Bill Bryson's African Diary

I enjoyed reading this "slender volume," that merely scratches the surface of life in Kenya. Through his CARE escorts, Bryson sees and describes a country that most tourists either never see and (even after visits to East Africa) do not know exists. I have seen the slum Kibera from a passing train and the smell and noise perforated the train walls as we rumbled by. That Byrson walked the streets of this enormous conglomeration of tin roofs and dung and garbage-filled alleys is amazing. Peppering in his fears and a little humor, he captures the despair and ultimately, the hopelessness. While Kenyan residents like to say there's always hope, anyone who has worked for CARE or is familiar with its tasks, realizes that there isn't much hope in changing the lives of those in Third World slums and refugee camps. I'm happy to know my purchase of this book made a contribution to CARE, because all we can really do is keep funding the attempt to improve these lives just a little bit. Mr. Bryson, I'm glad you made it through all those light aircraft adventures and look forward to reading more of your future work.

Michele Cozzens, Author of A Line Between Friends and The Things I Wish I'd Said.

you should have informed me that it was a contribution to a charity. However, having seen the reason,I have no objection to the donation that mr Bryson and myself have made. If the book had been 200 or more pages ,I would have happily paid twice or three times the price. When is his next book available?

I gave this book 5 stars for its simplicity, its humor, and for the publicity it brings to CARE and the important work they do.

Bryson is greatly impressed by the people of Kenya most, which with the background of the incredible landscape and wildlife says a lot.

He says," I can't tell you how much I wish you could have met William Gumbo, for he was an inspiration.". William Gumbo is a CARE success story, as part of the Dak Achana program, William was shown how to increase his farm yields and diversify his crops. His output today is amazing, every detail kept track of in his notebook. The most important part of the program is William then teaches other farmers what he has learned. He passes it on.

Kenya is a complex country with incredible problems and incredible beauty and people. I bet Bill Bryson will make a longer visit, avoiding small planes. There are so many stories waiting to be told.

Thank you for doing this book project, it makes me ache to visit again also.

This is such a thin book, but Bryson is the best non-fiction writer out there today. As it turns out, he isn't taking a dime for his work on this project, but is contributing it all to CARE to help the impoverished people in Africa.

I promised myself I wouldn't write a review because I work for CARE and went on the trip to Kenya with Bill Bryson. However - His undertaking was phenomenal. Breaking off from his current writing project to travel to an unknown continent for 8 days, make sense of it, write up 10,000 words ( that's how many we felt we could ask him to undertake, he actually wrote 12,000)in two weeks, and turn it round in time for a Christmas book. Admire that, but also admire the motives and the results of this short but sweet volume. There are classic Bryson moments, humour and a well structured view of a country on the verge of great change. Believe me, your ($$) is making a huge difference to people's lives. And the book on your shelf can be a gentle reminder of your generosity and compassion. Thank you Amazon and all purchasers!