"That is what I eventually realized in Africa. Stories are true in that they come from somewhere, they grow, they take form, they shape lives and realities. But if you start craving *truth* in the larger sense, you need to step back and pay attention more broadly to the entire accumulation of stories - the varied voices overlapping in a chorus, each one offering something on its own but fully meaningful only when heard with the others as a single whole."

Through a decade of researching and reporting on specifically, the revitalization efforts at Mozambique's Gorongosa National Park by an American entrepreneur turned philanthropist and more broadly, western attempts to save Africa, Hanes calls out the vast discrepancy between the narrative the western media sells and the stories of the people and land being "saved" - refraining from vilifying any perspective.

Seems like it always boils down to the complicating fact that all is interconnected and multifaceted so tread consciously or don't embark. ( )

What happens when you mix a country scarred by years of civil war, a decades-old wildlife park billionaire with a desire to restore the park and raise the standard of living of the people living in it? The answer is not as simple as it might seem. Stephanie Hanes spent several years tracking the history of Mozambique’s Gorongosa National Park and Greg Carr’s efforts to restore the park to its former grandeur.
Somehow, the road to restoring a paradise was more difficult, contradictory and expensive than anyone thought. While many people in the West may agree on the value of conserving and restoring native animal populations, the people actually living in the Park have very different perspectives. Similarly, is the man who kills an animal in the park for food for his family a good provider, or is he a poacher?
Hanes does a remarkable job of providing a balanced view of the good and the not-so-good in the saga to restore the Park. Like a good journalist, she asks the hard questions and does not simply fawn over a man who is doing ‘good’ work. She also avoids being the cynical skeptic and doubting the good in everything.
As someone who has a deep affection for Africa and its people, I wrestled with the questions Hanes raised and realized that there are no easy answers or simple solutions—no matter how much money someone can bring. I heartily recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the goal of conservation in Africa—or really anywhere else. However, if someone is looking for a story that fits into their pre-conceived ideas of what works—or what doesn’t—in the world of conservation, they may want to avoid a book like this that will challenge their assumptions and simplistic worldview.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher with the expectation I would provide an honest review, which I have. ( )

Once you swallow the Red Pill and realize that the world doesn't operate the way mainstream media would like us to believe it does, you realize just how untrue most things you used to take for granted really are. One of those narratives is that of the environmental conservationists trying to help protect the environment and many species of animals in Africa. And, naturally, helping the environment must be helpful to humans too?

Stephanie Hanes does a wonderful job exploring exactly that narrative, using Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique as the center-point. She spent a long time there and did a lot of research, both with the founder of the park, as well as with locals. The actual story is, of course, much more nuanced than the mainstream stories would have us believe. From the original failed attempts to make a nature preserve at Gorongosa, to the death of the elephant G5, and landing a red helicopter on the local mountaintop, Gorongosa park has been overwhelmed with missteps and embarrassment. Much of which would go away if white westerners would just keep their noses out of trying to "civilize" and "protect" Africa.

In fact, sadly, not much has changed since colonization in regards to white people trying to "save" Africa and Africans. And insidiously, these days, what white people do in Africa, being framed in the lens of conservation efforts, doesn't leave as bad a taste in people's mouths as outright subjugation, even though the results are not much different. This book does a wonderful job teasing out those nuances from the glossy magazines and lush nature documentaries. Well worth a read. ( )

While I have read books before citing Western aid in Africa as more harmful than helpful, I feel that the author did a very good job of breaking down both sides of environmental/conservation issues in Africa and not necessarily making one side the enemy. Her overall message basically stressed that in order to make aid work, one must shed all preconceived Western ideas and be open to learning things from a new point of view. This was a difficult book to read and did take me awhile to get through (the elephant story just about wrecked me), but I think it was well worth the time. ( )

A well written, eye opening account about the admirable, but misguided attempt of outsiders to save Africa. The Elephant chapter was emotionally difficult to read. Highly recommended. ( )