veldskoen’, ‘sundowner’ and, of course, ‘eish’. The text is enriched with up-to-date, often hilarious illustrations of key concepts.
About the authors
Rajend Mesthrie is a professor of linguistics at the University of Cape Town, where he holds a National Research Foundation (SARCHI) research chair. He has published widely in the field of sociolinguistics and has conducted extensive research on the varieties of English spoken in South Africa. His published works include A Dictionary of South African Indian English, Introducing Sociolinguistics, World Englishes and Language in South Africa.
Jeanne Hromnik has worked in South African publishing for many years as a book editor, commissioning editor and manuscript reader. She now puts language to use as a freelance editor and writer. Her short stories have been published in New Writing from Africa 2009 and The Edge of Things.
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by Amanda on Oct 11th, 2011
Supernatural powers of the mind and body – from invisibility, bilocation and teleportation to levitation, suspended animation and fire-breathing – enthral and mystify believers.
A recent poll showed that 41 per cent of US citizens believe in extrasensory perception, while more than half of Britons believe in psychic powers. Where do these abilities come from? Who has these supernatural talents?
The Encyclopedia of Paranormal Powers is an expert reference guide to these mystical abilities. Discover the secrets of mind readers, mediums, astral projectors and many others with similar powers. Delve into the supernatural with this complete, and fascinating, guide.
About the author
Brian Haughton was born in Birmingham, England, and is an author and researcher on the subjects of supernatural folklore and ancient and sacred places. He is a graduate of the universities of Nottingham and Birmingham, and has worked on archaeological projects in England and Greece. He has written several books on the subject of paranormal activity.
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by Amanda on Oct 4th, 2011
From gunpowder to Viagra, many of the greatest eureka moments in human history were chance discoveries that led to world-changing inventions and ideas.
Accidental Genius takes the reader on a tour of the scientific and technological advancements where leaps of faith, unexpected inspiration and sudden shifts of understanding brought about overnight changes in our perception of the world.
Celebrating the accidental Einsteins whose moments of inspiration changed the world, this book covers the work of familiar figures such as Isaac Newton and Louis Pasteur, but also reveals unsung heroes like the inventors of safety glass, Teflon, batteries and the radio.
About the author
Richard Gaughan is a research engineer whose decades of experience in the aerospace industry and US National Laboratories has provided him intimate familiarity with the role of chance observation in technological development.
He has written hundreds of articles covering subjects as diverse as the creation of antimatter, quantum teleportation, space telescopes, solid state lighting and advanced medical imaging methods. This is his first book.
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by Amanda on Oct 27th, 2010
Factopedia is a book of lists about South Africa and the world. It is crammed with fascinating facts about the universe; the earth; plants; animals; the body and health; food and drink; politics; law and order; business and wealth; technology and the internet; literature; arts and culture;entertainment; and sport. Factopedia will tell you all about the highest, the lowest, the oldest, the largest, the richest, the longest, the brightest, the first, the hardest, the most frequent, the highest-scoring, the best-selling and the most expensive of just about everything under the sun.
Find out about the new dwarf planets; the world’s newest – and oldest – countries; the biggest-grossing South African and international films; the richest people in South Africa and the world; the highest prices paid for South African art; and much, much more.
Factopedia answers all those niggling questions, such as:
- Why is Pluto no longer a planet?
- What is the most poisonous snake in South Africa?
- What is the happiest country in the world?
- What is the best-selling book ever?
- Who has scored the most goals in a FIFA World Cup?
About the Author
Helen Lewis has published several books under her previous name, Helen Boardman: The Book of Useless Information, A Matter of Facts and South Africa’s Top Ten Book. In 1999 she co-wrote The South African Fact File for MWEB’s Learning Channel on the internet. Her first children’s book, Fact Finder ( Feiteboek in Afrikaans), is a curriculum-based reference book for Grades 4-6. Helen was the producer of the morning show on Radio Good Hope with Allan Barnard for two and a half years. She is married to a high-school teacher and has six children.
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