Mike Bruton – författare

When the famous South African fish scientist Professor JLB Smith published Old Fourlegs – The Story of the Coelacanth in 1956 he created an international sensation. After all, this 400-million-year-old fish, known only from fossil remains, was thought to have become extinct around 66 million years ago! JLB Smith’s dramatic account of the discovery of the first and second coelacanths in 1938 and 1952 turned him into a cult figure and put South African science on the world map. His book was eventually published in six English editions and translated into nine foreign languages. Mike Bruton’s The Annotated Old Fourlegs includes a facsimile reprint of the original book, to which he has added notes and images in the margins that provide an interesting and revealing commentary on Smith’s text, as well as new introductory and explanatory chapters that bring the coelacanth story up to date.

This colourful illustrated children’s book is aimed at ages 9-14. It recounts the discovery of the first coelacanth in modern times – a fish that had been thought to be extinct for many millions of years, and was known only from its fossil record. In 1939, a specimen was hauled ashore in a fishing net off the South African coast near East London, and its identification as a coelacanth made world news. Chemistry professor JLB Smith identifed the fish and dedicated the rest of his life to searching for live specimens and researching the science surrounding this evolutionary phenomenon. This book, by ichthyologist Mike Bruton, uncovers: the mystery of the coelacanth and the thrilling story of its discovery, its strange appearance and lifestyle, what makes it so special, how it evolved – and what this has to do with human evolution, how and what it eats, and who eats it. These and many other details provide insight into this amazing fish and its marine companions.

A comprehensive guide to the fishes of the Okavango Delta and Chobe River, this book offers background information on the diverse aquatic habitats of the region and on fish feeding, breeding and survival strategies. It also provides useful hints for anglers. The species entries describe each fish in detail, with key ID points and information on habits and occurrence. Each account is accompanied by a colour illustration or photograph. The book concludes with information on how best to utilise and conserve the fishes of the delta system and Chobe River. This is the only such guide to fishes of the region and will be invaluable to local and visiting fishermen, naturalists and conservationists, as well as the many tourists who visit this spectacular African paradise.

The discovery of the modern-day coelacanth will forever be linked with the name of JLB Smith. An intense, irascible, eccentric man, JLB (as he was widely known) and his long-suffering wife Margaret were both remarkable South African scientists who changed the course of the biological sciences. Best known for their research on the coelacanth, they also contributed in many other ways to the scientific study of fishes (ichthyology) and related fields. The first comprehensive biography about JLB and Margaret Smith. Traces their formative years and serendipitous meeting, leading up to the discovery of the coelacanth, and the tumultuous years that followed. Details their punitive work ethic, eccentric and rugged lifestyle, and their astonishingly productive lives. A story awash with adventure, travel, discovery, risk-taking, near-death experiences – and their extraordinary contribution to science. Illustrated with black-and-white images of the Smiths’ fascinating lives, as well as a 16-page colour section, Mike Bruton’s lively account fills a scientific and biographical niche and will become a classic of the South African scene. Sales points: Important biography of a famous South African couple, lively portrayal of colourful, eccentric, tumultuous lives, with contributions from many other scientists and personalities and illustrated with black-and-white images throughout, and a colour section.

The Indigenous Knowledge Library offers exciting and insightful material for high school learners and teachers This fascinating book is a collection of the groundbreaking achievements of South African inventors and innovators from ancient to modern day. It explores a wide range of remarkable inventions that have shaped South Africa, Africa and the world. Intriguing South African inventions include remarkable devices and services that have improved the quality of life for people, saved thousands of lives, contributed to the advancement of science and astronomy, and made strides in industrial innovation. This book also explores the fascinating lives of the inventors themselves, some of whom are Nobel Prize winners and the struggles they faced in achieving success.

Did you know that the machine used to drill tunnels for the first underground railway in England was invented by a South African, or that the first computers in South Africa were women calculators working at the Royal Observatory in Cape Town? Everyone knows that the Kreepy Krawly, Pratley's Putty, Dolos, and CATscanner were invented in South Africa, but what about the Sheffel Bogie, Oil of Olay, Q20, Policansky fishing reels, Lodox low-dose X-ray machine, and Waste Shark? This authoritative volume is crammed with information on the awesome variety of new products and services that South Africans, at home and abroad, have invented from precolonial times to the present. Written in a highly accessible style and richly illustrated, the book spotlights Wadley's Loop, Louis Liebenberg's Cybertracker, the unique Africanis dog, the first computerized ticketing system in the world, the first ever digital laser, and more. Historic photographs, fascinating anecdotes, and illuminating case studies light up the text and make it read like a detective novel.