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.
About the Author
Hama Tuma was born in Addis Abeba, Ethiopia, in 1949. A conscience that refused to sleep made him a militant for democracy and justice and made sure he would have a troubled life. Three governments in Ethiopia have banned him and inadvertently helped him to sharpen his satirical pen. A novelist and a poet, Hama Tuma has written (in English) The Case of the Socialist Witchdoctor and Other Stories (Heinemann 1993), Of Spades and Ethiopians and Eating an American (poetry collections) and other books in his own language. Hama Tuma has traveled extensively though he is now "based" in Paris where he lives with his wife and a daughter.
Give Me a Dog's Life Any Day: African Absurdities II
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. 
