Bill Bryson's African Diary

It wasn't as devil-may-care as Bryson's other books, but then, look at the subject matter. Has some stellar parts and gives (I think) a more objective and interesting look at Africa and its peoples than most media does.

Eh...I was excited about this book because I love Bryson and I wanted to read about his experiences in Africa....but really this is a short book about his week touring with Care organization. I would not pay for this book...but as I got it for free and read it in less than a hour....it wasn't a waste of time.

This was a subsidized promotional project that Bryson did for CARE International. It is written in his usual warm style. I agree with other reviewers that it lacks his humorous approach and three stars seems a pretty fair assessment given the other books he has written. I read this on a Kindle so I was surprised by how short it was.

This is my first book by Bryson though I've heard of him for a very long time, and now I will read others for sure. His gentle wit coupled with keen observations makes this a desirable read and the information is very accessible. This is a short summary of his impressions of Nairobi and Kenya.

More like Bill Bryson's African Pamphlet. Fun for what it is, and very Brysony, but oh-so-very thin. However, all proceeds from sales of this book go to a good cause, so I'd recommend either thinking of the book as a gift-with-donation, or getting it from the library.

Erg grappig kort boekje van de auteur van 'a short history of nearly everything' over een week in Kenia. Opbrengsten volledig naar goede doel. Paar keer hard gelachen, vooral Bryson's ervaringen met kleine single engine vliegtuigjes zijn hilarisch beschreven...

Very short book, but very entertaining. Some passages made me laugh out loud.

Some of it was good Bill Bryson.It was very short but for a good cause.

"Kenya has become a country of ten millionaires and ten million beggars." ~Kenyan politican J.M. Kariuki, assassinated in 1975 This book is only 49 pages which suited me just fine, considering how long it took me to read my last book. I picked this book not only because it is short but also because it is written by Bill Bryson. I have read most of his books and plan to read all of them eventually; however, none of them hold a candle to A Walk in the Woods, the first Bryson book I read. The book is a diary of his week long journey to Kenya. He writes of the extreme poverty and government corruption of the country; however, he also includes anecdotes demonstrating that he can find humor and beauty in just about anything. I especially loved the section where he talks of his landing in a storm in a light aircraft plane. He is terrified to discover that the plane doesn't have windshield wipers and that the pilot can't see where he's landing. No one can verbalize the horror and comedy of the situation better than Bryson. I also enjoyed the section about Wedco. Wedco is a micro-finance institution that makes loans only to women that previously had almost no access to business credit. It has been very successful in Kenya and has helped many people improve their quality of life. It reminded me of a book on my to-read list called Banker to the Poor by Muhammad Yunus. Just reading this small excerpt has been motivating and satisfactory. Now I am looking even more forward to this book. Overall, the book simply wasn't long enough to satisfy; however, to be fair, it never was meant to be a detailed view into Kenya, it is simply a "diary" of Bryson's eight days in Kenya. He wrote the book at the invitation of CARE International and all proceeds went to the charity. The book is a good reminder to be thankful for what you have and to help when you can. It probably took me longer to write this review than it did to read the book ... so there you go.

Just a little slip of a thing, but a nice dip into Kenya to get ones toes wet.