152BOOK REVIEWSfirst director of what is now the National Gallery of Zimbabwe. It describes whatconstitutes Cyrene art, and what distinguishes it from other 'schools' such as thatof the Serima art fostered by Paterson's contemporary, Fr Groeber. This bookassesses Paterson's influence, and records the further work of his best-knownpupils, artists like Job Kekana, Adomech Moyo and Sam Songo. It tells of theimpact overseas of Cyrene art Š- it is of considerable interest to read the manyexcerpts (pp. 53-5) from the critical acclaim given the London exhibition in1949.The book is well produced and the text is ably supported with illustrations.This is a generous tribute to someone who was both an intriguing personality andan important influence in Zimbabwe's recent cultural history.University of ZimbabweP. GlFFORDNow I Call him Brother By Alec Smith. Basingstoke, Marshall, Morgan & Scott,1984, 128 pp., £1.75 (p/b), ISBN 0-551-01079-7.This is the personal story of Ian Smith's son, Alec. A problem schoolboy, hebecame a disastrous student at Rhodes University where he immersed himself instudent rebellion and the drag culture, spectacularly failing his exams and beingexpelled at the end of his first year. Back in Rhodesia, he did little, spending histime 'high' on drugs. His father Š 'to "clean up" his hippie son' (p. 22) Š ensuredthat he did not evade his military call-up. He hated his military training; the highpoint of this period was being caught in possession of drugs and convicted by amilitary court. After this training he made his living pushing drugs, but waseventually caught smuggling marijuana in from Mozambique. Amid considerablenational and international publicity Š 'Premier's Son on Drugs Charge' (p. 35)Š he was convicted, but escaped with a relatively light fine.Then came conversion to Christianity and Moral Re-Armament (MRA).This brought about a personal change of heart, some insight into the injustice ofRhodesian society, and dedication to reconciliation within the country. At anMRA Conference on Reconciliation, held at the University of Rhodesia in 1975,his recounting of the story of his conversion brought about a similar experience inthe life of Black nationalist, Arthur Kanodereka. Soon afterwards, Smith andKanodereka began to tour the country preaching reconciliation, using theirfriendship as a sign of what could happen nationwide if others took the same step.Apart from time spent on military service and at MRA headquarters inSwitzerland (where he met his Norwegian wife), Smith worked with Kanoderekauntil the latter's murder in 1978. Smith has continued working for reconciliation,since 1981 helping to unite the three former warring armies into the newZimbabwean army.Basically, the book chronicles a conversion to Christianity. It tells of theprevious dissolute life, the initial reluctance to change, the personal reorientation,and the subsequent involvement. He admits that he became 'higher* onChristianity than he ever was on drugs Š *rny father did ask me one day if I everdid anything in moderation!' (p. 47). The book's theme, as the back coverexplains, is 'how God can take a dedicated life and help to change the course ofBOOK REVIEWS153history'. The theme is thus the MRA understanding (the book is published byMRA) of the importance of personal change: society will be changed by thechanged hearts of individuals, by personal reconciliation. This exclusive stress onsocial change through personal conversion puts Smith some distance from thevarious forms of liberation theology which constitute probably the dominantstream in Christianity today. This stream pays far more attention to the injusticeinherent in structures and systems, and is less sanguine that those who benefitfrom the present structures will voluntarily relinquish those benefits.Those who would hope to find here new information on the inner workings ofthe Rhodesian Government, or new disclosures on the transition to Zimbabwe,will be disappointed. It is not that sort of book. At some points, the authorsuggests that his activity (either as an individual or with MRA) influencednational events. These occasions include the 1975 MRA conference; hisintroducing Kanodereka to his father Š 'it was the irst time [Ian Smith] had evermet a black nationalist socially.... Dad was bowled over by his sincerity and hiscourage' (pp. 84-5) Š which it is claimed helped Ian Smith to understandMugabe later; and his setting up this meeting between his father and Mugabe thenight before Mugabe was declared Prime Minister, which is described as *ameeting with profound significance to the country5 (p. 86), The evidence in thebook is too limited to enable the reader to evaluate the significance of theseactivities Š perhaps it is unrealistic to expect more from what is basically anaccount of a spiritual odyssey.The book is well written, racy (even slangy Š the author is not infrequently'stoned out of his tree') and well-structured. If the author reveals no startling newhistorical information, he portrays several things very effectively, not least hisrelationship with his father for whom he obviously has considerable affectiondespite their profound and wide-ranging differences of opinion.University of ZimbabweP. GIFFORD