Reviewers from Publishers Weekly and academic journals note that while Guest’s reporting is engrossing, his strong pro-market stance—viewing global capitalism as the primary solution—can be controversial among those who emphasize the lingering structural impacts of colonialism.
Product Description. A former Africa editor for The Economist, Robert Guest addresses the troubled continent's thorniest problems: www.smithsonianbooks.com The Shackled Continent: Power, Corruption, and ...
In , Robert Guest —former Africa editor for The Economist —delivers a provocative analysis of why Africa has historically struggled with poverty while other regions have prospered. Published by Smithsonian Books and available at Penguin Random House and Barnes & Noble , the book argues that the continent’s primary "shackle" is not its colonial past or lack of aid, but the failures of its own leadership. Core Arguments and Themes Reviewers from Publishers Weekly and academic journals note
: Guest asserts that since independence, many African governments have failed their people through predatory "vampire state" behavior. He highlights how autocrats often view their office as a license to enrich themselves, citing leaders like Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe as prime examples. Published by Smithsonian Books and available at Penguin
: Guest examines how "tribal hucksters" use ethnic loyalties to stay in power, often leading to civil war and zero-sum politics where one group's gain is another's loss. Hope Amid the Hard Truths