Past works have reinforced misconceptions about Africa, from its oral
traditions and languages to its resistance to colonial powers. Other
books have treated African achievements as a parade of honorable
mentions and novelties. This book is different--refreshingly different.
It tells the stories behind the milestones and provides insights into
how great Africans thought, and how they passed along what they learned.
Provocative and entertaining, The Gifts of Africa at last gives the
continent its due, and it should change the way we learn about the
interactions of cultures and how we teach the history of the world.