Social Resilience: Critical Responses to Change and Challenges' is an edited volume intended for researchers and post-graduate students interested in studying social resilience from a multi-disciplinary, social scientific perspective. The volume consists of eight chapters that explore the concept from diverse disciplinary angles employing different theoretical and methodological approaches. Representing the fields of psychology, anthropology, social work, sociology of law, and legal studies, the authors discuss how social resilience manifests in different circumstances and contexts and what it means both in theory and practice. Thematically, these discussions concern migration, sexual minority experiences, environmental and economic crises, and the relationality and processuality of the concept as both an analytical tool and a unit of analysis in and of itself.

Captain John Low (1836 -1906) earned his place in history through four years of service in the Confederate States Navy (1861-1865). He served on CSS 'Fingal', 'Florida', and 'Alabama', and commanded CSS 'Tuscaloosa' and 'Ajax'. However, it would be wrong to define the man simply by his Civil War record. His seventy-year life was full of adventures, triumphs, tragedies, and altruistic philanthropy. He led a good life and was known as a good man, respected and revered by all who knew him. This book contains a detailed account of Captain Low’s whole life from cradle to grave. Using primary source documents, not available to earlier biographers, the author delves into John Low’s life to a much greater depth than any preceding work has been able to achieve. For the first time ever, his genealogy is fully divulged, allowing previously misunderstood relationships to be challenged and corrected, and the roles of his previously unknown siblings to be fully explored. Description of his military service is based on his personal log books and the eye witness accounts of his contemporaries. Along the way, the book sheds new perspectives on the roles played by his relations, Charles Green and Andrew Low of Savannah, in facilitating purchase of CSS 'Fingal'; it unmasks the mysterious Thomas Byrne, Louisiana’s secret agent, and explains the hitherto unrecognised role of Liverpool’s Isaac, Low & Co. The captain’s post-war life, firstly as a manager of Lancashire cotton mills, and latterly as a successful Liverpool businessman, is similarly illuminated with many previously unwritten facts. Anyone with an interest in Civil War history will find a wealth of new and unique material between these covers. Those who just enjoy a good biography should also be delighted.

Courting Courage is Justice Martha Koome’s attempt at answering the many questions asked about her life—some openly voiced and others implied. She applies a simple style to tell her life story—her birth and childhood in Kithiu village, Meru County, growing up in an African traditional setting facing discrimination and cultural prejudices and finally enrolling in school at the urging of her visionary mother. She did not give up on her education and her mother spared no effort to see her in school. Henceforth, she made up her mind to pursue a legal career in order to fight for the rights of women and children who were disadvantaged in age-old cultural prejudices.
Martha Koome graduated with LLB degree from the University of Nairobi and later earned a master’s degree in International Law from the University of London.
While working as an advocate in private practice, she found herself developing a passion for family law, which mainly involved dealing with children and women cases. She chaired FIDA-Kenya, which accorded her the platform to intensify her advocacy work on women and children. She was first appointed as a Judge of the High Court of Kenya, then as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Later, she was appointed as Chief Justice, becoming the first female to hold the office in Kenya.
This is an incredible story of a life predicated on unending hope for a better tomorrow, resilience and courage that will resonate with the reader. Married early to her lifetime partner, Koome Kiragu, and navigating the pitfalls of motherhood and wifely duties with the delicate balance of studying law, which involved reading notes in matatus and writing term papers with one hand while breastfeeding with the other. She proclaims how she never needed to attend any class on feminism. “I lived it all.”

Devil on the Cross, first published in Gikuyu as Caitaani Mutharabaini (1980), is a portrayal of corruption and how it has entrenched itself into the society. The celebration of corruption in all its forms, forces Wariinga, whom despair has driven out of Nairobi back to her home town of Ilmorog, to acknowledge that her life has been nothing more than passive acceptance of corruption itself. In this novel, the ancient rhythms of traditional story-telling are used in counterpoint to written styles. Ngugi provokes with the forces of Brecht, Bunyan, Swift and Beckett.

This is for the girls who have yet to forgive themselves. Girls with skin darker than dark. Girls with too much fat where the ideology of beauty lies. Girls who, because they have stomachs that fold like envelopes and dimples on their thighs that jiggle like dessert on Christmas Day, would never make it in beauty pageants or onto the cover of a magazine. This … is for the girls who have yet to forgive themselves. Girls who have loved other girls with about as much ferocity in their hearts as it would take to start a war. Girls who have heard the words “big” and “thick madam” more times than you hear about skinny bitches on rap songs. Girls who have witnessed too much judgement on the faces of men because they are too much to handle — literally.

The first intellectual biography of Alexander Hetherwick, a key figure in Scotland–Malawi relations. Mission, race and colonialism were three forces shaping Malawi’s history during the early years of the 20th century. They found a concentrated meeting point in the life of Scottish missionary Alexander Hetherwick, who led Blantyre Mission from 1898 to 1928. This book presents a fresh assessment of this towering figure in Malawi’s history, contesting the scholarly consensus that Hetherwick betrayed the early ideals of Blantyre Mission by compromising too much with the colonial system that was in force during his leadership. Kenneth R. Ross assesses the pervasive influence of colonialism, from which Hetherwick was not exempt, and traces the ways in which he resisted such influence through his relentless commitment to the interests of the African community and the inspiration he found in the emergence of the African church.

The third annual conference of the Theological Society of Malawi was held at the Bing International Conference Centre in Lilongwe from 30 August to 1 September 2022. It was honoured by the presence of His Excellency Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, President of Malawi, who launched the Society. The conference issued a rousing call for theologians to be ready to engage the public and political issues of the day. The authors who have contributed to this volume, writing from a variety of perspectives, demonstrate how this can be done.

This work, A Leading Pioneer in the Development of The Gambia: The Very Reverend John Colley Faye, offers inspiration to upcoming generations along the axes of the clarity of vision, commitment, effort and sacrifice, orientations that could help The Gambia chart a beneficial path forward.

This is a multidisciplinary collection comprising 21 critical and personal essays and several artworks and photos that centre around the topics of language, thought (philosophies), art and existence. Seventeen essays appeared in the previous edition of this book, and I have added four new later essays. Instead of academic only essays that one would expect with this title, this collection continues with my ideology of presenting non-fiction in a creative, fresh, easy to read, simple language, with most essays driven by personal stories, thus making it accessible to a wide spectrum of readers from the scholarly to journalistic to general readers.

Martin was a curious little boy who asked lots of questions. One day, he heard an unknown word—disability. The little boy was intrigued, so he asked his mum, observed people around him and... surprises abounded. But thanks to a special someone always beside him, Martin discovered that whether at school, in the street or at home, people live, think and move differently.

This work offers a comprehensive exploration of how childhood and youth are understood within contemporary social theory, emphasizing the major intellectual shifts that have transformed these fields over the past three decades. Moving beyond traditional developmental perspectives that portrayed children as passive recipients of socialization and youth as a brief transition to adulthood, the text draws on the “new social studies of childhood” and critical youth studies to argue that both childhood and youth are socially constructed categories. Rather than universal or biologically fixed stages, they are shaped by historical contexts, institutional arrangements, and unequal power relations. Central to the analysis is the concept of cultural politics, which highlights how meanings, identities, and representations of children and young people are produced, circulated, and contested. The work demonstrates how media narratives, state policies, educational systems, and global market forces frame childhood and youth in contradictory ways—at times idealizing them as innocent and hopeful, and at other times depicting them as deviant, risky, or problematic. Such representations are shown to reflect broader ideologies of nationhood, gender, modernity, and economic productivity. The text further underscores the importance of intersectionality, explaining how class, caste, race, gender, sexuality, disability, language, and nationality intersect to shape diverse and unequal experiences of growing up. It also examines the impact of globalization, neoliberal economic restructuring, migration, and digital technologies in reshaping young lives, generating both new opportunities and new vulnerabilities. Importantly, the work foregrounds agency, emphasizing that children and youth actively negotiate, reinterpret, and sometimes resist structural constraints in everyday contexts. By integrating insights from sociology, education, psychology, and cultural studies, the volume advances an interdisciplinary, decolonial, and context-sensitive framework for understanding the complex realities of childhood and youth in contemporary societies.

Entities, events, phenomena and states of affairs of the sphere of international relations/ interstate interactions are purely intersubjective recognisances. Their “subjects”, in particular the States, are themselves pre-theoretically, intersubjectively co-constituted and temporalised, ascribed with subject qualities especially in their “interactions” and experienced as such through intentional acts of perceiving, defining, remembering, anticipating, judging and so on. The said ascription includes their own community-building dynamics within an also intersubjectively given environment of interstate interactions. NATO is one of the most prominent State-communities. It has not only been defined by but has also been a constituent of the environment in which it existed. It gained its meaning from its existential relationship with its constituent State-subjects, its interactional counterparts and the meaningful appearance of its “environment”, and also made part of their meaningful appearances. NATO existed through transformations of environment and counterpart(s), continuing to be valid and viable in different identities and temporalisations. It is currently being re-identified and re-temporalised face to a new transformation of the interstate environment.

Colonial Stockholm Syndrome: Navigating Identity, Loyalty, and Resistance in Puerto Rico” by Denise Zubizarreta offers a critical examination of Puerto Rico’s enduring colonial legacy under both Spanish and American rule. This book explores the profound psychological and sociopolitical effects of centuries of colonization on Puerto Rican identity, illuminating how the island’s people have been conditioned to navigate complex loyalties and resistances in the face of systemic oppression. Through the innovative framework of Colonial Stockholm Syndrome, Zubizarreta analyzes how Puerto Ricans have historically reconciled their dual loyalties—first to the Spanish Empire and later to the United States—while confronting the ongoing challenges of inequality and dependency. The narrative delves into pivotal moments in Puerto Rican history, from the Spanish colonial era and the struggle for autonomy, to the American occupation beginning in 1898, and the current debates surrounding statehood and independence. Positioned within the broader discourse on colonialism and postcolonial studies, this work stands out for its unique approach to understanding Puerto Rico’s complex colonial history. By integrating historical analysis, personal narratives, and critical theory, Zubizarreta provides a comprehensive and accessible exploration of how colonial power dynamics continue to shape Puerto Rico’s national identity and political future. This book is an invaluable resource for scholars, students, and professionals in Latin American and Caribbean studies, political science, history, and cultural studies. It serves as a key reference for understanding the psychological and cultural dimensions of colonization, making it suitable for classroom adoption, academic research, and broader discussions on decolonization, identity, and resistance. 'Colonial Stockholm Syndrome: Navigating Identity, Loyalty, and Resistance in Puerto Rico' is an essential contribution to the literature on colonialism and its enduring impacts, offering new insights into one of the oldest colonies in the modern world.

One day, as Martin saw Mummy with her red handbag, he felt very sad. To him, that red handbag meant one thing: a departure or a separation. But, why did Mummy always leave? The curious little boy soon learned that distance does not hinder love, and that no matter how long Mummy is away, he will forever be in her heart...

In a world where people are living longer and healthier lives, 'Passionate Aging' offers a fresh, empowering perspective on what it means to grow older. This engaging and insightful book explores the opportunities, challenges, and responsibilities of aging, aiming to dispel stereotypes and inspire both individuals and society to reimagine the later stages of life. Through a mix of research, practical advice, and personal narratives, the book serves as a guide for making the most of our extended years.

This volume explores the importance of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) as a transformative framework for inclusive and equitable education. Through chapters contributed by international scholars, it examines the practical application of UDL in various educational contexts, including higher education, assessment, language education, and lifelong learning. The book positions UDL as an essential approach for creating accessible learning environments that embrace diversity and overcome barriers. Highlighting innovative case studies and research, it serves as a resource for educators, policymakers, and researchers committed to fostering inclusivity and improving educational outcomes globally.

My Bullet Proof Marriage is both a curative measure manual for marriages experiencing challenges and a preventive one for those about to get married or are in the sweet years of the marriage and desire to avert destruction.

As a man/woman, do you ever sit and wonder why people don’t come for you or why your requests for courtships/relationships are often rejected? The attraction code is a well-packaged document that gives tips on how to attract the right partner. It educates singles on the importance of self-care, how to free themselves from self-sabotaging behaviours, cultivate the art of irresistible confidence and amplify their magnetic appeal. To attract a dream partner, the author advises singles to be patient, build unshakeable self-worth, and navigate dating with confidence and joy.

Stories and Marvels is a collection of eight stories, which cut across several themes like school, professions, village/town, health among several others. Each story is accompanied by a series of three questions each, which enable children to better understand the stories, and also to create an interactive environment for the learner and the teacher. This book is mainly dedicated to Class 6 pupils but is also very instructive for children in general.

The pioneering book that exposed the intergenerational health impacts of systemic racism is back—with 50 percent new content to meet the demands of our post-2020 reality.

This updated edition delivers urgent tools for survival, including four new chapters, updated research, case studies, and real-world examples.

Black people are exhausted. The toll of living within systems designed to exclude them devastates minds, bodies, and spirits. Award-winning diversity, equity, and inclusion leader Mary-Frances Winters—now joined by Mareisha Winters Reese—addresses this ongoing crisis with an urgent update to her bestselling book.

Winters and Reese incorporate new data, fresh case studies, and expanded tools to reflect today’s realities. This edition, with 50 percent new content, includes the following:

• Four new chapters on current challenges facing Black communities
• Updated research on racism’s health impacts in a post-COVID world
• New stories and case studies that illuminate lived experience
• Updated models reflecting today’s most relevant findings

With unflinching honesty and a practical lens, Winters and Reese document the enduring toll of “living while Black” while also equipping readers with strategies for personal healing and organizational transformation. The research is current, the case studies are real, and the tools are designed to create lasting systemic change.

Jacques Ellul was a prolific writer and brilliant sociologist whose work on technological society and propaganda remains relevant today, despite coming from a distinctly French, postwar perspective. Technique and Control re-introduces Ellul’s main body of work to social scientists and readers curious about technology and social life. Frank W. Elwell has updated and supplemented Ellul’s examples of lifeworld domination through physical technology, organization, and an underlying mindset of technique that prioritizes efficient goal-oriented behaviors guided by experience, empiricism, calculability, predictability, and logic. Particular attention is given to the development of human techniques of control such as education, propaganda, and other modes of socialization. By re-invigorating these writings for contemporary readers, Elwell illuminates an important body of sociological work for a new generation of social scientists, students, and those interested in modern society and its continuing evolution.

Onyeke Alphaeus Onyeke was born around O1960s in Imufu, Enugu-Ezike, Igbo-Eze North, Enugu State. He graduated from St. Joseph’s Primary School, Imufu and St. Theresa’s College, Nsukka respectively. He graduated in Medical Laboratory Sciences from School of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Institute of Health, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria. He proceeded to Massey University, New Zealand where he graduated in Health services management and Management Sciences for postgraduate Diploma and master’s degrees respectively. He also obtained Certificate of Proficiency in Control Systems of the Body. He holds postgraduate certiβicates in Epidemiology and Applied Statistics from Chinese University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong. He has written books namely: The Desk, Sit Down, and Competition: The National Concepts, Compendium of Beacons of DemocracyTransformation in Nigeria, Rethinking Leadership, Nostagia, Collection of Poems, Enokpa: Embodiment of Courage and Uncommon Concepts. He wrote cerebral articles and theor ized equat ions that were earth-shatter ing. H is three groundbreaking equations are on Organizational Sciences such as Perfect Organization, Organizational Culture and Individual Conβidence. He is a Professor of Entrepreneurship. He βinished two years tenure as Resident Advisor on Entrepreneurship and Youth Development in Sultan Maccido Institute for Peace, Leadership and Development Studies, University of Abuja.

‘This is vintage Ngügĩ, plain-spoken, intensely committed, and passionate about the values of freedom and struggle in which he still profoundly believes.’ – Elleke Boehmer, Professor of World Literature in English, University of Oxford. Renowned worldwide, as novelist and dramatist, Ngügĩ wa Thiongo’s contributions to the body of critical writing on African literature, politics and society have been highly significant. His best known critical work is Decolonising the Mind, which since publication in 1986 has profoundly influenced other writers, critics, scholars and students. These latest essays reflect Ngügi’s continuing interests enthusiasms. His choice of writers is original. He makes us look again at their novels to address his lifelong concerns with the ways to independence, the meanings of colonialism and the takeover by neo-colonialism, and the functions of literature in political as well as literary terms. They will appeal not only to his international band of supporters. They will also introduce his views to young people discovering African and Caribbean literature.

In THE ART OF EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE REHEARSING, Robert Ingari presents effective rehearsal techniques that allow choral conductors and their singers to use the musical structure of a work to energize and enrich the rehearsal process. For the conductor who wishes to achieve more convincing and consistent results, practical and targeted tools are offered to help reach these goals. Based on the principle of an organized and interactive approach derived from the structural elements of the score, the proposed rehearsal techniques prove useful in all situations, helping to better coordinate the rehearsal process and make score learning more coherent. Furthermore, Jennifer Y. M. Lee contributes by offering tools designed to more effectively accompany the adult learner, thus enhancing the conductor’s working process.

NGUGI WA THIONG’O is undoubtedly Kenya’s most prolic writer. From the time he launched himself as a pioneer African writer with Weep Not, Child (1964), there was no stopping Ngugi. Weep Not, Child was quickly followed up by The River Between (1965) and A Grain of Wheat (1967), both of which conrmed Ngugi as a writer of great ambition. The publication of Petals of Blood (1977) and the pre-publication staging of the Gikuyu version of I Will Marry When I Want (a play), swiftly led to his detention without trial by Kenya’s authorities. After detention, Ngugi issued Caaitani Mutharaba-ini, (Devil on the Cross —1982) and Matigari ma Njirungi (1986), a novel in Gikuyu. Ngugi is also a renowned playwright which such works as The Black Hermit (1968) and The Trial of Dedan Kimathi (1976), co-authored with Micere Githae Mugo. Besides novels and plays, he has also written volumes of essays and has published an anthology of short stories — Secret Lives (1963). All Ngugi’s novels are published in the Peak Library.

Originally published in Gikũy as Murogi wa Kagogo, Wizard of the Crow is a thought-provoking satirical novel that gives a surgical examination of the cult of dictatorship in Africa. The story is set in the imaginary Free Republic of Aburiria, and weaved around the Ruler and his coterie of court-poets, all of them the epitome of the dictum that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Then there is Kamiti, the mystical figure who is the subject of conjecture, and Nyawira, the underground revolutionary in the vanguard of agitating for change in Aburiria. In the end, Ngügĩ manages to vibrate with the magical realism of Gabriel Garcia Marquez; the brutal frankness of Dostoyevsky; and the lyrical beauty of African folklore.Yet, the most intriguing question as you read the novel is: Who is the Wizard of the Crow?“…great, spellbinding…probably the crowning glory of Ngügi’s life’s work … he has turned the power of storytelling into a weapon against totalitarianism.” Washington Post “A magisterial magic realist account of 20th-century African history. It is unreservedly a masterpiece Scotland on Sunday “..an epic farce, poking fun at Aburiria’s idiotocracy…written in the lyrical style of a master storyteller, perfect for reading – and laughing aloud. Time Magazine in a citation in which it voted the book as ONE OF THE 10 BEST BOOKS IN 2006. “…a terrifying reflection of how vulgar the human condition can become, but at the same time a highly entertaining and easily accessible fable.”

In the heart of the jungle, where animals gather daily to play football, lives Zuza, a shy and slow tortoise who dreams of being a great player. Mocked and rejected because of his short limbs and slow pace, Zuza almost gives up on his dream—until Tika sees his potential and offers to train him. Zuza trains tirelessly for months, facing countless failures, but with Tika’s unwavering support, he learns to focus not on what he lacks but on what he can become. Despite being ridiculed and benched during the Jungle Tournament, Zuza gets one chance and scores the winning goal, earning the respect of everyone, including his doubters.

Growing up as an orphan, Tem decides to build an orphanage in his community to provide education and shelter for children. One morning, they find an abandoned miserable child at the gate and name her Mbong. She is loved by all as she is fast becoming an adorable, intelligent, cheerful and lively girl. Years pass and the population increases, financial difficulties set in and worst of it is the outbreak of a waterborne disease. Many infected children, including Mbong are rushed to the hospital, but the doctors are unmoved by the situation. Mbong and the other children finally succumb to the disease, leaving the orphanage in grief and lamentation.

A notorious thief named Ban, breaks into a mansion, where a girl named Aya who has been sick for many years lives. Her father had taken her round the world for treatment, but his efforts were all in vain. Ban stumbles in on Aya in her room and she offers him a cup of coffee despite knowing he is a thief. After much hesitation, he accepts the invitation and they both talk about their sad stories. Touched by each other’s situations, they become friends and spend their days together, creating happy memories. One day, Ban comes to the mansion and discovers that Aya has died. Filled with grief, he promises to change his ways and become a good person.

The humans break their promise by continuously invading and misusing the forest, so the animals decide to send them a warning. The humans do not heed it, so the animals attack. This leads to fierce battles. Lucky, a selfless monkey, is worried of the effects of these battles to the ecosystem and humanity. So, together with other animals, he goes on a mission in search of the Peace Plant, which is planted at the entrance of the forest by both parties, marking an end to the war. They promise to always respect the forest and the environment.

To show the non-linear nature of social evolution, it is crucially important to discuss cases from different cultural areas and different historical periods, including our time, as well as different levels of overall sociocultural complexity. This anthology includes chapters that explore case studies covering a wide range of societies of the Old and the New World ranging from ancient to modern contexts. Respectively, the chapters are based on different kinds of sources – archaeological, historical, anthropological (ethnographic), and sociological. This analysis of pre-modern and modern societies sheds valuable light on the variety of ways in which social institutions were developing through time and space and of how these institutions may have fostered social evolution. Therefore, this publication may enhance our understanding of social evolution at the world-system, regional, and local-culture levels via the integration of various kinds of evidence within a unified conceptual framework. Societies are systems composed of a great number of various social institutions. Societies change as a result of emergence, transformation, and interaction of institutions. As systems of social institutions, societies have a fundamental characteristic that can be called a “basic principle of societal organization.” The principle of organization a society embodies depends on the way its institutions are arranged with respect to one another. Two basic principles can be distinguished: heterarchical, at which institutions interact being unranked with respect to one another or can be ranked in different ways, and the opposite principle, homoarchical, at which institutions interact being rigidly ranked in the only way and have no or very limited potential for being unranked or ranked in other ways. Societies of the same level of overall cultural complexity and with the same basic principle of organization can take different specific forms, as alternativeness exists not only between but also within the heterarchical and homoarchical macrogroups of societies. The division of societies into predominantly heterarchical and homoarchical is a constant fact of human sociocultural history. The dichotomy of heterarchy and homoarchy has considerably determined the non-linear and alternative nature of the global sociocultural process. Transformations in the ways social institutions and their sets, societal subsystems, are ranked (homoarchically or heterarchically) on one hand and changes in the overall sociocultural complexity on the other are two different, largely unrelated processes. Homoarchy and heterarchy are not evolutionary lines: a society can pass from a predominantly heterarchical way of ranking institutions to predominantly homoarchical or vice versa, and can do it both with and without a change in level of complexity. At any level of overall cultural complexity, one can observe both heterarchical and homoarchical societies, because an equal level of complexity (which makes it possible to solve equally difficult problems societies face) can be achieved in various forms on essentially different (though intersecting in the history of many societies and regions) principles of societal organization.

Ngøgð wa Thiong’o is one of the most prolific writers from Africa. His first work, Weep Not, Child (1964), launched him as a pioneer African writer and made the literary world realise that writers in Africa were making fresh and original contribution to the world of literature. Since then, there was no stopping Ngøgð. The work was quickly followed by The River Between (1965) and A Grain of Wheat (1967), both of which confirmed Ngøgð as a writer of great ambition. The subsequent novels, Petals of Blood (1977) and Devil on the Cross (1980) had great impact around the world due to their powerful political messages. Besides writing novels, he is an internationally renowned playwright and literary critic, and has been an ardent advocate of writing in indigenous languages. His novels, A Grain of Wheat and Caitaani Mutharaba-inĩ (Devil on the Cross) were nominated among the best one hundred books of the twentieth (20th) century from Africa. Most of Ngøgð’s novels are published under the African Classics Series by East African Educational Publishers. Ngøgð has recently taken to issuing his autobiography in instalments. The first is Dreams in a Time of War (2010), in which he captures his upbringing and basic schooling before he joins secondary school. It is followed by In the House of the Interpreter (2013), which revolves around his time at the Alliance High School. Ngøgð’s years at the Makerere University are vividly captured in Birth of a Dream Weaver (2016). Wrestling with the Devil is the fourth in this series, and readers will find it resonating with Ngøgð’s earlier work, Detained: A Writer’s Prison Diary. Wrestling with the Devil begins half an hour before Ngøgð is released from detention on 12th December, 1978. In one extended flashback, he recalls the night, a year earlier, when armed police pulled him from his home and jailed him in Kenya’s Kamiti Maximum Security Prison, one of the largest in Africa. There, he lives in a prison block with eighteen other political prisoners, quarantined from the general prison population. In a conscious effort to fight back the humiliation and the intended degradation of the spirit, Ngøgð decided to write a novel on toilet paper. The novel later became his classic, Caitaani Mutharaba-inĩ. Wrestling with the Devil is an account of the challenges he faced as he wrote this novel, being under twenty-four-hour surveillance. He captures not only the excruciating pain that comes from being cut off from his wife and children, but also the spirit of defiance that defines hope. Ultimately, Wrestling with the Devil is a testimony to the power of imagination to help humans break free of confinement, which is truly the story of all art. Ngøgð wa Thiong’o was a Distinguished Professor of Comparative Literature and English at the University of California, Irvine, and an award-winning Kenyan author. He wrote primarily in the Gðkøyø language. The author of many novels, plays, short stories and essays, Ngøgð wa Thiong’o was the founder and editor of the online Gðkøyø language journal, Møtiiri and an honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Temba the zebra loves puddles! But what if splishing and splashing washes her stripes away? Join Temba and her friend Ben for a muddy, splashy adventure full of laughter and surprises.

An Introduction to the Sociology of Religion grew out of the lectures the author delivered in a course in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies, Faculty of Humanities, University of Swaziland, where he was based from 2005 to 2009. Examined in this book are different aspects of the phenomenon of religion, its different conceptions, different ways of looking at it, and different perspectives from which it is studied as a phenomenon of human and social experience. It is an examination of the functions of religion in society, in the lives of individuals, its influence in social structures, in social institutions, social organisations, in morals, in politics, in economy, in education, and in the growth and development of Western culture and civilisation, Western Science, etc. Religion is thus discussed as a human and social phenomenon, a phenomenon which is an integral part of human nature and human society, inseparable from human nature and human society, and which manifests itself in different forms in human life and human society. Finally, also covered are some of the futile attempts of some anti-religion revolutionary forces to replace religion with secular alternatives, attempts which ended in futility. Religion is irreplaceable; it has no alternative in human life or human society.

For more than 200 years of independence, Haiti has been plagued by crises. Several action plans and development strategies have already been drawn up and implemented. However, poverty and underdevelopment continue to prevail in the country. The question that comes up most often is: after so many years, what does Haiti need to make a success of its renaissance and achieve its development goals? To provide an answer to this question, the two authors, members of the "Renaissance Project" team for Haiti, propose an innovative approach based on capacity building. As development is closely linked to human capital, it is essential to accompany development programs with a capacity-building strategy based on the three dimensions defined by ACBF and a fourth proposed by CAMERCAP-PARC. Without claiming to replace the various development programs, in particular the vision of Haiti's emergence, this strategic plan is an instrument whose objective is to provide solutions for the success of Haiti's strategic development plan. In concrete terms, the present document is a set of 40 proposed ideas for achieving the country's renaissance. Book distributed by Alchimist Publishing.

‘This book, about the Scottish missionary Robert Moffat (1795-1883), is a completely new study of the theology, faith, piety of a missionary of the classical period of Protestant missions in southern Africa. It comprehensively analyses the factors which moulded the mindset of missionaries such as Moffat and his son-in-law David Livingstone, especially the effects of the Evangelical Revival, Scottish Calvinism, and the Scottish Enlightenment. As part of this major study, Ritchie also assesses to what extent these factors aided or hindered the missionary interaction with traditional culture and beliefs.

The project “Narrating Africa” began with an international symposium at the Deutsches Literaturarchiv in Marbach in September 2019 discussing the project and how to narrate Africa from academic perspectives. Scholars from Germany, Switzerland, and Namibia engaged in intense discussions on a wide range of texts, genres, and research methodologies for two days. This book contains some of the papers presented at the 2019 symposium as well as further presentations on narrating Africa. Like the open-space project, this publication does not presume to give an answer to the difficult question of how to narrate Africa, but rather it seeks to offer further insights into the field with a special focus on Namibian narrations. This book is divided into four different sections. The first part aims to provide an introductory overview to and reflections of the project’s main theme, “narrating Africa”. In part two, identity is explored and re(considered) along various literary texts and with a particular focus on questions of gender. The third part focuses on oral literature and questions of time and memory. Finally, the last chapters are dedicated to the archive and colonialism, exploring a variety of archive materials in Marbach and in Windhoek and how they take up and shape facts and fantasies of Namibia and Africa.

Lead me to your garden. Where the river of your love flows. Let me feel the current you choose. Do you want to flood me with love, Or give me at a quiet steady pace? Would it be warm loving waters, Or water which is cold to the bone? Even if it’s a mix of both, I shall surrender to you

Lost in a perilous forest after their parents’ tragic fatalities, fourteen-year-old twins Cory and Rory had to rely on courage, wit, and each other to survive. They got separated by anger, hunted by wild animals, and weakened by hunger and thirst. They fight through fear and danger on their desperate journey home. Along the way they encounter strangers with unknown cultures, yet their bond becomes their greatest weapon. The Long Way Home is a raw, emotional adventure of survival, forgiveness, and the unbreakable hope that guides two brave teenagers back to where they belong.

The book addresses current housing affordability challenges and presents innovative planning and design strategies for contemporary communities and homes that are both livable and affordable. Written by a team of a planner and an architect, each of the book’s chapters stands for a subject in the design process moving from urban scale to that of a home and includes richly illustrated case studies that inspire and inform the design. By exploring the role of livability in the design process, the book presents methods of fostering community resilience and opportunity.

A collection of poetry that delves into variegated and multifaceted issues, touching on themes such as the historical significance of poetry and the role of poets as interpreters of divine will, the connection between humanity and the natural world, the impact of love and loneliness, and the complexities and complications of pain, sorrow, and life’s uncertainties.

The Weaverbird and the Swallow is a charming and thoughtful fable about pride, creativity, and the beauty of difference. When the confident weaverbird boasts that he is the better singer and the swift swallow insists she is faster, a wise tortoise encourages them to compete fairly—on the same task. The two birds decide to build houses, each using their own skills and preferred materials. The swallow carefully shapes her nest from smooth mud, while the weaverbird intricately weaves a large, impressive nest from dry grasses. Curious and patient, the tortoise is invited to judge their work. To the surprise of both birds, he praises each house for its uniqueness and tells them that they are both the best—unless they wish to be second. This gentle verdict helps the birds reflect on their abilities and appreciate one another. As they go on to find food—rice for the swallow and sorghum for the weaver—they return happily to their homes, realizing that their different talents make them stronger together. The story ends with friendship, collaboration, and harmony, teaching young readers the value of respect, cooperation, and celebrating diversity rather than competing for superiority.

CONCRETE is a collection of about ninety strong worded poems and articles. It goes for the good, the bad, and the ugly. It is a book of praise to the worthy. A collection of admonition to the crazy. A note of prayer for the weary. A letter of condolence to the mourning. A scroll of remembrance to the forgotten. A chronicle of warning to the straying. And a whole lot more to the reader and everyone.

'Captioned Landscapes' is the first comprehensive monograph on intermedial combinations between writing and natural environments. Writing is traditionally considered as a distinctive sign of the human; interrogating its interactions with the world beyond the human means questioning its presumed centrality and separateness. The multiple angles from which these combinations are studied in this two-volume anthology are relevant for questions regarding the ontologies that structure the relationships between human and non-human, as well as for questions of ideology, interculturality, memory, gender and the postcolonial.

Landscape reception studies usually assume not only a distinction but also a separation between the human and the non-human, attributing the privilege of subjectivity only to the former. This dualistic paradigm has been recently replaced by intermedial ecocriticism, which conceives the relationship between human and non-human as a negotiation without rigid and pre-established roles. However, attention has been focused so far on the representations (verbal, but also visual) of these relationships. In this monograph, for the first time, instead of representations of natural environments (in writing or other media), intermedial combinations between writing and landscapes are taken into account; particular attention is also paid, in the second volume, to verbal and visual representations of these combinations.

The book addresses Intermedial and Visual Studies and Environmental Humanities scholars. Because of the specific focus on combinations of writing, landscape, and verbal and visual representations of the latter, the book is also aimed at scholars of Literature, Garden and Landscape Design and History, and Visual Arts. By virtue of the case study approach in the chapters and the general theoretical framework provided in the introduction, the book also addresses students of all these disciplines.

FRONTIERS: WILD, SEMI-WILD, HUMAN…. A photographic Novel, is a book of photographs I have taken or worked on over a period of 6 years from 2012 to 2017. I love the concept of writing a novel through photography and that’s why I called this book of photographs a photographic novel, for there is a strong narrative dimension in these photographs that creates visual literature. And this narrative link, for a good part, points to the content in the images. They are three countries where I took these photos from; Mozambique, Zimbabwe and South Africa, three neighbours who share borders, languages, cultures, fauna, flora, etc, joined by a bond as old as creation, itself. I decided to work from the wild, to the semi wild, to human, exploring frontiers in these worlds, juxtaposing these worlds, one against the other or all three together in a photo, sometimes obsessively focusing on a single spot, repetitively creating different story strands from that one place, and then combine photography with other visual art medias like painting and drawing thus creating entirely different artworks. It is the essence of my work, to operate at the limit between natural and human landscapes, reality and fiction, nature and humanity, by bestowing an actual dimension to the utopian. The photographs are a celebration of this.

This edited volume explores the sociology of Lefebvre and its continuing relevance for the discipline today. Contributors explore the sociological Lefebvre across a number of topics, including the influence of Marxism, rural sociology, everyday life, the urban and violence, to name a few. The volume sets out a new agenda for Lefebvrian sociological inquiry which, inter alia, focuses on sociological perspectives on rhythm, embodiment and utopian thought in Lefebvre’s work for sociological research. It brings together leading experts whose work on Lefebvre has shaped the discipline and is the first comprehensive volume outlining Lefebvre’s relevance to sociology.

Desire at Dawn is an inspiring story of hope, resilience, and the life-changing power of education. It follows Desire, a young girl growing up in rural western Uganda, whose dreams are nurtured by her mother’s love and strengthened by the guidance of her mentor and sponsor, Claus. Despite the hardships of village life, Desire refuses to surrender her hopes. Through faith, vulnerability, and perseverance, she discovers inner strength and purpose. Her journey from uncertainty to empowerment shows how kindness and determination can turn distant dreams into reality.

This ebook is the first in the MAXIMISING BRAIN POTENTIAL series. The MAXIMISING BRAIN POTENTIAL series is based on the most up-to-date scientific research of how our brain potential can be maximised for habit change, learning, productivity and health. As a psychologist and coach working in organisations worldwide and with individuals, groups and teams, Dr. Celine Mullins – founder of Adaptas – noticed over the past 10 years that very few new discoveries from neuroscience are being integrated into education, learning and development or soft skills programmes. Scientists have made many exciting and ground-breaking discoveries on how the brain learns and changes throughout adulthood. However, much of this recent research from neuroscience, physiology, psychology and more is not being implemented into how we learn as adults. This ebook seeks to change that. This ebook will: Help you to use your brain more effectively when learning new skills, by offering simple and practical tips; Support you in breaking old habits and creating new ones; Give you great insights into organisational learning and development-related topics that you can use in your organisation.