Africa Is Not a Country

Notes on a Bright Continent

By: Dipo Faloyin

Narrated by: Dipo Faloyin

Length: 9 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

So often, Africa has been depicted simplistically as a uniform land of famines and safaris, poverty and strife, stripped of all nuance. In this bold and insightful book, Dipo Faloyin offers a much-needed corrective, weaving a vibrant tapestry of stories that bring to life Africa's rich diversity, communities, and histories.

Starting with an immersive description of the lively and complex urban life of Lagos, Faloyin unearths surprising truths about many African countries' colonial heritage and tells the story of the continent's struggles with democracy through seven dictatorships. With biting wit, he takes on the phenomenon of the white savior complex and brings to light the damage caused by charity campaigns of the past decades. Entering into the rivalries that energize the continent, Faloyin engages in the heated debate over which West African country makes the best jollof rice and describes the strange, incongruent beauty of the African Cup of Nations. With an eye toward the future promise of the continent, he explores the youth-led cultural and political movements that are defining and reimagining Africa on their own terms.

Africa Is Not a Country celebrates the energy and particularity of the continent's different cultures and communities, treating Africa with the respect it deserves.

©2022 Dipo Faloyin (P)2022 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Excellent book

This book opened my eyes to the history of the continent and the diversity. It should be required reading in post colonial societies which were populated by African slaves.

Sorely needed

It's obvious there is so much more to the African continent, but that hasn't stopped the aid advert imagery and other stereotypes from taking root in my mind. This book does a remarkable job of guiding you through how we got there and dispelling myths along the way to show you much much more. A MUST read.

A different view of the world

Loved listening to it, informative and a different view on Africa and it's history.
A pity that the West still holds on to African art as theirs to show.
Now I also wanna taste the different jollof rice to see which is the best.

A MUST READ

I have learned so much more about the history of Africa from this one book than I was ever taught in school. This book should be required reading as a jumping off point.

a breath of fresh air

Excellent research of the continent...its trials and all. Worth reading over and over.
I will share this book with my children

The narration and history

I don't know which I enjoyed more: the narrator or the book itself. The blend of history with current events in a way that is eye-opening and often humorous is what makes this book such an amazing find. I enjoyed every second of it. When the narrator changes his accent in various parts in order to illustrate his point will leave you rolling with laughter. Great book and even more amazingly read by the author.

Excellent Read!

This book was well written and researched and extremely informative. Loved the narration by the author himself and honestly if you are of African heritage and especially living in Africa, you need to read/listen to this book. For those also not very knowledgeable about the continent this is a great place to start! Highly recommend!!

Mind-blowing! Necessary!

Gives a primer on historical and modern context for African countries. Also contextualizes the western world's place in the past, present, and future of African development. Should be required reading. Can't wait to go down all the rabbit holes this opened for me about the histories of so many countries and peoples.

Africa Is Not a Country, but this book is indeed novel.

I was instantly swept up by the language of the story and the way the author explains and shares his experiences of his home is overwhelming. Shakespeare would be proud of this writing.

So illuminating!

The well-documented and captivating stories in this book are an illuminating and profoundly insightful exploration of a continent often oversimplified and misunderstood by the Western world. Faloyin's writing celebrates Africa's rich and diverse tapestry, each thread representing a unique culture, history, and on-the-ground context. With empathetic and poetic prose, the author takes readers on a journey through the complex beauty of Africa, dispelling misconceptions and highlighting the resilience, creativity, and vibrancy that define the continent.

This book is a powerful reminder that Africa's strength lies in its heterogeneity and, within each nation, a world of untold stories and unyielding brilliance. Faloyin's writing is an inspirational call to embrace the boundless potential of a continent whose narrative is still being written. "Africa Is Not a Country" is an eloquent ode to Africa's majesty, an invitation to understand, appreciate, and celebrate its many facets, and a testament to the extraordinary capacity of its people to shape a brighter future.