Publications

Barrera-Bassols, N. and J.A. Zinck (2000) Ethnopedology in a worldwide perspective: an annotated bibliography. ITC Publications No. 77. 636 pp. ISBN 90-6164-1772. NLG 50 plus postage and packaging. Discount for students who send a copy of their student card. (Please inquire about the exact price.) International Institute for Aerospace Survey and Earth Sciences (ITC), P.O. Box 6, 7500 AA Enschede, the Netherlands.
Fax: +31-53-487 4400.

(See also IK&DM 8(2), July 2000, where this publication was first mentioned under 'Preview: Important new books'.)

Ethnopedology is the study of local knowledge of soils. Narciso Barrera-Bassols, a Mexican geographer and the principal author of this bibliography, has been involved in this field for a longer time than most of us. He wrote on this topic in a Mexican journal back in 1988. He first contacted me in 1995 after I had published a short article on the methodological difficulties of collecting local soil taxonomies (see IK&DM 3 (1), April 1995). At the time, he was already making plans to assemble the first comprehensive bibliography on ethnopedology. It was an admirable and ambitious endeavour, as publications on the topic tend to be scarce and difficult to locate. Five years and a lot of hard work later, the bibliography is here.

This reference book is a unique and invaluable source for anyone studying local knowledge of soils. It lists ethnopedological references related to 61 countries and no fewer than 217 ethnic groups scattered over all the major continents. For most of the references, keywords and a short abstract (of between one paragraph and one page) are provided. Useful introductions to ethnopedology and to the material presented in the bibliography have been written by Victor M. Toledo and the authors. Very handy are the five indices at the end of the bibliography: by author, geographical area, agro-ecological zone, ethnic group, and theme. It is clear that an effort was made to make the wealth of material as accessible as possible.

An important question to ask when evaluating a bibliography is how complete it is. The short answer in this case is that it is far from complete. The long answer is that it is probably as complete as it could get without postponing publication indefinitely. A bibliography on a subject as obscure in some respects as ethnopedology will always remain a work in progress. There are still many small-scale publications, reports and unpublished materials out there that contain ethnopedological information but were not included in the bibliography. (Readers who know of omissions are encouraged to report them to the first author at barrera@itc.nl or to write to him at: ITC, Soil Science Division, P. O. Box 6 - 192, 7500AA Enschede, the Netherlands.) From my own experience studying ethnopedology in Burkina Faso, I know that year after year one continues to accidentally stumble on relevant material. In a way this bibliography can be seen as a great stimulus for filling in the many gaps in our knowledge of ethnopedology, in terms not only of the references waiting to be identified, but also the research that still needs to be done. The review in the book clearly indicates the countries and ethnic groups for which no references were found, as well as the conceptual topics that require further exploration.

The one criticism I have of the book is that it is actually two bibliographies in one. One covers ethnopedology in the narrow sense of the word, and the other lists publications on subjects that are, as the authors call it, 'of ethnopedological interest'. This means they represent a way of looking at local people and the natural environment that is conducive to good ethnopedological research. Such publications were included in the book mainly because of the authors' preference for a holistic approach to ethnopedology. While I am in favour of a holistic approach that includes attention for kosmos, corpus and praxis, I would not have minded if these publications, especially those not discussing anything related to soil, had been left out. On the other hand, for researchers and development workers in remote parts of the world who are without access to extensive, computerized university library catalogues, this well-indexed selection of interesting and sometimes groundbreaking publications 'of ethnopedological interest' may be very useful.

(Dr David Niemeijer, Environmental Systems Analysis Group, Wageningen University, the Netherlands. E-mail: DNiemeijer@rcl.wau.nl)

Bersselaar, Dimitri van den (1998) In search of Igbo identity: Language, culture and politics in Nigeria, 1900-1966. 363 pp. ISBN none. Ph.D thesis with the Research School CNWS, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9515, 2300 RA Leiden, the Netherlands. The dissertation edition is sold out and will not be reprinted, but talks are going on with a publisher about a slightly revised new edition. Meanwhile, the original edition, which is reviewed here, is available in libraries in the Netherlands, Great Britain and Nigeria (Ibadan University Library; UNN Nsukka Library; National Archives, Enugu).
Author's e-mail: D.D.W.Van-DeBersselaar@liverpool.ac.uk

Born and raised in Schiedam, the Netherlands, the author holds a degree in African history (Nigeria) from Leiden University. Between 1993 and 1998 he was employed by Leiden University as a research trainee attached to the Research School CNWS. He also lectured part-time in the African studies programme.

 Following the standard form of a dissertation, the book opens with a formal statement of the problem. This is followed by a description of the study's objectives, relevance, theoretical orientation, and methodology, and a presentation of the findings and conclusions. The author adopted the social relations theory in preference to the culture theory of ethnicity as his theoretical framework.. His aim was to trace the developmental process of Igbo ethnic identity from its formative years in the 1900s to its attainment of universal acceptance and maturity in the 1960s. He pursued this goal with dedication and singleness of purpose using data generated from three main sources, namely:

• documents (official and unofficial) which include archival materials from the Church Missionary Society, London; the Colonial Office, London; Rhodes House, Oxford; Nigerian National Archives; F.C Ogbalu's private papers; and various books, journals, pamphlets, and newspapers;
• formal interviews with 17 individuals from various parts of Nigeria and Europe;
• site visits and informal discussions with individuals and groups, including the reviewer.

Van den Bersselaar's data analysis follows the ethnographic tradition of establishing an analytic strategy, identifying indigenous categories, and relating the indigenous categories to the key research questions. Consequently, his analysis is both holistic and multi-dimensional, providing detailed narrative information and in-depth descriptions as well as explanations of events and relationships. Focusing on two strategic ethnic emblems - culture and language - he systematically traces the public debates on these subjects that took place during three periods: the colonial period, the period of Christian missionary activities, and the period during which Nigerian party politics developed and the Igbo were politically mobilized. His major findings and conclusions are the following:

• Igbo identity emerged as part of the colonial interaction. It reflects colonial notions.
• Various other local identities had developed in the process. These were not eradicated by the emergence of a pan-Igbo identity.
• The strength of Igbo identity lies in its ability to accommodate these local varieties and thus bridge the gaps between aspects of identity that appear contradictory and paradoxical and are seemingly irreconcilable (p. 17).

One does not need to agree with all the views, interpretations and explanations proffered by the author throughout the work. To mention just one, his 'claim that the modern image of traditional Igbo culture, also for the Igbo themselves, is to a large extent a Christianized image' (p. 170) is to my mind an overstatement. His use of the concept of 'Chukwu' as the supreme God in order to support his claim fails to withstand even a superficial test. The Aro Igbo and their deity (cult) Chukwu (hence Aro-Chukwu) surely predate the Christian missionary activities in Nigeria.

The work has a number of insights and implications for indigenous knowledge systems. For instance the idea of 'autonomous village democracy' (p. 193) could be useful in efforts to strengthen modern democratic practice in African societies. Similarly, the fact that the 'Ozo' title could traditionally be conferred only on people recognized for integrity and honest living could be adopted both by the Christian churches and by the political administrators in power in order to restore the badly damaged moral fiber of Nigerian society. On the whole, the book is a good ethnography on Igbo ethnogenesis.

(Professor Dan S. Obikeze, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka - Nigeria)

Castner, James Lee; Stephen L. Timme and James A. Duke (1998) A field guide to medicinal and useful plants of the Upper Amazon. vi + 154 pp. ISNB 0-9625150-7-8. USD 35 plus shipping cost. Feline Press, P.O. Box 7219, Gainesville, FL 32605, USA.
E-mail: jlcastner@aol.com

Dr James L. Castner is an adjunct professor of Biology at Pittsburg State University (Kansas, USA). He leads workshops and tours to the tropics with Rainforest Ventures and produces educational and training materials in cooperation with Feline Press. Stephen L. Timme is an associate professor of Botany at Pittsburg State University. He is the Vice-President for Scientific Research of the Amazon Center for Environmental Education and Research (ACEER). The ethnobotanist James Duke is now retired, but much of his 30-year professional career in the US Department of Agriculture involved researching the cancer-fighting properties of plants.

Together they produced this easy-to-use guide for the layperson interested in plants that have medicinal uses and/or some agricultural, economic, or cultural importance. They had noticed that many of the people visiting the Amazon each year have a special interest in medicinal plants and would also like to know more about the important products and crops that are grown in the region.

The result is a colourful book describing 113 plant species and a great variety of traditional uses. It is a photo-oriented guide that can be carried in the field and used by anyone wishing to identify plants and compare their physical characteristics. (The authors point out that visitors to the ACEER and to the Explornapo Camp outside Iquitos, Peru, will find many of the species described in the guide growing in the ReNuPeru Medicinal Plant Garden or along the Medicinal Plant Trail.) The purpose of the guidebook, then, is to educate and entertain in an informative and enjoyable manner.

The book begins with an illustrated introduction to botanical terminology and to such variables as leaf margin, shape, arrangement and type, and flower anatomy and type. This is followed by a useful glossary of botanical terms, and a discussion of selected Amazonian plants, such as virola, coca, strychnine, curare, and ayahuasca. The descriptions of the 113 plant species and their uses complete the book. The species are listed alphabetically according to their Latin names.

Although I think the authors have done a wonderful job, I would have two criticisms to make. The first concerns the selection of plant species. Not all of them are native to the Upper Amazon. The authors include such exotic species as sugar cane, star fruit, turmeric, ginger, mango, air plant, breadfruit, coffee, and rice. Their selection is based on what they consider to be the most important and representative plants of the Upper Amazon. I would have preferred greater concentration on species that are indigenous to the Amazon, certainly as regards the choice of species to be illustrated in colour.

The second criticism concerns the exclusion of the Peruvian curandero Don Antonio Montero Pisco as author. Why did this traditional scientist not rate this status? He was born and raised in the rainforest of the Peruvian Amazon. His skills with medicinal plants and herbal remedies came from his grandfather, who was a powerful shaman. In 1996 Don Antonio Montero Pisco started the ReNuPeru Medicinal Plant Garden, where he and his sons now cultivate over 160 species of useful and medicinal herbs, shrubs, and trees. Actually, he is the curator of this botanical garden. In return for all his collaboration, the authors have acknowledged him merely for 'generously sharing his knowledge' with them and with the rest of the world.

Finally, I would like to briefly mention a shortcoming. For some of the species there are no pictures of either flowers or fruits. The user must rely on verbal descriptions. This is a pity.

All in all, however, this field guide is very useful for travellers, practitioners of traditional medicine, naturalists, students, environmentalists, botanists, ethnobiologists, and anyone else interested in useful plants.

(Eraldo Medeiros Costa Neto, ethnobiology researcher, Feira de Santana State University, Brazil. E-mail: eraldont@uefs.br http://www.sbee.org.br )

Chi, Augustine Muam (1999) Co-management of forest in Cameroon: the compatibility of government policies with indigenous practices. PhD Thesis, University of Twente, Enschede, the Netherlands. 198 pp. ISBN: 90-365 1377 4. No more copies available. Readers interested to obtain this publication by e-mail or in computer print may contact: Technology and Development Group, Secretariat (CT 18 09), University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, the Netherlands.
Tel.: +31-53-489 3545.
E-mail: sec@tdg.utwente.nl

In Cameroon, legislation in 1994 set the stage for community forestry and co-management. But a central question has remained: 'What is the appropriate management unit for community forests?' The legislation calls for the creation of a management council for each community forest area.

Some scholars are questioning the logic of the state's mandated community forestry management units. They think that indigenous and traditional management units might work much better than those set up by the law. Others worry that traditional management is by nature non-democratic, thus impeding social progress, or that traditional management has been weakened in many localities by state and commercial intrusions. This question has a bearing not only for community forests but for the management of all common property resources in central Africa where, by law, land and resources are owned by the state, and where customary tenure and management are not recognized or are ambiguously recognized.

Augustine Muam Chi has written an important study that addresses these key questions. I must point out, however, that this study is not a polished book but Chi's doctoral thesis at the University of Twente in the Netherlands. I am not even sure how one can obtain a copy, which is unfortunate because it is a study that all concerned with forest policy in central Africa should read. (And it should be translated into French!)

Chi's central argument is that indigenous forest management systems exist in Cameroon under a variety of sociopolitical structures, and they are effective - far more effective than the state's attempts to manage forests. He claims that indigenous systems are popular with the community and that 'indigenous institutions can be equated to formal laws because they belong to a system that is governed by 'rule of law'.' He bases this argument on case studies from four sites: Bafut Kingdom and Kilum Mountain (communal forests in North West Province), So'o Lala Forest Reserve (government reserve in Centre and South Provinces), and Dja Wildlife Reserve (biosphere reserve in East Province). He also examines two pilot projects in government reserves in the Central Provinces.

Chi bases his arguments not only on his own evidence but also on the findings of other studies of indigenous forest management systems in Cameroon. Clearly, Chi knows his subject well.

His descriptions of the indigenous institutions are detailed and colourful. To portray their flexibility and ingenuity, he shows how the fons or chiefs of western Cameroon are able to keep external elites such as business people and forest officials in line by giving them 'titles' and involving them in chiefly councils (Quifor). Thus co-opted into the system, these elites then invest in the communities and obey the council's decisions. The evolution in the management of sacred groves is highlighted.

Chi also describes the importance of the indigenous forestry knowledge that is incorporated into the management practices. At the So-o Lala site, for example, local experts described how certain trees - Atod, Ndum (Ceiba pentandra) and Ebaie - are protected because their leaves provide a rich mulch that enriches the soil and improve crop yields. Medicinal plants such as Ndom (Pachypodathum standti), Esok (Garcinia Lucinda), and Atoh are also protected.

Chi is not always optimistic. He identifies many threats not only to the forests in Cameroon but also to the indigenous institutions that manage them. These threats include migration, population pressure, commercialization, unmanaged logging and ambiguous tenure regimes. A major threat seems to be poorly conceived conservation and forestry projects, some of which he agonizingly describes. In the aftermath of one project, he agrees that 'It is indisputable that where participants and project personnel are poorly trained, the harvest is ill-timed, the wrong trees are cut, logging damage is excessive, and overcutting occurs, the result is deforestation.'

The book will be of interest to anyone concerned with forest management and policy in central Africa, and to all students of indigenous forest management, decentralization and common property management. Despite the number of sites visited and the exhaustive bibliographic research, however, there will be some who ask whether the picture Chi presents really does represent the range of indigenous forest management systems in Cameroon. Many of the examples of strong institutions come from the more hierarchical societies of West Cameroon, where there is in fact very little forest. More biophysical evidence of conservation, as presented in Misreading the African landscape by Melissa Leach and James Fairhead, would have helped to convince skeptics of the strength of indigenous institutions. (Bernhard Venema reviewed that book in IK&DM 6(3))

Chi will have to deal with these questions in his next book. I also look forward to the publication of journal articles based on his thesis, and to Chi's future studies of indigenous forest management systems and how they cope with the fast-changing forestry sector in Cameroon.

Anyone interested in the fate of Cameroon's forests will have to read the World Resources Institute's 1999 report entitled Global Forest Watch Cameroon. This institute is also involved in forest policy reform and will be carrying out a major study this year on the decentralization of forest management in Cameroon. Innovative Resources Management (IRM), a Washington-based NGO, is doing participatory mapping of forest resources at three sites in Cameroon. To find out more about these activities, visit the websites of the Central African Regional Program on the Environment (CARPE) and IRM: http://carpe.umd.edu and www.irmgt.com.

(Diane Russell, PhD (anthropology), Advisor to CARPE and US Agency for International Development, Congo Mission; currently a master's student at Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, USA. E-mail: diane.russell@yale.edu. CARPE partners working in Cameroon - Jesse Ribot and J.G. Collomb (WRI), Nicodeme Tchamou (CARPE Regional office), and Michael Brown (IR M) - provided comments for this review.)

Corbeels, Marc; Abebe Shiferaw, and Mitiku Haile (February 2000) Farmers' knowledge of soil fertility and local management strategies in Tigray, Ethiopia. 23 pp. ISSN 1560-3520. Working Paper #10 in the series Managing Africa's Soils. Sent free upon request to readers in non-OECD countries. Readers from OECD countries are encouraged to download the papers from IIED's website. Contact: IIED-Drylands Programme, 3 Endsleigh Street, London WC 1H ODD, United Kingdom.
Fax: +44-207-388 2826.
E-mail: drylands@iied.org
http://www.iied.org/downloadable papers

This publication primarily describes how farmers in two villages classify soils according to their fertility levels and, importantly, how farmers manage soil fertility. This publication will be of interest to anyone with a concern for sustainable land management. The authors are researchers; two are at a university in Tigray and one is with CSIRO in Australia.

This easy-to-read publication is structured as follows. It begins with a summary in English and in French. The introduction then discusses the importance of local knowledge and, in brief, the methodology used. The area of study is described in section two.

The third section describes soil fertility and farmers' perceptions of it. Due to the limited and erratic rainfall of the region, soil fertility in this case is most closely linked with the soil's capacity to hold water. Three types of soil were distinguished mainly on the basis of their topographical sequence. Bottomland soils were the most productive. A local system for classifying soils was also described. It too included crop productivity and topographical sequence as the major criteria. I wondered if the 'local classification of soil fertility' is a subset of the more general soil classification. More analysis of the relationships between the two classifications would have been interesting.

A fourth section describes the local practices for managing soil fertility. The major strategies discussed are fallowing, crop rotation, crop residues, manuring, mineral fertilizers, weeding, and terraces. Changes over time are described as well as constraints on the use of animal manures. Farmers' perceptions of the relationship between tillage practices and soil productivity are also described. The final subsection deals with factors affecting nutrient management. These include policies at the national level.

Farmers' experimentation with different manure sources is described in section five. The way the farmers ranked the different manures correlated closely with the results of nutrient analysis. A more detailed description of this experimental process would have better supported the important conclusions drawn in section six about how farmer experimentation can be improved.

Integrated soil fertility management is emphasized as a concept that should be adopted by researchers and extensionists. The main point is that soil fertility management should not be separate from overall land management.

This publication, while interesting for its descriptive merit, could have done more to analyze and synthesize the descriptions provided, particularly of the constraints faced by farmers seeking to reverse local soil degradation. For example, to improve soil fertility by integrating livestock and cropping systems seemed a daunting challenge given the constraints described. More discussion of strategies for overcoming constraints, including the role of researchers, would have been interesting. Nevertheless, this publication contributes to the overall body of knowledge on local knowledge of soils, particularly the important and dynamic aspect of improving soil productivity.

(Deirdre Birmingham, Ph.D., Executive Director, Georgia Organics, Inc., Alpharetta, GA 30022 USA. E-mail: deirdreb@mindspring.com)

Critchley, Will, with Roshan Cooke, Tijan Jallow, Sophie Lafleur, Mineke Laman, Janet Njoroge, Verity Nyagah and Emmanuelle Saint-Firmin (eds) (1999) Promoting farmer innovation. Harnessing local environmental knowledge in East Africa. Workshop Report No.2. 130 pp. ISBN 9966-896-45-7. USD10. Please send cheque made payable to CDCS-International Cooperation Centre, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1115, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands, or contact: the Publications Officer, Regional Land Management Unit (RELMA), ICRAF House, Gigiri, P.O. Box 63403, Nairobi, Kenya.
Fax: +254-2-520 762.
E-mail: relma@cgiar.co
http://www.relma.org.

Accompanying video: Promoting farmer innovation. Harnessing local environmental knowledge in east Africa. (26 min.) (Video 1), Will Critchley, Injene Eric, Duncan Willets, John Kinyua, Richard Vaughan. USD15. To order, please send cheque made payable to CDCS or RELMA (for the address, see above).

The members of the book's editorial team represent three different organizations. Will Critchley and Mineke Laman are attached to the Centre for Development Cooperation Services, of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands. This centre offers technical support to partnership programmes for development. Sophie Lafleur works for the United Nations Development Programme in Nairobi, Kenya. Roshan Cooke, Janet Njoroge, Verity Nyagah, Emannuelle Saint-Firmin and Tijan Jallow also work for the United Nations Development Programme, but specifically for the Office to Combat Desertification and Drought (UNSO). The first three are based in Nairobi, the latter two in New York. UNSO promotes sustainable human development in the world's drylands and supports the efforts of the affected countries to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought. It adheres to a participatory approach, which takes the local knowledge of people in the dryland areas as an important starting point for intervention.

The book reports on developments taking place within a programme called 'Promoting Farmer Innovation' (PFI), which is currently operating in three countries of East Africa, namely Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya. The programme is based on the premise that communities facing resource scarcity have an incentive for developing innovative resource management techniques. The strategy employed in the PFI programme involves three steps: first, to identify and enlist the help of local people who have shown themselves to be innovative with respect to resource management; second, to build on these human resources through a process of research, monitoring, evaluation, experimentation, support and networking; and third, to engage the innovators in training others, thus achieving wider distribution of the innovations. The programme involves cooperation between local farmers, extension officers and local researchers.

The book is a cross between a workshop report and a manual on PFI. Some of the background information on the three current PFI projects may not be of much interest to readers who are not part of the current programme. The parts of the book that will interest most readers include the discussion of the PFI methods and the principles on which they are based, the case studies illustrating the concepts of the programme, and the preliminary evaluation of the pros and cons of the PFI approach.The book is particularly useful for development practitioners who work in dryland areas and use a participatory approach. The description of the PFI approach shows clearly how local knowledge forms a basis for improved resource management. Since the approach has only recently been put into practice, the book reports only on the early stages of PFI. It will be good to see this publication followed by a report on the next phase of the programme, and to learn whether innovation in resource management practices has indeed been achieved on a wide scale in the dryland areas that are part of the programme.

The book is accompanied by a video which provides a vivid illustration of the text in an appealing and accessible way. The principles of the programme and the steps it entails are clearly explained, which makes the video useful to a wide audience. The case studies make the principles come to life. Unfortunately, however, the case material concentrates mainly on the identification of innovators and their innovative practices. Little is shown of the process of experimentation, networking and dissemination. The local farmers were primarily filmed explaining their practices. Not much attention was given to how they became part of the change process. The video conveyed the great enthusiasm surrounding the programme. A bit more information could have been given about its shortcomings and the challenges it still faces.

(Hilde Van Vlaenderen, Department of Psychology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa. E-mail: H.Van Vlaenderen@ru.ac.za)

O'Donoghue, Rob; Lynette Masuku, Eureta Janse van Rensburg, and Mike Ward (eds) (1999) Indigenous knowledge in/as environmental education processes. EEASA Monograph No. 3. 114 pp. ISBN 1-874891-64-8. SAR 30 in South Africa; SAR 44 for countries in South Africa outside of South Africa; other USD 20, all prices including postage. Published by Environmental Education Association of Southern Africa (EEASA) in partnership with and sponsored by SADC - Regional Environmental Education Programme and Wildlife and Environmental Society of South Africa. To order, contact: Share-Net, P.O. Box 394, Howick 3290, South Africa.
Fax: +27-33-3304 576.
E-mail: sharenet@futurenet.co.za

The editors of this collection of articles include both academics and practitioners. They share an interest in how indigenous knowledge (IK) can be incorporated into environmental education processes.

The book aims 'to present a diversity of voices' on the topic of IK environmental education, with a focus on Southern Africa. It contains 18 highly varied documents, which include theoretical discussions as well as examples of good practice.

There are seven examples of the practical application of IK. Four of them -'Birds in African proverbs' (page 3), 'The tree of the king' (p. 22), 'Nature conservation: more than human survival to the Zulu people' (p. 39), and 'IKS: traditional stories on the use of indigenous plants' (p. 81) - present cultural expressions of IK in the form of stories or proverbs. These could be useful for educators working with younger audiences, as they provide entertaining examples of IK related to the environment. The other three - 'Sweet water and early Nguni people' (p. 12), 'Artemesia afra' (p. 21), and 'Traditional methods of conserving medicinal plants in Zimbabwe' (p. 56) - deal more with how to use indigenous methods and traditions: for water recollection and protection, and for the use and preservation of medicinal plants.

Two of the articles in the book stand on their own. In 'An intercultural dialogue' (p. 73), a student of Environmental Education inteviews a renowned South African biologist. Their interchange provides interesting reading and also a good example of how information can be collected and presented in interview form. The other is a list of Internet sites dealing with IK (p. 111). This is a useful resource for the modern exchange of information.

The rest of the chapters are academic articles on IK which to varying degrees combine research findings and applications. A clear message regarding the complexity of preserving and applying IK in a modern context is communicated in most of these documents. In 'Dolphins as people…' (p. 5), Sarita Kendall reminds us of the dangers of separating IK from its cultural origins, and of extracting and exploiting knowledge. Kim Le Roux (p.14) takes a similar path as Kendall but focuses on 'IK in environmental education processes'. She raises questions regarding recent definitions of IK and its appropriation by such recent movements as eco-feminism and community-based environmental projects.

In a case study of the Tsolo village (p. 24), Mandisa Ngwane presents research on how socio-cultural factors affect IK related to plant species. This study, although it is short on theoretical content, has methodological value for those interested in qualitative research. Similar to Ngwane's article is the article by Noluzola Mgxashe (p. 42), which is the only contribution dealing with agricultural IK. Backson Sibanda presents a somewhat different case study of Tonga cosmovision and IK (p. 56). This chapter includes a critique of the CAMPFIRE project on the basis of the author's own research on the importance of cosmovision and spirituality in Tonga culture. Motteux and Nel (p. 49) present a case study of research using participatory rural appraisal (PRA). It is a brief piece yet full of content, and should prove a useful example for anyone interested in trying out these techniques in their work. The authors comment on the limitations of this research approach, something that is lacking in the other three articles discussed in this paragraph.

The last three articles are reviews, and contain the highest level of theoretical content. Peter Raine's work on ecological IK (p. 62), presents an in-depth discussion of the nature of spiritual values and 'world views' in relation to this type of IK. He stresses the need to go beyond the mere recognition of different types of knowledge systems, and to reach better understanding and more respect between people who have different perceptions. Hugo Van Damme (p. 84) presents a thoughtful discussion on traditional medicine, health, and environmental education. His ideas on the integration of IK with medicine and environmental issus encourage more interdisciplinary efforts in our dealings with IK. The last paper, by O'Donoghue and Van Rensburg (p. 92) is an in-depth review of 'IK as environmental education processes' in Africa. This article will be most useful to academics, since it provides a historical review of IK, examining a variety of controversial issues that range from theoretical constructs to methodological options. Highlights of the paper include the discussions on subjects such as the 'common-sensical' nature of IK, the perception of IK as a dynamic component of current socio-political process, and the researcher's role in the idealization of his/her own activities dealing with IK.

The book will be especially useful to those involved in environmental education initiatives in developing countries, especially if they are engaged in development-oriented activities in the field. Some of the review chapters will be of value to academic readers, but on the whole the book might be inadequate for those concerned with more theoretical debates on IK. In general, this volume is a good example of how to find a creative way to integrate academic concerns with practical applications of IK in an environmental education context.

(V. Ernesto Méndez, Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, USA. E-mail: vemendez@cats.ucsc.edu. http://www.agroecology.org/ernesto.html)

Granfelt, TiiaRiitta (ed.) (1999) Managing the globalized environment. Local strategies to secure livelihoods. 192 pp. ISBN 1 85339 4513. GBP 14.95. Intermediate Technology Publications, 103-105 Southampton Row, London WC 1B 4NH, United Kingdom.
Fax: +44-207-436 2013.
E-mail: orders@itpubs.org.uk

The chapters in this volume are based on presentations given at the conference Livelihood from resource flows: Awareness and contextual analysis of environmental conflict, which took place on 19-22 August 1996 in Linköping, Sweden. The conference was organized by the Research Programme on Environmental Policy and Society (EPOS), together with the Department of Water and Environmental Studies.

As its title indicates, the book's main theses are that there is a complex relationship between secure livelihoods and sustainable resource management, and that the definition of livelihood security differs from one culture to the next. The selection of essays is intended to illustrate the complexity of the local-global interaction in environmental management. The authors discuss the links between resource base, supply, management and needs satisfaction from different perspectives and in different parts of the world. The essays also illustrate the impact of various factors on environmental management. These include value systems, entitlement patterns, governance, the production of knowledge and norm systems, and the role of institutions and technology development. The message that stands out is the urgent need to combine perspectives at different levels and from different traditions and disciplines, and to acknowledge cultural differences in styles of organization.

The book has ten chapters. The first, 'Life, livelihood, resources and security - Links, and a call for a new order', is by Anders Hjort-Af-Ornäs and Jan Lundqvist. They discuss the complexities in the relationship between humans and nature and suggest that a focus on livelihood and resource flows is a good way of approaching the issues. In the second chapter, O. Okechukwu Ibeanu analyzes the situation of the Ogoni of Nigeria, who have become the symbol of rural communities' militant resistance to the environmental degradation and economic ruin that results from crude-oil production. The third chapter, by Peter J. Rogers et al., explores the theoretical issues of environmental security, definitions of resources, unrest, and the levels of conflict involved. He examines the case of the people versus the park authorities of Tanzania's Mkomazi Game Reserve in order to discuss how such a conflict can be mitigated. The fourth chapter, by Maj-Lis Follér, views the process of globalization among ethnic groups of Peru from the perspective of human ecology. The fifth chapter, by Christer Norström, discusses the cultural values, norms and meaning reflected in the way the Paliyans of South India utilize available resources in the face of growing competition and expanding strategies. In the sixth chapter, Eduardo S. Brondízio analyzes in terms of intensification parameters a system of food production used on the Amazon estuarine flood plains. The seventh chapter, by Jannik Boesen et al., deals with the practices and organizations by which water and land is managed in Tanzania's Ruaha River basin. The eighth chapter, by Stefan Anderberg, attempts to open a discussion about the role of the flood perspective for linking society and nature in environmental research. The ninth chapter, 'Environmental awareness, conflict genesis and governance', by Goran Hyden, focuses on the intellectual concerns associated with the concept of security. Chapter ten, by Uno Svedin, discusses the cultural values, norms and meaning related to how the environment is understood. These provide the framework for environmental management.

In conclusion, this reviewer has to state that none of the ten chapters has direct relevance to indigenous knowledge. The word 'local' in the book's title would seem to refer to the term 'local knowledge', which is becoming an increasingly popular way to designate indigenous knowledge. When combined with 'local strategies' and 'local practices', 'local knowledge' becomes equivalent to indigenous knowledge systems and practices: that is, a local adaptation of science or other knowledge systems. In the book, however, the term 'local strategies' has been used only for the present context relating to social, ethnic, political and environmental issues in a given location. Still, from the point of view of sustainable development, the issues of securing a sustainable livelihood and adopting strategies to combat poverty are important. The book therefore has a lot to offer to readers who are interested in environmental management in a variety of contexts.

(N.C. Shah, Coordinator CIKIHR, Retired Scientist (CSIR), Aliganj, Lucknow, India. E-mail: ncshah@1w1dot.in)

Hesse, Johann H. (1998) The sustainability of animal traction farming systems in northern Ghana. Tropenökologisches Begleitprogramm Publication No. TÖB F-V/6e. 153 pp. ISBN 3-933984-11-4. DEM 10. (The book will be sent free of charge to anyone in a GTZ partner country.) Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ), Postfach 5180, 65726 Eschborn, Germany.
Fax: +49-6196-79-6190.
E-mail: toeb@gtz.de
http://www.gtz.de/toeb/scripts/publikationen/index.asp

The use of bullocks for soil preparation was first introduced in Ghana in the early 1930s. After independence in 1957, political priority was given to modern agricultural technologies and inputs, such as tractors and mineral fertilizers. But in the 1980s interest shifted back to animal traction because it saves labour and avoids costly imports.

Hesse's in-depth study seeks to provide insight into the long-term development of farming systems that use bullock traction. It compares data gathered by Panin in 1982-1983 with data from 1993-1994 that was gathered among the very same households using similar field techniques and methods of analysis.

By 1994 the population in northern Ghana had grown by 3.9 per cent. As a consequence of Ghana's Economic Recovery Programme, the price of fertilizer and other farm inputs had risen relative to output prices, and the extension agencies had stopped distributing these inputs. In 1994, 14 of the 42 households that were surveyed owned bullocks, whereas in 1982 30 households had had their own bullocks. Yet the total area ploughed by bullocks had increased. This was because more households now rented the animals. Bullock-owning households had older household heads, more family members, and a larger area to cultivate than households that did not own bullocks. Households that rented bullocks had more off-farm income and seemed to cultivate their fields for additional cash income rather than for subsistence purposes.

Hesse found that using bullocks saved labour (Panin found this too), but did not raise crop yields (Panin found the opposite), partly because bullock owners no longer applied fertilizer to their fields, and they tilled fewer 'compound fields' (intensively cultivated fields close to the house) with the help of bullocks than they had done in 1982. Changes in relative prices of inputs and outputs had made bullock ownership unprofitable by 1994. To increase their earnings, bullock owners would either cultivate more land themselves or plough more land for others. The many factors involved make simple comparison impossible. It is clear, however, that bullock traction does save labour, which is why Hesse concludes that research and extension on its use should be continued.

This study demonstrates the need for refined analysis to uncover the complexity of a situation. It shows that animal traction should be studied at the field level, not at the farm-household level. This is because a household does not necessarily use bullocks to plough all its fields but may cultivate some with hoes and leave others untilled. But household-level analysis is necessary as well, in order to reveal why farmers make certain decisions regarding the allocation of resources. Furthermore, 'adoption' of a technology does not necessarily mean 'ownership'; it can also mean 'use'. And any analysis must make careful distinctions between fields dealt with in different ways: tilled using bullock traction, tilled using hoes, and untilled.

This book, which is based on Hesse's 1997 dissertation, is part of a series that seeks to make applied studies available 'in a generally comprehensible form....to all organizations and institutions active in development cooperation, and also to all those members of the general public who are interested in environmental and development-policy issues.' It is unfortunate that little was done to edit and simplify the text of this comprehensive study. Readers have to work hard to understand the details. The style is academic and the text requires familiarity with economics, multiple regression and other statistical tools. There is no list of the abbreviations that pepper the text, and there are some confusing errors. (For example, page 40 says that 'sole legume yields on BT [bullock traction] fields are lower than that on NBT [non-bullock traction] fields.' This is contrary to the figures in Table 5-4.) The executive summary at the beginning and the detailed summary at the end are very helpful, however. All in all, the study is a valuable contribution, furthering our understanding of the effects of bullock traction in Africa.

(Evelyn Mathias, Independent consultant, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany. E-mail: evelynmathias@netcologne.de)

INASP-the International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications (1998) The INASP-Health Directory 1999. An international directory of organizations working to improve access to reliable information for healthcare workers in developing and transitional countries. 162 pp. ISBN 0-9522989-8-8. Copies are sent free of charge in response to requests from institutions, NGOs, and libraries in developing countries. GBP 15 inclusive packaging and postage elsewhere. INASP-Health, 27 Park End Street, Oxford OX1 1HU, United Kingdom.
Fax: +44-1865-25 1060.
E-mail: INASP_Health@compuserve.com
http://www.inasp.org.uk

The International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP) was established in 1992. In April 1996, INASP-Health was launched, a cooperative network for organizations and individuals working to improve access to reliable information for healthcare workers in developing countries and countries in transition. Participation in INASP-Health is free of charge. The network offers: (1) advice, references and liaison; (2) two monthly workshops in the UK for network participants and others; (3) needs and provision database.

The INASP-Health directory is intended as a reference and networking tool that can be used by anyone with an interest in the provision of health information. The directory has two parts. The first part focuses on organizations that provide health information. It has two sections, one on professional associations and institutions, and one on providers of free or low-cost information. The second part lists organizations that support book and library development.

The first section describes 45 governmental, non-governmental and non-private organizations around the world. The detailed entries describe how each one is helping to improve standards of health care. It has relevance for doctors, health professionals, scientists and the public. The second section offers detailed information about 47 agencies and institutions around the world that provide information free or for a small fee (books and journals on various aspects of health). This section will be especially valuable to those working to improve the health of the poor in vulnerable communities. It will also help biomedical scientists, clinicians, librarians and health professionals in biomedical research and public health to build up their resources.

The second part of the directory is nearly twice the size of the first. It has four sections. 'Book and library development: health' describes 28 health-related professional associations worldwide that are working to develop specific human resources. Through training and the identification of health priorities, and by strengthening their own research capacity, these organizations help to increase the knowledge and skills of healthcare workers and thus serve as catalysts for better health worldwide. The section entitled 'Book and library development: general' gives details on 23 organizations that publish scientific journals, also online. They too are working to improve science education around the world and to narrow the knowledge gap between scientists. An especially interesting section is called 'Distribution programmes'. It lists 28 organizations involved in distributing current and recent medical journals and teaching materials for use in primary, secondary and tertiary education. The second part is concluded with 'Funding agencies'. It describes seven agencies devoted to improving research environments and helping institutes to increase their capacities for health research.

This is a well documented and well organized book that contains the complete information which professional health workers, officials, researchers and scientists in developing and transitional countries are looking for. The listings include, for example, the aim and purpose of the organization as well as the envisaged beneficiaries at all levels. The editors, INASP-Health programme manager Dr Neil Pakenham-Walsh and INASP director Carol Priestly, have succeeded in their effort to collect and communicate information that will be of great value to health workers at many levels. I feel this is a remarkable publication - the first of its kind - and I sincerely congratulate the authors for their new venture and their fine piece of work.

I do have one suggestion for improvement, however. It would have been easier for the readers if tables had been used to present some of the details.

(Dr S. Parvathi, Associate Professor, Department of Pomology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, India. E-mail: parvathy_in@yahoo.com)

Lefèber, Yvonne, and Henk W. A. Voorhoeve (1998) Indigenous customs in childbirth and child care. 106 pp. ISBN 90-232-3366-2. NLG 40. Van Gorcum & Comp BV, P.O. Box 43, 9400 AA Assen, the Netherlands.
Fax: +31-592-379 552.
E-mail: assen@vgorcum.nl
http://www.vgorcum.nl.

Yvonne Lefèber is a Dutch medical anthropologist who has done research among indigenous midwives in Ghana and several other African countries. Henk Voorhoeve, M.D., is guest reader at Leiden University and a specialist in maternal and child health. Their book contains a wealth of information about indigenous customs and beliefs regarding childbirth and child care among peoples of various countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America. It is based on anthropological and medical literature as well as on the authors' own experiences.

The indigenous customs are described under four categories corresponding to the stages of the birth process: the antenatal, intrapartum, postpartum and postnatal periods. A further distinction is made between uncomplicated (or 'physiological') and complicated (or 'pathological') conditions, defined according to Northern obstetric standards.

Two-thirds of the births occurring in 'Southern' countries are assisted by traditional birth assistants, and the authors underscore the importance of these midwives and their knowledge to communities in the South. The authors suggest that knowledge of indigenous customs could also benefit obstetrical practice in 'Northern' countries, leading to a re-evaluation of 'modern' practices there - for example, the upright position of the woman in labour, and the practice of carrying children in a bag close to the body.

The authors examine the variety of indigenous customs and beliefs (some similar and others unique) surrounding childbirth and child care and compare apparently similar practices in different cultures. For instance, food is divided into 'hot' and 'cold' in various cultures, but the divisions are not always made along the same lines.

The authors adopt a balanced view regarding indigenous customs and beliefs. They neither idealize or romanticize them and embrace them all as good, nor reject them all as bad. They contextualize the customs and practices. When discussing the medical implications of indigenous customs, they point out, for example, that medical methods developed in hygienic hospital surroundings may not transfer well to the less hygienic environment of indigenous communities in most tropical countries. They could even prove harmful if they are brought in to replace indigenous practices. The authors argue that the positive aspects of indigenous customs should be preserved by incorporating the knowledge associated with them into the training of midwives, obstetricians and pediatricians in both North and South, while at the same time some of the practices associated with modern medicine should be widely adopted to promote maternal and child health.

The translation of the book from Dutch could have been better. It is too literal and the text is stilted in places (for example, 'transverse lie', 'fruit with the size of a small apple' (p. 11), 'back massage is following now' (p. 21)). Such constructions and spelling errors could have been avoided if a competent editor had been employed. The quality of the book would have been enhanced if it had been presented in a more flowing narrative style. Now it often remains at the level of listing and summarizing practices. Also, everything is presented twice: each description is immediately repeated in the form of a table. Perhaps it would have helped to divide the book into two sections - the first section in a more narrative and descriptive style and the second as an appendix containing the information in the form of tables. On the whole, however, the book provides a goldmine of information illustrated with interesting case reports and photographs. It is likely to be useful to health workers, particularly from Northern countries working in Southern countries, as well as to cultural and medical anthropologists.

(Dr Jyotsna Agnihotri Gupta, lecturer at Maastricht University and research associate at Leiden University, the Netherlands. Senior consultant in the fields of gender, health and development. E-mail: jagupta@worldonline.nl)

Mangani-Kamoto, J.F. (1999) Indigenous silvicultural practices of miombo woodlands in Malawi. A case of five villages close to Chimaliro Forest Reserve. 80 pp. ISBN none. M.Sc. thesis, Tropical Forestry, Department of Forestry, Wageningen University, the Netherlands. Not for sale. To obtain a photocopy of this student's report, please write to Forestry Group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 342, 6700 AH Wageningen, the Netherlands.
Fax: +31-317-478 078.
E-mail: office@ca.bosb.wau.nl

Ms Judith Francesca Mangani-Kamoto was a student at Wageningen Agricultural University. This report, her master's thesis in Tropical Forestry, is based on the premise that indigenous knowledge is an integral part of local communities and is actively being put into practice by local people. Ms Mangani-Kamoto believes that indigenous knowledge needs to be acknowledged by the authorities and should be capitalized on for the better use and management of forest resources.

The thesis makes interesting reading as it describes in clear detail the indigenous practices common among local people for managing the miombo customary woodlands and private lands. At the outset, the author defines the problem as deforestation, which is running rampant in the miombo woodlands for various reasons, one of which is the conversion of forest to agricultural land. The body of the work focuses on the different categories of forest at the research sites, and on an analysis of what each category offers the people in terms of production and services. Especially valuable are the detailed accounts of local knowledge pertaining to the regeneration and management of local tree species. Interestingly, the author has found that the communities really apply their indigenous knowledge. Their silvicultural practices can be aptly described as paleotechnic rather than neotechnic. Their continuation does not depend on external inputs and can thus be described as having 'resilient permanence'.

Also of interest is the author's comparison of government-managed forest reserves with forests controlled and managed by indigenous communities. According to the author, the only similarity lies in the fact that both local people and professional foresters are planting exotic trees. This is a new activity in the community-controlled customary forests. But even though the activities are basically similar, the practices used differ markedly. Professional foresters rely heavily on purchased materials, including both nursery products for planting and artificial pesticides for protection and maintenance. To carry out their work effectively, they also rely heavily on the legal framework. The indigenous communities, on the basis of their own experience and understanding of the environment, devise their own ways of doing things using available materials and first-hand knowledge. They tailor their practices to the needs they wish to see satisfied by the forest: for example for poles, firewood, or rope fiber.

Throughout the thesis the author has taken a balanced look at the practices used in the two systems (professional vs. based on indigenous knowledge). In the discussion she points out that indigenous silvicultural systems have strengths and weaknesses. One weakness is the lack of access to improved planting materials, whether exotic or indigenous, and the lack of exposure to good husbandry practices. The author argues that the knowledge of local people should nevertheless be capitalized on and blended with professional silvicultural practices. The result would be a unique system, specially devised for the people of Malawi, which would enable them to use and at the same time manage forest resources. Such a system would represent progress based on continuity with the past.

This documentation of indigenous knowledge is impressive. It delves deeply into the systems and practices actually carried out by the people on the resources under their jurisdiction. It ends with a recommendation that community laws governing village forest areas and other customary woodlands should be recognized and legally adopted. Indigenous knowledge and practices could be the building blocks of sustainable management if they are widely adopted by the general population.

I would recommend the thesis to agroforestry students, extension agents, and forestry personnel as well as to anyone else who is interested in the pursuit of indigenous knowledge.

(Taito Nakalevu, Senior Research Officer, Land Use, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forests, Fiji Islands. E-mail: Landusegis@is.com.fj)

Mathias, E.; D.V. Rangnekar, and C.M. McCorkle (1999) Ethnoveterinary medicine: alternatives for livestock development. Proceedings of an international conference held in Pune, India, on 4-6 November 1997. Volume 1: Selected Papers. 304 pp. ISBN 81-87511-37-0. Volume 2: Abstracts. 82 pp. ISNB 81-87511-37-0 IRS 100 for both volumes. Published by BAIF Development Research Cooperation, BAIF Bhavan, Dr. Manibhai Desai Nagar Warje Malewadi (Bombay - Bangalore bypass highway) Pune 411 029, India.
Fax: +91-212-366 788.
Also available on the Internet at http://www.vetwork.org.uk/ 

This publication presents papers from the first international conference on ethnoveterinary medicine (4-6 November 1997), which was held in Pune, India, at the BAIF Development Research Foundation. The conference brought together over 200 people who play various roles in ethnoveterinary medicine. They came from 20 countries of Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas and represented both non-government and government organizations. They included veterinarians, animal scientists, veterinary technicians, healers, pharmacologists, ethnobotanists, economists, extensionists, representatives of the private sector, and policy-makers. Approximately 17 per cent of the participants were women. Some 90 papers and posters were presented at the conference. The editors selected 35 of these for publication, condensed and edited them, and grouped them around five themes:

• Applied studies of ethnoveterinary systems
• Validation of ethnoveterinary medicine
• Ethnoveterinary medicinal plants and plant medicine
• Application of ethnoveterinary medicine
• Education

These five parts constitute Volume 1, while Volume 2 (published immediately after the conference) contains the abstracts of all the papers and posters presented at the conference. This review will concentrate on Volume 1.

A recurrent theme in this volume is the observation that while indigenous knowledge alone may not be a feasible solution to animal health problems, neither can Western knowledge alone provide sustainable solutions to these problems. So lasting solutions will result only from a combination of the best of both. As K. Kasonia and M. Ansay tell us, 'It is necessary to create opportunities for a dialogue between "modern" and "traditional" knowledge and to continue the research of methods of improvement without destroying the diversity of cultures which uphold this knowledge.' (Vol. 1. page 71)

To my view, the most useful section of Volume 1 is Part 1, in particular those papers where the role of ethnoveterinary medicine is discussed in conjunction with the modern systems. A good example of this so-called 'techno-blending' (the combination of traditional and modern knowledge) is the contribution by Katrien van 't Hooft (pages 25-29) dealing with family-level livestock keepers in Bolivia. Another topic I found especially interesting in Part 1 is the role of women in livestock management. Two articles that stand out are the one by Raul Perezgrovas on Tzotzil shepherdesses in Mexico (pages 32-35) and the one by Sangeeta Rangnekar on women's ethnoveterinary practices in the western states of India (Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh). Both articles argue that the key to successful and sustainable development in animal health care and production is to make use of the specific knowledge and expertise of the women who have developed an intimate understanding of all aspects of raising and keeping cattle and other animals. Sangeeta Rangnekar reports that the important role that women play in managing the health of livestock has not been generally recognized up to now, and she recommends that women be trained to become para-veterinarians or para-extension workers and to use effective combinations of traditional and modern systems. She also advises involving knowledgeable women in the process of developing alternative approaches and validating claims implicit in traditional methods.

I think that Part 3, on 'Ethnoveterinary medicinal plants and plant medicines', will be most useful to everyone working in this field. The listing of botanical names will make it easier for us to know which of the plants are also present in our own localities, and will enable us to compare the ways these plants are used in other parts of the world. A good example of such a comparison is presented in R.L.S. Sikarwar's paper 'Less-known ethnoveterinary uses of plants in India' (pages 103-107). This author analyzed and compared the uses of specific plants found both in Latin America and in India.

Volume 1 contains very helpful annexes, including a summary of the healers' workshop and a list of resources on ethnoveterinary medicine. Readers will certainly find all of this very handy and informative. There is no doubt that the conference organizers and the editors have done a great job in assembling such a large amount of information that up to now has been rather diffuse, on a subject that for a long time has been rather neglected.

Yet to end on a critical note, I would say that there are two subjects missing in the publication. These were also under-represented at the conference. I see in Volume I no information or contributions dealing with ethnoveterinary education, and far too few studies dealing with Latin America and other parts of the world. This is unfortunate but not really surprising, since ethnoveterinary medicine is still undervalued and underused in development work in general, and ignored at the formal education level, even though the scientific community is now becoming aware of its importance. As to the lack of studies from Latin America, I could see several factors influencing this. First of all is the simple fact that the conference took place in India, which is quite far from Latin America. Moreover, it is not easy nowadays to get funds from our institutions to attend this kind of conference. Secondly, the conference's official language was English, just one more limitation as our major languages are Spanish and Portuguese. I think this explains the situation, but I would like to make it clear that there is a great need for people in Latin America who are interested in ethnoveterinary medicine to urge the relevant institutions and funding agencies to organize a similar international conference in this region.

(Dr Consuelo Quiroz, VERSIK (Venezuelan Secretariat for the Promotion of Indigenous - Local - Knowledge for Sustainable Development) General Coordinator, Center for Tropical Alternative Agriculture and Sustainable Development (CATADI), University of The Andes, Trujillo, Venezuela. E-mail: consuelo@cantv.net)

Øygard, Ragnar, Trond Vedeld and Jens Aune (1999) Good practices in dryland management. xiii + 116 pp. ISBN none. Temporarily out of stock, but reprint being made. First edition was distributed free of charge by Noragric, the Library, P.O. Box 5001, N-1432 Aas, Norway. Produced with Noragric support and published by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank, 1818 H.-Street, NW, Washington D.C. 20433, USA.
PDF file available on the World Bank server at http:\\www.worldbank.org/drylands

The last decade has seen increasing attention for community-based approaches to natural resource management, and a significant paradigm shift in our understanding of the ecological dynamics of arid and semi-arid rangeland ecosystems. This succinct book, written by experienced researchers and consultants in the field of pastoral development and published by the World Bank, reviews and synthesizes several decades of development experience in dryland regions. It focuses primarily on Sahelian Africa, and recommends good practices based on lessons learned.

The book opens with an introduction to the controversial concepts of desertification and degradation, taking care to acknowledge the biased ways these terms are sometimes applied. It reviews the conventional views of desertification as well as recent thinking on non-equilibrium ecology and environmental narratives. The core of the book's ten chapters are five chapters dealing with pastoralism, range management, and the World Bank's response to pastoral development challenges (Chapters 3-4), dryland farming and technological change (Chapter 5), community-based natural resource management (Chapter 6), and drought preparedness and risk mitigation (Chapter 7). The chapters on pastoralism and community-based resource management do an admirable job of summarizing and synthesizing current thought and practical experience, while avoiding oversimplification of ecological and intra-community dynamics and the institutional challenges of fostering the local management of resources. Among the key points to emerge from the review of past projects is the frequent incongruence between local people's priorities and interests and those of donor organizations (e.g. social services and water development vs. conservation of resources).

The authors recommend that the World Bank integrate a concern for drylands management into its Country Assistance Strategies in order to more effectively address the interdependent problems of poverty, environmental degradation, and local capacity-building. Likewise, the authors emphasize the need for local participation throughout the entire process of research and development, from project inception onwards. The role of local and indigenous knowledge is discussed in this context on several occasions. However, as is often the case, the authors fail to move beyond the recommendation that local people's knowledge be incorporated into project design because 'these people do, after all, have a tremendous store of knowledge on the systems-as proved by their ability to survive in these harsh environments.' While undeniably true, such platitudes do little to help project managers figure out how to tap into this knowledge and apply it to management and development. Concrete examples from past projects would have been helpful here. This said, the book provides an excellent introduction to a complex and politically-charged field of practice. I would not hesitate to recommend it to new professionals or anyone else embarking for the first time on an arid lands development project from the shelter of academia's ivory tower. For old hands it nicely summarizes recent developments in theory and practice and offers insight into the current direction of a major donor.

(María E. Fernández-Giménez, Assistant Professor and Rangeland Extension Specialist, School of Renewable Natural Resources, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 86721, USA. Email: gimenez@ag.arizona.edu)

Pichón, Francisco J., Jorge E. Uquillas and John Frechione (eds) (1999) Traditional and modern natural resource management in Latin America. 320 pp. ISBN 0-8229-5703-5. USD 19.95. Published by University of Pittsburgh Press, 3347 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA. Order from: University of Pittsburgh Press CUP Services, Box 6525, Ithaca, NY 14851, USA.
Fax: +1-607/277-6292.
http://www.pitt.edu/~press/order.html

This book stems from a workshop held by the World Bank in April 1995 to discuss the interrelated problems of poverty and environmental degradation in risk-prone agricultural areas. The aim was to seek solutions other than the usual top-down development of high-tech, intensive agriculture. For this reason, the workshop brought together experts who had years of first-hand experience with the theory and practice of natural resource management in Latin America and who appreciate the potential role that indigenous knowledge systems can play in sustainable development. The workshop participants included the late D. Michael Warren, the founder of CIKARD who played such a crucial role in establishing this journal and the entire IK network. His contribution to the workshop is presented as Chapter 7.

The book has four parts. Part 1 consists of only one chapter, by editors Pichón and Uquillas. They define the problem under the title 'Rural poverty alleviation and improved natural resource management through participatory technology development in Latin America's risk-prone areas'.

Part 2 deals with theoretical and practical issues that must be addressed before the problem can be dealt with. More specifically, this part examines the valuable role that geographic data can play as needs and opportunities for rural development are being assessed. From the perspective of systems analysis, it is argued that national resource management must take into account the biophysical, socio-cultural and economic features of a rural area, all of which interdependent and affected by other sectors. The use of geographic information systems (GIS) is encouraged as a way of making complex data understandable and accessible to all stakeholders. Part 2 closes with the presentation of a framework designed to create more effective interaction between indigenous and scientific knowledge systems, and with a discussion of how scientific knowledge systems will have to accommodate local knowledge systems if systems of agriculture and natural resource management are ever to be improved.

Part 3 presents various case studies in three chapters focusing on how local organizations, farmers and other practitioners can be drawn into agricultural research and into the development of technologies for sustainable resource management. One of the case studies presents a particularly promising approach to institutionalizing the participation of farmers in adaptive research.

The last part of the book examines indigenous or local knowledge systems. It evaluates trends in the availability of information about traditional methods for managing resources and developing agriculture, and it reviews the ways in which this information is being shared worldwide. Examples are given of how indigenous knowledge can contribute to alleviating rural poverty and fostering sustainable agriculture and natural resource management.

The book approaches the issues from a combination of angles. It consistently argues that more can be achieved in the risk-prone areas of Latin America and the Caribbean region by blending scientific and local knowledge than by using the technologies of either knowledge system alone.

Missing from the book, however, are specific examples of how the various strategies and approaches have proven successful. Nevertheless, the book is excellent for purposes of reference, and should be read by all development practitioners-above all by those who up to now have offered only scientific solutions to the problem.

(Maria Corazon Y. Mendoza, Dasmarinas, Cavite, Philippines. E-mail: mcymendoza@mailcity.com)

Posey, Darrell Addison (ed.) (1999) Cultural and spiritual values of biodiversity. A complementary contribution to the global biodiversity assessment. 750 pp. ISBN 1-85339-394-0. Published by Intermediate Technologies Publications for and on behalf of the United Nations Environment Programme. The book is available free from UNEP, P.O. Box 30552, Nairobi, Kenya. Intermediate Technologies Publications sells them. Price including postage and packaging GBP 40.25. Orders to USA: Stylus Publishing, P.O. Box 605, Herndon, VA 20172-0605, USA. Orders rest of the world: IT Publications, 103/105 Southampton Row, London WC1B 4HH, United Kingdom,
Fax: +44-207-436 2013.
E-mail: orders@itpubs.org.uk
The full text of the publication is available at UNEP web page: http://www.unep.org/Biodiversity

This impressive, 750-page new book presents a huge sample of the many different perspectives that exist on the social and cultural carriers of biological diversity. It was commissioned by the United Nations Environmental Programme as a complement to the Global Biodiversity Assessment (GBA). Publication of this book reflects the recognition that biodiversity exists, above all, in places inhabited by man. To quote the preface by compiler and editor D.A. Posey, 'Indeed, human beings are an integral part of biodiversity, not merely observers and users of components of biological diversity.' All over the world, it is indigenous or traditional peoples who are the keepers of biodiversity. The book provides a global review of the diversity of human and social values that have been accorded to biological diversity.

Cultural and spiritual values of biodiversity covers almost all topics related to biodiversity and indigenous or traditional peoples, ranging from the inextricable link between culture and nature, via linguistic diversity and the territorial rights of indigenous peoples, to traditional ecological knowledge and human health. Four instructive chapters are devoted to the cultural aspects of conserving biodiversity while managing natural resources in a large variety of working environments and ecosystems: agriculture and soil, mountainous areas, forests and trees, and aquatic and marine resources. There is a chapter on religious values and world views related to ecology, with an appendix of faith statements. The last chapter (12) reviews legal aspects and the regulation of rights, and offers a critique of the IPR agreements currently in use. The conclusion includes some general recommendations on biodiversity conservation, confirming that a human perspective and the involvement of people are needed to achieve this.

The book contains scientific treatises and essays, but it also contains a variety of other formats including case studies, poems, songs, and personal testimonies. All are equally enlightening. Likewise, the many contributors represent not only the scientific community and policy-making and executive circles, but also the indigenous or traditional world in all of its rich variety. This makes the book as a whole as diverse and colourful as the topic it deals with.

Cultural and spiritual values of biodiversity is a book that can be read by a public ranging from scientists and practitioners to anyone else interested in or concerned about biodiversity and indigenous peoples. Thanks to the pleasant layout and the relatively short length of the very many individual contributions, this book is the ideal companion for reading over a long period of time. The only limit to its usefulness is the language, which is English. A Spanish edition would be welcome.

(Peter R.W. Gerritsen, rural sociologist and social forester, Manantlán Institute for Ecology and Biodiversity Conservation, Mexico. E-mail: pgerritsen@cucsur.udg.mx)

Rajan, R.T. (ed.) (1999) Biodiversity and ethnopharmacology. 128 pp. ISBN none. Price in India INR 100 (postage included); abroad: USD 25 (airmail postage included). Published by Dr R.T. Rajan for the Ethno Studies & Development Network, SOLAI Program, Christianpet p.o., Vellore - 632 059, India.
Fax: +91-522-326 489.
E-mail: solai59@md4.vsnl.net.in

This book is the outcome of the presentations given at the regional seminar on biodiversity and ethnopharmacology held at the SOLAI central office in Vellore, on 21-23 January 1999. The book contains 25 articles in three sets. The first set of seven discusses the importance of conserving biological diversity and the value of ethno-medicine and other ethno-practices. It is argued that biological diversity must be preserved if sustainable development is to be achieved, and that loss of biodiversity would have a serious effect on ethnopharmacological practices and traditional medicine. It is therefore important to increase popular awareness of the way that biodiversity and ethnopharmacology are related.

The second set of 15 articles describes a variety of studies and projects undertaken in Tamil Nadu. The topics include the conservation of biodiversity through the watershed approach to sustainable development; the community concept of transferring technology for biodiversity conservation; the chemical diversity of plants as a result of variation in geographic origin, seasons and parts; the properties of herbal products used to repel mosquitoes in different ways; and the chemical properties and indigenous uses of 40 plants that grow in the Vedharanyam reserve forest of Tamil Nadu. There is also an essay on four well known indigenous plants - King of Bitters (Andrographis paniculata Nees); thumbai (Leucas aspera); turmeric (Curcuma longa), and Holy or Sacred Basil (Ocimum sanctum) - which are used to treat the bites of poisonous snakes and scorpions; a discussion of the ethno-botany, medicinal use and religious practices associated with stolons (Cynodon dactylon), which is a sacred grass of Hindus; and an account of the grassroots campaign to create environmental awareness that has been going on for the last 14 years in Kodaikanal and has already reached 43,000 persons.

The third set of articles is in the Tamil language. As readers might know, there are 250 languages in India. Tamil is spoken in Tamil Nadu. This reviewer knows only Hindi and Kumaoni, which is the dialect of the central Pahari. When I received the book for review and saw the script in which some of the articles were written, I could not even identify the language. So I enlisted the help of Dr R.T. Rajan, who sent me the titles, authors and abstracts of the four articles. The information I am now passing on to Monitor readers is based on these abstracts. To me, the most interesting Tamil article seems to be that of Dr K.K. Krishnamurthy, who presents 14 adages representing popular wisdom on such subjects as land selection, the reclamation of saline and alkaline soils, soil fertility, and weather forecasting. Proverbs in the Tamil language describe natural signs that precede rain, for example. Many societies throughout the world have preserved knowledge of this type. It would be interesting to see such knowledge verified and compared.The second article in the Tamil language presents the chronological history of the Sidha system of medicine. The third one discusses the medicinnal uses of nine types of gemstones, and the last one deals with practices by which ancient Tamil society conserved biodiversity. Readers who wish to know more about these articles articles or to obtain abstracts in English should contact Dr Rajan directly, at the address above.

(N.C. Shah, Coordinator CIKIHR, Retired Scientist (CSIR), Aliganj, Lucknow, India. E-mail : ncshah@1w1dot.in)

Roothaert, R.L. (2000) The potential of indigenous and naturalized fodder trees and shrubs for intensive use in central Kenya. Doctoral thesis Wageningen University, the Netherlands. 172 pp. ISBN 90-5808-158-3. Limited number of copies available. No charge. Contact Ms Tiny van Aalderen, Library Wageningen University and Research Centre, P.O. Box 9101, 6700 AB Wageningen, the Netherlands.
Fax: +31-317-484 761 (att. Ms Van Aalderen)
E-mail: acq@id.bib.wau.nl

This doctoral thesis reports on a programme of collaborative research involving the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF, Wageningen) and two Kenyan institutes. It combines indigenous and scientific knowledge pertaining to fodder trees and shrubs that grow in the Embu-Mbeere District on the slopes of Mount Kenya. It includes studies of how farmers select and use indigenous fodder trees and shrubs, an on-farm evaluation of woody species selected for fodder, and on-site studies of the nutritive value of these species and of the extent to which they are fed to livestock and selected by foraging livestock.
There were some surprising results. It was found that farmers in the areas studied regarded and used no fewer than 161 indigenous and exotic species of trees and shrubs as fodder. This is far more than the two or three species, such as Lucaena leucocephala and Calliandra calothyrsus, which are widely recommended for this purpose. Some of the lesser-known species give better yields and higher quality forage than the widely advocated species. For example, Lantana camara, which is known in other areas as a fairly noxious weed, is eaten by cattle and goats in the areas studied, where the farmers appear to value it highly as a fodder shrub. This shows how site-specific the use of trees and shrubs can be.

Another interesting finding is the close correlation between farmers' preferences and laboratory analyses. This suggests that laboratory analyses are not always necessary for evaluating forage quality.

As is generally the case with feeding trials, measurements did not include milk yields or animal growth. Conclusions are based on the measurement of feed intake, chemical analyses to measure digestibility, and calculations using models. On this basis it was found that with respect to intake and energy supply, the best naturally occurring plants could almost match the commercial mix of concentrates fed to dairy cattle. And with respect to protein content, they were better. The high forage value of the cassava tree and mulberry also deserves mention.

A thesis is meant to prove that the candidate can work and write in a scientific manner. It therefore does not provide a broad, comprehensive overview of the subject, nor does it offer a long list of practical recommendations. Furthermore, the frequently used Dutch thesis format-with most chapters written as independent papers for publication in journals-makes repetition within the book unavoidable. However, the language is not complicated and the methods and findings are clearly expressed. For organizations (especially NGOs) involved in planning and implementing agroforestry projects with a livestock component, this publication offers plenty of valuable ideas and should be widely read.

(Wolfgang Bayer, Consultant in livestock and forage husbandry, Göttingen, Germany. E-mail: WB.waters@link-goe.de)

Scarborough, V.; S. Killough, D.A. Johnson, and J. Farrington (eds) (1997) Farmer-led extension. Concepts and practices. 228 pp. ISBN 1-85339-417-3. GBP 12.95. Intermediate Technology Publications Ltd., 103-105 Southampton Row, London WC1B 4HH, United Kingdom.
Fax: +44-20-7-436 2013.
E-mail: orders@itpubs.org.uk

Many developing countries are currently grappling with questions about the future role of the public agricultural extension system. In some of these countries the decision has already been made to privatize the public extension service, a strategy promoted by international funding agencies such as the World Bank, whilst in other developing countries the search for suitable alternatives continues. Against this background, the book is a timely contribution to the debate on how best to assist large numbers of poor rural people who rely heavily on agriculture for their survival.

The book is based on the outcomes of a workshop on farmer-led extension which was jointly organized by the Overseas Development Institute, the International Institute for Rural Reconstruction, and World Neighbours, and held in July 1995. Although the book drew on experiences of 70 people, the editors managed to avoid the usual route of publishing workshop proceedings consisting of a selection of individual, often disconnected papers. Instead they reworked the workshop material into an integrated text that offers the reader an invaluable introduction to farmer-led extension.

The book is well-structured, balancing theoretical background with practical examples. It provides enjoyable reading as well as being a practical manual for practitioners in agricultural extension.

The book starts with a workable definition of farmer-led extension, after which it competently sketches the socio-political and ecological backdrop against which the emergence of farmer-led extension should be viewed. Subsequently a variety of farmer-led initiatives in different parts of the world are presented and analyzed in terms of principles, methods, roles of different stakeholders, and issues and problems. This comparative style offers the reader a range of options for operationalizing the concept of farmer-led extension, and helps the extension practitioner to understand the need to adapt the concept to local conditions. The book is clearly based on material derived from people with a wealth of experience in the farmer-led approach. This shows particularly in the chapters dealing with the problems of farmer-led extension, the importance of assessment and evaluation, and the need to scale up initiatives. These chapters provide useful insights and guidelines based on the pros and cons of various aspects of the approach.

This is a great handbook for agricultural extension workers and rural development organizations in general. It succeeds in combining several objectives into one competently written book. It makes an eloquent plea for sustainable and participatory agricultural practices while at the same time providing a manual for farmer-led practice, an overview of examples of farmer-led activities around the world, and a critical evaluation of the farmer-led approaches.

The book has been used by NGOs in various parts of the world and by several aid agencies. It has also inspired academics in fields ranging from agriculture to the social sciences. I have used the book as a source for my course on local knowledge and natural resource management.

(Hilde Van Vlaenderen, Department of Psychology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa. E-mail: H.VanVlaenderen@ru.ac.za)

Shaheed, Farida; Sohail Akbar Warraich, Cassandra Balchin, and Aisha Gazdar (eds) (1998) Shaping women's lives. Laws, practices and strategies in Pakistan. 512 pp. ISBN none. Price excluding postage: PKR 400 in Pakistan, USD 20 in developing countries other than Pakistan, and USD 25 in the North. For orders, contact Shirkat Gah - Women's Resource Centre, 68, Tipu Block, New Garden Town, Lahore, Pakistan.
E-mail : sgah@lhr.comsats.net.pk; sgah@sgah.brain.net.pk.

This book is based on extensive research on women and law in the Muslim world. The project was started in 1992 under the Women and Law (W&L) programme in Pakistan and has been conducted further by the Shirkat Gah Women's Resource Centre. Almost 50 years of case law in the Pakistani superior courts (1947-1992) have been reviewed, the proceedings of the central legislature have been examined with an eye to women's participation, and field work has been conducted on the customary practices and strategies of women's movements in Pakistan.

The book has three parts, starting with 'The political and legal context'. Part 2, 'Implementation: laws and practices', reflects the general focus on women as it examines laws pertaining to marriage, dowry, divorce, custody, guardianship and inheritance. This part also discusses penal law, such as the laws on qisas (a retribution for murder and bodily injury: e.g., 'an eye for an eye') and dyat (blood money payable to the heirs of a murder victim). Part 3, 'Women's activism', discusses selected aspects of women's movements.

Part 1 discusses at length the practices and culture surrounding the application of law in Pakistani society. The writers claim that various legal problems stem from the fact that the Pakistani legal system is a heterogeneous system with three completely different sets of laws: customary practices, Islamic law, and state law. Each of these is based on different norms. The constitution of Pakistan declares that Islam shall be the state religion, and that state and religion cannot be conceptually separated. The same principle applies to the state and other aspects of life in Pakistan.

Part 2 deals with the day-to-day practice of applying family law, which is the area in which most women's cases are found. The Federal Syariat Court and the Syariat Appellate Court both have the power to investigate whether a particular law conforms with Islam. If they find a law contrary to Islam, they can strike it down. At the implementation level, this hardly ever works out in a way that does justice to gender rights. Most judges in Pakistani courts are ulamas, appointed by the government and notorious for their misogynistic views. They are unlikely ever to interpret Islamic laws in a manner favourable towards women's rights.

Very much the same situation is evident in criminal courts, where the jigra system (jury system) prevails. This system in fact represents the interests of the male elite of the area. Men who murder female relatives whom they suspect of having extra-marital sexual relationships can be acquitted on the grounds of 'grave and sudden provocation', as recently happened in the case of Muhammad Younis versus the State despite evidence to the contrary.

At the same time, however, the book documents the progress achieved in the field of hudood law (the law on adultery). Pakistani courts have outlawed the rajam penalty (stoning to death) and now put both parties who are suspected of committing adultery on trial - male and female. Significantly, this progress has resulted not from greater rationality on the part of judges, but is more likely due to public pressure.

Apart from downright discrimination, women in Pakistan suffer from their own ignorance of legal matters. Most women in Pakistan have little access to information about either state laws or cultural practices elsewhere in the country. The practices of their own communities are an absolute standard for them, and there is no court of appeal in sight. Informing and empowering women are therefore major goals, as is reported in Part 3.

In short, all aspects of life in Pakistan are conducted in conformity with Islam, a religion that historically has sanctified the subordination of women. There is also a gender bias in law enforcement which is based on the paternalistism that prevails in Pakistan. Before the court, it is nominal or legal equality that counts, rather than real or social equality. International laws and laws emanating from international agreements are regarded as secular laws having no connection with the Quran or Hadits and therefore not posing a threat to the moral fabric of society.

This situation discriminates against women, but is not unique to Pakistan. It exists in other countries where Muslim law, state law and customary practices are enforced simultaneously.

Are there any solutions in sight? To deal with the gender problem in Pakistan, parameters other than religion should be considered, suggests Shabiuddin Ahmad, the judge in a case reported in Part 1 of the book (p. 25). This would start eliminating discrimination against women. Shirkat Gah suggests (p. 305) that women's political participation must be changed permanently. Women must achieve greater autonomy through a combination of lobbying and effective political leadership. The contributors also suggest (pp. 71 and 73) that women should be given more access to information about existing legal systems.

To the suggestions in the book, the reviewers would add that certain verses in the Quran, particularly those concerning women, should be reinterpreted. For instance, the male's position as leader (qowam, as stated in Surat An-Nissaa, Article 34) should be interpreted in the sense of encouragement rather than domination. This solution is being put forward by Muslim women activists around the world. We would like also to refer readers to Equal before Allah, written by Fatima Mernissi, a Pakistani Muslim activist who now lives in the USA. The need for this kind of reinterpretation has also been discussed at several international symposia and workshops on gender issues.

Readers will enrich themselves reading this publication full of information on issues so close to Muslim women all over the world, especially in developing countries.

(Dr Komariah Emong Sapardjaja, et.al., Padjadjaran University Law School, Bandung, Indonesia. E-mail: p3w@kujang.unpad.ac.id)

Suryadinata, Leo (ed.) (1997) Ethnic Chinese as Southeast Asians. 308 pp. ISBN 981-3055-50-2. USD 57.40 plus cost of postage. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS), 30 Heng Mui Keng Terrace, Pasir Panjang Road, Singapore 119596.
Fax: +65-775-6259.
E-mail: pubsunit@iseas.ac.sg

This book is edited by Leo Suryadinata, associate professor in the Department of Political Science, National University of Singapore. It is the result of a regional workshop convened against the background of international developments since China introduced its open-door policy. Since then, many Chinese entrepreneurs outside China have begun to invest in mainland China. Attention has again turned to the Chinese in other parts of the world and writers have started to use the term 'overseas Chinese'. This mainland-China-centric view has confused the position and identity of the Chinese in Southeast Asia. If Southeast Asian Chinese continue to be seen as 'Chinese overseas' rather than as Southeast Asians, it could have serious political consequences.

At the workshop, such topics as ethnicity, migration, business, and international relations were discussed, as well as the way that 'indigenous' Southeast Asians perceive the ethnic Chinese who live in their countries. Representatives of two groups were invited: scholars of Chinese origin and scholars of 'indigenous' or non-Chinese origin. The volume contains the edited presentations plus a regional study incorporating a variety of perspectives on common themes relating to the question of Chinese identity in six ASEAN countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam) plus Myanmar.

The book is well documented. Its interest lies mainly in the differences revealed by the case studies, most of which take an historical perspective. At the same time, it seems that a common pattern of conflicting relations has developed over time. This is characterized by different phases.

Different policies and integration patterns are described and discussed: assimilationist, accomodationist, and pluralistic. An appendix on the role of women in shaping Chinese identity completes the book.

The book's main general findings are the following:

• Investments are made in China not out of any feeling of allegiance but rather because the country is seen to offer good business opportunities. In fact, most Chinese feel quite integrated into their host countries. Chineseness is therefore mainly an asset that facilitates communication and trust for business purposes, and not a feeling of belonging or a desire to enlarge China's political role in the region.
• Westernization in the region is progressively weakening all sorts of traditional cultures, including that of the ethnic Chinese. For the Chinese, this is compounded by assimilationist policies specifically aimed at weakening traditional Chinese institutions.
• Patterns of integration differ widely from one country to the next. In general, whereas first-generation Chinese usually feel related to the motherland and build up traditional institutions, later generations usually integrate into the host country and no longer identify with China. In countries such as Myanmar and the Philippines, mixed marriages are currently facilitating integration.
• Ethnic Chinese are not everywhere a homogeneous urban group employed in business. In several countries they have very different patterns of residence and activity. This is especially true in countries where migration and/or integration took place a long time ago, as in the Philippines.
• The main traditional institutions are for purposes of economic support or cultural preservation - schools, for example. The Triads in Thailand provide another example. In all countries, ethnic Chinese are usually organized and preserve their identity in their own districts (Chinatown). Such institutions are becoming less and less relevant, however.

The book is permeated by a general feeling of optimism about the future relationship between ethnic Chinese and their host countries, although in a few countries there might be reason for worry about how wealth will be distributed. The economic role played by the Chinese is generally appreciated by the host countries and Chineseness could turn out to be an asset. But history in the region has already shown a variety of patterns, making it difficult to predict what will happen.
The book will appeal particularly to readers interested in issues relating to identity, migration, and international politics in Southeast Asia.

(Paolo Segalla, Development Consultant, Casalmaggiore, Italy. E-mail: psgalla@ccdp.it)

Voeten, Margje M. (1999) Living with wildlife: coexistence of wildlife and livestock in an East African savanna system. Tropical Resource Management Papers No. 29. 160 pp. ISBN 90-6754-578-3. NLG 40; for readers in developing countries free upon request. Wageningen University and Research Centre, Department of Environmental Sciences, Tropical Nature Conservation and Vertebrate Ecology Group, Bornsesteeg 69, 6708 PD Wageningen, the Netherlands.
Fax: +31-317-484 845.
E-mail: @alg.kb.wau.nl

This doctoral thesis addresses an important environmental issue in the East African savanna: the relationship between wildlife management and the keeping of domestic animals. This is characterized by both competition and complementarities. Because the chapters of the thesis are written as separate papers, there is some unavoidable overlap between them. Altogether, the papers present the results of a study of vegetation quality and dynamics under grazing. The author has looked at what zebras, wildebeests (gnus) and zebu cattle actually eat.

The author does not pretend to present and analyse indigenous knowledge, but she does challenge the common scientific belief that the diets of domestic animals and wildlife are complementary, i.e. that wildlife prefer to eat what the livestock hardly touch and that therefore the two can easily coexist. A very large overlap was found between the diets of the wildlife species and the zebu cattle. The animals forage on the same grass species. The author argues that the several thousand years that cattle have existed in East Africa has not been long enough for true complementarity in diets to have evolved. Complementarity was found to be limited to a spatial dimension, as the wildlife species can graze in areas which cannot be used by the zebu cattle because water is too scarce. If the wildlife and the cattle graze in the same area, however, they compete for food.

Another finding is that mobility is absolutely necessary for the wildlife species because they cannot cover their dietary needs year-round at any one of the sites studied. The author concludes that it is doubtful whether livestock husbandry can be sustainable in the long run at the sites studied and advocates wildlife ranching instead.

Being an academic thesis, the language in the book tends to be scientific, but for those interested in the subject it makes for very good reading.

(Wolfgang Bayer, Consultant in livestock and forage husbandry, Göttingen, Germany. E-mail: WB.Waters@link-goe.de)

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