Africa Doesn't Matter

April 14, 2008
Aid worker Bolton disappoints in this well-intentioned guide to Africa’s economic and political challenges. While the book is well organized and lucid, Bolton veers wildly from straightforward analysis to heavy-handed attempts at humor (Bolton compares Democratic Republic of Congo president Kabila to Sean “P. Diddy” Combs). Graver still, the author condescends to his readers when he debunks “common” myths that he believes readers might hold about Africa (“Africa is overpopulated and they keep having too many children”; “Africa Has Many Dangerous Animals”) and tests readers’ patience with irrelevant asides (“Dressing to Meet a Real Minister of Finance”) and an occasionally preachy tone. When discussing possible solutions to Africa’s problems, Bolton acknowledges that “the weakest part of books like this... tends to be when they reach proposed solutions” and proceeds to stumble similarly, offering tepid ways to make a difference (“Write!”; “Sign petitions”; “Protest”). The final product is an earnest book with high potential that ends up reading more like a dumbed-down primer than a substantive introduction to the state of affairs in Africa.