My books of 2012

Two-thousand-and-twelve was a bumper year for quality non-fiction. Here is a selection of my top books from the last twelve months:

A compulsive combination of travel, history, ethnography and memoir  from the acclaimed Indian writer. An absolute gem.

A counter intuitive and engaging study of Asia's intellectual response to Western imperialism that contains many lessons for Africa.

A compelling exploration of the years immediately following World War II and preceding the Cold War that expose the depths of European postwar depravity.

The subtitle to this epic examination of  postwar Eastern Europe says it all. Scholarly and  engaging, Pulitzer Prize winner, Anne Applebaum delivers a timely history lesson.

I must admit, I haven't actually read Artemis Cooper's comprehensive biography of the late travel writer, however, having listened to extracts on Radio 4's Book of the Week, it's top of my list for 2013.

Christmas night theatre

Roverman’s production of Ebo Whyte’s play, Don’t Mess With A Woman was a fantastic end to a humid Kumasi, Ghana, Christmas Day.

Whyte’s tale of a modern-day woman scorned was brimming with narrative goodness. The two-hour performance was delivered by a stellar cast accompanied by a fine house band against a basic but appropriate backdrop. The culturally-relevant storyline, and punchy dialogue, blended humour and drama with a moral message, and was perfect for the youthful audience.

The production provided further proof that Ghana is full with theatrical talent, something, I hope, will be developed and recognised in the near future.

Currently doing a residency at the National Theatre, Accra, Roverman’s festival of five Ebo Whyte plays is a must-see for both theatre vets and neophytes alike.

Catch it while you can!

European odyssey, part 6: France & Switzerland

Gatwick Airport, UK

View from the 39th floor: Lyon, France

Lyon Part Dieu train station

Culoz, France: The French Outback

Geneva

Zurich (Singing / Human Christmas tree)

Zurich main train station

Swiss beer

Zurich

Lausanne

Lausanne

Lausanne

Basel

Basel Christmas market

Basel Christmas market

Basel train station

My mother's garden

Support Yenkassa - Ghana Life!

I came across this wonderful blog (love Tumblr:)) and project today and I was so pleased to find that someone is out there actively trying to document Ghana's oral history before it's too late. I hope this video inspires you to support the project, too.

The man who turned his home into a public library

From the BBC:

"You don't do justice to these books if you put them in a cabinet or a box"

If you put all the books you own on the street outside your house, you might expect them to disappear in a trice. But one man in Manila tried it - and found that his collection grew.

Hernando Guanlao is a sprightly man in his early 60s, with one abiding passion - books. They're his pride and joy, which is just as well because, whether he likes it or not, they seem to be taking over his house.

Guanlao, known by his nickname Nanie, has set up an informal library outside his home in central Manila, to encourage his local community to share his joy of reading.

The idea is simple. Readers can take as many books as they want, for as long as they want - even permanently. As Guanlao says: "The only rule is that there are no rules."

Daniel Cohn-Bendit blasts UKIP toff at European Parliament, says wake up and smell the coffee

Michelle Obama DNC Speech 2012 Complete: 'How Hard You Work'

European odyssey, part 5: Sofia, Bulgaria

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Sofia

Hagia Nedelja Church, Sofia

European odyssey, part 4: Stockholm, Sweden

Rain all day:(

European odyssey, part 3: Edinburgh, Scotland

European odyssey, part 2: Amsterdam, Netherlands

Centraal Station

Spui

An elegy for eastern Europe

Fado by Andrzej Stasiuk

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Although this book became a bit laboured towards the end, I gave it four stars because of Stasiuk's writing, which is flawless. In fact, Stasiuk's prose is so beautiful that it hurts, every sentence a fragment of an elegy to the protracted death of old Europe. Simply wonderful.



View all my reviews

Reading to get you thinking

Age of Crisis issue, July 2012

I’ve just finished reading an excellent issue of the New Statesman called “Age of crisis (and how to survive it).” Edited by David Miliband, the former British foreign secretary brings together a global cast of politicians and thinkers putting forward a range of ideas on finding our way out of our current predicament.

High points included former Australian PM Kevin Rudd’s excellent essay on China and the West and the fundamental questions that Western leaders need to answer in order to effectively engage with China. Michael Semple’s fascinating interview with a Taliban leader was also illuminating.

Relative low points came in the form of Hillary Clinton’s tedious and uninspiring piece on “The future of American power.” The Secretary of State offered nothing new but rather reiterated America’s foreign policy approach.

What was pleasing was that, while Milliband obviously has access to a wide circle of friends from whom he can draw on, there were counter-intuitive contributions that challenge the status-quo. Ozwald Boateng on how Africa can help Britain out of the crisis and Sir Richard Branson talking about the benefits of EU membership and immigration are two examples of this.

In short, it’s been a long time since I’ve read a New Statesman from cover to cover. As far as this particular issue goes, I’d encourage you to do the same.

My European odyssey begins: Paris, France

Chatelet, Paris, 27.07.12

The first stop in my European Summer is Paris, France. Beautiful weather and friendly Parisians too! Next stop, Amsterdam.

RIP President Atta Mills, God bless Ghana!

John Atta Mills being sworn in as president in 2008

When I received news this evening that the president of Ghana, John Evans Atta Mills had died I was saddened and stunned. I immediately turned to my colleague, who I was with at the time, and told him the news. 

“Was it an assassination?” he asked, instinctively.

Appalled, but now used to such ignorance, I simply replied: “No.”

“Will there be civil war?”

Words actually failed me but controlled anger never does. 

For all those who think of Africa as a country populated by a barbaric, sub-human species, Google “Ghana” and see what you can find. 

Ghanaians are:

• A dignified people
• A friendly people
•  A God-fearing people
•  A peaceful people and, most importantly,
•  A united people.

RIP President John Evans Atta Mills. The whole of Ghana, and Ghanaians around the world, are in mourning at your passing.

God bless our homeland Ghana.

Keeping your head down versus blowing your own trumpet

Blowing your own trumpet? Go ahead!

I’ve wrestled with this one almost since the start of my corporate career. But in recent months the dilemma has become so central to my progress/reputation that I’ve been forced to tackle it head-on. 

Picture it. For months you’ve been slaving away in the office and, on many occasions, taking work home, in order to get the job done and keep the client and, ultimately, the boss happy. Then when you seek recognition for the above-and-beyond contribution you’ve been making to the company’s balance sheet, all you get is a blank expression. Zero. Zip.

“But nobody knows what you’ve been doing,” the boss says in response to your appeal for recompense to reflect the work you’ve done.

“Well, I’m not one of those people who talks and doesn't do,” you say when you’ve recovered your voice from the shock. “I let my results speak for themselves.”

Now it is his turn to look bemused. In 2012, it seems that approach no longer works in the workplace. In order to get ahead, you need to get yourself noticed and, in order to do that, you need to be your own biggest cheerleader. Reticence belongs to yesterday. Bragging is so now.

The fact is, in this celebrity-obsessed age, talk is cheap but it sells, even in business. While you’re there in the corner burrowing away like a beaver, someone else is in the boss’ office talking up his achievements, however dubious they may be, making them sound not just plausible but incredible.

If, like me, self-promotion doesn’t sit well with you, try these tips to ease your way into the game:

• Be strategic in who you shout your achievements to. Beware of backstabbers; be aware of allies.
• If you receive praise from the client, don’t keep it to yourself. Ask them to put it in writing to your boss.
• If you’re routinely working out of hours (e.g. weekends, holidays) copy your boss into any correspondence you send.
• Make alliances with those who you respect, not only those who’ll get you far. Find a mentor who can guide and advise you.
• You may think your work speaks for itself but you also need to speak for your work. Present your project and its achievements at company meetings.
• Value yourself. Put your achievements on the line and ask for what you deserve. If you don’t get it, be prepared to say, Thanks, but no thanks and leave. Your greatness will surely be respected somewhere else.