The Bottom Billion is an elegant and impassioned synthesis from one of the world's leading experts on Africa and poverty. It was hailed as "the best non-fiction book so far this year" by Nicholas Kristoff of The New York Times.

This title looks at the story of African literature and its dissemination in the latter half of the 20th century.

This work is a general introduction to Zambia and its people. All the country's provinces and towns are covered in the book. The author also looks at Zambia since independence, the economy, the country's different ethnic groups and cultures and how the people have been able to build a stable, multi-ethnic society with one identity: One Zambia, One Nation. The author presents a comprehensive picture of Zambia and its people, customs and traditions. The book is about Zambia today. But it's also a historical study of a country which once was a part of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. The federation was also known as the Central African Federation. And what was then Northern Rhodesia, which is Zambia today, was the largest country in that colonial union. The author has focused on a number of ethnic groups in the country from a historical and cultural perspective and in terms of contemporary life. The work is also a comprehensive study of the geography of the country and its economic potential including an abundance of natural resources. It is a general study of Zambia as a country and as a nation, rich in culture - customs and traditions - and in history, and full of vitality. It should serve as a good introduction to Zambia, comprehensive enough to meet the needs and satisfy the curiosity of some members of the general public such as tourists who want to learn quite a few things about this African country."

This book discusses social welfare activities in Zambia in the pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial periods. It explains how indigenous social welfare initiatives in colonial Zambia, culminated in the Federation of Welfare Societies. The former became the first nationalist party in this era known as the Northern Rhodesia Congress (NRC), with Godwin Mbikusita Lewanika as its leader. The book also elucidates how the first African government, which was headed by Kenneth Kaunda, attained positive human development indictors in Zambia in the 1960s. Nonetheless, this was at the expense of Barotseland as Kaunda's government had deliberately underdeveloped Barotseland after independence, whilst harassing and imprisoning Barotse activists for decades. After 1991, successive governments continued to apply Kaunda's methods. The book contends that Zambia in its present form is an illegal state, because the Barotseland Agreement was abrogated by Kaunda in 1969. This treaty was meant to amalgamate the former British Protectorates of Barotseland and Northern Rhodesia to form Zambia in 1964.

Zambia stands out in Africa as one of the continent's most peaceful countries. In its early years as an independent state, Zambia became a regional bulwark against imperialism and colonial domination and South African apartheid. Today, it stands out as an important example of Africa's recent democratization, experiencing both incredible success as well as some notable setbacks. The country is also one of the most urbanized in Sub-Saharan Africa. As a result of this urban influx, Zambia's diverse ethno-linguistic groups interact regularly. Moreover, many contemporary Zambian households, especially those in cities, are also exposed to the media, technology, and influences of western urbanized cultures, from Internet cafes to hip hop music. The interesting ways that tradition and modernity conflict and combine in contemporary Zambia are prime considerations in this book. This book explores Zambia's culture, with an eye toward its historical experiences and its particular endowments. It focuses on how traditional and modern interact, and sometimes collide, in the country through topics such as religion, gender roles and family, cuisine, the arts, literature, and more. The major groups are examined to give the reader an idea about how many Zambians live.