Detailed item info | Size | | Length: | 256 pages | | Height: | 9.3 in. | | Width: | 6.3 in. | | Thickness: | 0.8 in. | | Weight: | 13.6 oz. |
| | Publisher's Note | A vivid portrait of the "second revolution" underway in Africa In a richly woven narrative of the vibrant and volatile life of Africa today, Karl Maier draws on ten years' experience traversing sub-Saharan Africa to chronicle the continent's "second revolution, " in which people are reviving and the rich traditions of their cultures to find ingenious ways of improving their lives.
Experience Africa's vibrant and volatile struggle at the crossroads between tradition and modernity . . .
INTO THE HOUSE OF THE ANCESTORS
"Rich . . . fascinating." —The New York Times Book Review
"A master of eyewitness description and of the telling interview, [Maier] has unearthed Africa's hidden heroes and heroines." —Financial Times
"Maier has written a sensitive and complex narrative. . . . excellent descriptions of the lives and experiences of both ordinary and extraordinary individuals in different parts of Africa." —Richard Leakey, The Times (London)
"A remarkable book. . . . It is no easy task to articulate an intangible undercurrent in an area so geographically large and culturally diverse, but Maier has succeeded admirably. Maier gives us hope that [the Africans] can rebound and even thrive. Highly recommended." —Library Journal
| | Industry reviews | Maier, a foreign correspondent in Africa for over ten years and author of Angola: Promises and Lies (Serif, 1996), has produced a remarkable book dealing with the spirit of a changing sub-Saharan Africa. It is no easy task to articulate an intangible undercurrent in an area so geographically large and culturally diverse, but Maier has succeeded admirably in revealing how African peoples today are "summoning their tremendous inner vitality...to adapt to a rapidly changing world around them." In clearly written journalistic prose, Maier illustrates his thesis with individuals, places, and events from all over the sub-Saharan continent; there is, unquestionably, a movement to return to the pre-colonial, pre-Christian, pre-Muslim African spiritual beliefs, and the reassertion of the African spirit can be seen in politics, medicine, education, religion, even the military. African peoples face huge hurdles (AIDS, civil wars, famine) as they enter the 21st century, but Maier gives us hope that they can rebound and even thrive. Highly recommended. Ruth K. Baacke, Whatcom Cty. Lib. Sys., Bellingham, Wash.
Scheeren
Although many books have portrayed the problems of today's Africa, Maier, former Africa correspondent for the Independent of London, takes a more hopeful view. His aim is not to sanitize the image of sub-Saharan Africa but to "celebrate the spirit" of ordinary people striving to better their world. Thus he describes trailblazers like a Ghanaian sociologist working to help the elderly, and he explains how Mozambique's once socialist government adapted to the spirit claims of traditional chiefs and healers. Taking issue with the widespread pessimistic view of "coming anarchy," he notes that a country like Sierra Leone has had democratic elections rather than descending into chaos. Yet Maier's sobering portrait of Rwanda acknowledges only a slim hope for peace and justice, and he laments the unrealized potential of behemoth Nigeria. This book is not comprehensive but anecdotal; France's enduring influence or Western policies toward Africa are hardly broached. But even if Maier seems Pollyannish at times, this is a reasonable counterpart to accounts that focus only on conflict. (Feb.)
Lopate
In the past decade, many journalistic accounts have enumerated Africa's corruption and inefficiency. . . . Maier, who spent a decade in Africa writing for The Independent, offers a very different view. . . . His book should be required reading for those concerned with foreign policy, development politics, and yes, even journalists. The general reader can also learn a great deal from this well-written narrative about the forces for change, both positive and negative. Maier is no cockeyed optimist, but he does see beyond the superficial horrors of front-page reporting. He provides biographical sketches of Africans who are responding creatively to socioeconomic challenges. . . . Maier sensitively probes major themes in Africa's past and their continuing impact on the present. His demonstration of how Africans are reshaping their traditions into a new, useful synthesis is a major strength of this study.
Annotation copyright H.W. Wilson Company.
Works
People have long written about Africa in sweeping terms. . . . [Maier] avoids this trap. Instead, he introduces the reader to his subject through a rich variety of Africans. . . . If anything binds them together, it is not race or geography but a common struggle to construct a workable future. . . . Among the most fascinating is Seni Williams, a Nigerian computer specialist whose company has written software that is far better adapted for the conditions in his country . . . than are Western imports. Then there is Dr. Ogobara Doumbo, a Malian who directs malaria research. . . . It has long been tempting . . . to view Africa as . . . the ultimate dog-eat-dog world. Maier challenges this view by inviting comparisons between African violence and, say, 'the slaughter that Europe has experienced and imposed on others' in this century. But by introducing us to deeply committed individuals like Williams and Doumbo, Maier makes the more valuable point, that anyone who bothers to look can find another side to daily life on this continent.
Annotation copyright H.W. Wilson Company.
French
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