Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 10
 Dated, but invaluable June 13, 2003
Tina Heather Nadeau (Portland, ME USA)
14 out of 15 found this review helpful
Jomo Kenyatta, the first president of independent Kenya, wrote this book as a graduate anthropology student in London. As a primary source, this book is invaluable. It gives detailed analysis of many aspects of pre-Mau Mau Gikuyu cultural ceremonies. However, as it is a product of the structuralist school of anthropology, many of its conclusions and findings are problematic, most notably in its opinion of culture as a fixed entity which determines human behavior. For students of colonial Africa, this piece will inevitably be of use. Personally, for a more nuanced view of colonial and post-colonial Kenya, I recommend the fiction of Ngugi wa Thiong'o, who tends to be more sympathetic to the lower ranks of Gikuyu societies, and who also happens to be one of the most important critics of Kenyatta's post-colonial politics. *Facing Mt. Kenya* is necessary, but at times, troublesome.
Kenyatta gives the reader a fascinating look at gikuyu life February 9, 1999
15 out of 17 found this review helpful
Jomo Kenyatta provides a detailed insider description of the Gikuyu peoples of Kenya. THe book takes a structural functionalist approach to anthropology, providing a very detailed description covering virtually all aspects of tribal life. A native Gikuyu,son of a medicine man, Kenyatta reveals his wonderful anthropological ability in a storybook fashion. A must read for anyone interested in learning about African culture.
 Excellent book on Kikuyu culture! April 17, 1999
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
This book is a must read for anyone interested in Kikuyu culture
Amazing - Must Read For All Young Kikuyus December 10, 2003
6 out of 8 found this review helpful
I got interested in learning more about my culture after listening to incredible stories from the past from a 70 year old Kikuyu woman. I bought the book and it was an intense understanding of my own culture. Its a great shame that not many young Kikuyus know as much about their own rich, beautiful culture. My son has to read it. I wish Kikuyus could recapture some of those traditions.
Facinga Mt Kenya August 27, 2010
Sheila Mungai
Very informative...Loved it!! has everything you need to know of the Kikuyu traditions and culture
Showing reviews 1-5 of 10
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