Wole Soyinka, the first African to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, is a Nigerian writer, poet, and playwright. For his implacable resistance to political tyranny he has been imprisoned, threatened with assassination, and at times forced to live in exile.
"An intellectually robust, book-length essay that attempts to unravel the paradoxes and contradictions plaguing Nigeria and, by extension, Africa."-George Ayittey, Wall Street Journal -- George Ayittey Wall Street Journal "A fascinating, urgent appraisal of Africa's relationship to the world... Pitched to a general reader but with implications for specialists as well, this is necessarily big thinking laced with the subtle insights and analogies of a gifted writer, and a stirring defense of the 'spiritual aspirations' of human beings for freedom and peace."-Publishers Weekly Publishers Weekly "The playwright and human rights activist defends Africa against its condescending critics, offering both sweeping reflections and clear-eyed assessments."-Editors' Choice, New York Times Book Review New York Times Book Review "The Nobel laureate and Nigerian playwright tries to rescue Africa from racism, ignorance, and stereotype in this forceful manifesto."-The Daily Beast The Daily Beast "The Nigerian 1986 Nobel Laureate (Literature) offers a slender, hopeful volume about his native continent's potential for healing the world's spiritual ills... A brief but eloquent plea for peace."-Kirkus Reviews Kirkus Reviews "Among the Africans who deserve some kind of secular sainthood is Wole So-yinka... Vast injustices remain [in Africa], but the continent is lucky to have fearless men and women of conscience, like Soyinka, who are so acutely aware of them."-Adam Hochschild, New York Times Book Review -- Adam Hochschild New York Times Book Review "Soyinka does not deceive himself about the profound problems that Africa faces today. But [the book's] overall tenor ... is optimistic, emphasizing Africa's capacity to inspire authentic spirituality (the continent, he reminds us, is 'filled with religions that point the way to the harmonization of faiths') and resilient, life-embracing humanity."-Booklist Booklist "Of Africa offers a well-conceived vision for the potential healing of the continent... Soyinka's inquiry arrives at one impassioned plea--tolerance. Africa's various sects, he tells us, must come to the collective bargaining table with an embrace of its tradition and innate differences in order to truly become whole."-Nancy Powell, Shelf Awareness -- Nancy Powell Shelf Awareness Soyinka's perspective "is helpful in guiding readers to a different way of looking at much that is Africa, and, as such, Of Africa is an eloquent and useful starting point for readers."-M. A. Orthofer, The Complete Review -- M. A. Orthofer The Complete Review "A wide-ranging inquiry into Africa's cultures, religions, history and identity."-Ihsan Taylor, New York Times Book Review -- Ihsan Taylor New York Times Book Review
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