A Thousand Hills: Rwanda's Rebirth and the Man who Dreamed It by Stephen Kinzer: This well-written historical account of Rwanda sets the horrific genocide there in the context of the 100 years of colonial history that preceded it. This book is a great way to begin to learn and understand the challenges that post-colonial African peoples face. [A companion movie is "Hotel Rwanda"]
When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty without Hurting the Poor and Yourself by Steve Corbett & Brian Fikkert. An excellent reminder that God designed us for community, and that we all have things to learn from each other... strong from weak, rich from poor, westerner from citizen of developing country!
A Casebook of Social Change ed by Arthur H Niehoff, c. 1966. Probably out of print by now, this textbook from my sophomore year in college, contributed to my changing my major from math to anthropology, and also helped birth the thought to become a missionary to Africa. The theme of this book, which became part of my dream, is that in order to effectively introduce a change to another culture, one must first listen to and understand that culture; then one can present new ideas in a way that make sense for that world-view.
Mission Wild by Donald Richards, co-founder of SEEK, the mission I will work with. Don brings together his love of the environment & of God in building a scriptural case for Christians to be good stewards of the beautiful environment we were given. And he goes beyond ideas and theology to giving instructions for making practical, doable instruments to better care for the environment!
West with the Night by Beryl Markham A beautifully-written personal narrative (admired by Ernest Hemingway) of the author's vivid descriptions of growing up in Kenya. She manages to embrace both her African heritage (her best friend while growing up is a boy of the Nandi Murani tribe) and her British heritage (riding horses, becoming an early pilot).
Movies
"Hotel Rwanda"
"The Last King of Scotland"
"Out of Africa"
