This fascinating study of mathematical thinking among sub-Saharan African peoples covers counting in words and in gestures; measuring time, distance,... weight, and other quantities; manipulating money and keeping accounts; number systems; patterns in music, poetry, art, and architecture; and number magic and taboos. African games such as mankala and elaborate versions of tic-tac-toe show how complex this thinking can be. An invaluable resource for students, teachers, and others interested in African cultures and multiculturalism, this third edition is updated with an introduction covering two decades of new research in the ethnomathematics of Africa.

In the decades since independence, the countries of sub-Saharan Africa have faced three central dilemmas of development. The first has been the... challenge of state building. In the wake of colonial rule, governments have encountered the problems of establishing legitimate authority and constructing capable states. A second dilemma has been that of nation building and state-society relations. African countries have confronted the difficulties of managing ethnic diversity, forging national identities, and negotiating relations between citizens and rulers. The third challenge encompasses problems of economic development as the region has grappled with a legacy of poverty, slow growth, and external dependence.This collection provides an overview of the leading themes and issues in these three critical areas of Africa’s postindependent development. A selection of pathbreaking articles provides insights into the key questions, the major theories, and the outstanding challenges in African development. Written by today’s most influential African scholars, the readings cover a variety of topics including political leadership; forms of state power; the role of civil society; the importance of class, ethnicity, and gender; and the prospects for democratic change in the region. Changes in African political economies are also addressed, focusing special attention on the debt crisis and the problems of economic reform. A final section focuses on the present-day challenges to African development: the spread of refugees, pressures on the environment, the devastating toll of AIDS, and the threat of state collapse.Providing a broad historical perspective on Africa’s political and economic development and an overview of current problems and prospects, this collection will be especially useful for advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and development professionals.

For many, Africa is regarded as a place of mystery and negative images, where reports of natural disasters and civil strife dominate media attention,... with relatively little publicity given to any of the continent’s more positive attributes. Africa has at last begun to receive the depth of interest it has long deserved, in the shape of debates about trade, aid and debt, the ‘Make Poverty History’ campaign, and the UK's ‘Commission on Africa’. But, behind the superficial media façade, Africa is a diverse, complex and dynamic place, with a rich history and a colonial engagement that, although short-lived, was fundamental in determining the long-term future of the continent. At the start of the second decade of the twenty-first century, when the world is engulfed in a major financial crisis, Africa has the dubious distinction of being the world’s poorest continent. This book introduces and de-mystifies Africa’s diversity and dynamism, and considers how its peoples and environments have interacted through time and space. The background and diversity of Africa’s social, cultural, economic, political and environmental systems is examined, as well as key development issues which have affected Africa in the past and are likely to be significant in shaping the future of the continent. These include: the impact of HIV/AIDS; sources of conflict and post-conflict reconstruction; the state and governance; the nature of African economies in a global context and future development trajectories. Africa: Diversity and Development is a refreshing interdisciplinary text which enhances understanding of the background to Africa’s current position and clarifies possible future scenarios. It is richly illustrated throughout with diagrams and plates, and contains a wealth of detailed case studies and current data.

An inspiring story of one child’s courage and ability to overcome obstacles, this novel illustrates the journey of Diko, a young boy from Cameroon who... dreams of another life. Driven by the harsh nature of his daily routine, Diko decides to tear down the barriers that separate his region from the North and embark on a risky adventure to make it to Europe. Rich, realistic characters and fervent descriptions of the landscape introduce young readers to a new culture—its traditions, its joys, and its hardships. Una historia inspiradora de la lucha y la superación de un chico, esta novela ilustra el viaje de Diko, un joven de Camerún que sueña con otra vida. Impulsado por la crudeza de su vida cotidiana, Diko decide derribar las barreras que lo separan del norte y embarcarse en la aventura arriesgada de llegar a Europa. Personajes ricos y realistas y descripciones apasionadas del paisaje les presentan a los jóvenes lectores una cultura nueva—sus tradiciones, sus alegrías y sus dificultades.

In a follow-up to his ground-breaking Africa Betrayed, George Ayittey takes up the plight of Africa at the end of the twentieth century. Former UN... Secretary General Boutros-Boutros Ghali once said that Africa was “in danger of becoming the lost continent” and, on this point, Ayittey thoroughly agrees. As he begins to see countries like Nigeria go over the edge of economic and social disaster, Ayittey uses his formidable powers of analysis to look at the political economy of Africa, the incursion of foreign powers and the relationship of Africa to the world market. He contrasts the indigenous systems of government that existed in Africa before the arrival of Europeans with the colonial and post-colonial systems that were forced on the country and the effect these systems have had on Africa’s inability to move forward. Ayittey’s view is dark and, as always, his stinging conclusions will infuriate some and invigorate others. Certain to create controversy, Africa in Chaos is a must-read for fans of Ayittey’s earlier work as well as anyone interested in the world economic scene today.

Prior to the original publication of Africa in History, the history and development of Africa had been measured by the European concept of... "civilization," applying a Eurocentric approach to African art and literature. Basil Davidson's landmark work presents the inner growth of Africa and its worldwide significance, the internal dynamic of its old civilizations and their links with Asia, Europe and America, as well as the development of specific areas, tribes and cultures. From accounts of the days of the green Sahara and the great iron age, the earliest Portuguese colonization, the coming of slavery and the subsequent legacy of violence and mistrust, the growth of Islam in the north and the cults of the Congo, the sophistication of art and architecture, and the pattern behind social and tribal mores, the entire picture of the continent emerges. This revised edition reflects the recent astonishing changes in South Africa, including the release of Nelson Mandela.

In the American world, the presence of African culture is sometimes fully embodied and sometimes leaves only a trace. Africa in the American... Imagination: Popular Culture, Racialized Identities, and African Visual Culture explores this presence, examining Mattel's world of Barbie, the 1996 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, and Disney World, each of which repackages African visual culture for consumers. Because these cultural icons permeate American life, they represent the broader U.S. culture and its relationship to African culture. This study integrates approaches from art history and visual culture studies with those from culture, race, and popular culture studies to analyze this interchange. Two major threads weave throughout. One analyzes how the presentation of African visual culture in these popular culture forms conceptualizes Africa for the American public. The other investigates the way the uses of African visual culture focuses America's own self-awareness, particularly around black and white racialized identities.In exploring the multiple meanings that "Africa" has in American popular culture, Africa in the American Imagination argues that these cultural products embody multiple perspectives and speak to various sociopolitical contexts: the Cold War, Civil Rights, and contemporary eras of the United States; the apartheid and postapartheid eras of South Africa; the colonial and postcolonial eras of Ghana; and the European era of African colonization.

This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove... books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. This text refers to the Bibliobazaar edition.

Written in a style attractive to non-specialists, this book combines evidence from natural and social sciences to examine the impact on Africa of seven... cholera pandemics since 1817, particularly the current impact of cholera on such major countries as Senegal, Angola, Mozambique, Congo, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. Cholera's explosion in Africa involves such variables as migration, armed conflict, climate change, and changing disease ecology. Myron Echenberg highlights the irony that this once-terrible scourge, having receded from most of the globe, now kills thousands of Africans annually - Africa now accounts for more than 90 percent of the world's cases and deaths - and leaves many more with severe developmental impairment. Responsibility for the suffering of thousands of infants and children who survive the disease but are left with acute developmental impairment is shared by Western lending and health institutions and by often venal and incompetent African leadership. Cholera is no longer a bio-medical riddle. Inexpensive and effective oral rehydration therapy can now control the impact of cholera, while modest investment in potable water and sewage infrastructure helps prevent major outbreaks. If the threat of this old scourge is addressed with more urgency, great progress in the public health of Africans can be achieved.

Provides a view of African history in the wider context of world history.    Africa in World History is the first comprehensive survey to... illustrate how Africans have influenced regions beyond their continent’s borders, how they have been influenced from the outside and how internal African developments can be compared to those elsewhere in the world. By identifying and presenting key debates within the field of African history, this volume encourages students to confront the many oversimplified myths regarding Africa and its people. Note: MySearchLab does not come automatically packaged with this text. To purchase MySearchLab at no extra charge, please visit www.MySearchLab.com or use ISBN: 9780205098491.

This comprehensive survey is the first to provide a view of African history in the wider context of World History. The book illustrates how Africans... have influenced regions beyond the continent's borders, how they have been influenced from outside, and how internal African developments can be compared and contrasted to those elsewhere in the world. Identifying and presenting key debates within the field of African history, this volume encourages students to address the many oversimplified myths regarding the continent and its people.

In this fully revised edition top scholars in African politics address the effects that major currents in Africa and world politics have upon each other... and explore the ramifications of this interconnection for contemporary theories of international and comparative politics.The fourth edition focuses on issues of reforming and strengthening states and their economies in sub-Saharan Africa. The nation-state as we know it is a legacy of European rule in Africa, and the primacy of the nation-state remains a bedrock of most contemporary theories of international relations. Yet in the fifth decade of Africa’s independence, this colonial inheritance has been challenged as never before by state weakness, internal and inter-state conflict, and internal and external demands for economic and political reform, with potentially far-reaching implications. Including new readings on the AIDS crisis in Africa and the regional war on terrorism, this text remains an invaluable resource for students of African and world politics.