This is the first (and hopefully not the last) book that profiles African women leaders. It does a wonderful job of turning American attention to the strength and innovation of African women and provides a contrast to the general reporting on Africa as an overpopulated, famine-stricken, genocidal, and patriarchal continent.

Useful reference for spread of Islam and Islamic history with a very specific character as a "dateline" reference of dynasties and history year by year and by various regions of islamic world.Some specialists would criticize particular points but it remains a useful resource both to get condensed view of a period and area of the Muslim world and as a way of reviewing details after reading broader and more interpretive works. Many readers will want to have some version of the Encylopedia of Islam available to get further information on specific terms and issues.

This is a disparate but classic collection of essays by an exceptional anthropologist well-deserving of the eminence and fame associated with his name, even after his death. Although the various articles-drawing upon observations from Gellner's field of choice, N. Africa-stand contained therein on their own merit, the real centerpiece-the most famous writing of Gellner on Islam is the first, "Flux and Reflux in the Faith of Men." This essay is by far the longest as well-comprising about 1/3 of the work. In it, he fuses the Hume's theories of religion with ibn Khaldun's cyclical view of history with its tense dialect between the nomadic and sedentary forms of human existence whereby he constructs an ingenious account of pre-modern Muslim Society. Also interesting is his discussion of how this oscillating pendulum has in a sense become 'unhinged' since the advent of modernity. Classic reading.

My cooking. The West African Cookbook is one of the few African Cookbook availlable on line. I was able to obtain one for myself after I saw one with my friend. I have since been using the book and it is amazing how easy it is to use the book. Perhaps the most amazing thing about this book is it authenticity. It is pure African. There are several ways to cook BLACK-EYED PEA and they are delicious.The Coconut rice and the Fried plantain are good together. This coming Xmas I am going to buy some for my friends as gifts. I think anyone who has a taste for African food should have a copy of this book.

Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck was the German general who handicapped allied forces during the First World War in East Africa. His exploits are legendary. With only several thousand men he defeated, and then harrassed, several hundered thousand British troops.

Lettow-Vorbeck recounts his experiences in this landmark book on guerilla warfare with proud satisfaction. Although his writing style is technical and antiquated, the historical significance of his account is monumental. Never suffering a major defeat, Lettow-Vorbeck only surrendered his highly skilled German and native troops after the war in Europe ended.

Lettow-Vorbeck gentlemanly remarked in his concluding paragraphs that "everyone seemed to think that we had preserved some part of Germany's soldierly traditions." Indeed he did.

I recommend that those interested in this book first try Byron Farwell's "The Great War in Africa".

This book is so beautifully illustrated and written. The story line of saving money for a desired purchase (a red and blue bike), took me back to my own childhood. Readers can feel the child's disappointment over not having enough money. As a wonderful addition, the child wants to save for a bike in order to help his mother carry her heavy loads. This was a truly enjoyable read.

This book tells a lot about about mummifying and how the pyramid complex was arranged. It also shows various forms of writing by the various cultures. It had lots of information and very detailed pictures, so I can get a real picture of it in my mind even though I've never been to Giza or Peru or Mexico. My favorite page was the one about how the Egyptians mummify people, because I just like how they preserved bodies, because it was neat and clever and really worked. About the Aztec pyramids in the Americas, I liked the Tenochtitlan floating city/island, and the Chinampas which were floating gardens. The whole book was great! age 7.5

I was fortunate to obtain a copy of this book in my teen years. My interest in the unexplained, myths and all legends around the world, gave me an interesting insight as to how close these are to each other. I am greek and our myths and legends are well known all over the world, but the similarity to many of the myths and legends to South Africa is astounding. As we have mother earth so does the africans, represented by a large female earthworm with many breasts to nurture the earth. I would say that as the world is turning to their roots, we should keep in mind that we all have similar stories in our past. I live in South Africa and I was born here, I have always loved the cultural diversity here as I, feel we learn and grow and develop in ways which often make the rest of the world stand up and take a look. This book captures that. Although it was written in 1979, I feel that this author was way before her time, and this book will be as popular today as it was then. I treasure my copy.

Namaqualand is one of my favorite places on earth when it blooms. This book shows Namaqualand at it's best. It gives a little taste of what this area looks like when in flower. The pictures are stunning and spectacular. If you love the flowers of South Africa this book is a must. I hope to see this area in person some day. Until then I can look at this book and dream. Another good book on this area is "Namaqualand: A Succulent Desert" by Richard Cowling and Shirley Pierce, with Photograpy by Colin Paterson-Jones. Both volumes are wonderful.