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Africa Is Not a Country

Breaking Stereotypes of Modern Africa

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Africa Is Not a Country

By: Dipo Faloyin
Narrated by: Dipo Faloyin
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

Africa Is Not a Country is a kaleidoscopic portrait of modern Africa that pushes back against harmful stereotypes to tell a more comprehensive story.

You already know these stereotypes. So often Africa is depicted simplistically as an arid red landscape of famines and safaris, uniquely plagued by poverty and strife. In this funny and insightful book, Dipo Faloyin offers a much-needed corrective, creating a fresh and multifaceted view of this vast continent.

To unspool this inaccurate narrative, Africa Is Not a Country looks to a wide range of subjects, from chronicling urban life in Lagos and the lively West African rivalry over who makes the best Jollof rice, to the story of democracy in seven dictatorships and the dangers of white saviourism and harmful stereotypes in popular culture.

It examines how each African country was formed, by white European explorers who turned up with loose maps and even looser morals, how 90 per cent of Africa's material cultural legacy was stolen during the colonial era, and the fight to get those artefacts back.

By turns intimate and political, Africa Is Not a Country brings the story of the continent towards reality, celebrating the energy and fabric of its different cultures and communities in a way that has never been done before.

©2022 Dipo Faloyin (P)2022 Penguin Audio
Africa Anthropology Funny Thought-Provoking
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What listeners say about Africa Is Not a Country

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fantastic fact based book - eye opening

Such a fantastic history book. Every western should read this! This is true history. I'd love this to be a school book.

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An insightful instant classic!

Loved every second of the audiobook. Listened to it while reading fragments of the print version and enjoyed both tremendously.

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Informative, current and historical

Great book, I couldn’t recommend this highly enough. Dipo should be so proud of what is a fantastic piece of work.

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3 people found this helpful

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Fantastic and highly engaging book

Managed to give a comprehensive view of African history, politics and sentiment whilst being highly engaging

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thumbs up

really liked this one.
very inciteful and help me understand so many issues, stereotypes and history

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Brilliant book. Recommended read

Really enjoyed the book. It is well written, asy to follow and digest. Well narrated. An absolute read for anyone who wants to know about Africa from an African perspective.

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    3 out of 5 stars

Not what I was expecting

After listening to "An African History of Africa by Zeinab Badawi". I was keen to expand upon the history and peoples of this vast continent, so when I saw this book with it's positive reviews I bought it.
Whilst the author is extremely intelligent and articulate, with well constructed arguments and ideas, it wasn't what I was expecting, which was more about individual countries of Africa. I'm guilty in this case of literally only judging a book by it's cover. It does cover historical injustices, alongside more modern problems, as well as nuanced points on modern "white man's burden" but it's very West African focused, but then with a continent that can literally fit in, the US, China, India, Mexico and a whole load more country's, with a listening time of less than 10 hours, the author will have to do a half dozen more just to scratch the surface of this often overlooked and maligned landmass.

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So much more than I could have known.

I am a young Zimbabwean, who grew up in South Africa, now lives in London and whose work, research and passions are focused on Africa. I started the book with a scepticism at how Dipo would approach engaging with the continent and was quickly eased by well researched amd personal this work is. It feels like a tight mix of my best politics and IR lectures and the wealth of information and banter among africans on the continent and in the diaspora on twitter and social media. The writing is beautoful, poetic even, which makes for a soothing listen. Thank you for this work in which I felt seen. I hope similar books will be written for successive generations of young Africans to both engage with their histories and feel grounded in their present.

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3 people found this helpful

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Absolutely necessary

This book is an absolute must read for anyone interested in the truth and an accurate representation of Africa as a continent and the experience of the diaspora.

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informative, wry humour and educational

enjoyed listening to this audiobook and its insight for a white audience into the history of colonialism and effects on the African continent, drawing out some of the nuances between its many nations.

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2 people found this helpful