Drawing from a wide variety of primary sources, author Gerd de Ley has compiled a fascinating collection of proverbs and sayings from across the African continent. Many different nations, tribes, and cultures are represented in the hundreds of pithy sayings that populate this book. I have spent time living in the Republic of Haiti. This nation boasts many traditions that hark back to the African roots of former slaves. I was struck by how similar many of the African proverbs are to ones I had come to know in Haiti.
The proverbs are organized in nine chapters, with headings such as Life and Death, The Value of Hard Work, Animal Wisdom, and Words to the Wise. I was impressed with how much universal wisdom is shared across the globe. This Zulu proverb, "The Horse That Arrives Early Gets Good Drinking Water," is very similar in spirit to our familiar trope,"The Early Bird Catches The Worm."
This is the kind of book that can be read and enjoyed a few pages at a time - in a professional waiting room, in the bathroom, during a commute. It is a delightful addition to our appreciation of the universality of folk wisdom,
Enjoy!
Al
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