Niall writes me:
I have an optimization problem that I thought you and other loyal MR
readers, like myself, could help me with.The Question: How should I go about selecting books to bring with me for
a year of field research in rural Africa?Conditions:
1. I have a limited amount of weight I can carry on the flight
2. There is little or no access to additional books where I will be
3. I only expect to return to the US once during that yearThanks for continuing the to make MR the most educational blog on the web.
Sadly I do not know this fine gentleman. But I’ll suggest the following five books: Moby Dick, The Bible (but it must be a serious translation), Plato’s Dialogues, Homer’s Odyssey, and a long, fun book of science fiction or fantasy that you haven’t already read. LOTR would be a fine first choice if it fits that bill, otherwise ask around. The basic principles are that the works should be long, deep, divisible into smaller parts, capable of sustaining rereadings, culturally central in some way, and last of all you need one piece of pure fun. Readers, can you improve upon these tips?
I’ll add that if you read some language other than English, and thus read more slowly in that language, pick a book or two there as well.
Sony eBook reader + solar charging. That should be a technological fix for the weight issue.
iPod + Audio Books from Audible.com = 1 month worth of listening. Good for those long bus rides on river bed that used to be roads.
I always find I get the most reading time and pleasure relative to cost and weight of the book from fairly technical books. Books such as Mathematics: From the Birth of Numbers have given me many hours of enjoyment. If I have to ponder each sentence or paragraph, I am sure to get a good bang for my buck.
Admitting that I do not know where the questioner is going, I find it hard to believe that there is little or no access to additional books where he is going. I lived in rural Africa for two years and found books easy to find.
Will there not be a town there? They likely have a library at the school or someone in the market who sells used books.
Will there be Peace Corps/Missionaries/Other groups of westerners? People tend to bring many books with them, but take only one or two back. This results in impromptu libraries being set up. Also check the cultural centers at embassies.
Will there be people passing through? People travel with books. Book-swapping is how I got through Kenya and Tanzania and it resulted in me reading many books I wouldn’t have otherwise. Warning: this is a skill. You want to bring and trade for only books that are easy to trade. Some books are dead ends (No one will swap for them). I found Patton’s autobiography to be one such dead end. Better to bring and swap for best sellers and books by well known authors.
I went to a “town” (there were four homes and about 60 people) once, where the only way to get there was to take the beer truck that passed through once every eight days. I saw a child reading the Harry Potter book that had come out only 6 months earlier. You can find books anywhere.
Why not buy a Kindle from Amazon and load it up with as many books as it can fit? Then either a solar charger or an occasional power boost should work fine. (Then add one paper book for emergencies.)
Atlas Shrugged?
Pepys’ Diary in a lightweight edition. You won’t want to read it right through, you’ll just dip into it, but you’d keep coming back to it.
The subject matter should give you courage for your year of research. It’s one man undertaking a huge task (of reorganising the Navy), that no-one else seems to be prepared to undertake, because he can see that although it’s hard work, it’s very well worth doing. And lo and behold he is proved right.
The Wind-up Bird Chronicle, if you intend to destroy your life.
I echo the comments above. A kindle or the like would be best (I remember loading down with CDs only to have people arrive after I’d been in country for a few years with a new fangled thing called an iPOD!).
Also, there usually are book swaps, etc, like mentioned above … so don’t bring anything so boring, others wouldn’t want to read it.
Or, you could make Tyler Cowen happy and ditch everything and buy multiple copies of his books and load up the suitcase with those! Although, that may blow a constraint in your optimization problem.
So which Bible translations do you consider “serious?”
I second VC’s comments above – I don’t where Neil is headed, but I haven’t been to an African country which doesn’t have at least one great bookshop in its capital. Yes, most bookshops in Africa are for schoolbooks, and yes, it is difficult to buy good books in rural Africa, but I wonder what sort of project Neil is working on which fails to allow him to head to the capital of whatever country he is working in every so often in order to buy books, meet officials, etc.
Having said all of this, the bookstores I know in Africa – like Aristoc in Kampala – tend to be better stocked on fiction and the classics and less so on good non-fiction, so I would concentrate on the latter if you are going to bring over some books.
Try “To Rule the Waves: How the British Navy Shaped the Modern World” – 672 pages of high adventure.
As its subject revolves around the sea, it’ll present a pleasant contrast to the scenery of rural Africa. The chapters themselves can be read independently, and it is an interesting and well written book, with a bold and arguable premise. It covers a broad sweep of history, and includes a number of memorable real life characters, some of whom display fearless courage and an incredible determination to succeed against enormous odds (just like the odds you could be facing in rural Africa – depending on where in rural Africa you find yourself ha,ha..). For SF, I suggest Frank Herbert’s Dune, or maybe one of Robert Heinlein’s classics – Stranger in a Strange land?
For the fun and educational goals: Eat the Rich by P.J. O’Rourke. In my review of the book in Fortune, I called it “Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations with a laugh on every page.” I’ve read it about 3 times and I plan many more.
Take Alexander McCall Smith’s No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Detective Agency omnibus. Besides being set in the beautiful Bostwana, it will introduce you to the finer points of African culture
I think it’s a mistake to take things that are so serious. Especially when you may be suffering from homesickness. It also wouldn’t hurt to bring something that you could share orally with locals. I would suggest Montaigne’s Essays and Boccaccio’s The Decemeron (lots of great short stories in that last one).
+1 for a Kindle or Sony e-Reader. The beauty of these devices is that the e-paper displays do not require power to stay on, just to change what’s on the display. This means that even a small charge will last for weeks, even months of continuous usage. A fully loaded e-Reader should provide enough reading material to last the questioner their entire year in Africa and should only require maybe half a dozen charges over that period of time.
I’ve asked myself this very question, but hypothetically… I believe it was when Jeffrey Archer was sent to prison, and he was allowed to take only four books. Which books did I choose?
1. Complete Shakespeare. How can no one else have mentioned this? If I could take only one book, this would be the one.
2. Plato’s dialogues.
3. Bible… I’m not religious, but (1) it’s something I’ve been meaning to read anyway, and (2) who knows, a person can get pretty desperate in prison.
4. Don Quixote, because it would take me forever to hack my way through it (I speak passable Spanish but would be struggling with (1) my limited vocabulary, (2) the cultural context, (3) the archaic language, and (4) the sheer volume… but imagine the excitement as these hurdles fell one by one!).
Also, if no land-line or local cell service available, BGAN or other satellite internet connection for downloading new books!
(Dial-up access via sat phone possible too)
An afterthought: in the spirit of Plato’s Dialogues, which seem to me a good choice, there’s also a good new one-volume edition of the Icelandic sagas, with a preface by Jane Smiley…
tyler,
what a boring list!
does the answer change if the scenario is that one can only pick five books to read in one year (with no trading)?
The Norton Anthology of English Literature. It’s intended for high school and college classrooms, so it’s not the cheapest book to go pick up (Amazon has it for ~US$60). But for that investment you get a single-volume, near-3000-page book stuffed with classics printed on extremely thin (and thus light) paper. No matter how well-read you are, you’re almost certain to find something new. Norton also publishes other similarly dense volumes; just search for Norton Anthology on Amazon.
The Kindle is too risky because someone (like a customs agent) might steal it. Wouldn’t having a Kindle with you be roughly equivalent to carying $400 cash on your person? Would you recommend that? Better to save the $400 for trips to the capital to buy more paper books (as someone above suggested).
Also, the presence of electricity in a town does not guarantee one will have regular access to it.
For rural Africa I would suggest:
Health on the farm: a manual of rural sanitation and hygiene,
Killing Zone: A Professionals Guide To Preparing Or Preventing Ambushes,
Manual Of The Mercenary Soldier: Guide To Mercenary War, Money And Adventure,
Use Enough Gun: On Hunting Big Game,
Vehicle-dependent Expeditions (by the R.G.S.),
King James Bible, and
Attack of the Deranged Mutant Killer Monster Snow Goons.
In line with Tyler’s suggestion, perhaps also The War on the Chtorr series, The Oz series, The Janissaries series, The Foundation series, Locke: Political Essays, The Complete C.S. Lewis Signature Classics, The Complete Essays of Mark Twain, or the McManus Treasury depending on your taste.
Oh, yes, and the Watchmen graphic novel.
If you’re looking for classic stuff that’ll last you a long time, there are basic works of Aristotle that would last me lifetimes, and are small considering.
How about “Stranger in a Strange Land” by Heinlein?
Since you might not hear much practiced, formal English, why not some Jane Austin? There’s also G.K. Chesterton, whose stories are always worth a third or fourth read, and the wit will keep you sane. Of course, Tolkien also fits the bill here, and so I regard it as a good suggestion.
If you do take a Bible, make it a translation you have not read before, perhaps one of the more radically different new transliterations, such as The Message.
For the more mathematically inclined, how about Euclid? Working through the geometry will provide hours of thought, and drawing, as a plus!
As I understand it, the requirements here are length, ability to read and re-read, and divisibility into easily readable chunks, with a nod to entertainment value. On these requirements I recommend Boswell’s Life of Johnson. I think it counts not only as a work of biography but also history, philosophy, and literature, and it is quite humorous throughout, occasionally laugh-out-loud funny. It can be read straight through or just open it up to a random page and read for 20 minutes.
As for longer SF works, LOTR and Dune are both good selections.
1. The Koran, any English translation should also have the arabic original text (cross off both “Bible” and “foreign language” with this one), probably much more useful to understanding the culture in which you will be living.
2. A Mark Twain collection (for the humor and wisdom)
3. Some huge classic (such as Tyler’s recommendations of Homer, or Dante, Herodotus, Epictetus, Plutarch, Virgil, Aristotle, etc.)
4. Neal Stephenson (Cryptonomicon or Baroque cycle)
If you must take an electronic book, don’t forget the solar charger!
Depending on the part of Africa and the research, Diana Davis’ Resurrecting the Granary of Rome and Ariel Dorfman’s Empire’s Old Clothes for understanding the effects and techniques of colonialism, as either take-along or pre-trip research (the bibliographies might be a source for more).
I’m surprised no one has mentioned any of the great Russians. I’d take War and Peace, some Chekhov, Gogol, Pasternak, etc. I also second the choice for Shakespeare.
Can he ship books to himself? Or, if he doesn’t yet know what his mailing address will be, have a friend do so for him once he’s in Africa?
Bring a math textbook. Work through *all* the problems.
1) If in Zimbabwe, then I would recommend “The Autumn of the Patriarch” by Gabriel GarcÃa Márquez.
2) Heart of Darkness by Conrad;
3) Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe;
#3 author not big fan of #2 author.
.
Hope this helps!
He’s going to “Africa?” Could he be, like, a little more vague? Africa is only the second-largest continent on Earth. Does he spend summer vacations in “the Western Hemisphere?”
If he has a more specific idea of where in Africa he’s going to be, I’d suggest a good dictionary and grammar book each for the most widely spoken languages in that region, along with, if possible, a book written in that vernacular. Then he can spend time learning the languages there.
But seriously, I just can’t let this one go: “He’s going to Africa….” Real good with the specifics there, guys. In related news I predict that the next president of the United States WILL be a carbon-based life form.
Look, If you have not read them yet I would strongly, strongly recomend that you take the complete works of Patrick O’Brian. (The Aubery/Maturin series). There is a very nice edition in hardback in just five volumes. This is a booming, lush, life-giving work. The two characters will become your dear friends, you will become amazed by the world, you will become a better writier, you will be deeply entertained. Also they withstand several re-readings; actually, they improve on rereadings.
Good Trip.
Since I’m late, a quick summary:
(1) Techno-solutions: Kindle, Sony e-book reader, audio books on ipod, load up your laptop with both… all these solutions are great.
(2) My personal one: Proust, but choose the recent new translations in the Penguin series – these are fantastic (award-winning) translations.
I just moved to another country and have lots of time on my hands… still adapting to the culture, etc. Reading Proust has been fantastic.
For something practical and current: Untapped: The Scramble for Africa’s Oil.
And for an excellent modern translation of a Greek classic (with a brilliant cover too): The Iliad of Homer (translated by Stanley Lombardo)
I don’t get avid readers. I can’t understand why someone flying to the other side of the world would spend their time there reading books at all.
A recent book called “The State of Africa,” which is an outstanding overview of Africa since the end of colonialization.
I was in a similar situation once (going to Africa for a year, etc.).
I took the Stata manual set.
A little dry. But there you go.
Bayes Fan -
I entirely agree about the intolerance nonsense. There are people in this world who do not love their fellow human beings, and I hate people like that.
Assuming he is away from electricity (if he has electrical access, a loaded eBook reader is a great idea), I’d agree with Tyler’s recommendation for a Bible, Moby Dick, and something fun like Lord of the Rings for light reading. I’m ashamed to say I’ve never read either Plato’s Dialogues or Homer’s Odyssey, so I can’t comment on either of them. As one who loves both reading and traveling, I can appreciate the dilemma this guy is facing.
Here are a few books that would probably make my shortlist (#1 and #2 definitely would):
1) A Bible. Two translations that are excellent are the New American Standard (NASB) and English Standard Version (ESV). A reference Bible is a great idea as it has cross-references and a concordance that would allow it to be used for in-depth studies and keep you occupied for months. Zondervan publishes a small NASB compact reference Bible that has very legible text and is smaller than many paperback books. It is a perfect Bible for travel.
2) The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith. Reading this book while being in Africa could really get his mind going with questions and ideas for the contrast in economic conditions between where he is coming from and where he is going. (I didn’t “discover” economics until later in life and after traveling to many developing countries. It changed the way I saw the world.)
3) Tom Jones by Henry Fielding.
4) The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
A few other ideas would include:
1) Bring a copy of Strunk and White’s “The Elements of Style” to work on his writing skills while there. It’s extremely small and a classic for learning how to write better. It would also compliment journaling on the trip (something that would be a shame not to do on a trip like that).
2) Buy a book in a foreign language that he doesn’t speak and a small, pocket-sized language dictionary. Have fun working his way through the book and learning how to read the language. (One of the commenters mentioned Don Quixote.)
3) Oxford Press has started publishing a series a books called “A Very Short Introduction” on a broad array of topics. Each book is smaller than Strunk and White’s “The Elements of Style” and very travel friendly. If he’s interested in any particular area, it’s a great way to get an introduction to the topic.
4) Someone mentioned bringing some type of math book to work through. As a former math teacher, I love the idea. A good mathematics book that covers a broad array of topic and is not terribly heavy is “Mathematics: Its Content, Methods and Meaning” by Aleksandrov, et. al. by Dover Publications. It is much ligther than most textbooks and believe it has some problems to solve (though not that many). The breadth of topics it covers is astounding. (A reviewer on Amazon equates it to an entire undgrad mathematics curriculum.) This was originally published as a three volume set and all three are now published as one paperback book. Another similar, complimentary idea would be to bring some type of physics book and work through the problems.
Just a few thoughts. It’s an intriguing optimization problem and is making me think about my own collection and the need to read more fiction, classics, and philosophy. Also, the need to escape from things for a few days and find a nice, quiet spot with a stack of good books.
The Kindle doesn’t work with the GSM mobile phone system that the world outside of the US is using.
I’m surprised nobody has nominated Gibbon’s “Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire” (or if they have, I missed it). Improving, entertaining and it should occupy about six months of your spare time. In between you can dip in and out of the collected novels of Evelyn Waugh and Jane Austen.
The Ultimate Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy… a collection of all of Douglas Adams’ stuff would fit the bill of amusing book as well as anything, in my opinion.
So I say, “Live and let live.† That’s my motto. “Live and let live.† Anyone who can’t go along with that, take him outside and shoot the motherf*cker. It’s a simple philosophy, but it’s always worked in our family.
– RIP George Carlin
Check project Gutenberg first (the online repository of free etexts of classics), and don’t bring anything that’s on it! Will you be in Anglophone Africa? If so, it might not be too difficult to get books, but it’s really going to depend which country you are in. It would be a lot easier to stock up in Nigeria, South Africa, or Ghana than in Liberia, or Sudan, for example. Africa is a big continent, with a lot of different things going on economically and politically.
If you will be in a francophone country (as I am), bring light reading. LIGHT. Nothing has been as refreshing to me as mystery novels (good ones, in English) during a hot insomniac night, with power cuts and stomach flu. Deep reading is great, but a page-turner can really help a person through rough times.
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