Give Me a Dog's Life Any Day

Book excerpt: Give Me a Dog's Life Any Day, the second book of African Absurdities by Hama Tuma, is a collection of satirical articles on the African and the world political reality, of the double standards that exist, the follies of governments and politicians and of citizens too. There is parody here, ironic laughter at the very serious problems of Africa, a call to ponder on the failures of governance, the lack of democracy using the prism of irreverent satire. Nothing is sacred; the pompous leaders are made fun of and their naked state exposed. Book II of African Absurdities goes even farther than Book I in poking fatal fun at African leaders, their patrons in the West and at life in general. This is a book that will entertain and make you laugh but it will be the laughter of the knowing, the victim, the conscious and the one who is keen on justice but is realistic enough to know that this world is not fair to the weak and the defenseless.