Into the House of the Ancestors: Inside the New Africa

by Karl Maier

Book Overview

Experience Africa's vibrant and volatile struggle at the crossroads between tradition and modernity . . .

INTO THE HOUSE OF THE ANCESTORS

"Rich . . . fascinating." --The New York Times Book Review

"A master of eyewitness description and of the telling interview, Maier] has unearthed Africa's hidden heroes and heroines." --Financial Times

"Maier has written a sensitive and complex narrative. . . . excellent descriptions...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0471295833
• ISBN13: 9780471295839
• Release Date: January 1999
• Publisher: Trade Paper Press
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.8" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Into the House of the Ancestors: Inside the New Africa

I really loved this book was that it depicted Africa and Africans in a realistic and non-passive light. Maier showed ordinary Africans actively trying to make a difference in their countries. He also showed the richness of Africa's past and it's culture, the damage and exploitation done by colonialism, corrupt leadership as well as the problems associated with adopting foreign/western solutions to Africa's dilemna.

Africans' stories

At first glance "Into the House of the Ancestors: Inside the New Africa" by Karl Maier is a typical book about Africa by a Westerner, i.e., a book by a reporter that has spent a few years reporting on a far-away exotic location. It is that, but it is well done. Maier's book is mostly anecdotal stories of individual Africans, circa the 1990s: a stone-sculptor in Zimbabwe, a medical researcher in Mali, an elderly woman in Ghana, the "only honest man" in Nigeria, all of them doing their best in a changing world. His tone is respectful and basically positive and optimistic, but without being romantic or glossing over the continent's well-documented problems. Like many books about Africa, some of "Into the House of the Ancestors" is devoted the author's theory of why things in Africa are so bad: Maier says the problem is colonialism's replacement of the traditional and indigenous with the modern and foreign. For things to change, the solutions to Africa's problems must come from Africa. Maier believes that in the 1990s Africa began a second revolution that will lead to better things. One can hope. Whether the future proves Maier right or not, these stories are compelling non-fiction reading.

A refreshingly positive look at Africa's future

As an intimate lover of Africa, Karl's perspective is as compelling as his storytelling. The book brings snapshots of Africans into focus, but the stories are positive ones, of individuals making a difference in their community. One story is of a Nigerian taxi driver who returned a large sum of money left in his vehicle. Another is the fascinating history of the growth of stone carvings in southeastern Africa. Each vignette is well-told and an inspiration for the continent as a whole. After the well-documented cases of tribal conflict and despotic power surges, this book is a refreshing signal of hope for Africa.

Interesting review of various Countries

This is an interesting review of various African Countries. The author is a freelance journalist who travelled to Various African Countries including but not exclusively the following Nigeria,Ghana,Mali,Zimbabwe,South Africa,Mozambique,Rwanda and Somalia. It is a story of ordinary people doing extraordinary things and succeeding in spite of harrowing conditions,wars and negligent governments.He tells the story of a new Africa by interviewing teachers,traditional healers,Chiefs,AIDS workers and human rights campaigners. He also tells the terrible story about the collapse of health and educational institutions and the practise of Child soldiers using Sierra Leone as a reference point.He gives a brief historical perspective of the issues giving readers not familiar with Africa and those familiar a good terms of reference to undeerstand the problems. I reccommend this book wholeheartedly.

Captivating AND informative

As an objective reader, without a deep knowledge about African history nor Africa's present situation, I found this book to be incredibly rich and interesting. Karl Maier organizes it in 9 different chapters dealing with major issues in today's Africa. From the spreading of the AIDS epidemic to the rehabilitation of children warriors and the after-math of the genocide in Rwanda, the author covers a wide range of subject matters related to Africa. He also presents numerous heroes that contribute to the building of a brighter future for their continent in many different ways: traditional healers, village chiefs, university professors and political activists to cite a few. The one and important default I found in this book, is the confusing style it is written in. Karl Maier tends to drown the reader with a shower of names, and without keeping a cohesive focus. However, the author, being a journalist, offers us both sides of the story. Overall, this book is very instructive, I recommend it for anyone who desires to develop their knowledge of Africa.