Several of you have mentioned in passing that you would like to read some of the books I'm reading in class. I don't really believe you, but if there is one book you might want to check out, it's A Continent for the Taking: The Tragedy and Hope of Africa, by Howard W. French. Now, this is is no dry college textbook, nor does it cost a hundred bucks. French is a veteran correspondent for The New York Times; his writing is clear, readable, and gripping. The book was on several Best-of lists when it came out, and is out in paperback. My anthropology class, Africa in Crisis, was designed around this text. We've just started reading, so it's not too late to join in. Find it at your local bookstore, or follow this link. And let me know if you pick it up: we can compare notes.
5 comments:
I like the cover of my new book more than yours. http://www.holtzbrinckpublishers.com/images/Books/L/0374299218L.jpg
Coming off Heart of Darkness, heading into Things Fall Apart, I'm on Africa overload, so I'm going to decline your fabulous offer. Feel free to share interesting passages on Mobutu's Zaire and the Belgian Congo, though.
If it's nice and snowy tomorrow, I think I'll dig into the decidedly domestic The Dog Says How (Kevin Kling).
PS Eric -- I read the Acimen last summer. Enjoy!
I remember stopping at the end of part three for two months (you'll understand when you get there), in order to leave the characters exactly where they were as long as possible...
I'm generally not a fan of the bullets, and how they get used.
Um, yeah, the book isn't really pro-bullet.
Wait a minute. Based on the cover, with its seductive images of ammunition and catchy "can-do" title, I was assuming that the book was a practical manual on how to overtake a continent in less than a semester. If that's not the case, I need to cancel my Amazon order!
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