Page 43 - Fourways Gardens Issue 10 November 2023

Book Reviews

THE WOMAN AT THE WHEEL

BY PENNY HAW
Years later, Bertha meets Carl Benz and falls in love-
Carl Benz may be known as the “Father of the with him and his extraordinary dream of building
Automobile,” but Bertha Benz was the woman a horseless carriage. Bertha has such faith in him
behind the wheel driving the world into a new that she invests her dowry in his plans, a dicey
era. Woman at the Wheel is a gorgeous historical move since they alone believe in the machine.
fiction novel that takes a peek under the hood, When Carl’s partners threaten to withdraw their
examining the life of a fascinating woman support, he’s ready to cut ties. Bertha knows the
who refused to let men hit the brakes on her decision would ruin everything. Ignoring the
revolutionary machine. cynics, she takes matters into her own hands,
secretly planning a scheme that will either hasten
This is inspiring historical fiction, based on the the family’s passage to absolute derision or prove
real life of Bertha Benz, whose husband built their genius. What Bertha doesn’t know is that Carl
the first prototype automobile, which eventually is on the cusp of making a deal with their nemesis.
evolved into the Mercedes-Benz marque. She’s not only risking her marriage and their life’s
work, but is also up against the patriarchy, Carl’s
“Unfortunately, only a girl again.” own self-doubt, and the clock.

From a young age, Cäcilie Bertha Ringer is Like so many other women, Bertha lived largely
fascinated by her father’s work as a master in her husband’s shadow, but her contributions
builder in Pforzheim, Germany. But those five are now celebrated in this inspiring story of
words, which he wrote next to her name in the perseverance, resilience, and love.
family Bible, haunt Bertha.
Price: R350.00

BE USEFUL:
SEVEN TOOLS FOR LIFE

BY ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER
The seven rules to follow to realise your
true purpose in life – distilled by Arnold
Schwarzenegger from his own journey of
ceaseless reinvention and extraordinary
achievement, and available for absolutely
anyone.
The world’s greatest bodybuilder. The world’s
highest paid movie star. The leader of the
world’s sixth largest economy. That these
are the same person sounds like the setup
to a joke. But this is no joke. This is Arnold
Schwarzenegger. And this did not happen by
accident.
Arnold’s stratospheric success happened as
part of a process. As the result of clear vision,
big thinking, hard work, direct communication,
resilient problem-solving, open-minded
curiosity, and a commitment to giving back. All some of them famous, some told here for the
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: of it guided by the one lesson Arnold’s father first time ever.
hammered into him above all: be useful. As
NO BRAINER Arnold conquered every realm he entered, he Too many of us struggle to disconnect from
kept his father’s adage close to his heart. our self-pity and connect to our purpose. At
BY JEFF KINNEY an early age, Arnold forged the mental tools to
Written with his uniquely earnest, blunt, build the ladder out of the poverty and narrow-
Up until now, middle school hasn’t exactly powerful voice, BE USEFUL takes readers on mindedness of his rural Austrian hometown,
been a joyride for Greg Heffley. So, when an inspirational tour through Arnold’s toolkit tools he used to add rung after rung from
the town threatens to close the crumbling for a meaningful life. Arnold shows us how to there. Now he has shared that wisdom with all
building, he’s not too broken up about it. put those tools to work, in service of whatever of us. As he puts it, no one is going to come
fulfilling future we can dream up for ourselves. rescue you - you only have yourself. The good
But when Greg realises this means he’s going He brings his insights to vivid life with news, it turns out, is that you are all you need.
to be sent to a different school than his best compelling personal stories, life-changing
friend, Rowley Jefferson, he changes his tune. successes and life-threatening failures alike-- Price: R370.00
Can Greg and his classmates save their school
before it shuts down for good? Or is this the
start of a whole new chapter for Greg?

Price: R270.00

Fourways Gardens • 41 • November 2023