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No study of Africa's history, politics, peoples and problems should ever begin without a good visit to its richly layered oral history. This book by Stephen Belcher is both reader-friendly and informative, accessible and comprehensive: in short, the perfect starting point for anyone, and a great addition to any scholar's collection! No question: Africa is a huge continent (no, Sarah, it's way more than a country!) with a wide array of very different ecosystems, climates, languages, cultures and political experiences. The differences factor into an equally wide variety of myths and legends: about our planet and solar system, life, death and other laws of nature, and the social behaviors of man, woman, bird and beast, fish and insect. Many are uniquely detailed parallel universes, others variations on a theme, others seeming fables where magical entertainment almost obscures profundity. No one has done as fine a job of capturing the essences of so many viewpoints, from all corners - Wolof, Mandinka, Khoi-san, Amhara, Egypt, and across the populous East, West and central swath - as has Dr. Belcher in this book. Although Penguin published it in trade softcover format, it is well-bound with enough margin and an open font to make reading it as pleasurable as if it had been released in hardcover. Highly recommended.Read full review
Informative and captivating.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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