What are you reading right now?
 

Mine is Dale Peterson's "Jane Goodall..The Woman who Redefined Man". And its a big one!

Right now nothing about Africa. I set a goal this year: a book a month. "12 in twelve" A goal I had when I first got out of college.
waynehazle . com/books/twelve/

I just finished jury duty and had lots of sitting time. So I just finished "S is for Silence" the latest Sue Grafton.

For non-fiction, I jumped to Oral History of the Armenian Genocide.

Probably on tap for this year also will be Shake Hands With the Devil and this bio of one of the 'Lost Boys of the Sudan'

The letters of Karen Blixen (1914 to 1931)...great insight into her character.

"Three Years With The 92d Illinois", The Civil War diary of John M. King. John King kept a diary of his life as a Union Civil War soldier, he is an excellent writer, after the War he owned and ran a newspaper for years. This is about the every day life and struggles of those soldiers. They were strong men.
regards - tom

I'd really recommend "A long way gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier" Couldn't put it down.

The Man-Eaters of Eden: Life and Death in Kruger National Park by Robert Frump. I'm about 2/3rds through, deals with the fact that lions prey regularly on Mozambique immigrants sneaking across the park to get into South Africa. Interesting read on a politically charged issue that is largely hushed.

However, I just picked up a new collection from George Schaller, A Naturalist and Other Beasts: Tales From a Life in the Field that I am ecstatic to get to so I have to finish my current read soon. For those who don't know it is probably beyond argument that George Schaller is the greatest conservation biologist of our time and possibly ever.

Hey "A long way gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier"

THAT is the book I was thinking of. Got it mixed up with something from the Sudan. Hopefully summer or fall I will get to this.

Just finished Freakonomics and will be starting Moneyball soon. After all it is Opening Day in a few weeks! Man (or woman) can not live by Africa alone...oh on second thought...
Regards,
Eric

Since we will visit Rwanda in Sept.I am reading Philip Gourevitch's award-winning book " We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow You Will Be Killed With Our Families "-compelling book about a very tragic and difficult subject.I am also reading a very old book given to my grandfather in 1918,and titled "Livingstone's Travels and Explorations in South Africa" by David Livingstone and printed in 1860-fascinating book and such different prose than today's writers-so many new words to learn!

"East of Eden". Revisiting Steinbeck, but wow, what a writer. Anybody looking for a little, unique, gem of a book, check out "Life of Pi" by Yann Martell. Also recently read "Undaunted Courage",the story of Meriwether Lewis from the journals of Lewis and Clark....what a story, what an incredible and tragic man.

I've got two books going right now, <i>Tortilla Flat</i> by Steinbeck and <i>The Summer of the Great Grandmother</i> by L'Engle.

Dangerous Beauty, Life and Death in Africa by Mark C Ross

The incredible memoirs of a safari guide: Mark relates among other stories of his life guiding tourists in East Africa, how in 1999 in Uganda, he was kidnapped while at Gorilla Forest Camp with clients. He witnessed the deaths of two of his clients and six other tourists at the hands of Rwandan rebels who slipped across the border from Congo. This made headlines around the world. I can't put it down. A highly recommended book.

I just got back from Zambia and Botswana, and one of the books my wife and I read during the journey was a novel by Tony Park called &quot;Zambezi.&quot; It's your typical modern-day thriller, with the added bonus of having much of the action set in Africa. A fun read.

The Sheltering Desert by Henno Martin - written in the 1950's or 60's about two German Geologists and their dog Otto, who all sheltered in the Kuiseb canyon and surrounding areas during the time of WWII late 1930's or early 40's in Namibia to escape internment. Beautifully written

Have just finished &quot;Silent Footsteps&quot; by Australian author, Sally Henderson - a recent publication about Sally's time in Zimbabwe as a naturalist engaged on Elephant research in the 80's and 90's up to the present day - its a crakerjack read!

I am reading a book I bought used many years ago. It sat around and sat around before I felt the urge to read it: &quot;The Fate of the Elephant,&quot; by wildlife biologist Douglas H. Chadwick published by Sierra Club Books in 1992. I own several books about elephants, most of these coffee table-type books. This one, however, presents a brief historical perspective of the elephant (its evolution and historical role), followed by an overview of the state of African and Asian elephants around the world (as of 15 years ago). So now that I am the eve of my first--and probably only--trip to Africa I have started it. Of course, much of the information is dated but it has been very thought provoking, illuminating. Hopefully, I will be thinking of its contents when, months from now, I look out onto the waterhole of Addo Elephant Park. It also seems timely considering current discussions regarding the resumption of elephant culling in South Africa, and in view of recent reports chronicling the rise of elephant poaching activity throughout sub Saharan Africa.

Everyone posted such great books to read so Im making note of them. I could use some good reads about the areas Im visiting or more on the conservation or human/ elephant conflict. I think Ive read most of Daphne Shedlrick's book or Ian Hamilton. At the moment, Im reading a book called &quot;Why do dogs drink water out of the toilet&quot; It's quite funny but has some great info about dogs which i love also. (They drink the toilet water because it is fresher and more cool than the bowl set out for them)
Lisa

I thought they drank out of the toilet because of the scent of their people lingering. I'll second&quot;Life of Pi&quot; as a great litle read.

Just finished reading &quot;What is the What&quot; by David Eggers. It's the story of one of the Sudanese &quot;lost boys&quot;. It's stunningly poignant -- particularly after having attended a talk by the book's subject, Valentino, recently.

Also recently read Dangerous Beauty by Mark Ross. Great stories! His narratives of his various safaris with clients, as well as the story of the murders in Uganda, were engrossing.

I'm hoping to start reading &quot;What is the What&quot; by David Eggers. I third (is that possible?) &quot;Life of Pi&quot;. Warning though, many of my friends found it to be a slow read and in it's defence I promise it's worth it. By the end you wish for more details. Currently reading a book by William Gibson, the name currently evading me (I'm so bad for that). Previously finished rereading Gorillas in the Mist. Trying to fit in some books related to the locales or experiences of the upcoming safari.

Juliet

At present, reading &quot;Infidel&quot; by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a young Somali woman (now in mid-30s) about her growing up years in Somalia, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and Kenya, before seeking asylum from an arranged marriage in The Netherlands (via Germany). The life she's made for herself here, learning the language, a translator for other Somali refugees, becoming a member of Parliament with the objective of improving the lives of Muslim women; working with Theo Van Gogh on the movie Submission (about Islam) which brought his assassination and a current fatwah on her life (a la Salman Rushdie). She's now in the States, with armed guards, working at/with the American Enterprise Institute.

Have heard her presentation on CSpan and a recent visit to the Bill Maher program. Most impressive!

I currently have six books awaiting my anxious eyes and brain, after not reading for some months. Reading is good!