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Contributions from
the Column
Media
Fantu Cheru, Colin Bradford Jr. (eds.): Financing the Millennium Goals
Andreas Mehler, Henning Melber et al. (eds.): Africa Yearbook 2004
Franz Kolland, August Gächter (eds.): Introduction to development sociology
OECD (ed.): Climate change and development
8-9/2006 |
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Indispensable resource
Andreas Mehler, Henning Melber,
Klaas van Walraven (eds.):
Africa Yearbook 2004. Politics, Economy and Society South of the Sahara.
Leiden, Brill Academic Publishers 2005,
495 p., ¤40.00, ISBN 90-04-14462-5
From 1988 to 2004 the Institute of African Affairs (IAK) in Hamburg published a yearbook on political, social and economic developments in sub-Saharan Africa. This series has been re-designed. For the first time, the yearbook is now available in English, as a co-production of the African Institutes in Uppsala (Sweden), Leiden (Netherlands) and Hamburg. The yearbook contains survey articles about the continent and its individual regions, as well as relationships between the European Union and Africa. In addition, country studies provide brief but concise analyses. Most of the articles reveal the links between domestic, regional and international developments, and present them in their historical context. Unlike previous publications, the editors have unfortunately dispensed with articles on individual topics.
The contributing authors are established authorities on their topics, and are mainly from European research institutes. The book remains coherent, despite different methodological and theoretical approaches. It is written in a readily-accessible style. The Africa Yearbook is an indispensable resource for scholars, journalists, development cooperation practitioners, diplomats and business people.
A more attractive layout and a detailed index, however, would have made it even more user-friendly. The period of time which elapsed between the year under review and publication could also have been briefer.
Ruben Eberlein
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