Africa Books

Hama Tuma's collection of satirical articles would be well classified as funny had they not dealt with serious matters and used satire only as a vehicle to dissect the reality in all its facets. Hama Tuma has once again proved himself an adept and a master of the satire, a quality he proved he had in surplus when he gave us The Case of the Socialist Witchdoctor and Other stories back in 1993 (Heinemann Books).The African survives the grave odds through humor.Hama Tuma is the best example of how this does happen.I strongly recommend Tuma's books to all.

In African Absurdities,Hama Tuma, the famous Ethiopian writer, has really surpassed himself.Tongue in cheek and with irony and humor as his weapon he dissects the African political scne which he knows so well. You laugh as you read these articles but the serious message does get through. Beyond the African reality, Hams Tuma is commentin on human existence as a whole, on the folly of prejudices and double standards.Kabila never got the chance to romance Monika Lewinsky but you wonder along with Ham what if.The politically incorrect articles in African Absurdities are a great read and I recommend it to all people of all races.

Excellent book! It has pictures and a bio on todays black artists. My favorite would have to be Ben Jones, my old college professor! lol www.Gallery07002.com

Samella Lewis has updated and further developed her definitive guide on African-American Art. As a former student instructed on the subject with her first edition of this book as our class text, I can definitively say that this book provides a solid understanding of the different art movements and a variety of examples of the works. Also from the perspective of a young museum professional who has worked with African-American art collections, I highly recommend this volume as a foundation of basic knowledge on the subject.

Great price on a used textbook for my college daughter. I saved $50.00 off her school bookstore price!

African Archaeology: A Critical Introduction is a compilation of articles by various researchers focussing on a variety of introductory topics in African archaeology. As the editor states in her introductory chapter, often people have a very limited view of the variety of archaeological sites and projects in Africa. When most people are asked about African archaeology, they immediately think of the early hominid studies by the Leakeys or they vaguely recall the structures of Great Zimbabwe.

Though these projects were and continue to be important contributions to African and World archaeology, archaeological research in Africa is much more diverse and active than the average person would imagine. To increase this overall knowledge, this book illustrates the multitude of topics, sites, and projects within the various African countries. Topics by these researchers include examination of material culture in early Hominid cultures; aquatic adaptations in northern tropical Africa in the Holocene; pastoralism and its effects on the presence of artefact assemblages; various aspects of metallurgy and the Iron Age in Africa; and the interacts between trade and mosaics upon the growth of cities in Africa.

African Archaeology: A Critical Introduction is a good introductory overview of African archaeology. The articles are well crafted, easy to understand, and require no previous knowledge on the discussed subjects or sites. It is of note, however, that this book is meant as an overview not as a complete compilation of all of topics in African archaeology. Such a book would encompass many large volumes that would completely overwhelm any reader. In this way, the reader is encouraged to use the extensive biographies included with each article to follow up on projects and topics that interest him of her.

Margaret Courtney-Clarke takes you into the compounds and into the dwellings of African village women. The colors and forms are exquisite. The book is beautifully produced with images that bleed to the edge of the page. The subjects are depicted in naturalistic settings and Courtney-Clarke has the technical skill to capture close-ups and groups of women equally well. The book serves as a textbook of healthy human structure and movement and is all the more valuable because the way of life it depicts and the body language that goes with that way of life are becoming increasingly rare. Very highly recommended.

The most striking feature of AFRICAN CANVAS is the close up detail and large pictures of exterior and interior West African mud house design. Some pottery design is also featured. Colors are mostly earth toned because natural pigments are used. A close-up and personal look at this beautiful art form, and a good resource for folks interested in ethnology and in African design.

The Politics of Permanent Crisis is simply one of the best books on contemporary Africa to come out for ages. The author, who has been writing sensibly on Africa, political reform, and foreign aid issues for many years, takes on a whole range of often contradictory academic work to help explain why Africa has been unable to grow faster despite increasingly levels of external financial assistance. Van de Walle argues coherently that local politics within many African countries have combined with donor practices to militate against the fundamental changes required for African economies to take-off. Seen in this light, the lack of reforms and disappointing outcomes from foreign aid in Africa are not mysteries, but rather the logical outcomes of the incentives under which the various players operate. This is a seminal contribution to our understanding of Africa's economic and political dilemmas -- and an excellent complement to Bill Easterly's "The Elusive Quest for Growth". If there is any shortcoming in the book, it is a minor quibble that van de Walle seems too dismissive of the role of individual leaders in sparking recovery (e.g., surely, Jerry Rawlings and Yoweri Museveni deserve some personal credit for turning Ghana and Uganda around). This book is a must-read for anyone interested in Africa's development challenges and the role of the international community.

Nicolas van de Walle's prize-winning book explains the puzzle of African exceptionalism with an intelligent and nuanced framework. Focusing on the politics behind the seemingly permanent crisis, van de Walle explains the pervasive rise of neopatrimonial rule on the continent -- a political system that depends on patronage and clientelism, and which is a feature of many low-income, largely subsistence-based polities around the world. Van de Walle's dual training in economics and political science, and his extensive experience living and working in many of the countries of the sub-continent, make this book deep, broad, and credible. I've recommended it to many who want to understand what is behind their t.v. screens: why has poverty grown in Africa? Why is this the region most troubled by small-scale political wars? Its scholarly but accessible style, complimented by extensive footnotes and references, also make this an excellent book for students.

The price tag of AFRICAN ELEGANCE represents a bargain for an oversized feature loaded with full-page color photos throughout: any university art library and quite a few community library general lending collections will find it an outstanding addition to any African cultures section. Author Etagale Blauer's years of travel in Africa lends to his feature and interpretation of the masks and ritual objects which are a part of African cultural beliefs and values. Displays link cultural traditions to materials, adaptations, and choices in artistic rendering. Highly recommended: a top value and a top pick.

This is a beautiful book, full of gorgeous color photos. It highlights the unique and extrordinary costumes of the peoples of africa. A delight!

An assortment of thousands of African personal names interpreted in detail are here in this book e.g. Matutu (prominence), Mawanga (ethnic groups), Achoka (the dark one), Akayesu (the one of Jesus), Magezi (braininess), Magero (miracles), Muliro (fire), Misha (village), Asis/ Asita (God). The ethnic group and country origin of each name is given, and also the pronunciation. The book shows that African names are so intimately related to culture, history, social situations, religion, birth situations, proverbs, love, anger, joy, dissapointment, etc. A unique aspect of this large book is that a quarter of it is dedicated to exploring the naming practices, cultures, histories, folklore of many African groups including the Zulu, Kikuyu, Tutsi, Hutu, Swahili, etc. You will not be disappointed if you want to get details about African backgrounds and if you have interest in African names. The book has so many references too that you can use. The book is therefore good for the general readers, the students, and the instructors.

"Until the publication [of this book], it has been extremely difficult to find any primer that collects and defines the meaning of some African names...in English translation. ...the [book tries] to delineate, translate, and put into definitive contexts, these names...as a means of reaching the bigger English audience that is unaware of the rich African traditional linguistic heritage. In [the book] Jonathan Musere and Christopher Odhiambo examine more than 4000 personal names from Sub-Saharan Africa, with special emphasis on Eastern, Central and Southern Africa. The book is divided into two parts, whereby the first part looks at the origins of the ethnic groups in discussion, as well as their linguistic development over the generations. The ethnic groups whose select names appear in this book include the Acholi, Alur, Bolia, Bushong, Embu, Ganda, Gisu, Gombe, Hemba, Hutu, Iteso, Jopadhola, Kaguru, Kakwa, Kanyok, Karamojong, Jie, Kiga, Kikuyu, Kongo, Langi, Luba, Lugbara, Luo, Luwa, Luyia, Maasai, Mongo, Nandi, Ngbandi, Ntomba, nyankore, Nyoro, Ovimbundu, Pare, Samia, Shona, Soga, Sotho, Suk, Swahili, Tetela, Toro, Turkana, Tutsi, Twa, Yaka, Yoombe, Zezuru and Zulu. The book looks at the western as well as traditional definition of these ethnic groups. For example, the ancestral name for the Ganda is the plural, "Baganda," while the singular noun is "Muganda." The customary name of the Soga is the plural "Basoga," while "Musoga" is the singular noun. The second part of the book lists the select names from the above ethnic groups in alphabetical order. For example, [the name] "chilimo" is given to one that is born during a season of cultivation. The book gives the pronunciation of chilimo as "tch-ih-lih-moh." (S.B. Isabirye in "Papyrus" Vol. 6, No.2, Winter 2000).

I love this book and will treasure it. I hated coming to the end of it and hope to get a copy of his second book - Great Cats - and read of more of his adventures as he travels around the world . Apart from the animals, I think his painting of trees, bushes, grassland and dust is superb. So sad that it was a buffalo that ended his life.

I bought this book as a present for my parents after they took a safari to Kenya. They love this book! It sits on their coffee table and they encourage all who stop by to view it. The story of the author/artists life is remarkable. The beautiful artwork which accompanies the tales of living in Kenya are so life like it's amazing.

This hefty volume doesn't waste any pages! From ancient Egyptian poetry & history to the modern origins of Kwanzaa, this one has it all. A tremendous resource for students or teachers of history, literature, culture, or religion. My only complaint is the omission of the prolific St. Augustine, but his work is widely available elsewhere.

The book is an excellent source of African and Diasporian thought, scholarship, and epistemology. The authors do and excellent job juxtaposing the various creation stories using content analysis to show the parallells between the various creation stories. In addition, the authors do an excellent job of highlighting the various talented African scholars across the globe. The book is appropriately named and the content in the book definately lends itself to erudition.

Really. The listing here doesn't do this 2 volume set justice. If you have any interest at all, don't hesitate, this is the most beautiful thing ever!

both books are wonderful!!!!!! it's a mix between travel & interiors. another taschen-you-must-have-it !!!!!