No comments about Atlas of African Affairs (Up).

No comments about Namibia - Culture Smart!: a quick guide to customs and culture (Culture Smart!).

No comments about HEART OF DARKNESS - KINDLE EDITION [ENG].

2 comments about The Ostrich Wakes: Struggles for Change in Highland Kenya.

1. Anthropologist, academician and lecturer Jean Davison is the founder of the `International Development and Education Association', a non-profit group dedicated to linking small communities in Africa, Asia, and Latin America through developing seed funding for self-help projects with sponsoring groups in the United States and Canada. "The Ostrich Wakes: Struggles For Change In Highland Kenya" is the story of the women of Kenya who some twenty-five years ago lived under cultural, political, religious, and economic circumstances that subjected them to the devastation of female circumcision, lethal communicable diseases, forced marriages, physical and sexual abuse on a daily basis, and a lack of educational opportunities, but today are becoming educated and active in urban small businesses, seeing substantial improvements in health, and governmental laws providing them protections that include being able to reject genital cutting, refusal of marriage proposals, prosecution for rape (a practice so wide spread in Kenya that Kenyan leaders declared it as their nation's most pervasive human rights issue). A compelling, informative, and highly recommended history of social struggle and progress in Kenya, "The Ostrich Wakes" is enhanced with the inclusion of numerous notes and a glossary.



2. Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (5/07)
   
   Dr. Jean Davison, an anthropologist, returns to visit the foothills of Mt. Kenya. Davison returns to Kenya to discover how the Gikuyu farmers view the changes of the last decade in their country. Her return to a land where she had lived, worked and studied twenty years earlier came at the very time the political party in power since Kenya received independence, had been replaced. Excitement was everywhere. Expectations were high.
   
   The remote rural areas of Kenya have become linked to the global coffee and tea markets, as well as the internet, TV, and cell phones. Any change will benefit some and disadvantage others in this age of globalization. The title of the book "The Ostrich Wakes" speaks of the many changes in Highland Kenya: the coming of electricity, improved transportation, and the availability of education. This is a wakeup call at a time of crisis. Davison was particularly concerned about the impact of these changes in relation to "Women's Concerns" in education, economic opportunity, property rights, overpopulation, family planning skills, and "AIDS."
   
   Dr. Davison contacted village elders and youth alike to learn how they had been impacted through these transitions. She visited old friends to interview them about the long awaited changes in the government, the uncertainties of the economy, of the trends in agricultural, and the educational opportunities available to the children and youth of Kenya.
   
   As she retraced her steps of earlier visits she was particularly interested in how traditions, customs, rituals, and coming of age rites had changed since her last visit. Among others she interviewed four generations of one family to get a comparison of how time and education have impacted how they learn, what they had learned by observing their mothers, and what they had learned in the more formal school setting. Many of those interviewed were open and frank, and shared freely in their stories of coming of age, marriage and childbirth. Others were more private, especially when questions concerned the older rituals and rites associated with girls coming of age.
   
   I appreciated the unique approach Dr. Davison used to present the results of her research. She writes using a story form narrative in her interviews. Her presentation of background material on the government, history, and geography of Kenya is woven into the stories in a unique and entertaining way.
   
   The subject matter of "The Ostrich Wakes" is enlightening and useful, an important addition to the studies available on the threat, prevention, and treatment of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in third world communities. It is the story of an awakening of a people from the lethargy and sense of despair. This is a book of travel, of warm stories from peoples of another culture, as well as the results of an anthropology research study.

5 comments about South Africa (Eyewitness Travel Guides).

1. I bought South Africa (Eyewitness Travel Guides) and have found it very helpful. We already had an itinerary planned and this guide showed us where we would be visiting, the weather, and gave useful background on each area. This guidebook gives pictorial views of historical sites, attractions etc. This was enlightening information, some of the places we will be going are far larger in area than we would have imagined. Also the attraction maps will help us keep oriented so time is not wasted being lost. With this guide and a good detail map of South Africa we gained insight about the length of travel needed each day. The biggest plusses were the pictures and drawings, they really are worth a thousand words as used in this guide. There is plenty of "survival" information; important phone numbers, medical suggestions, lodging recommendations etc. Lots of fun to read just for enjoyment!



2. Before I went to Cape Town, a thoughtful friend gave me this book, and I couldn't thank her enough. And although my comments below apply to the South Africa volume, they could well be applied to the entire series, which is excellent.
   
   The layout of the book is immediately arresting. Rather than imposing blocks of sheer text, the editors use tons of photographs, maps and other graphics. Just randomly flipping through this book is entertaining, which is not always the case with these types of publications. The typefaces are clear and well-chosen, and the enticing pages include many illustrations, the most unusual of which are cutaway diagrams of major buildings. These drawings are quite beautiful, and an unexpected delight in a book like this.
   
   Other sections deal with history, art and business. And still more sections cover "nuts and bolts" items like hotels and restaurants, and vital information such as availability of banks and ATMs, doctors and hospitals, and other trip considerations that one might overlook in the rush to depart. The book is a nice size to tuck into a bag, and will give hours of pleasure even after the trip is over.
   
   I've used guides by Fodor, Michelin and others, and although those are quite good, these Eyewitness publications really raise the bar.



3. I got this book as a present before i went to south africa. I was excited because I have heard that these books are really good. But after reading through the book, I quickly realizied that it did not give me enough information. I am in South Africa, I see how beautiful it is. I don't need to see pictures, I need maps, (there were only maps for Capetown)information about what i am seeing, costs of addmission, times, ect. There were none, and it became really annoying and unpleasant at many times. These books are good for people who just want to see how other countries/cities look like, but not travel to them. If you want a good travel book, look for the Lonely planet series.



4. I first discovered these books (a series Eyewitness Travel) by accident in a Stockholm bookstore. I had just come from Gothenborg by train and was a bit dazed. The book I bought by accident was in swedish but it still useful because of all the photos, cut away views, museum pictures, and maps and historical details. When I got home I bought a pile on Amazon.com of different places that I was going or had visited - but in english.
   
   On a cold day back here in the USA (or Canada) or elsewhere, have a glass of wine and sit in a nice chair or in the garden on a warm day and read this book. For a moment you will be back in South Africa. You are back in a small restaurant overlooking a busy street in Cape Town.
   
   The photos and desicriptions and cutaway drawings are excellent. Plus they throw in some history and details on the art and many other things of interest. A solid 400 page effort - lots of stuff to see and absorb. What is attractive about this book is that South Africa is not a well traveled country so we are not so familiar with the coutry. But the book brings it all to life with just magnificent photos and maps.



5. Excellent travel guide!
   It's very up-to-date and has a lot of detailed information.
   I especially loved the street-by-street and pictorial maps -extremely helpful!!!
   The only downside is that it doesn't really list any low-budget accomodation, the ones recommended are more on the high end...

2 comments about Journey up the Nile.

1. What a fun book! I was charmed by Reggie the bear's personality in "Safari: My Trip to Africa," his first book, and now I'm thoroughly endeared. Favorite moments: Reggie imagining himself as one of King Tut's treasures, forever gilded in gold ("Although the possibility of one day being loved to death does cross our minds from time to time," he notes, "bears, for the most part, give little thought to the idea of an 'afterlife.'"); his observations on the Rosetta Stone ("...arguably the single most important thank-you note ever written...."); and his tips on haggling at a Cairo bazaar (including, "Never put your bear up for trade--Not even in jest!"). Throughout the book, Reggie's grumbly, informative, teddy-bear's perspective sheds new light on the fascinating sights, history, and animals of Egypt. Like the movie "Toy Story," the beautiful visuals will delight young children and the words will entertain teens and adults.



2. This entertaining read is a follow up to the equally wonderful Safari. The reader follows Reggie the bear, as he travels through Egypt with his owner. The handwritten diary/scrapbook account is accompanied by vivid illustrations in the true book art fashion. Anyone who truly appreciates beauty and art will thouroughly enjoy this book.

No comments about Overseas Timetable Summer 2008 (Overseas Timetable: Surface Transport Schedules for Africa, Asia).

No comments about Other Routes: 1500 Years of African And Asian Travel Writings.

No comments about Faces of Africa: Thirty Years of Photography (NG Collectors Series).

1 comments about Africa Overland, 4th: 4x4*Motorbike*Bicycle*Truck (Bradt Travel Guide).

1. It used to be travelers to Africa would never think of making their journeys entirely overland - but today they can, and with Africa Overland's updated fourth edition, travelers can plan their own trip or choose from one of the overland expeditions recommended herein. From initial planning to health and safety and handling bureaucracy across the states, Africa Overland covers everything from driving in different terrains to cultural differences and locating accommodation. Africa Overland reflects the author's on experience, so is seasoned with more than just hearsay.