Recommended Items
-
They Call Me Archie: Amazing Journey of Destiny
ONE FOR THE GIRLS
There are some life stories you just cannot beat. Each time the names of such champions drop, one might as well perform a rite of acknowledgment…any. Their lives have graced hundreds of lives, and hundreds of lives continue to be redeemed through them. They have seen it all. Done it all. They love and they are loved. These individuals have given, and still have more in store. According to the Canon of the Classics, these persons, even the gods envy.
Rosina Aboagye Acheampong is one such mortal. From the precocity of her childhood, her dance with life has been one amazing ball of faith … and chance, nay, destiny. These captivating pages reel out the adventures of a pathfinder, a mould breaker and a pacesetter. Yes, her name might be synonymous with Wesley Girls, but be it at the national or community level, to list what she has achieved is to embark on the impossible.
Beautifully, however, Archie the Matriarch does not seem to see the power of her influence. She only wants to give thanks and praise.
Not only does this book make interesting reading, it also gives deep insights into the author and her experiences as one of Ghana’s influential and foremost educationists. It is, undoubtedly, a must-read book! – John Agyekum Kufuor, former President of Ghana
I am yet to hear of any group of students who passed through her hands…who do not remember her with utmost respect and affection. – Professor Ama Ata Aidoo
As the Headmistress, she re-defined the role. Indeed, the personality she brought to the position is irreplaceable and iconic. – Ambassador Evelyn Anita Stokes
₵150.00 -
The Fourth John: Reign, Rejection & Rebound
An influential northern caucus is secretly meeting and grooming him to contest the man who will select him as a vice presidential candidate. A meeting between the first lady and the Brong-Ahafo caucus results in, perhaps, the fastest ministerial reshuffle in the history of the country. At 2a.m., before the breaking of a major scandal, there is a meeting between the president’s friend and the investigative journalist about how to involve the main opposition leader, in the story to minimise its damage to the president in the upcoming election. The wife of the president reports the wife of the vice president to the vice president’s mother. The night before a crucial election, the president and his main contender are locked up in a meeting with Ghana’s most revered traditional ruler.
These and other revealing accounts on governance, policies and programmes of the fourth presidency of Ghana’s Fourth Republic are the intriguing contents of this book. Here, the journalist whose investigations are believed to have contributed to the downfall of the administration gets brutally intimate with the regime.
Rare interviews with key figures of the governing party and historical contexts to contemporary events provide readers and students of African politics the inside story of what is considered the model democracy on the continent. The fluidity of the writing style and humour make this book about politics and governance in Ghana’s Fourth Republic both informative, educative and entertaining.
₵300.00 -
Courtesy for Boys and Girls
Age Range: 9 years and above
Most of us were trained with this as a guidebook. Fundamental rules of courtesy for young people, rules on behaviour; much more needed today!
This book is adapted from up-to-date fundamental rules of courtesy as they apply to young people of today and list for the guidance of parents and teachers 165 rules on a gracious refinement of behaviour.
₵35.00Courtesy for Boys and Girls
₵35.00 -
The Essential Writer’s Guide – From the Hilltop
On March 16, 2026, when I received a couriered copy of Kofi Otutu Adu Labi’s latest book, THE ESSENTIAL WRITER’S GUIDE’, my plate was already full for the month: there were too many to-dos crying for priority.
My decision, therefore, was to put it on ice for a while, for if I knew Kofi’s books, they were un-put-downable, so gripping that once I start reading, every other activity is put on hold.
But a name caught my eye. And then another! A book foreworded by the venerable academic, Professor Akosua Adomako Ampofo, and endorsed by Yaw Nsarko, the well credentialed thought leader, was not one that could wait. Without exception, Kofi’s books are packed with wisdom and are well written, and if these two personalities have put their reputation on the line for , that’s more than one reason why all other things should wait.
And wait, everything else did, till I turned the last of this 119-page masterpiece.
The pace at which ‘Essential Writer’s Guide’ is written suggests that Kofi is enjoying every minute of retirement. It is serious content (I call it textbook) written at an unhurried pace, albeit deliberately, by a teacher who is determined that each word counts and must sink in. Didactic is the word, and for good reasons.
The author becomes a student of his own instruction. To get home his message, he instructs the ‘students’ to “use stories”; “keep it simple”, and is at pains to recommend that “a conversational style of writing keeps the reader engaged and immersed”. As every writer – from Shakespeare to Achebe to Soyinka – will stress, “The passion with which you write should infect your reader with a desire to stay with you to the end”.
Kofi just found himself another job: he will soon be teaching WRITING in a school near him. Does he qualify? What a question! With 17th books under his belt, each of which has become a best-seller in its own right, Kofi eminently qualifies to teach a thing or two to cub writers.
The proof of the fufu is in the eating; it is here, in ‘Essential Guide’.
To those guilty of the sin of procrastination, he poses a question: “Why have you not written that book?”. From experience, he proceeds to provide the diagnosis: they have fallen into the writer’s biggest pitfall, namely “producing books in your head”.
From Chapter 2, the lecture starts in earnest. Briefly tackling genres, he touches on style and some sine qua non of good writing, recommending simplicity, the conversational approach, the imperative of suspense, especially for fiction writing.
Next is content creation. As a rule of thumb, he recommends “paying attention to your surroundings”. He advises: “Make it a habit to move beyond just looking at things. You will see the story or lesson if you make it a point to see, and not just look”. An essential habit is to take notes, he recommends, insisting that “the shortest pencil is superior to the longest memory.”
For writing that is arresting, be it fiction or not, the use of imagery is strongly recommended to keep readers glued. From one of his own previous works, the author illustrates how imagery breathes life into content.
Chapter 5 is essential reading. A take-away from the chapter is the warning: “Don’t pay too much attention to the initial nonsense you write. The important thing is to write something every day. It is a raw draft that can be refined later”.
On Page 46 is another important essential guide: “That first sentence”! s every writer will confess, the first sentence is “the most difficult part of writing”. Many a budding writer will one day remember this essential tip and go looking for Kofi to give him his “stone”, as we say in Ghana.
The book does not set out to teach grammar or lexis and structure but if you have a strong desire to write and you possess the right foundation, this book is a must have. It demystifies writing, but most importantly, it deals with the two demons of procrastination and laziness.
To be successful, he counsels, the writer must be a good reader. To be a good reader, he counsels against radio, mobile phone and television addiction. “If you live with headphones on, always listening to music or a podcast, then you are not ever giving yourself time to just think. And if you cannot think, then you cannot write.”
Next time you attend a Christian event, look out for Kofi Otutu Adu Labi. If, from where he is seated, you find him scribbling furiously on a note pad, approach him, but do so gently, on tip toe: he is gathering nuggets out of a goldmine of stories!
‘Essential Guide’, like all of Kofi’s other books, is written from “the hilltop.” From what I know about the author, his personal life and the rich content of his works, ‘hilltop’ is not necessarily a geographical location.
It is, as the dictionary says, a “a literal, elevated perspective where one gains a better understanding of life, similar to seeing the ‘big picture’ from a summit, allowing for reflection on life’s journey.”
Here is this reviewer’s call. To the Hilltop Academy, let all budding writers make a beeline.₵100.00 -
What I Choose to Remember: An Autobiography of Nana Kwasi Gyan-Apenteng
“What l choose to Remember” is representative of the deepest essence of Nana Kwasi Gyan-Apenteng. A free but focused mind, he chooses to share his relevant experiences at various stages in his remarkably eventful life – from Asamankese to the city of Accra, traveling extensively – which he filled with drama, scholarship, idealism, joy, pain, selflessness and passion. His media presence, to which l proudly played a role, raised his optimum self culminating in his publication entitled “ Truth Over Speed”.
The choices he presents in this book illuminate the personality who meant differently to different people, as a radical student, an ideologue and a chief.
His engaging style of writing is clearly demonstrated in this book and explains why anybody would love to read this anywhere, anytime, anyhow. This is Kwasi Gyan-Apenteng.
Hon Kojo Yankah,
Founder, African University of Communications & Business (AUCB);
Founder, Pan African Heritage Museum (PAHM);
Former Editor of the Daily Graphic & Minister of State.What I Choose to Remember is a powerful autobiography by one of Ghana’s most influential and finest media figures. The book details his leftist journey through student activism, journalism, and political advocacy. Written with humor and sharp storytelling, the book blends personal experiences with Ghana’s political historical changes, from early childhood rebellion to Marxist-Leninist student leadership, exile, human rights advocacy and his eventual return home to media work.
In addition to its captivating narrative, the book provides valuable insights for students of political history, political science, sociology, human rights, and above all else, media studies. It also highlights the author’s ideological growth, as he embraces both religion and traditional leadership in later years.
Nana K A Busia, Jr
Assistant Professor & Research Fellow, Public International Law,
School of Advanced Studies, University of London, UK;
Former Senior Legal & Policy Advisor, UN.Price range: ₵300.00 through ₵350.00What I Choose to Remember: An Autobiography of Nana Kwasi Gyan-Apenteng
Price range: ₵300.00 through ₵350.00 -
Reparations: History, Struggle, Politics and Law
This book is born out of a longstanding wound, one etched deep into the soil, psyche, and soul of Africa. It is a wound that bleeds across centuries of slavery, colonial violence, and economic theft. But it is also a call to action, a demand for Repair, Justice, and transformation.
As an African committed to decolonization, Pan-African Unity, and socialist liberation, I have long felt the absence of a comprehensive framework that ties together the historical crimes committed against Africa with the concrete proposals for restitution. This book aims to fill that void. It is not a work of abstraction. It is a fierce, unapologetic, and urgent call for reparations.
This work is written not just for academics or politicians but for activists, students, community leaders, and the African Youth. It draws upon the insights of Pan-African revolutionaries, Marxist theorists, anti colonial fighters, and Contemporary grassroot movements. It seeks to expose the systemic roots of underdeveloped and articulate a bold vision for what reparative justice could mean in practice.
I offer this work as a contribution to an ongoing struggle, a struggle that demands not only memory, but mobilisation.₵330.00
Best Seller Items
-
They Call Me Archie: Amazing Journey of Destiny
ONE FOR THE GIRLS
There are some life stories you just cannot beat. Each time the names of such champions drop, one might as well perform a rite of acknowledgment…any. Their lives have graced hundreds of lives, and hundreds of lives continue to be redeemed through them. They have seen it all. Done it all. They love and they are loved. These individuals have given, and still have more in store. According to the Canon of the Classics, these persons, even the gods envy.
Rosina Aboagye Acheampong is one such mortal. From the precocity of her childhood, her dance with life has been one amazing ball of faith … and chance, nay, destiny. These captivating pages reel out the adventures of a pathfinder, a mould breaker and a pacesetter. Yes, her name might be synonymous with Wesley Girls, but be it at the national or community level, to list what she has achieved is to embark on the impossible.
Beautifully, however, Archie the Matriarch does not seem to see the power of her influence. She only wants to give thanks and praise.
Not only does this book make interesting reading, it also gives deep insights into the author and her experiences as one of Ghana’s influential and foremost educationists. It is, undoubtedly, a must-read book! – John Agyekum Kufuor, former President of Ghana
I am yet to hear of any group of students who passed through her hands…who do not remember her with utmost respect and affection. – Professor Ama Ata Aidoo
As the Headmistress, she re-defined the role. Indeed, the personality she brought to the position is irreplaceable and iconic. – Ambassador Evelyn Anita Stokes
₵150.00 -
The Fourth John: Reign, Rejection & Rebound
An influential northern caucus is secretly meeting and grooming him to contest the man who will select him as a vice presidential candidate. A meeting between the first lady and the Brong-Ahafo caucus results in, perhaps, the fastest ministerial reshuffle in the history of the country. At 2a.m., before the breaking of a major scandal, there is a meeting between the president’s friend and the investigative journalist about how to involve the main opposition leader, in the story to minimise its damage to the president in the upcoming election. The wife of the president reports the wife of the vice president to the vice president’s mother. The night before a crucial election, the president and his main contender are locked up in a meeting with Ghana’s most revered traditional ruler.
These and other revealing accounts on governance, policies and programmes of the fourth presidency of Ghana’s Fourth Republic are the intriguing contents of this book. Here, the journalist whose investigations are believed to have contributed to the downfall of the administration gets brutally intimate with the regime.
Rare interviews with key figures of the governing party and historical contexts to contemporary events provide readers and students of African politics the inside story of what is considered the model democracy on the continent. The fluidity of the writing style and humour make this book about politics and governance in Ghana’s Fourth Republic both informative, educative and entertaining.
₵300.00 -
Courtesy for Boys and Girls
Age Range: 9 years and above
Most of us were trained with this as a guidebook. Fundamental rules of courtesy for young people, rules on behaviour; much more needed today!
This book is adapted from up-to-date fundamental rules of courtesy as they apply to young people of today and list for the guidance of parents and teachers 165 rules on a gracious refinement of behaviour.
₵35.00Courtesy for Boys and Girls
₵35.00 -
The Essential Writer’s Guide – From the Hilltop
On March 16, 2026, when I received a couriered copy of Kofi Otutu Adu Labi’s latest book, THE ESSENTIAL WRITER’S GUIDE’, my plate was already full for the month: there were too many to-dos crying for priority.
My decision, therefore, was to put it on ice for a while, for if I knew Kofi’s books, they were un-put-downable, so gripping that once I start reading, every other activity is put on hold.
But a name caught my eye. And then another! A book foreworded by the venerable academic, Professor Akosua Adomako Ampofo, and endorsed by Yaw Nsarko, the well credentialed thought leader, was not one that could wait. Without exception, Kofi’s books are packed with wisdom and are well written, and if these two personalities have put their reputation on the line for , that’s more than one reason why all other things should wait.
And wait, everything else did, till I turned the last of this 119-page masterpiece.
The pace at which ‘Essential Writer’s Guide’ is written suggests that Kofi is enjoying every minute of retirement. It is serious content (I call it textbook) written at an unhurried pace, albeit deliberately, by a teacher who is determined that each word counts and must sink in. Didactic is the word, and for good reasons.
The author becomes a student of his own instruction. To get home his message, he instructs the ‘students’ to “use stories”; “keep it simple”, and is at pains to recommend that “a conversational style of writing keeps the reader engaged and immersed”. As every writer – from Shakespeare to Achebe to Soyinka – will stress, “The passion with which you write should infect your reader with a desire to stay with you to the end”.
Kofi just found himself another job: he will soon be teaching WRITING in a school near him. Does he qualify? What a question! With 17th books under his belt, each of which has become a best-seller in its own right, Kofi eminently qualifies to teach a thing or two to cub writers.
The proof of the fufu is in the eating; it is here, in ‘Essential Guide’.
To those guilty of the sin of procrastination, he poses a question: “Why have you not written that book?”. From experience, he proceeds to provide the diagnosis: they have fallen into the writer’s biggest pitfall, namely “producing books in your head”.
From Chapter 2, the lecture starts in earnest. Briefly tackling genres, he touches on style and some sine qua non of good writing, recommending simplicity, the conversational approach, the imperative of suspense, especially for fiction writing.
Next is content creation. As a rule of thumb, he recommends “paying attention to your surroundings”. He advises: “Make it a habit to move beyond just looking at things. You will see the story or lesson if you make it a point to see, and not just look”. An essential habit is to take notes, he recommends, insisting that “the shortest pencil is superior to the longest memory.”
For writing that is arresting, be it fiction or not, the use of imagery is strongly recommended to keep readers glued. From one of his own previous works, the author illustrates how imagery breathes life into content.
Chapter 5 is essential reading. A take-away from the chapter is the warning: “Don’t pay too much attention to the initial nonsense you write. The important thing is to write something every day. It is a raw draft that can be refined later”.
On Page 46 is another important essential guide: “That first sentence”! s every writer will confess, the first sentence is “the most difficult part of writing”. Many a budding writer will one day remember this essential tip and go looking for Kofi to give him his “stone”, as we say in Ghana.
The book does not set out to teach grammar or lexis and structure but if you have a strong desire to write and you possess the right foundation, this book is a must have. It demystifies writing, but most importantly, it deals with the two demons of procrastination and laziness.
To be successful, he counsels, the writer must be a good reader. To be a good reader, he counsels against radio, mobile phone and television addiction. “If you live with headphones on, always listening to music or a podcast, then you are not ever giving yourself time to just think. And if you cannot think, then you cannot write.”
Next time you attend a Christian event, look out for Kofi Otutu Adu Labi. If, from where he is seated, you find him scribbling furiously on a note pad, approach him, but do so gently, on tip toe: he is gathering nuggets out of a goldmine of stories!
‘Essential Guide’, like all of Kofi’s other books, is written from “the hilltop.” From what I know about the author, his personal life and the rich content of his works, ‘hilltop’ is not necessarily a geographical location.
It is, as the dictionary says, a “a literal, elevated perspective where one gains a better understanding of life, similar to seeing the ‘big picture’ from a summit, allowing for reflection on life’s journey.”
Here is this reviewer’s call. To the Hilltop Academy, let all budding writers make a beeline.₵100.00 -
What I Choose to Remember: An Autobiography of Nana Kwasi Gyan-Apenteng
“What l choose to Remember” is representative of the deepest essence of Nana Kwasi Gyan-Apenteng. A free but focused mind, he chooses to share his relevant experiences at various stages in his remarkably eventful life – from Asamankese to the city of Accra, traveling extensively – which he filled with drama, scholarship, idealism, joy, pain, selflessness and passion. His media presence, to which l proudly played a role, raised his optimum self culminating in his publication entitled “ Truth Over Speed”.
The choices he presents in this book illuminate the personality who meant differently to different people, as a radical student, an ideologue and a chief.
His engaging style of writing is clearly demonstrated in this book and explains why anybody would love to read this anywhere, anytime, anyhow. This is Kwasi Gyan-Apenteng.
Hon Kojo Yankah,
Founder, African University of Communications & Business (AUCB);
Founder, Pan African Heritage Museum (PAHM);
Former Editor of the Daily Graphic & Minister of State.What I Choose to Remember is a powerful autobiography by one of Ghana’s most influential and finest media figures. The book details his leftist journey through student activism, journalism, and political advocacy. Written with humor and sharp storytelling, the book blends personal experiences with Ghana’s political historical changes, from early childhood rebellion to Marxist-Leninist student leadership, exile, human rights advocacy and his eventual return home to media work.
In addition to its captivating narrative, the book provides valuable insights for students of political history, political science, sociology, human rights, and above all else, media studies. It also highlights the author’s ideological growth, as he embraces both religion and traditional leadership in later years.
Nana K A Busia, Jr
Assistant Professor & Research Fellow, Public International Law,
School of Advanced Studies, University of London, UK;
Former Senior Legal & Policy Advisor, UN.Price range: ₵300.00 through ₵350.00What I Choose to Remember: An Autobiography of Nana Kwasi Gyan-Apenteng
Price range: ₵300.00 through ₵350.00 -
Reparations: History, Struggle, Politics and Law
This book is born out of a longstanding wound, one etched deep into the soil, psyche, and soul of Africa. It is a wound that bleeds across centuries of slavery, colonial violence, and economic theft. But it is also a call to action, a demand for Repair, Justice, and transformation.
As an African committed to decolonization, Pan-African Unity, and socialist liberation, I have long felt the absence of a comprehensive framework that ties together the historical crimes committed against Africa with the concrete proposals for restitution. This book aims to fill that void. It is not a work of abstraction. It is a fierce, unapologetic, and urgent call for reparations.
This work is written not just for academics or politicians but for activists, students, community leaders, and the African Youth. It draws upon the insights of Pan-African revolutionaries, Marxist theorists, anti colonial fighters, and Contemporary grassroot movements. It seeks to expose the systemic roots of underdeveloped and articulate a bold vision for what reparative justice could mean in practice.
I offer this work as a contribution to an ongoing struggle, a struggle that demands not only memory, but mobilisation.₵330.00
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Electricity Transmission (Technical, Operational and Standard of Performance) Rules, 2008 (L.I. 1934)
Electricity Transmission (Technical Operational and Standards of Performance Rules) (L.I. 1934)
₵98.00 -
The Children of House No. D13 South Suntresu Kumasi: An Ahwoi & Adu-Gyamfi Siblings’ Collective Biography
*Available from 15 June 2022
To describe The Children of House No. D13, South Suntresu, Kumasi, as an intriguing project is an understatement. A collective biography of eight siblings was always going to be a daunting challenge, even if each person told their own story and got it together in one volume. To do it in a coordinated combination of first and third person “voices” would appear to be a bit implausible. To actually achieve the purpose and turn it from a project into an enthralling reading experience deserves all the plaudits this book is likely to gather.
This book is a collection of life stories of the eight children of Madam Maye Charlotte Hudson, also known as Esi Tutuwa but known to some people as Esi Nkwagye and to the people of South Suntresu, Kumasi as Mrs. Ahwoi. The ‘Ahwois” principally is the collective name of three brothers – Ato, Kwesi and Kwamena – who have played prominent roles in Ghana’s recent history, but the siblings also include five girls, Ama, Adoma, Efua, Naana and Sister Aggie, who also played their part in this thrilling story in their own unique ways.
For such a collective recall of personal histories to work, a principal requirement is a willingness of all the parties involved to treat the project seriously; of equal importance is the need to treat everyone’s personal history as important, which is what this book has succeeded in doing. It would be right to describe it as an exercise in literary democracy!
It is not every book project that produces a good book, but this book has done so because at the heart of the project is a good story. And at the heart of that good story is human progress against the odds capsuled in the life of these eight individuals.
These are the dramatis personae in order of appearance – from the womb – Ato Ahwoi, Kwesi Ahwoi, Mrs. Ama Twum, Kwamena Ahwoi, Mrs. Ama Adoma Bartels-Kodwo, Mrs. Efua Bram-Larbi, Theodora Naana Adu Gyamfi and Mrs. Agnes Appiagyei-Dankah. Theodora Naana Adu-Gyamfi passed away at the age of 28 and so her role ends early except in passing references. However, it is worth recalling that before she died, and in an act that exemplifies the major theme of this book, Naana secretely transferred all the money in her own bank account into that of her six year old niece, Abena Tutuwa Ahwoi, the daughter of her brother, Kwamena.
The structure of the narrative, which makes it possible to flow, is simply to follow the fortunes of these siblings sequentially in turn through the main phases of their development. The person whose presence permeates the story is the matriarch – Mrs. Ahwoi, nee Maye Charlotte Hudson.
The book achieves the purpose of showing the “remarkable togetherness and the mutual support system that enabled the children of House No. D13, South Suntresu, Kumasi, to overcome the many hurdles along their individual paths in life as being due to their mother, Madam Maye Charlotte Hudson (Mrs. Ahwoi). Indeed, the matriarch herself is effectively the ninth subject of the biography of the eight children” as Honourable Kwame Preprah states in the Foreword.
Nana Kwasi Gyan Apenteng
Consultant in Communication, Media and Culture
Former Chairman, National Media Commission (NMC)
Former President, Ghana Association of Writers (GAW)
₵250.00 -
Public Administration (AsanteBrako Political Series)
Every person is impacted by public administration issues, yet many people do not fully understand the processes involved in getting the problems that confront them addressed by the government. It is an undisputable fact that our very survival as humans, in terms of protection against harm and provision of our welfare needs, hinges heavily on the state. To be able to discharge these functions effectively demands an effective and efficient public administration.
What is public administration and what makes it relevant? This introductory Public Administration textbook is designed with the intention to provide students and practitioners with concrete tools, not only to understand public administration issues in general, but also to enable them to analyse specific theoretical and practical questions. The book offers an extensive overview of the current thinking on critical issues in the discipline, with an emphasis on accessibility and synthesis, rather than novelty or abstraction.
₵40.00 -
Africa: From Colonialism to Independence (AsanteBrako Political Series)
Authoritatively and comprehensively compiled, this book, Africa: From Colonialism to Independence, offers a wide-ranging account of the political history of Africa, from pre-colonial times through colonial rule to the period of attainment of political independence. It sheds much light on the traditional political institutions that prevailed on the continent prior to the advent of colonial rule and how they were transformed by the systems of colonial administration as well as the new set of political institutions that emerged following the resistance to colonialism. The book covers all the geographical parts of Africa in a systematic order such that it will be found useful by readers in all geographical locations on the continent and beyond.
The book gives penetrating descriptions of the colonial policies of all the major colonial powers and dilates on the positive and negative impacts of colonialism on the African subjects and African political institutions as well. It also gives a vivid account of the struggles by the Africans to get rid of the European hegemony. This straightforward, illustrated and factual text allows the reader to access personalities and events on the African continent during the period under review.
In fact, the book Africa: From Colonialism to Independence is an authentic reference material for the avid reader, students and tutors of African political history as well as those who are enthusiastic to know more about African politics.
₵60.00 -
From Dar es Salaam to Bongoland: Urban Mutations in Tanzania
The name Dar es Salaam comes from the Arabic phrase meaning house of peace. A popular but erroneous translation is ‘haven of peace’ resulting from a mix-up of the Arabic words “dar” (house) and “bandar” (harbour). Named in 1867 by the Sultan of Zanzibar, the town has for a long time benefitted from a reputation of being a place of tranquility. The tropical drowsiness is a comfort to the socialist poverty and under-equipment that causes an unending anxiety to reign over the town. Today, for the Tanzanian, the town has become Bongoland, that is, a place where survival is a matter of cunning and intelligence (bongo means ‘brain’ in Kiswahili). Far from being an anecdote, this slide into toponomy records the mutations that affect the links that Tanzanians maintain with their principal city and the manner in which it represents them.
This book takes into account the changes by departing from the hypothesis that they reveal a process of territorialisation. What are the processes – envisaged as spatial investments – which, by producing exclusivity, demarcations and exclusions, fragment the urban space and its social fabric? Do the practices and discussions of the urban dwellers construct limited spaces, appropriated, identified and managed by communities (in other words, territories)? Dar es Salaam is often described as a diversified, relatively homogenous and integrating place. However, is it not more appropriate to describe it as fragmented?
As territorialisation can only occur through frequenting, management and localised investment, it is therefore through certain places – first shelter and residential area, then the school, daladala station, the fire hydrant and the quays – that the town is observed. This led to broach the question in the geographical sense of urban policy carried out since German colonisation to date. At the same time, the analysis of these developments allows for an evaluation of the role of the urban crisis and the responses it brings.
In sum, the aim of this approach is to measure the impact of the uniqueness of the place on the current changes. On one hand, this is linked to its long-term insertion in the Swahili civilisation, and on the other, to its colonisation by Germany and later Britain and finally, to the singularity of the post-colonial path. This latter is marked by an alternation of Ujamaa with Structural Adjustment Plans applied since 1987. How does this remarkable political culture take part in the emerging city today?
This book is a translation of De Dar es Salaam à Bongoland: Mutations urbaines en Tanzanie, published by Karthala, Paris in 2006.
₵130.00 -
The Experience of Politics: A Manual for Ghanaian and African Politicians
P.K.K. Quaidoo was educated at St. Augustine’s College, Cape Coast, Achimota College and the University of Bristol where he graduated in Mathematics, Philosophy and Latin, Magna cum laude. He was later elected to Parliament (1954-56; 1957-61) where he established himself as a debater with outstanding courage, thus earning the nickname ‘Asem Yi Di Ka’ (say it and be damned!).
He held several portfolios as a Cabinet Minister: Trade and Labour (1957-58), Communications (1958) and Social Welfare (1960-61). He travelled widely: to Europe, the USA, Canada and the Far East and within Africa. He was decorated by the late Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia as a Knight Companion of the Lion of Juda.
Mr. Quaidoo often contributed articles to the Catholic Standard. He got married and had two sons and four daughters.
Contents
- Preliminary requirements
- Field discipleship and apprenticship
- Strategies of reform and maintenance
- Some puzzling questions about Ghanaian society
- They also serve who only stand and wait
- Building the support base
- Inside the political arena
- Global vision and horizon
- The field of labour at a glance
- Relics of the past
- Priorities, programmes and the timetables.
₵40.00 -
Southern African Liberation Struggles 1960-1994 (Contemporaneous Documents, 9 Volumes)
These 9 volumes are the most comprehensive historical record of the liberation struggles in southern Africa. Comprising 2.4 million words in 5,394 pages, they record interviews with liberation fighters and supporters in the Frontline states and the extraordinary sacrifices they made so that Africa could at last be free. With the fall of the South African apartheid regime, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) identified the need to record the experiences of the liberation struggles in Southern Africa, from 1960 until that final liberation in 1994. To that end, SADC launched the Hashim Mbita Project – named after the last Executive Secretary of the OAU Liberation Committee.
The research covered liberation movements in the countries which engaged in liberation wars, the Frontline states and Extension countries; and the Research Project team comprised members from the SADC mainland states of Angola, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Lesotho and Swaziland. The support received from other regions is documented: Anglophone West Africa, Francophone Africa, North Africa, East Asia, Canada and the United States, Cuba and the Caribbean, the German Democratic Republic (GDR), Nordic Countries, Western Europe, the Soviet Union, Non-Aligned Movement: India, Yugoslavia, Indonesia, Sri lanka; Organisation of African Unity and United Nations.
₵3,000.00 -
The Mkapa Years: Collected Speeches (3-Volume Box Set, Hardcover)
This collection of speeches, in three volumes, by the third President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Benjamin William Mkapa (1995–2005), will serve primarily as reference documents to the vision of what he attempted to achieve in his ten years of leadership. His tenure as a leader came at a time when Tanzania’s economy was in dire condition. The legacy of the command economy, which had been in place for much of the 1970s and 1980s, was still felt. There was resistance to change to adopt a market economy, evident in the political tensions and debates about privatisation, an approach following Structural Adjustment Programmes, imposed by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, that had led to stagnation of the economy, high inflation, deteriorating health, education, communication, and transport sector services, as well as general gloom in the country especially among the poor. The bold steps he took during the first half of his administration did not immediately endear him to the public. However, in the ensuing years, slowly but steadily, positive results were achieved, and the social cost of change that the people had endured was appreciated. Relations with development partners and the multilateral agencies that before he took office had sunk to the lowest ebb were restored, and Tanzania, which was no longer unfit to borrow, received the largest debt relief ever and henceforth. Tanzania was on its way to new growth potentials and a vibrant private sector-led economy.
These collected speeches tell this story and tell it well, in great prose laced with wit and quotations from world political and literary sources, which is an evidence of his erudition as a literature student and journalist.
₵850.00 -
Kwahu State Book: Asaase Aban (Hardcover)
Information captured in the Kwahu State Book entails the history of Kwahu paramountcy including the five divisions of the Kwahu Traditional Area namely Adonten, Nifa, Benkum, Kyidom and the Gyase division; with histories of royal families, towns and villages under the divisions mentioned are well captured. Towns captured include Abene, Abetifi, Obo, Aduamoa, Pepease, Atibie, Bokuruwa, Nkwatia, Obomeng, Bepong, Asakraka, Kwahu Tafo, Pitiko, Akwasiho, Mpraeso, Twenedurase, Kotoso, Jejeti, Oframase, Awenare, Nkorkoor (Nkawkaw), Nteso, Tease, Kwahu Praso, just to mention few. The book also presents histories of the Zongo Community of Kwahu, the Okwawu Football Club, churches, schools and profiles of the prominent personalities (the Kwahu Golden members) of Kwahu.
The Kwahu State Book has fourteen (14) sections with each segmenting several topics and sub-topics about the history and cultural practices of the Kwahu Traditional Area. Other information in the book include chronology of chiefs and genealogy (family tree) of all the royal families. All of these have been codified into a single voluminous book of over 2,800 pages. It is the first of its kind in Ghana and sub-Saharan Africa.
All of these have been codified into a single voluminous book of over 2,800 pages. It is the first of its kind in Ghana and sub-Saharan Africa.
₵1,300.00 -
Accra Aca Blɛoo: The History of the Accra Academy from James Town to Bubiashie (Hardcover)
Accra Aca Bleoo – the first comprehensive history book on the Accra Academy – captures nine decades of the school’s history, including the most epic events and pivotal moments. It takes the reader through the life journeys of the founders and those who believed in their dream to educate the underprivileged youth of the Gold Coast. It also recounts the aspirations and achievements of successive administrations of the school and how they overcame the challenges of their time and influenced the character of their students.
The book brings to light several unknown facts about the Accra Academy and examines the educational policies that have influenced its development and growth.
It is not only informative and educative but also entertaining, as it is interspersed with interesting stories and several pictures that will undoubtedly take the minds of alumni back to the good old days and give other readers a perspective into how life in the school has evolved.
This book is the outcome of many hours of personal interviews and research, and is intended for anyone interested in the history of education in Ghana and what has made the Accra Academy what it is today.
₵250.00 -
Determined to Do More: The Mission is Possible (An Autobiography)
Journey along with Nenyi George Andah as he weaves stories of his childhood, teens and adulthood, guided by his Can-Do attitude. His captivating and exciting life stories provide a brilliant tool for anyone to imagine their future. – Geraldine Nartey (nee Andah)
Determined to Do More is an uplifting story of struggles, successes, personal tragedy and an unending desire not to give up. – Ras Mubarak, Former MP, Kumbungu Constituency
My recommendation is to read how the last child of John and Theresa Andah got to where he is today. You wouldn’t struggle to go through in a few hours of light reading. – Ato Afful, MD, Graphic Communications Group Limited
The life of Nenyi George Andah as detailed in this thriller is so captivating. Readers will be held spellbound by the roller-coaster events that define his illustrious life. – Dr Joseph K. Essibu
The story of the young man who saw the possibilities of mobile money long before anyone believed Ghanaians could be persuaded to appreciate the merits of cashless transactions. – Elizabeth Akua Ohene, George Andah’s Special Grandma
Price range: ₵250.00 through ₵500.00
Determined to Do More: The Mission is Possible (An Autobiography)
Price range: ₵250.00 through ₵500.00 -
The Makings of A Diplomatist: The Memoirs of Alexander Quaison-Sackey (Hardcover)
The book is a thrilling – albeit incomplete – life story, elegantly written. Starting from the author’s elementary school days at his birthplace, Winneba, where he obtained a distinction certificate at the Standard 7 school leaving Examinations, the Book takes the reader through the author’s sojourn at Mfantsipim Secondary School where he became Senior Prefect in his final year through Achimota College, where he became President of the Students’ Christian Movement (SCM), through Exeter College Oxford University where he served as President of the West African Students’ Union (WASU) through his years as a Labour officer in Ghana, his training as a pioneer career diplomat followed by a two-year stint as Head of Chancery in the Ghana High Commission in London up to his appointment as Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations where he created history by becoming the First Black African to assume the Presidency of the UN General Assembly. A discerning factor in this historical account is obviously the author’s natural leadership endowment which was manifested again later in his accession to the lay Presidency of the Methodist Church of Ghana (not recorded in the Book).
The greater part of the Book gives an exciting and insightful bird’s eye view of the author’s exertions at the UN during his tenure as Ambassador and Permanent Representative on such then burning issues as decolonisation, the Congo Crisis, Apartheid in South Africa, Cuban Missile Crisis, Arab-Israeli Conflict and the UN Financial Crisis of 1964 which nearly paralysed the Organisation. These are all issues of historical interest, particularly for research students in international affairs.
The book ends with the author’s post-UN appointment as Foreign Minister of Ghana, his later incarceration, and subsequent release which enabled him to proceed to London to complete his law studies. Altogether a very interesting and instructive personal history that makes compelling and absorbing reading.
₵250.00 -
Beyond Fear and Power: Osahene Boakye Djan – Pioneer Journey from the Village to the City and Back
On 2nd June, 1979, the military high command of the Ghana Armed Forces picked up intelligence of an impending coup against their regime from the 5 Battalion, the only fighting unit in Accra at the time.
General Odartey Wellington, the then Army Commander, informed his lower commanders to take steps to order Captain Boakye Djan, the D Company Commander of the 5 Battalion of Infantry to stop it.
On 4th June, 1979, Captain Boakye Djan emerged to become the substantive head of government and official spokesperson of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council of Ghana.
This is the story of one of Africa’s great military masterminds and why he has survived it all.
₵150.00 -
Akan Kasadwini (Akan Oral Literature)
The book is a pioneering work of Akan oral literature written in the Akan language. It gives a theoretical view of oral literature and a detailed account of the major genres of oral literature in Akan. It deals with an introduction to literature and some aspects of stylistics. It ushers students of literature into some of the crucial issues of literature. The book deals with what literature is, and what it can afford to individuals and the society as a whole. It considers literature as an indispensable aspect of any society’s life. It also identifies the main characteristics of literature with specific reference to oral literature.
The book treats some of the major terms in literature and supports them with examples. The book has 25 chapters and each chapter addresses, performance, composition, structure, functions and literary devices. Each chapter ends with sample questions that will help students to revise what they have learned from the chapter.
The book is in response to the needs of students at the WASSCE, Diploma and Degree levels to the subject matter of oral literature in Akan. This book will also help Training College students both in their course work at college and also in their teaching.
₵150.00 -
Falls in Ghana: Unified Guide Books & A Coffee Table Photobook (Chasing Waterfalls with Steve Ababio & Gina Arthur)
Waterfalls in Ghana are interesting, delightful and well worth the effort to seek out and explore. While Ghana does not have any with the sheer vast height or width of say Niagara Falls on the US-Canada border, or Victoria Falls in East Africa, falls in Ghana offer a much closer personal interaction in that you can stand under or much closer to the cascades and bathe or swim in their plunge pools.
The Chasing Waterfalls with Steve Ababio & Gina Arthur Guide books help make your personal journey a lot easier and more rewarding as you get to pick and choose the sort of experience you prefer. The Coffee Table Book is the perfect gift for anyone you’d like to introduce to Ghana, for your own enjoyment.
₵1,600.00₵1,650.00