Bookshelf

The following are books which recently took a cozy spot in my bookshelf. I allowed my humble self, with all due respect for the authors, to review some of them. Click on any of the categories to go on.

Latest       Politics and History       Business       Travel and Culture      Fiction

In Siberia

by Colin Thubron (1999)

Ladislas' review (2011): Mr. Thurbron backpacks his way around Siberia in the late nineties, in the midst of Russia’s financial collapse. What he seeks is the Siberian soul; the core essence of a mystical region long forbidden to Westerners. What he finds is an unexpected diversity, the various parts of which are losing their roots. Alcoholism, violence, corruption, pollution, racism, devastation, utter poverty, and merciless capitalism are the remaining elements which can be singled out. In the end, no clear soul is found; one is just left with the impression that the stunning but powerful nature cruelly dominates its human inhabitants, both physically and psychologically.

The book is well written, with thorough research done. It is definitely not one of the mass travel books with an appealing cover and not much else. The overall tone could be described as realistic, and slightly cynical in a very British, but respectable, way. Overall, the author definitely captures Russia of the late nineties in its raw form. It may not be pretty, but it gets hard facts across through a both soft and researched approach.

French Lessons in Africa – Travels with my Briefcase through French Africa

by Peter Biddlecombe (1993)

Ladislas' review (2011): French Africa in the late eighties and early nineties from the perspective of a well-travelled Brit?  Definitely sounded promising and entertaining. I was not disappointed. The author travelled on business (mostly) and for leisure (also mostly it would seem) throughout French West Africa, Congo, Cameroon, and what was Zaire back then, for over 10 years. From the slums of Kinshasa, to the Witchcraft villages of Benin, the endless desert of Niger, and the high hopes of Abijan, he manages to cover various perspectives. This, combined with his wide array of interlocutors such as simple locals, to glamorous expats, shady businessmen, missionaries, and crooked heads of state, makes for a holistic account of what is deemed to be “French Africa”.

The book follows no strict chronology and instead has a chapter for each country. In each chapter, he recounts his “adventures” drawing few parallels between the chapters. It has the disadvantage of lacking a deep view at times, but allows the reader to dissipate him/herself into each country as per the chapters.

He uncovers immense diversity from both cultural and philosophical aspects, incredible potential in the region’s human capital, and yet this perpetual feeling of gloom and doom. The tone of the book, with hindsight, was a good prediction of the tough times to come in what is known as “Africa’s lost decade”.  It is a very interesting, and yet hilarious account, of his travels in the French Africa of the time. Though the implied message may be gloomy, the tone is almost constantly humoristic in a very British way. In essence, it is exactly the type of book required when travelling in Africa as it offers one the opportunity to “observe” someone else in probably very similar situations.

Ways of Staying

by Kevin Bloom (2009)

Ladislas' review (2010): My weekly companion, The Economist, having dubbed this non-fiction on contemporary South Africa "a disturbing but necessary book", I soon found myself with a copy in hand ready to devour.

I was not disappointed.

Mr. Bloom starts off his book with the murder of his brother who was abducted in Cape Town by members of a coloured gang high on meth, and then found dead with a bullet in the head on the side of the road. This event leads him on the path to reconcile himself with his country by trying to further understand the various dynamics that the country faces with its white minority.

This mission takes him to downtown Johannesburg, speaking with various squatters and their lawyers, to discussing with president-to-be Jacob Zuma and attending the 2007 ANC Polokwane conference. In a country with such a high crime rate, he also investigates two events of crime against whites. One of which involving a Jewish family that resulted in the Jewish Orthodox neighbourhood hiring a private security firm, and the other one involving a house burglary resulting in the rape of a 17 year-old girl by an HIV positive man.

The style is very reflective and involves fair amounts of internal debate by the author. One reaches the author's stances after going through his thought process. In the end, what is most saddening about this work is observing how desperately Mr. Bloom tries to convince himself that whites still do have a place in the Rainbow Nation. Not only is he desperate, but as his thought processes are laid bare, the misjudgements are clear. The unwritten, sad, heartbroken conclusion that can be drawn is that whites are welcome to stay at their own risk, but may also choose to pack up and emigrate to far-flung, promising lands.

Africa Trek 1 & Africa Trek 2

by Sonia and Alexandre Poussin (2005)

Ladislas' review (2010): A young, fearless, French couple embarks on a journey from the Cape to the Lake of Tiberiade. And this not in a luxury SUV, but rather on foot, without any vehicle help whatsoever. Their goal is to get invited by locals wherever they happen to be. These books capture their 3 year adventure which stretches from South Africa to Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan, Egypt and Israel.

As opposed to many travel books on Africa which usually focus on nature and wildlife, this is really all about the Africans. Also, it is not written from an anthropologist's perspective but instead from first-hand experience backed up with quick historical briefs. This work thus offers deep and fascinating insights into various African cultures written from a traveller's point of view which could very well be yours or mine. The authors try to be as objective as possible and do not fear being politically incorrect, which removes the hassle of having to read in between sentences and having to decript implied meanings. Along the reading, one develops strong attachement to the characters due to the (many) hardships they go through. Bouts of malaria, trekking weaponless in lion territory, assaults, and walking across deserts basing themselves on the help of others are just some of the issues they face, Tales of African profound poverty, corruption, kindness, hope, and despair abound.

Overall, I do not feel that I am entitled to critique this work in any negative way. The courage and determination alone of the two Frenchies are an inspiration and lesson of humility.

Culture Shock Thailand - A guide to customs and Etiquette

 by Robert & Nanthapa Cooper (1998)

Ladislas' review (2009): This introduction to Thai culture is a perfect 6-hour read en route to Thailand. An overview of religion, social dynamics, and business management style along with fun, and at times odd, real life examples is  a great and useful way to kill a boring flight. It allows the farang to immediately get a quick grasp of some of the cultural challenges ahead and to help him/her not break key taboos.  I must admit that this book proved very useful in my travels in Thailand by stopping me from unwittingly insulting people (note: Buddhist temples and behaving in public). Summed up briefly, it is an interesting intro before moving on to more referenced literature and sustained real-life experience.

One Foot in Laos

by Dervla Murphy (1999)

Ladislas' review (2009): The self described “green radical” is this time on a journey to beautiful Laos. My review of one of her books on Russia (Silverland – A Winter Journey beyond the Urals, 2006) was blatantly negative due to her perpetual angry ranting against technology and her praising of a global tax on air traffic. However, this work being one of the few travel books on Northern Laos, I decided to give it a shot.

Her descriptive writing style is the same, and her analyses of the local people and cultures are elaborate and sensitive. She spends days trekking and cycling in the remotest of regions,  seeking shelter in random villages (if that's what one can call a grouping of 6 houses in the jungle), and spending time with minorities.

This time her angry ranting focuses its energy on the American bombing of the country during the Vietnam war and the destruction of nature by loggers; fair enough, this ranting is legitimate. She sees first hand the grave impact UXOs (unexploded objects) have on the lives  of the Lao that are not able to cultivate their land due to the high risk of getting killed or maimed. Hundreds of millions of tons of such bombs are still scattered throughout Laos. The few parts of the country that haven't been bombed are instead facing the army-controlled loggers who destruct for profit and show no respect for local minorities and endangered species.

This is a telling account of a beautiful country and its wonderful people being, slowly but surely, ravaged by evils, past and current.

Silverland – A Winter Journey beyond the Urals

by Dervla Murphy (2006)

Ladislas' review (2009): The 70 year old Irish female author departs on a train and bus journey through the Siberian Winter. From small hamlets to major cities, she observes desolation, desperation, and extreme pollution. From towns where few men make it past the age of 50 due to bootleg alcohol, to villages where virtually everyone dies of cancer due to the local industry, and from hikes on the frozen Lake Baikal to discussions in nightclubs with underage prostitutes who had never heard of  HIV/AIDS, Dervla Murphy sees and lives it all, including being mugged at gunpoint.

Having lived in Russia, I can tell that her analyses of the people are very down-to-earth; she seems to understand the Russian soul. However, what could be a very pleasant travel book, with informative historical accounts, turns out to be an angry rant. The author punctuates her writing with, sometimes 4-page long, irrelevant political cries. For example, upon seeing a car in the forest, she depicts the car industry and argues for a global (yes, global) tax on air travel because “planes pollute, and only the rich fly so they can afford it”; very primitive and uneducated views indeed. I sincerely believe that Dervla Murphy should stick to writing on her travels, and forget about politics. The world already has enough fools writing on the subject.

Playing the Moldovans at Tennis

by Tony Hawks (2000)

Ladislas' review (2009): One drunken evening while watching a Moldova-England football match in a Manchester pub, the author gets in a heated argument with his drinking buddy. A bet ensues; Mr. Hawks believes that he can beat all of the Moldovan national football players at tennis. From this point on, an 18-month long journey with entail. It leads him to “beautiful” Moldova where passing typical post-Soviet administrative hurdles will take up most of his time. Whilst playing some of the professionals to win his bet, Tony discovers a country divided in two and at the brink of economic collapse. His journey is initially made up of interactions with rude and unhelpful locals, especially in the communist/thug run self-proclaimed republic of Transnistria. However, the longer he stays, the more he develops friendships with, and feelings towards, the locals. To attain his goal, he also embarks on short trips to Northern Ireland and Israel where some of the players are. In the end he ***no spoiler*** the bet.

His style is very direct and entertaining; the perfect tone for such an unusual and slightly eccentric quest. In the end, one cannot criticize his work. He ended up giving half of the profits from the sales to create a foundation for handicapped children in Moldova. More than just a fun book, this is a real lesson of life. Respect.