Books published by Penguin Random House South Africa

A troublemaker about to get kicked out of school. An eccentric grandmother with a canary yellow Land Rover and a camera. A girl who loves books. A sheep that turns into an internet sensation overnight. A long dusty road. An unforgettable journey.Trust me. If you steal a sheep at a small-town church bazaar, your life will never be the same again... This humorous, heart-warming novel will open your eyes to the things that really make life worthwhile.

How did a teenage refugee from communist Poland become one of the richest women in South Africa? In what ways did she disrupt the financial services industry? What drove her to become an activist exposing corporate and government corruption? What are her secrets for succeeding in business and life? The founder of multibillion-rand financial services empire Sygnia Limited, Magda Wierzycka is South Africa's most successful businesswoman. In this engaging and insightful book, she tells the story of her life, from her childhood in communist Poland, her family's escape and relocation to South Africa, her early struggles in the male-dominated financial services industry, and the formation and growth of her own company, Sygnia. With a business model built on transparency and low fees, it was a natural step for Magda to become an outspoken critic of corporate and government corruption, exposing wrongdoing and making her many powerful enemies in the process. In this book, Madga shares the life lessons and business principles that have driven her and brought her success. This is a fascinating story that will inspire you to speak out, lean in, break out, and ultimately empower yourself not only to survive in life and business, but to thrive.

Spiders of southern Africa provides sharp insight into the complex, often mysterious and always fascinating world of spiders. This edition has been revised and updated to reflect the latest available taxonomic information. It covers a wide range of topics: informative features on the origins of arachnids, their bewildering variety, their classification into families and genera and their invertebrate relatives; a study of the physical and behavioural characteristics of spiders, the main groups and dangerous species, and a chapter on finding and studying spiders. Species accounts detail the most commonly seen and most interesting spiders of the region. Lavishly illustrated with colour photographs, the body text is supplemented by a variety of special-interest panels, making it both informative and user-friendly.

Across the face of southern Africa are more than 460 remarkable stone palaces - some small, others rambling, but many are astonishing. All are the legacy of kingdoms past. Some, such as Great Zimbabwe, Khami in Botswana and Mapungubwe in South Africa, are famous world heritage sites, but the majority are unknown to the general public, unsung and unappreciated. Palaces of Stone brings to life the history of various early African societies, from AD 900 to approximately 1850. By exploring a selection of known and unknown sites, the authors uncover the emergence of ancient civilisations and reconstruct the meaning of the ruins they left behind. Woven into the narrative are stories of powerful political states; ourishing local economies; long-distance trade; and the destruction wrought by colonialism and modern-day treasure hunters. This book will appeal to anyone interested in Africa's ancient heritage. Sales points: Uncovers a little-known but rich period in the history and heritage of Africa. Covers sites in South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Features photographs, maps and diagrams of archaeological sites. Would appeal to anyone interested in the history and culture of Africa.

This book tells the true story of a scientist named Mary Anning. The fossils she found helped invent the science of palaeontology. If you've heard of Ichthyosaurs, Plesiosaurs or Pterosaurs you already know her work but there's so much that's been hidden or forgotten.

For generations, the deserts of southern Africa have intrigued scientists and travellers alike. Seemingly barren wastes, they in fact teem with life âEUR"from ants to elephants, stone plants to the curious welwitschia, dainty dik-diks to towering gemsbok, and cart-wheeling spiders to fog-basking beetles.