I just finished reading the book Africa: Altered States, Ordinary Miracles by journalist Richard Dowden. It is available at Cameron Village Library. Dowden worked as Africa correspondent for London's The Independent and The Economist for 10 years each. The book paints his impressions of sub-Saharan Africa after years of trying to understand the cultures he covered. Most of the chapters focus on one country at a time; the DRC has a chapter. He mixes impressions of the landscape, anecdotes about people, and his journalistic coverage of the crises. But the book is more than travel log or memoirs. It is a reflection of his life-long yearning to understand what he experiences in Africa. While the chapters focus on a country, they often double as an exploration of a specific challenge or phenomenon he encountered throughout the region. So you'll find chapters on the rising influence of China, the role of oil, the "Big Man" phenomenon, corruption, the role of culture, the role of religion, pros & cons of foreign aid, HIV/AIDS crisis - each told through the lens of a particular country.
I learned more about Africa in one book than in anything else I have read. And I should add his writing is excellent. Even though some of the information is hard to hear, I always felt his respect for people. He is a very good storyteller.
I can't recommend this book highly enough to those of us who hear about Africa but have never been. It has already influence how I understand news from Africa. Do you know how when you travel somewhere the place becomes more complex, interesting, and multi-dimensional? This book has had that effect on me. Let me know what you think.
I learned more about Africa in one book than in anything else I have read. And I should add his writing is excellent. Even though some of the information is hard to hear, I always felt his respect for people. He is a very good storyteller.
I can't recommend this book highly enough to those of us who hear about Africa but have never been. It has already influence how I understand news from Africa. Do you know how when you travel somewhere the place becomes more complex, interesting, and multi-dimensional? This book has had that effect on me. Let me know what you think.