Stories of beer, beasts, and self-motivation

This week, Patricia McCracken reviews a broad range of books, predominantly non-fiction, which all seem to have a common thread: motivational tales of self-discovery, expression, and regrowth.

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World of Guinness by Rory Guinness (Scala, R445)
Rory Guinness is indeed a member of the internationally renowned brewing family.

The last Guinness ship was named after his mother, Miranda, but Rory reports that she was stung by being referred to as 'a bulk liquid beer carrier'.

Founder Arthur Guinness quickly made the family fortune after shrewdly using his £100 legacy from an archbishop in 1749 to buy a 9 000-year lease on a broken-down brewery.

About 50 years later, Guinness had an established export market and was even being shipped to sub-Saharan Africa.

In the 1960s, Nigeria became the first African country to get a Guinness brewery. Today, Africa is Guinness’s largest market globally.

Rory engagingly shares the brewery’s growth, technological advances, and family honours.

At just 96 pages, the book won't distract you long from your pint, making it quite pricey for something that’s essentially brand marketing.

Of Man and Beast by Willie Labuschagne (Tracey McDonald Publishers, R360)