Call number
Collection
Publication
New York : Broadway Books, 2002.
Pages
49
Description
Biography & Autobiography. Travel. Nonfiction. HTML:From the author of A Short History of Nearly Everything and The Body comes a travel diary documenting a visit to Kenya. All royalties and profits go to CARE International. In the early fall of 2002, famed travel writer Bill Bryson journeyed to Kenya at the invitation of CARE International, the charity dedicated to working with local communities to eradicate poverty around the world. He arrived with a set of mental images of Africa gleaned from television broadcasts of low-budget Jungle Jim movies in his Iowa childhood and a single viewing of the film version of Out of Africa. (Also with some worries about tropical diseases, insects, and large predators.) But the vibrant reality of Kenya and its people took over the second he deplaned in Nairobi, and this diary records Bill Bryson�??s impressions of his trip with his inimitable trademark style of wry observation and curious insight. From the wrenching poverty of the Kibera slum in Nairobi to the meticulously manicured grounds of the Karen Blixen house and the human fossil riches of the National Museum, Bryson registers the striking contrasts of a postcolonial society in transition. He visits the astoundingly vast Great Rift Valley; undergoes the rigors of a teeth-rattling train journey to Mombasa and a hair-whitening flight through a vicious storm; and visits the refugee camps and the agricultural and economic projects where dedicated CARE professionals wage noble and dogged war against poverty, dislocation, and corruption. Though brief in compass and duration, Bill Bryson�??s African Diary is rich in irreverent, poignant, and morally instructive observation. Like all of this author�??s work, it can make the reader laugh, think, and especially, feel all at the s… (more)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2002
Physical description
49 p.; 7.5 inches
ISBN
0767915062 / 9780767915069
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User reviews
LibraryThing member miketroll
In one obvious sense Bill Bryson’s African Diary is not a “real” travel book. It runs to only 60 pages, telling of the 8 days he spent in Kenya as the guest of the charity, CARE International. All proceeds from sales of the book go to CARE projects.
But in these few pages Bryson tells an
A heartbreaking aspect of the Dadaab camp is that charities cannot make conditions better for the refugees than for their hosts outside the camp. This would cause resentment and make people want to become camp dwellers. So children grow up in such camps with no clear future.
Bryson stresses that all donations to CARE go straight into projects. Unlike much World Bank and IMF project funding, they are not channelled into the hands of corrupt local regimes and redirected to Swiss bank accounts. (That, along the acquiescence of Western governments, is an issue for another time.)
CARE projects aim to foster self-sufficiency in the communities they support. For example, CARE gives funding in Kisumu, Kenya, to Wedco, a micro-financing bank advancing small sums to women (always women!) to kick-start small enterprises. When CARE pays for a well in a village, they also factor in the training of local people to fix the pumps themselves if they go wrong, charging for the water in a way that pays for well maintenance. It works brilliantly.
But in these few pages Bryson tells an
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inspiring tale. He visits a refugee camp at Dadaab on the Kenya-Somali border, where 134,000 Somalis live in desert surroundings. These refugees cannot return to Somalia, where they would soon risk death. Equally they cannot be assimilated in Kenya, which has enough problems of its own. The survival of the camp thus depends entirely on charitable donations. There are 20 million people in such camps all over Africa.A heartbreaking aspect of the Dadaab camp is that charities cannot make conditions better for the refugees than for their hosts outside the camp. This would cause resentment and make people want to become camp dwellers. So children grow up in such camps with no clear future.
Bryson stresses that all donations to CARE go straight into projects. Unlike much World Bank and IMF project funding, they are not channelled into the hands of corrupt local regimes and redirected to Swiss bank accounts. (That, along the acquiescence of Western governments, is an issue for another time.)
CARE projects aim to foster self-sufficiency in the communities they support. For example, CARE gives funding in Kisumu, Kenya, to Wedco, a micro-financing bank advancing small sums to women (always women!) to kick-start small enterprises. When CARE pays for a well in a village, they also factor in the training of local people to fix the pumps themselves if they go wrong, charging for the water in a way that pays for well maintenance. It works brilliantly.
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LibraryThing member BookAngel_a
This short book is a diary of Bryson's trip to Africa for the CARE organization. He describes the country, his travel adventures, the terrible conditions of the poor, and the hope of those whose lives are getting a bit better through the assistance of CARE. And he does it with his usual blend of
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excellent writing and humor. Show Less
LibraryThing member edwin.gleaves
Not your regular travel book, but a heartfelt picture of life among the African poor.
LibraryThing member landofashes
49 pages by a brilliant writer who, unlike so many visitors to Africa, saw beyond the poverty and despair and deterioration to the spirit which makes entrepreneurs of so many Africans. Buying this book results in a donation - and that's not the best reason for buying it!
LibraryThing member Othemts
A short, quick read about travel to various spots in Africa where local residents are aided in maintaining sustainable lifestyles to avoid disease, poverty and water shortages. Not up to the standard of Bryson's regular travel books, but the proceeds go to a good cause, CARE.
LibraryThing member BenjaminHahn
Short and sweet. I would really like to see a longer work from Bryson about Africa, but this provided a few laughs. The humorous bits had mainly to do with Bryson's style of fearing the deathly ordeals he willing puts himself into. Overall, though the philanthropic element to this project gave it a
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bit of a forced feel. Show Less
LibraryThing member Sandydog1
This tiny book (less than 50 pages) describes an 8-day trip around Kenya, to sell (softly I might add) the wonderful efforts of CARE International. One-half star off, for the book's brevity. I so wish it had been much longer. It is a beautiful book and pure Bryson.
LibraryThing member GoofyOcean110
Bryson went to Kenya. The only memorable thing I can recall is that he likened Nairobi to Oklahoma City set in Africa. Ho hum and yawn. Good for CARE though.
LibraryThing member Oreillynsf
An excellent short book, with the added benefit that the proceeds go to CARE. Bryson's familiar sense of humor is evident, but so too is his heart and his belief in the ability of people to help others help themselves. As with everything he writes, Bryson takes massive issues and addresses them
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with eminently human stories of one or two individuals. I so admire this because he can take a seemingly intractable problem and say, 'you cannot solve it all, but you can help one person.' No greater purpose in life, eeh? Show Less
LibraryThing member Fliss88
After buying this book,I'm giving it a 5 star rating for a number of reasons. It is another enjoyable Bryson read, written in his usual relaxed witty style. It's a quick read, but the story behind the story has stayed with me for much longer. With all royalties and profits from this little book
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going to CARE International, Bill Bryson and his publishers have made actions speak louder than words. Why don't you do the same, and buy a copy. Show Less
LibraryThing member dianemb
A small book by Bryson standards and all royalties and profits go to Care Interational. This is the story of Bryson's trip on behalf of Care but it still has his brand of humour on every page.
LibraryThing member AJBraithwaite
Erm, short, is what I thought, to be completely frank about it. When I got to the end (page 40 of 75 in the ebook) I wondered what on earth could be in the rest of the book. A whole chapter from 'At Home' and some promotional blurb for the charity that sent him to Africa in the first place.
So,
So,
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overall, a strange publication. I enjoyed what there was, and applaud its charitable aims. But why bother adding the 35 pages of 'At Home'? They were interesting, but, in my view, detracted from the point of the African excursion. Now I'm thinking about architecture, not the good work of CARE in Africa. Show Less
LibraryThing member yukon92
I love Bill Bryson's writing.... but the book was simply too short!
LibraryThing member Krumbs
Super short, and after reading the Afterword, I get why. I read this as a library book, but it was intended to be sold to benefit the charity. It's the summary of less than a week of travel. Starts off entertaining (in usual Bryson style) but gets quite serious in parts as he discusses the issues
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faced by the people he encounters in Africa. Show Less
LibraryThing member stacy_chambers
Very short book, but very entertaining. Some passages made me laugh out loud.
LibraryThing member danoomistmatiste
As usual Bryson is in his element in this short but sweetly rendered piece on his 8 day trip to Kenya on behalf of CARE.
LibraryThing member Nataliec7
Sat and read this book in about half an hour found it very informative and interesting even though it was written some years ago. Quite humourous in places too.
Overall a good read. My partner enjoyed it too.
Overall a good read. My partner enjoyed it too.
LibraryThing member AJBraithwaite
Erm, short, is what I thought, to be completely frank about it. When I got to the end (page 40 of 75 in the ebook) I wondered what on earth could be in the rest of the book. A whole chapter from 'At Home' and some promotional blurb for the charity that sent him to Africa in the first place.
So,
So,
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overall, a strange publication. I enjoyed what there was, and applaud its charitable aims. But why bother adding the 35 pages of 'At Home'? They were interesting, but, in my view, detracted from the point of the African excursion. Now I'm thinking about architecture, not the good work of CARE in Africa. Show Less
LibraryThing member rosalita
This very short book is just what it says on the tin: A day-by-day accounting of Bryson's trip to Kenya as part of a CARE International site visit. The book, which was sold to raise money for CARE, suffers a bit from a lack of the usual madcap Bryson humor. Only his account of a hair-raising flight
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on a small propeller jet in bad weather got an out-loud chuckle from me. I can understand why, when he's trying to educate people about the need for donations to a worthy non-governmental institution, he would tone down the yuks, but pedantic Bryson is not my favorite Bryson. I enjoyed learning more about Kenya and its people, as well as what CARE does, so this was far from a total loss. And now I'm off to send a donation to CARE, since I checked this out from the library and thus did not pay my "fair share". Show Less
LibraryThing member LibraryCin
This is a diary as Bill Bryson travelled around Kenya, mostly visiting slums and refugee camps and similar places. He was travelling with people from an NGO/charity called CARE.
It was decent (44 pages for my ebook), but not nearly long enough. I would have loved for there to be more. He has his
It was decent (44 pages for my ebook), but not nearly long enough. I would have loved for there to be more. He has his
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trademark humour, and he met some interesting people, but in one day, I’ve already forgotten much of it. It was just too short to really get “into”. Show Less
LibraryThing member kevn57
3.5 stars More a short essay then a book ut if you like Bryson's writing as much as I do you'll enjoy this, and learn something about Africa and C.A.R.E. along the the way.
LibraryThing member Dorothy2012
This is a very short book summarizing Bryson's 8-day trip to Kenya to see a few of CARE's projects and the conditions of the people in the country. It was written in 2002.
While on one hand, notes one prevailing belief is true - the violence that is pervasive - he also notes that another belief -
This is a telling paragraph: "It's amazing how long it took aid agencies to figure out that people really, really don't want dependency.T hey want to help themselves." Hence, now CARE gives micro-loans as well as teaching citizens how to care for the infrastructure they help to build.
All proceeds from the sale of this book went to support CARE.
While on one hand, notes one prevailing belief is true - the violence that is pervasive - he also notes that another belief -
Show More
that aid money does not get to the people directly - is patently false. This is a telling paragraph: "It's amazing how long it took aid agencies to figure out that people really, really don't want dependency.T hey want to help themselves." Hence, now CARE gives micro-loans as well as teaching citizens how to care for the infrastructure they help to build.
All proceeds from the sale of this book went to support CARE.
Show Less