The Myth of Wild Africa Conservation Without Illusion

Reviews

"First issued in 1992 and reissued in 1996 with a new afterward, The Myth of Wild Africa argues that researchers and conservation agencies should base their conclusions on hard data rather than preconceived stereotypes. Eschewing the dramatic emotional appeals that mark many western conservation groups' African campaigns, Jonathan S. Adams and Thomas McShane make a straightforward argument for an Afrocentric conservation policy."—African Studies Review

"A useful introduction to the complex issues that must be confronted by Africans and their concerned friends from abroad. The book's central message—that Africans are the solution and not the problem—will come as no surprise to conservationists, but it is a point well worth emphasizing nonetheless."—New York Times

"The authors' eloquent plea that "conservation cannot ignore the needs of human beings'' may be provocative, but it is long overdue. A must read, then, for conservationists, Africanists, and animal lovers."—Kirkus

"Should be essential reading for anyone with an interest in the future of the African continent, its wildlife and its people."—New Scientist

"The 'Myth of wild Africa' . . . is the false notion that Africa was ever a continent untouched by the hand of man, and that its wildlife can be conserved without winning the support of its people . . . It is a brave attempt to take sentimentality out of conservation."—The Economist