E-Paper
Three's company
Review of Son of Hamas, How Apple Inc Changed the World and The Inner Circle.
The truth lies within
Son of Hamas
Mosab Hassan Yousef
Jaico
R295 pp 283
As the son of Sheikh Hassan Yousef, one of the founding leaders of Hamas, Mosab Hassan Yousef grew up in the corridors of a violent, militant organisation, being groomed with the expectation that one day he would have to be one of its leaders. Mosab's point of departure was when he found his faith in Christianity, which led him to reject the doctrine of justice through violence. Mosab's, obviously, is just one version of the truth but provides a rare glimpse into a world of hostile mistrust.
Late in the day
How Apple Inc Changed the World
Jason D O'Grady
Jaico
R225 pp 185
It's ironic that if something has come in the way of How Apple Inc Changed the World's success, it's Apple Inc co-founder Steve Jobs' death. So much information about the company and the people behind it was made available in the public domain when Jobs passed away earlier this month that Jason D O'Grady's book seems to have lost its sheen. At best, this book is a neat collection of information. Reading about Jobs in the present tense though may give goose bumps to some.
Not a capital fare
The Inner Circle
Brad Meltzer
Hodder
R350 pp 515
It is not enough that Washington DC is the most powerful political capital of the world, or a hotbed of lobbying and intrigue. Greater mysteries, apparently yet untapped, still lie in its archives (which must be amazingly rich, for such a young country). One such resource is a 200-year-old dictionary, once belonging to George Washington, that the young archivist Beecher White chances upon. For what sliver of American history it brings to light, you have to navigate this terrain, at the risk of a déjà vu.