Back cover text:
Samba Diallo comes from an aristocratic family, the Diallobes. He is brought up along strictly Islamic lines and Thiero, the spiritual leader of the society, sees him as a natural successor. But his family, strongly influenced by his dominating aunt, decides after long and agonizing debate to send him to the French school to learn the secrets of the white man's power. Initially Samba Diallo is excited by his contact with Western culture and when he chooses to study philosophy at Paris he seems it as offering the most direct access to the European mind. But he rapidly finds that he is in an ambiguous situation for, while he has become estranged from the simple faith of his people, he is unable to identify with the soulless material civilization he sees in France.

I'm planning on reading this book for the "5 books, 5 countries, 5 continents" challenge.
I'm happy to share it, especially with others participating in the challenge.

Ray details:
- Please journal the book when you receive it and again after you’ve read it and are sending it on to the next person.
- Please try to read the book within 3 weeks of receiving it.
(I don't care if you need to keep the book for longer than 3 weeks, just let me know so I won't worry)
- Feel free to use the most cost-effective shipping method.
- PM or email me (there is a link from my profile) if you have any problems or questions concerning the ring.
- Enjoy the book!

Current shipping order:
1. map-maker (UK)
2. Sheepseeker (Germany) - int'l
3. book-man-8 (Germany) - int'l
4. charlenemartel (ON, Canada) - int'l
5. Thursday5 (OH) - prefers US
6. hobbit (NY)
hobbit, you are free to do what you wish with the book after you're read it

I finished reading this book today and I have to say that I don't have any strong feelings about it. I didn't dislike it, but it didn't really draw me in.
I'm interested to see what the other readers think of it.

this has arrived today, and *wheeee* goes right up to the top of Mt TBR. Looking forward to it, just have to finish "Sweet Thames", a novel about the sewage problem and cholera in C19 London. What a contrast!
ed 05AUG2006: An interesting read, though not one I'd have picked up unprompted. I could probably have done with a bit more undistracted reading time than I could afford it over the last couple of weeks, I guess some of the more philosophical passages deserve being properly deliberated and discussed rather than simply read as part of the story. It is interesting to see how the protagonist is growing up trying to integrate Western philosophical ideas into his traditional tribal religious teachings. One of the high points of the book for me was his dialogue with his father about time spent at work as opposed to time spent on religious practices and contemplation and how the one can be beneficial to the other.
Now on its way to Sheepseeker.

The book arrived today, thanks for sending it, map-maker!

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To be honest, I too didn't care too much about this book. The writing style was not very gripping and the plot was a bit too religious/philosophical for my liking.

Anyway, thanks for this ring, morsecode. it's already on its way to book-man-8 in Bochum.

Just got it in the mail. Will start reading soon.

In some ways this is a strange book. It is quite interesting to read it today, at times where those religious matters are on the forefront of the world development. Because you cannot miss that this book was written more than 40 years ago. The world has changed in all those years; the perception of religion and philosophy is also quite different. But this makes it worthwile to read such books. It just helps to broaden the view of our world today. Thanks for sharing.

As "charlenemartel" wants to be jumped (for personal reasons) I am contacting "thursday5".

Ambiguous Adventure arrived today. Thank you Book-man-8 for sending it luftpost-it got here to the US quickly! I look forward to reading this book-I will be reading it as part of the 2006 "5-5-5 Reading Challenge".

Although it was hard to follow at times, I'm glad I read the book. The book included several important ideas but the one I found most interesting was the idea that education can wage a more effective "war" against a country or culture than military force. I agree.

Because the book records the inner struggle of an African youth to reconcile the teachings of Islam with the western culture he encounters it is still instructive today.

I have a package all ready to go to Hobbit with another bookring book so I'll add this one to it and get it sent off today.

I returned home from a business trip to find this waiting for me, along with the return of a ring I'd started. There's a beautiful hand-colored mandala bookmark with a lovely quote included, too.

Since I have another bookring book that I'm in the midst of, I'm happy to see that I won't be holding anyone up if I'm slow to get to this.

I'm counting this as my Olympic Challenge author for Senegal. I finished it a few months ago and apparently forgot to journal it right away, so unfortunately, it's not too fresh in my mind. Sorry.

I found some very interesting parts, particularly the different attitudes of the teachers toward learning and culture. I also agree that it felt a bit dated and I doubt that there are exactly the same attitudes today.

Thanks very much for sharing it! I'll mark it available in case others are still looking for reading from Senegal.

Put it in the mail this morning to Ilios

thank you one more time for your generosity, hobbit! You are a great help for my 5-5-5 challenge. Maybe I'll make it this time!


UPDATE 7/28/08

I am using this book as part of my 5-5-5 challenge. I was really looking forward to discovering an author from Senegal, but unfortunately I was underwhelmed. I stopped reading after 60 pages because I couldn't care about any of the characters and the story wasn't grabbing me.

I appreciate the opportunity to discover this book, though.

I will put this book on my available pile for any bxer that might be interested, unless I find a good spot to wild release it.