State of the nation : South Africa 2004-2005 provides a comprehensive and frank picture of contemporary South Africa. Written by some of the key social scientists in South Africa, the volume provides critical insights into the state of the political parties after the 2004 election, race and identity ten years after the advent of democracy, the performance of the economy, the state of employment and emerging patterns of business ownership. Essays on the state of the military, crime and policing, schooling, arts and culture, the Muslim community and how AIDS is affecting families and households are both enlightening and useful. Probing accounts of South Africa's relations with Nigeria and Zimbabwe round off the book.