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Abrewa Nana: A Trajectory of Life – An Autobiography (Hardcover)
Professor Addo-Fening’s life story is an inspiration to read. From humble beginnings, he rose to the peak of academic life. In all his life experiences, he shows his gratitude and humility. This book is a delight to read and I recommend it to all. – Professor Alison M. Howell, Formerly of Akrofi-Christaller Institute, Akropong-Akuapem, Ghana
When the Historian sets out to write his own life story, what we get is a truly fascinating account. Here in Professor Robert Addo-Fening’s autobiography, we have a scintillating conversation with a master craftsman. Well done! – Dr. Maureen O. Iheanacho, Independent Scholar and Researcher, Accra, Ghana
₵150.00 -
Contemporary Issues in Foreign Policy, Diplomacy and International Affairs
This is a collection of essays derived from a series of symposia and online webinars hosted by the Council of Foreign Relations- Ghana.
From the inaugural symposium chaired by Ambassador James Victor Gbeho, with addresses by The President of Ghana, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and Ghana’s Foreign Minister, Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, the CFR-Ghana elicits interesting views and opinions from people best placed to be aware of the big picture of contemporary issues in international affairs, particularly from the perspective of how they impact our African Continent.
Totally informative and engaging, sometimes entertaining and mentally provocative, which challenges us all to seriously reflect upon contemporary issues in foreign policy, diplomacy and international affairs.
“The setting up of CFR-Ghana is long overdue and I’m glad that finally it has been done. The Executives and Founding Members are to be commended for this achievement and I wish them the very best of luck in the years to come. “
– H.E President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo (President of the Republic of Ghana)
₵150.00 – ₵200.00 -
Joy: A Biography of Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu
“At just 18 months of age, in 1959, Henrietta overcame the first of a lifetime of recurring challenges. One day she was rushed to a private hospital in Kumasi by her mother, feverish and weak. Her pulse was faint and everyone was scared. The doctor scolded Elizabeth for waiting for so long before bringing Henrietta to the hospital.
“This is a hopeless case,” the doctor said to the distraught mother and asked back home with her child. Even after being dismissed from the hospital, Mama Elizabeth still remained on the premises, imploring; her arms firmly around her sick baby. Evidently out of pity, the doctor said, ‘Okay, I’m going to cut you a deal. Go home with the child. If tomorrow morning comes and she is still alive, bring her for treatment.’”
This biography vividly captures how that 18-month-old baby survived, persevered and rose to become a Justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana.
Joy is a captivating account of three generations committed to the pursuit of excellence community and public service. It is the testimony of the nurturing powers of education. It is the testimony of a woman whose life epitomises fairness, family and faith.
“This book offers a lot more than a record of scholarly excellence and legal brilliance. In elegant prose, the author succeeds in combining these illuminating historical essays with a perceptive sociological case study of the ‘middle class’ in Ghana. On all counts. Prof. Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu’s biography is a literary treasure.” − Nana Prof. SKB Asante, Omanhene of Asante Asokore and Past President of Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences
₵150.00 – ₵200.00Joy: A Biography of Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu
₵150.00 – ₵200.00 -
A Rose Among Thorns
Born on 17th September 1952 in Sakyikrom near Nsawam in Ghana’s Eastern Region, Dr. (Mrs.) Felicia Boateng Danquah (nee Akotua) is the third of five children born to her parents, Mr. Jonas Akotua and Mrs. Clara Akotua.
Due to her father’s regular transfers arising out of his employment with the Ghana Health Service, she was educated in different parts of the country, including Walewale and Bolgatanga, before entering the Komenda Teacher Training College (as it was then), where she trained as a teacher. She worked for some time with the Ghana Education Service as a teacher before going into business full-time.
A devoted Christian and Vice President of Jofel Catering Services in Kumasi, Dr. (Mrs) Danquah is married to Lt. Gen. J B Danquah, Ghana’s Chief of Defence Staff from 2005 to 2009 and President of Jofel. The couple have six children.
The year 2022 serves as a confluence of an important trilogy in Dr (Mrs.) Danquah’s life − her 70th birthday anniversary, the 50th anniversary of her marriage and the 40th anniversary of Jofel, one of the most iconic institutional names in Kumasi and an undoubted leader in the catering and hospitality business in the city and beyond.
In this fascinating, yet simple, easy-to-read publication to mark these important landmarks in her life, the author recalls her early childhood experiences and family, particularly her mother Clara, who she adores, and shares the story of Jofel and its evolution to what it is today.
She also shares her perspectives on the values she treasures that she believes have helped her enormously in her Christian faith, her marriage and family, and in building an award-winning business with the support of her family, among others.
A Rose Among Thorns speaks to the challenges of life that most of us can identify with and seek inspiration from in the knowledge that our lives can flourish like the rose even among the thorns of life with God as our helper and beacon.
₵150.00A Rose Among Thorns
₵150.00 -
Odd Numbers: Building a Meaningful Career
Career Coach and Communications Consultant, Antoinette Gyan discusses how to develop a meaningful career in her book, ‘Odd Numbers’.
The inspirational writer has provided a reflection on career development and how to harness an individual’s best abilities to forge a worthy career and a meaningful life. From dealing with fear to improving mindset to career planning tips, the author craftly fuses her internal monologues and experiences of career development, career planning course and life and career essentials.
With several ideas on personal and career development and an opportunity to prepare a career plan that will guide a person’s career development path, ‘Odd Numbers’ provides the space for personal reflection on a subject that all individuals grapple with yet left unaddressed.
If you are a beginner or a mid-career professional, this simplified career development guide will improve your awareness on important steps and options available to you to build a thriving career.
₵150.00 -
My Life in Law and Politics: Memoirs & Biography of B.J. da Rocha
This book chronicles the life of B.J. da Rocha as a lawyer and politician. B. J., as he was popularly known, was a legal luminary and politician extraordinaire. Born on May 16th 1927, he devoted the entire course of his professional life to entrenching the rule of law, development of legal education, and in the defence of human rights till his death on the 23rd of February 2010.
He was noted for forthrightness, integrity and principled stance on issues on the rule of law and national development.
He played various prominent roles in Law and Politics as a lawyer, director of legal education, law lecturer and first Chairman of the New Patriotic Party.
This account is related by B.J. himself in Part 1, followed by an Epilogue based on interviews B.J. conducted with Mr. Dei, a student of history, for his dissertation.
This book is an exciting read for students of political history in Ghana and is an insightful commentary on Ghana’s chequered political history.
“Here was a man, when comes such another” — Shakespeare, Julius Caesar
₵160.00 -
Book Set: Red Oak Heroes Series (6 Books)
*Available from 15 August 2023
Age Range: 10 – 14 years
This is a bookset of all six titles in the Red Oak Heroes Series:
- Theodosia Okoh
- The Big Six
- Abedi Ayew Pele
- John Agyekum Kufour
- Kofi Annan
- Dr. J. B. Danquah
Introduce your children and adolescents to these Ghanaian Heroes.₵165.00 -
Igba-Boi: Repositioning the Igbo Apprenticeship System (Hardcover)
Igba-boi: Repositioning the Igbo Apprenticeship System highlights the entrepreneurial exploits of the Igbos of south-eastern Nigeria. Despite the globalisation-accentuated influence of western business culture, the Igbos have sustained their indigenous business system undergirded by an ingenious apprenticeship system, Igba-boi.
This apprenticeship system has existed in the Igboland for decades as an important heritage, embedded in cultural norms and values passed down for generations. The authors argue that the unique framework and rules of operation of this viable socioeconomic empowerment model will, if well-positioned, make significant contributions to the advancement of the boi/Nwa-boi (apprentice), the Oga (Master), the community (Ndi-Igbo) and the achievement of the country’s overall developmental goals.
Case studies of prominent and successful Igbo people in business feature in the book to illuminate our understanding of the system:
• President and Chairman, Coscharis Group – Application of Design Thinking to Igba-boi Business Model leading to extraordinary business success
• Chairman, E. Sunny Vespa International – Disruption of Motorcycle Engine Technology, key lessons and success story
• Chairman and Chief Executive, Chisco Group – Building an Empire on Integrity & Authenticity
• Chairman, Legacy Motors – Apprenticeship, Ndi-Igbos and ASPAMDA Market, Lagos
A timely, easy-to-read, valuable resource and reference text for scholars, practitioners and regulators interested in institutionalising a sustainable business model in Africa based on a tested indigenous apprenticeship system.
₵165.00 -
Our Time Is Now: Power, Purpose, and the Fight for a Fair America (Hardcover)
From New York Times bestselling author of Lead From The Outside and political leader Stacey Abrams, a blueprint to end voter suppression, empower our citizens, and take back our country.
“With each page, she inspires and empowers us to create systems that reflect a world in which all voices are heard and all people believe and feel that they matter.” —Kerry Washington
A recognized expert on fair voting and civic engagement, Abrams chronicles a chilling account of how the right to vote and the principle of democracy have been and continue to be under attack. Abrams would have been the first African American woman governor, but experienced these effects firsthand, despite running the most innovative race in modern politics as the Democratic nominee in Georgia. Abrams didn’t win, but she has not conceded. The book compellingly argues for the importance of robust voter protections, an elevation of identity politics, engagement in the census, and a return to moral international leadership.
Our Time Is Now draws on extensive research from national organizations and renowned scholars, as well as anecdotes from her life and others’ who have fought throughout our country’s history for the power to be heard. The stakes could not be higher. Here are concrete solutions and inspiration to stand up for who we are now.
“This is a narrative that describes the urgency that compels me and millions more to push for a different American story than the one being told today. It’s a story that is one part danger, one part action, and all true. It’s a story about how and why we fight for our democracy and win.” – Stacey Abrams
₵170.00 -
The Boy from Boadua: One African’s Journey of Hunger and Sacrifice in Pursuit of a Dream
*Available from 7 February 2023
Patrick Asare was born and raised by illiterate parents in the remote Ghanaian village of Boadua. His family was so large and impoverished that not even the earnings from crushing hard work could buy enough food to fill their bellies. No one in the village aspired to be educated beyond middle school.
Until Patrick.
Numerous obstacles stood in the way of Patrick’s yearning for higher knowledge, including gnawing hunger, lack of sleep, and backbreaking daily chores. During school vacations, he toiled in a jungle farm teeming with poisonous snakes and insects.
Dedicating every stolen moment to study, Patrick passed the common entrance exam with flying colors. Despite major setbacks, he kept his eye on the prize. He graduated from an elite secondary school and earned his engineering degree in the Soviet Union during the perestroika era. Finding his way to the United States, he taught Russian and math and eventually obtained a superb education from top American universities.
Patrick’s travels and adventures taught him that, regardless of his hardscrabble childhood, he was a lucky man. He was raised by loving and supportive parents and lived in a society where race was not an issue. Teaching in inner-city high schools alerted him to the particular challenges faced by America’s urban Black youth.
Patrick’s amazing story offers insights, hope, and inspiration to others who face astronomical odds.
₵180.00 -
Who Owns the Land and Who Rules the Land?
Ghana is undergoing her fourth experiment in Constitutional Rule − the 4th Republic. She was the first Black African country south of the Sahara to gain her political independence in 1957 but economic independence has eluded her till now. Her development is at a snail-pace at best.
According to the author, there are certain fundamental bottlenecks in the country’s governance system which make it difficult for her to realize her economic potential. The author compares Ghana’s governance system to Singapore which gained political independence around the same time as Ghana but has successfully transformed from Third World to First World economic status in 30 years and asks why the difference. The author calls for a national debate on the country’s governance system that will lead to a total review of the 1992 Constitution. The following are some of the key issues he calls the nation’s attention to:
- A Feudal Land Tenure System whereby more than 90% of the land mass of Ghana is vested in the Chieftaincy institution as Stool Lands and the remaining 10% vested in the President on behalf of the people of Ghana as Public Lands. A system which greatly impedes development and benefits only a privileged few and yet there are no Land Reforms
- The Legacy of the Colonial Indirect Rule leading to a “bifurcated state” in which traditional authority runs parallel to civilian political authority
- An Ineffective Decentralization System which excludes the traditional leaders and refuses to allow the people to elect their own District Chief Executives whom they can hold accountable
- An Adversarial Political System in which the two main political parties have indulged in violence since independence and thus refuse to reach consensus for national development
- The Short Tenure of the Executive and Legislature which does not promote long term planning and execution for meaningful development
- An expensive electoral system which engenders corruption and prevents well-meaning and qualified candidates from offering themselves for governance
- The Lack of a National Agenda for development and dependence on party manifestoes thus ignoring the Directive Principles of State Policy. Development is thus not progressive but disjointed and depends on which party is in power
- A Council of State which is merely advisory and has no power to serve as a check on the Executive
- A National Mindset of Dependency Syndrome and Entitlement Mentality which has resulted in lack of effective mobilization of the populace by the political and traditional leadership. A national psyche that does not promote self-reliance and the can-do spirit
- A Governance System which tries to copy Westminster and American systems instead of a home-grown system which suits our situation and promotes development
- An Educational System that fails to build problem-solving abilities and patriotism into the youth and fails to make them proud of being Africans
- A Very Strong Religious Atmosphere which feeds on superstition and does not enable the teeming members to transform their mindset and focus on teachings which promote hard work, wealth creation and prosperity
₵180.00 -
Africa in Search of Prosperity
Africa is a major player in global economic engineering. It is also a great development partner, a vital player in the economies of Asian nations who are eager to explore long awaited market possibilities that it presents by forging alliances with hi-growth emerging economies in Africa.
This new economic order is shifting the developmental narratives as Africa’s rich potential market has become more attractive with a population of nearly one billion.
The author of this book is a long time transnational business executive. Although he indicates a level of despair at times, he is quite hopeful of Africa’s prospects. His lived experience as an economist and policy advisor to Presidents, is reflected in these essays that address developmental issues from the colonial economy with those of the new states.
In this, the author uses the experience of Ghana as an example and a site for an analytical perspective. He examines and writes about the issues of natural resource exploration, the oil economy, human skills and also looks at the vital factors of education, religion and the attendant attitudes to development.
₵200.00Africa in Search of Prosperity
₵200.00 -
A Country to Love and to Serve: Memoirs of a Ghanaian Diplomat
This epic memoir chronicling the author’s diplomatic journey is a superb and enticing story, richly told. The narration provides great insights into the personal life and professional travails of a quintessential diplomat who rose from humble beginnings to be one of the eminent Ambassadors of the nation. Most fascinating is how adeptly the author combines the demands of motherhood and family with her tasks in the complex world of diplomacy.
The memoir provides great insights, important lessons and best practices in diplomatic practice that should be invaluable for the nation’s policy makers and diplomats. The story told through A COUNTRY TO LOVE AND TO SERVE should be a real inspiration for young diplomats and a must read for any student of diplomacy.
₵200.00 -
Special Book Launch Set: Autographed Hardcover of From Achinakrom to Pro-Vice Chancellor (plus paperback and Emancipation book)
This is a special launch set – limited – that includes an autographed copy of the hardcover of Prof Florence Dolphyne’s new autobiography, a paperback version of the autobiography and a copy of her best-selling book The Emancipation of Women: An African Perspective.
Blurb for the Autobiography
An autobiography serves the purpose of relating experiences of the writer. These are usually personal experiences and readers can draw inspiration from such experiences.
This is a book written by a renowned academician, but unlike many books written by academics, it reads like a story written by an accomplished novelist. It tells the story of a girl of very humble parentage who was able, by dint of hard work and divine providence, to make it to the very apex of academia. It is a book that tells the story of ‘Mmofraturo’, synonymous with the training of girls to influence their world before the advent of militant feminism. It is a story that gives another peep at the practice of racism in Europe.
But then, it is also the book that confirms the subtle discrimination that women are often subjected to in our education system, even at the highest level.
Moreover, it is a story that tells the history of the practice of education in Ghana over a number of decades. Then, the writer draws us into the age-old issue of family life, foster children, biological children, and the Ghanaian family set up.
From Achinakrom to Pro-Vice Chancellor is a book about friendship and love that tells the story of women, individually and in groups trying to help make others enjoy the life of work and leisure. Furthermore, this book gives a hint that speaking one’s first language can be the source of the survival of an individual in certain critical situations.
This inspiring story is also a personal history of Ghana from pre-independence by someone who has helped to shape Ghana’s education system, women’s rights during the UN Decade for Women, and human rights through Ghana’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. It is a story of a phenomenal woman who has made Ghana and Achinakrom proud.
₵200.00
