is the ancient homeland of the Miji Kenda people; that farmers,
herders and hunters represent historically racial:types; and
that tho Oroma and related Galla-speaking peoples occupied the
Horn before 1600.   Evidence to the contr'aryhas been published
by Turton, Lewis and Morton.
          'East Africa and the Orient does contain some new infor-
mation on Chinese and Arab geographical knowledge of the East
African coast, but the remainder of the volume is a rehash of
old material and ideas.   Trimingham and Wheatley, respectively,
introduce many new Arab and Chinese sources on East Africa.     Un-
fortunatel~, none shed any new light on coast peoples and cul-
tures. Chi ttick, ~1athews and Kirkman, who each have studied
East Africa for the past thirty years      more, produce no archaeo-
logical evidence or interpretations 'that have not already appeared'
in print.
           Another disappointment ,is the lack of overall design
and purpose of the papers.   None deals with "cultural syntheses"
as the title suggests, none makes'use of extensive'evidence of
cultural syntheses relative to the eighteenth and nineteenth
centuries and,none tackles the question of 'the origins and
development of Swahili culture, and particularly its "arabicist;!.-
tion".  Material on cultural interaction       in fact, very slim.
                                                     meandering,
Most of the papers also adopt a
                                                    volume is not
style that leads to no 'conclusions.'
worth the price.
                                           Morton. UBS.   Gaborone)


of the major issues concerning mass communication media in
developing countries.
           This media debate in the international   forums like
UNESCO is also taking place with great intensity at the regional
and national levels.    ~Ii;is part of the whole discussion about
the,decolonisation process which has not yet been completed in
some aspects 'like mass media.    For the purpose of further clari-
fication of issues and factors which may help us to prescribe
the necessary and appropriate solutions it is important that
this debate about the mass media be intensified and done in its
proper context.
           In various national and international conferences, in
disc~ussions in the media institutions and circles, the emphasis
seems to be on the role, structure, ownership, control, content,
survival and growth of the mass media.     In developing countries
which are trying to hasten their socio-economic advance, the
media if properly used can be effective instruments in that
process.   ,The debate about,national development therefore contri-
butes greatly to the media debate.
           During the past couple of years much literature has
come out dealing with communication problems ?nd prescribing some
solutions.   On Africa one of the latest books 1rlhichhas come out
is I1ThePress of Africa : Persecution and Perseverancel1 by
Frank Barton at the prohibitive price of £12.     In this book Frank
Barton-discusses the problems of the press and journalists mainly
in non-Arab Africa •
         . But the book unfortunately is not a serious contribution
to the debate on the major issues facing the press in Africa.       It
does not discuss in any reasonable length the major issues which
concern the .media and the journalists.    It Goncent-rates On per-
 sonal experiences of individual journalists Frank Barton Came
across during his 25 or so years of working as a Journalist and
 trainer of journalists in different parts of Africa. The dis-
 cussion on the experiences of individual journalists and inci-


           Frank Barton does not take into account that the pro.
blems of African journalists are related to the fact ,that they
operate in a society which is trying'to move away from western
economic and cultural domination.    He ignores the fact that
Africa is in a state of trallsition. Certain conflicts have to
escalate before lasting solutions can be found and if the tran-
sition is to reach its logical ,conclusion and avoid distortion.
Like other liberals, Frank Barton does not realise t~at replacing
expatriates with Africans is only part of the answer.    !rhe
content, and not just th,e form, is a primary factor.   Journalists
do not work in a vacUUm.   The'y oPerate in   social system with
values and a direction which they can either support or oppose.
           The problems of the masS media anc:'l
                                               the communicators
reflect the level of socio;-economicdevelopment and the current
political direction of the state. 1t is not merely because
African rulers are eccentric and African journalists are oppor-
tunists and cowards.   Some 'of the problems of African journalists
can only be solved through their own organisation, unity and
struggle at national, continental and international levels. Some
can only be solved if the political direction changes. Others
are solved as the country develops and these include more and
better training and the acquisi Hon   ot'experience.  Freedom of
speech is relative.   Its definition depends on the political
outlook of the definer irrespective of whether that definer is
conscious or unconscious of his orientation and 'bias.
           \fuen        about, individUal experiences of
ists one needs
                                                      on a commer-
                                                     opposed to
cial
that process.'


'rbi- •• , not be soornece$$ary     if the book is meant for enter-
 taiuentrather     than asacontributionto      the debate on the
.e41a and search for appropriate 6o~ution6.
                                          CMr. Rusere Nyongoni - NairQb.i)
Hans ..Joachim Heinz .and MarshaU.Lee- Namkwa:
Lifeamoilg the BnsbUJen.JonathaoCape
London . 1978. 271 ,p.£6.50
               Hans-Joachim Heinz's narrative of his ~ife among the
 San communi ties of the Ka~ahari in Botswana, is technically a
 well written book.     It is free of either linguistic or conceptual
 complications, and is vivid in terms of the pictures and situa-
 tions it evokes.     Thanks to the cooperation of Marshall Lee who
 collaborated with Hans-Joachim Heinz in the writing of the book.
               If this book had peen written perhaps thirty years
 ago, it would have been even better received, for in a way, its
  total import lacks sensitivity to modern critical anthropological
  thinking, and the sensibilities of the post-war gener.ation of
  Africans. particularly in Southern Africa would find Heinz's
  story subtly distaBtefu~.     In her foreword to the bOOk, the late
  Margaret Mead writes that;
                "This book is a unique story of one of the
                   more romantic episodes in the .history
                   of the encounters between a European
                   scientist aild a primitive, people. The
                   encounter began as a scientific eXPedi-
                   tion by a middle-age4 parasitologist
                   into the Kalahari desert, where he fell
                   in love with a Bushman girl, becaMe
                   eilamoured of BUshman culture, ani!
                   returned again and again, to investigate
                   new aspects     Bushman life, and finally
                   to attempt     introduce the .Bushmen to"a