Lantern author Professor Wangari Maathai has a new book out. Entitled The Challenge for Africa, the book aims to provide a (welcome) contrast to the barrage of voices on Africa that come from white, non-African, men (Bono, Bob Geldof, Nicholas Kristof, Jeffrey Sachs, William Easterly, Paul Collier, et al.). In the book, Prof. looks at the legacies of colonialism, failed leadership post-Independence, and the culture of dependency caused by unfair trade rules, poorly targeted aid, and corruption from the top to the bottom and shows how they have held Africa back.

Characteristically, she advocates for a grassroots revival, and offers a clarion call for individuals of character and integrity to lead Africa to self-determination and self-confidence. It's a powerful and prophetic book, and it offers a (sadly) all-too-rare perspective: that of an African, who still lives in Africa, and knows and loves her continent enough to tell the unvarnished truth.