The Ponds of Kalambayi

by Mike Tidwell

Release Date: 01 May, 1996

Edition: Paperback

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Surprisingly Good

After deciding that I wanted to apply to the Peace Corps, I began doing online and literary research on the experience as a whole. I bought this book, totally uninterested in how a Caucasion man in Africa would learn to adapt to the local culture and thus be successful at showing the (willing) villagers how to raise "fish farms." Needless to say, this book never has a dull moment, which is a major shock for me. Although he doesn't talk much about the Peace Corps (if at all), he does constantly touch on the topics of attempting to shed his American normalities/viewpoints and just plain adapting to life in his African villages. His cultural adaptation and the frustrations that come along with teaching the locals about fish farming are just two things that make this book a page turner.

The truth about Africa

Having lived and worked in Africa, one of the hardest things to convey to people who have not been there, is how despite poverty and other hardships, Africa is not a sad place. This book does a great job of explaining the beauty and strength of Africa and its people. It also shows that people have good sound reasons for doing what to us initially may seem crazy and irrational. Tidwell's book also does a great job of showing the impact that Africa has on the people who go there. His honesty and examination of both himself and the people he lives with make this book a winner.