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The rabbit in the thorn tree: Modern myths and urban legends of South Africa
- GenresAfricaNonfiction
216 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 1990
9 people want to read
About the author
Arthur Goldstuck
23 books3 followersArthur Goldstuck is a South African journalist, media analyst and commentator on Information and Communications Technology, Internet and mobile communications and technologies. He grew up in Trompsburg, Free State, South Africa and resides in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Goldstuck led early research into the size of the Internet user population and the extent of Web commerce in South Africa, which established trend lines for Internet growth in the country.
Today Goldstuck heads the World Wide Worx research organization, and has led research into ICT issues like the impact of IT on small business, the role of mobile technologies in business and government and the technology challenges of the financial services sector.
From the beginning of 2009, both the International Telecommunications Union and Internetworldstats have used World Wide Worx statistics when providing Internet data for South Africa.
Goldstuck established the first benchmarks for web strategy and web site evaluation in South Africa, and leads a team of usability experts that advises on web site usability and strategy. He represented South Africa as a judge for the Interactive category of the Cannes International Advertising Festival in France in June 2002, and as a judge in the online category of the 2003 London International Advertising Festival.
Goldstuck is the author of, among other works, South Africa’s best-selling IT book,The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Internet, as well as The Art of Business on the Internet. He has written five books on South African urban legends, and has contributed as a writer to numerous South African and international publications, including The Times of London and Billboard. He was winner of the online category in the Telkom ICT Journalist of the Year awards for 2003, and was runner-up in the lifestyle category for 2002 and the business magazine category in 2004.
He contributes to a number of South African publications on technology and business strategy issues, including the Radar column for African Communications magazine. He is editor of The Big Change, an electronic newsletter on business strategy in the high-tech economy, and of Gadget, the online consumer technology magazine. In 2007 Mail & Guardian invited Arthur Goldstuck to host his own blog on their Thought Leader service.
He also lectures at universities and other institutions on trends in technology and business strategy, and delivers presentations on his analysis of the technology environment at conferences and corporate events. He provided the closing keynote address for the Microsoft TechEd conference in Durban in August 2009, looking to the communications revolution of the next ten years.
Goldstuck led early research into the size of the Internet user population and the extent of Web commerce in South Africa, which established trend lines for Internet growth in the country.
Today Goldstuck heads the World Wide Worx research organization, and has led research into ICT issues like the impact of IT on small business, the role of mobile technologies in business and government and the technology challenges of the financial services sector.
From the beginning of 2009, both the International Telecommunications Union and Internetworldstats have used World Wide Worx statistics when providing Internet data for South Africa.
Goldstuck established the first benchmarks for web strategy and web site evaluation in South Africa, and leads a team of usability experts that advises on web site usability and strategy. He represented South Africa as a judge for the Interactive category of the Cannes International Advertising Festival in France in June 2002, and as a judge in the online category of the 2003 London International Advertising Festival.
Goldstuck is the author of, among other works, South Africa’s best-selling IT book,The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Internet, as well as The Art of Business on the Internet. He has written five books on South African urban legends, and has contributed as a writer to numerous South African and international publications, including The Times of London and Billboard. He was winner of the online category in the Telkom ICT Journalist of the Year awards for 2003, and was runner-up in the lifestyle category for 2002 and the business magazine category in 2004.
He contributes to a number of South African publications on technology and business strategy issues, including the Radar column for African Communications magazine. He is editor of The Big Change, an electronic newsletter on business strategy in the high-tech economy, and of Gadget, the online consumer technology magazine. In 2007 Mail & Guardian invited Arthur Goldstuck to host his own blog on their Thought Leader service.
He also lectures at universities and other institutions on trends in technology and business strategy, and delivers presentations on his analysis of the technology environment at conferences and corporate events. He provided the closing keynote address for the Microsoft TechEd conference in Durban in August 2009, looking to the communications revolution of the next ten years.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 26, 2013
Surprisingly universal myths and legends, localized by race, culture and place. "Modern cautionary tales, grim and relevant, bizarre and irreverent, lay bare the soul of a society," says Kate Turkington in a blurb. Relates these to similar tellings with a nice explanation of how the researcher determines that a report is a myth or legend. There is nothing new under the sun - ha!
--Ashland Mystery
--Ashland Mystery
April 15, 2025
I love that it's broken down into so many moving parts. the legends and myths I've read I must admit I only heard of one into he whole book. I think the authors sources are so laughable that it makes the book comical to an extent. I giggled alot at the level of ridiculousness and I must've rolled my eyes atleast a thousand times at all the stories the people believe. I especially loved how the author uses the book as "a mechanism for people to come to terms with their latent racist feelings" through urban legends. I don't know what to believe at this point and I kind of love that.
August 1, 2021
An interesting collection of urban legends with explanations of the psychological meaning and purpose of urban legends. Very much reflecting the zeitgeist of pre-1994 SA.
January 29, 2022
Bad writing
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews