"One of the most notable qualities of this excellent volume is its ability to bridge the divide between anthropology, politics, thought, history, and literary studies. While answering many questions, there is no doubt that Critical Terms for the Study of Africa will also stimulate new conversations about the past, present, and future shape of African Studies in the U.S. and beyond."

African Studies Review

"African studies is a field strongly influenced by deconstruction. Often, our use of language directs the boundaries of what we do and do not know. For an introduction to Africanist scholarship, one could hardly do better than to start with this volume. Desai and Masquelier have assembled 25 essays examining common topics—religion, politics, language, economics, and more. . . It moves beyond myth busting and challenges the reader to think more deeply. Highly recommended."

CHOICE

“Critical Terms for the Study of Africa is an essential introduction to the fields of teaching and learning Africa. This book engages students more critically in the failures, limits, and values of a succession of ‘critical terms’, to help them understand the ways in which concepts can privilege certain ways of knowing, and to give them some particularly valuable concepts that might lead to growth in their knowledge and sophistication in the study of Africa.”

David William Cohen, emeritus, University of Michigan

“Critical Terms for the Study of Africa will serve as a sourcebook for connecting contemporary African Studies not only to the classical canon but also to the specific regional, global, and colonial history that forged the concept of Africa. This book will serve both as a crucial teaching tool in undergraduate and graduate classes and as required reading for Africanist scholars. The essays it contains deftly master a readable tone that makes a complex history and set of theoretical ideas accessible without dumbing down the material or making it redundant to those who are already well versed in the field. Perhaps most remarkable is that despite the great diversity of authors, perspectives, and disciplines present in this book, there remains an underlying unity of vision connecting the threads—a vision with the capacity to breathe new life into the domain of Africanist scholarship.”

Sasha Newell, Université libre de Bruxelles