2 comments about In Morocco.

1. Fans of Edith Wharton who are hoping to see her usual insightful wit will be disappointed with this book. Likewise will those hoping to learn something about the real Morocco. Instead, what this book provides is a fascinatingly nauseating example of racist, orientalist cliches: the eroticization, the emphasis on mystery, decreptitude, etc. One classic bit is the description of the souks full of "savages" "consumptive Jews" and "lusty slave girls." But my favorite is when a windstorm in the Djmaa el Fnaa suddenly appears, "stripping to the waist the slave girls scudding home to the souks." There are some peculiar twists to her vision of Morocco, but I won't go further because I'm hoping to publish my paper on this subject sometime in the near future. Buy this book if you are interested in such things. But first read Said's Orientalism, if this stuff is new to you. If you are planning to travel to Morocco, buy the Rough Guide and Culture Shock: Morocco.



2. It's been along while since I read this book but after the negative review, I must read again.
   I remember her descriptions of Morocco and the people being quite fascinating but I don't remember them being racist......maybe, this world of Moroc was so far from the culture she was accustomed. Maybe this book encouraged people to visit and find out for themselves. I loved Morocco and it's people, but I also enjoyed the book back then.
   Moroc was the most exciting place I had been as of 2000.
   Maybe, we've come a long way, Baby! Let's only hope!

2 comments about Passages: Photographs in Africa.

1. Great large format whole page images, some of which were presented in the two volume hardback "Ceremonies". Beautiful people, cultures and images for a great price. I hope the traditions of our world never never leave us. A beautiful book.



2. This is a jewel of a book but unfortunately it is falling apart, the cover is completely detached, and I have not even had it very long. The photographs however, will move you.

No comments about The Gambia, 2nd: The Bradt Travel Guide.

5 comments about Namibia: The Bradt Travel Guide, Second Edition.

1. Having bought the Botswana guide I logged on to secure a copy of the new second edition of the Namibia guide, hoping for the same level of high quality up-to-date information...Sad to say some of the information is dated ... A couple of examples to illustrate: Sossusvlei is one of Namibia's most popular destinations. The road from Sessriem to the dunes has been sealed since 2000. The book mentions that "there is talk of sealing the road". Concerning Etosha, there is mention of Helios a long disused waterhole close to the Halali camp. This waterhole was closed before 1998! In mention of Andoni, north of the Namutoni camp, the author says that he has hardly ever seen any game in that area. This depends strongly on the time of your visit. At the end of the dry season September-November, VERY large concentrations of game can be seen in this area. Further in the Caprivi section of the book (last page) there is mention of the dispute between Namibia and Botswana over Kasikili/Sedudu Island. This dispute was settled by the International Court in Hague in december 1999. But not all is bleak, the guide, is VERY COMPREHENSIVE, and still makes an EXCELLENT choice for planning, as long as you check that the information is still current. Clearly some of the material is new to the second edition and thus is current...



2. The Bradt Guide has great detail about Namibia. It presents a comprehensive review with some recently updated information. It is the kind of guide that one would bring in touring the country. Good information about the sites and places to stay, as well as good detailed local maps make this a useful guide, particularly for those not traveling on an organized tour.



3. Great reading. I read it from cover to cover & am not planning on going for 6 months!



4. when you are driving your car through namibia. Good tips and hints for a good 4x4 or 2wd holiday in this beautiful country. Lot's of info on how to get permits and reservations for national parks.
   Good reviews on campsites!



5. The Bradt Travel guide gave me a lot of information on the different areas of Namibia. My sons are planning a trip there next summer. This will give them an idea on the places they would like to see. It also gives you info on things that you may need to do before taking a trip to Namibia. I liked all the different information it gave me.

5 comments about Into Africa.

1. Wow! This well-written book covers, in narrative style, with humor, a recent 52-day field research expedition by the author to the Tanzanian Serengeti and Ngorogoro Crater to study lions, and to Gombe (of Goodall fame) to study chimps and baboons. In frequent flashbacks he reviews his past field expeditions and what they discovered -- new theories about why lions, chimps and baboons form the type of social structures they do. He also covers the struggles and hopes of the wildlife parks, and the difficulty of trying to reconcile the needs, wants, and contributions of: the researchers, the people living in the area, the government, the tourists, the poachers, and the foreign hunters -- all on the limited funds available.
   He throws in a lot of information on the species he studies, and builds this information into a theory about how all species -- perhaps even man -- are motivated to either cooperate or compete with each other. Packer also includes his commentaries and anecdotes about his fellow researchers, camp employees, local residents, local and national government officials, and the history of the area.
   Packer does an especially thorough job of analyzing how the species' survival is affected by men, disease, inbreeding, other species, and their own species' behavior patterns.
   The liner notes include recommendations of this book from the renowned George Schaller and Cynthia Moss. The reviews here by Booklist and Kirkus are accurate.
   That said, I do have some minor quibbles with the book. There is no index, and the table of contents is only chronological according to the "diary" format of the book. If the reader wants to review the material -- however excellent -- on lion infanticide or chimpanzee wars, the reader has to leaf through the entire book to find it.
   Likewise, there is no list of suggested further reading or sources, and no glossary. While Packer does define the Swahili terms he uses, he does so ONCE, in text. When one reads that "Tony Sinclair is the real mzee" on page 244, one has to remember the definition from page 52 [mzee is literally "old man" -- a term of honor and respect].
   Packard also seems to dwell on the negative and random man-on-man violence -- for instance, a lengthy report on the 1975 kidnapping of four researchers from Gombe by Zairian rebels, camp thieves, and assaults on tourists. Grouping these incidents occurring over 20 years in one narrative makes them seem more pervasive than they are.
   This is an EXCELLENT book for anyone interested in African wildlife or animal behavior in general.



2. "Into Africa" is a detailed and interesting account of wildlife research in two national parks in Eastern Africa (lions in Serengeti and chimpanzees in Gombe). Packer writes what most readers would expect to see in such a book (i.e., about animal behavior and scientific theories that try to explain it), but he also tells us about the day-to-day life of a wildlife biologist working in Africa (budgeting, traveling, provisioning, working with local and international staff, and avoiding both animal and human danger).



3. This book was recommended by another client on a recent safari trip to Tanzania. Her description of the author's unsentimental descriptions of the challenges involved in collecting and transporting various 'samples' intrigued me. I really enjoyed the book--particularly the sections on lions in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. The blurb on the back cover which comments that the book may be the best antidote to 'Out of Africa' hit the nail on the head.
   I thoroughly enjoyed Packer's descriptions of time spent in the field, observing and tracking lions. He also does a good job contrasting his everyday life in Minnesota with life in the Serengeti and Gombe Parks.
   If you're interested in a 'real' picture of a researcher's life in the field, lions or baboons, or descriptions of the Serengeti, you won't be disappointed.



4. Field biologist Packer has been studying the primates at Gombe (Jane Goodall's territory) and the lions of the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater for more than 20 years. Into Africa is a present-tense daily diary of his 1991 trip to his old and present haunts. In it, he manages to describe an entire career of accomplishments and disappointments.

   From the fatigue of long airline flights to the frustration of searching for lion worm medicine in third world pharmacies, or losing a day's water samples to an especially deep rut in the road, Packer exemplifies the dedication of scientists who brave the hardships and precarious politics of the third world to study Africa's great animals.

   Introducing new research assistants to lion watching, Packer recalls his own early days - the long hours of boredom (lions mostly sleep) punctuated by moments of excitement and discovery. He leads us through the trials and errors of collecting parasite data and explains how research thus far has revealed why lions live in groups and why the wealthiest of lions - those in the food-rich Ngorongo Crater - suffer from inbreeding, much like the old royal families of Europe.

   While describing the social lives and eating habits of lions, Packer invites us into every aspect of the researcher's life, including internal squabbles, money problems, dangerous night flights and vehicle breakdowns.

   Then it's time for him to move on to Gombe, "the unhealthiest place in the world," which he approaches with a mixture of dread and anticipation. We soon learn that it's not only the hot, damp, parasite-rich environment that haunts his memories, but the kidnapping of four students during the 70's, a fate narrowly escaped by Packer and his wife who left Gombe to be de-wormed elsewhere.

   While describing the exciting discoveries made at Gombe from its earliest days, he also recalls the fate of a researcher who died in a fall and remembers the treacheries and heroisms of some of the African workers. And then he drinks some water. The next entries are a haze of illness, fear and, pushed by time constraints, work.

   The diary ends with a conference of scientists pooling their data to try and decide how to best use the resources of the Serengeti National Park. So much knowledge coming together serves to show how much still has to be learned and how every change in the ecosystem affects every other aspect - land, animals, people.

   The diary format suits Packer. The immediacy is exciting and allows the reader to see the day-to-day work, hampered and occasionally aided, by serendipity and disaster. Packer is so well-organized that this close-up view never detracts from the big picture.




5. Scientist Craig Packer takes us into his world of African Wildlife. The book is written in a journal format, with entries covering such diverse topics as Packer's current studies into lions, a visit to Jane Goodall's chimp research site in Gombe, and hosting a conference of scientists in an effort to get a macro-perspective of the Serengeti. The book offers insight into the working conditions of the field scientist in a foreign country, which can be full of danger and obstacles.
   The Good and the Bad:
   The journal format relieved expectations of a traditional storyline, and I liked that. I also liked the holistic view of a scientist's life; we get to see everything from the research as it is being performed to inter-scientist squabbles to dealings with politics and bureaucracy, all enormous parts of Packer's life. The writing was run-of-the-mill, with an amateurish attempt at high-mindedness that rises above adequate only occasionally. A man on a journey across the world with three young women, leaving his wife behind, is necessarily on the spot, and he makes frequent references to his wife and never mentions anything about the physical characteristics of the three young women. I don't even know what color hair they had. And this is mixed up with the common problem of the author being a little self-centered with the writing at times. Packer is never shown to lose his temper (with one heroic exception), or lust after another woman, or act selfishly, or chicken out, and I just think that rings a little false. Maybe a lot false.
   One particular thing that stuck out to me as a drawback was Packer's decision to intercut a flashback story about four students who were captured from Gombe by a military group, who held them as hostages. The story would have been fascinating if it were told all in one go; told in pieces of flashback, it is both confusing and anticlimactic.
   One section of the book that I particularly liked was the description of a group of scientists coming together to create a computer model to predict the rhythms of life on the Serengeti.
   What I learned:
   Lion life is centered around related groups of females, who form a nucleus that is utilized by the current reigning group of allied males. Incoming males will kill the cubs of the males they've just displaced. In the Ngorongoro Crater, a plague induced by a biting fly wiped out ninety percent of the lions, resulting in a tradition of inbreeding since the sixties. It is difficult to get needed supplies in Tanzania, which is only just coming into its own as a capitalist country. The original group of chimps that Goodall worked with split into two groups, and then the larger group started going out on raids designed to kill individual males of the smaller group. They literally tore apart Goliath, the oddly bold chimp that allowed the process of habituation to begin, and eventually they annexed the entire range and two of three females from the smaller group (all six males were killed).

1 comments about South Africa: Photographs Celebrating the Jewel of the African Continent (Gerald & Marc Hoberman Collection).

1. After returning from three weeks in South Africa I can attest that the photos and extended captions provide a real sense for the feel of the country. He has a knack for providing images that as tourists we may miss. All his books are beautiful - he has all the shots we are frantically trying to capture on film.

   Beyond the photos, the quality of the book is astounding. The paper is of an extremely high quality and the photos are reproduced beautifully. A truly great coffee table book and conversation piece!

No comments about Peter Beard, Art Edition: AP No. 119.

4 comments about In the Shade of the Tree: A Photographic Odyssey Through the Muslim World.

1. Peter Sanders, one of the first non-Muslim's (Before he entered Islam) to take photo's of the annual Hajj pilgrimage, has put together an excellent pictorial journey through specific countries and places.

   While the cover claims, "An Odyssey through the Muslim World", I would choose to call this collection a glimpse into the heart of Peter Sanders.

   Mr. Sanders went through his extensive collection of photographs taken from throughout the World, and picked ones that he felt had something to say. He placed a quick commentary and some words of wisdom together with each photograph, and created this book.

   Some of the pictures are breathtaking, and some are not so breathtaking. Some of the pictures become breathtaking after reading the commentary; Several pictures made me scratch my head in puzzlement. But after reading Mr. Sander's explanation, I found a new appreciation for the pictures.

   I think the book can pass off as an interesting coffee table book. Some people though, will find the photo's and the commentary exceptionaly interesting, and find the book much more then an idle conversation passer.

   Anybody interested in exceptional photography (In my limited appreciation of photography) from North Africa and the Middle East will find this book worth the cost.

   Peter Sanders is an acquantance of Shaikh Hamza Yusuf; for some people, that might be enough reference to purchase the book.




2. This book came as a gift from a dear friend who happens to be a Christian from Britain. His note read "I thought you might appreciate this lovely book." Lovely it is indeed. In many ways. A gift that is a challenge to repay.

   Great photographers' through their works get us to see and comprehend the world surrounding us. A few among great photgraphers are able to translate to us through their images what we miss or are not able to see inside the people arround us.

   Peter Sanders' work gives us glimpses of many insides. It is a look at many parts of the world of Islam. But as you go through the images and the words you see straight into the crevaces of Sanders' yearning. And from his inside you can see much of what it is to be a muslim. A word that means something along the line: one who is willfully submiting in peace, to the Peace.

   In these days of many horrors this work is a gift for those who want to know. A gift for searching hearts.




3. I had the pleasure of stumbling across this book recently and purchasing it through Amazon; it contains striking pictures of Islamic people & places captured by Peter Sanders, a famous English photographer. The associated descriptions and quotes from Islamic sources for each impeccably selected photograph greatly enhance the high production quality.

   In this day and age where the electronic media is replete with images of death, destruction, and violence this book serves as a breath of fresh air, evoking the simplicity and beauty inherent in being near to one's Creator.

   Mr. Sanders has a great gift to see the world through a beautiful lens, and to be able to share it with Muslims and non-Muslims alike. He has a well-crafted web site (which I'll fail to mention, respecting Amazon's review guidelines) that contains a mini-photo gallery - as well as info on his forthcoming books in the series which I hope to see available here soon, inshAllah (God willing).

   If you're still debating whether to buy this book or not, stop and just click the button; trust me, you won't regret this purchase one bit! :)




4. The photography of Peter Sanders takes us into a new world of possibilties and challenges us to humanise the "other". A man who straddles East and West, Sanders captures the spiritual depth and universal message of the lived Muslim experience in a way few others have. Each photograph is the starting point for a narrative that ought to be written by those who view them. A blessed and marvelous work!

No comments about Namibia: Photographies = Photographs.

No comments about Scenic Namibia.