Political and trend analyst JP Landman's latest book 'The Long View' asks some of South Africa's toughest questions: is South Africa going to make it? Are we going to become a shining example of a modern society, a proud member of the world’s leading countries? Are we going to be okay? Or are our worst fears going to become reality: are we becoming a failed state?

That's the question South Africans fret about continually. That's the question Landman would like to answer in this book. His answer is not a thumbsuck or a knee-jerk reaction. It is not optimistic or pessimistic. He is an analyst. That means he lets the facts speak. He calls it the 'long view'.

"The Long View is information that you can hold on to. It gives you the trendlines rather than the headlines. You can disagree with me if you like. But that is how I see things.

"Next time you're standing around a braai or sitting around the dinner table and someone starts gaaning aan about the latest drama, you don't need to go into a tailspin. Answer with the facts. Then carry on making the most of your meal. And of this country," says Landman.

JP Landman is an analyst, renowned for his talks on South Africa. He has studied economics at Harvard and has an MPhil in future studies from Stellenbosch University. He is a visiting professor at Free State University. In 2013, he was selected as a Public Policy Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Centre for Scholars in Washington DC.

The Long View is published by Jacana Media