Absolutely. The is more than a book; it is a tool for intellectual decolonization. Faloyin doesn’t just tell you that Africa is complex—he shows you, street by street, dictator by dictator, meal by meal.

Where many books about Africa end with despair, Faloyin’s narrative finds its climax in celebration. He dedicates significant attention to the continent’s cultural renaissance, focusing on the global rise of Afrobeats (from Fela Kuti to Burna Boy and Wizkid) and the astonishing output of Nollywood, Nigeria’s film industry. Importantly, Faloyin does not frame these cultural products as “responses” to the West. They are not postcolonial rebuttals; they are simply industries built by and for Africans, which have, as a secondary effect, captured global attention. This distinction is crucial. By refusing to center the Western viewer, Faloyin models the very perspective shift his book demands. He shows that Africa’s future is not about being “seen” by the world, but about Africans seeing themselves—and creating for themselves—on their own terms.

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History, Politics, Cultural Criticism, Sociology

"Faloyin writes with a rare blend of sharp academic precision and engaging, accessible humor. This is required reading for anyone looking to unlearn colonial history."