Kola is a 'food-drug', a substance considered neither food nor medicine, but - like coffee, tea, coca and tobacco - is used to induce 'flights of fancy'. It is incorporated into rites of passage, and ceremonies to cement treaties and contracts; its medicinal properties were first recognised outside Africa in the twelfth century; and it is a legal and popular stimulant among West African Muslims.
North America: Ohio U Press; Ghana: Woeli Publishing Services
No US rights
Reviews
Kola is God's Gift is the first major study of an industry that, together with gold, enabled the Asante peoples to sustain their military capacity and hence, resist British attempts to control trade and Asante's political economy. The only previous study of kola in West Africa dealt solely with Nigeria. AFRICAN BUSINESS
This scholarly study is a welcome addition to our growing library on the cultural economy of the interior of Africa. Highly recommended. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AFRICAN HISTORICAL STUDIES
Details
First Published: 15 Jul 2005
13 Digit ISBN: 9780852554906
Pages: 192
Size: 22.8 x 15
Binding: Paperback
Imprint: James Currey
Series:
Western African StudiesSubject:
African StudiesBIC Class: GTB
Details updated on 19 May 2013
