Provides the full context of traditional culture and modern practices against a backdrop of a turbulent history. Index, 204pp, USA. GREENWOOD.

Comprehensive survey of the medical system of the Tabwa in the DRC. Embraces both western and indigenous concepts, categories, approaches and systems. Map, 4 tables, 21 b/w photos, notes, bib, index, 342pp, UK. EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY PRESS.

Rich natural resources such as gold and diamonds, vast stretches of lush rain forest, and abundant timber make this huge country spectacularly beautiful. Unfortunately, due to these same resources, it is also one of the poorest nations in the world. In this information-packed book, students will be introduced to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a country valiantly struggling to recover from historical abuse and ongoing war, a geographic paradise in the midst of political turmoil kept alive by the presence of the United Nations and 17,000 peacekeeping troops. 104pp, USA. CHELSEA HOUSE.

Through close analysis of two unique, handwritten documents from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Jan Blommaert considers how 'grassroots' literacy in the Third World develops outside the literacy-saturated environments of the developed world and how literacy environments should be understood as relatively autonomous systems. Index, bib, notes, 219pp, UK. ROUTLEDGE.

Explores the memory, transformations and manifestations of power which have made the Congo such a fascinating and emblematic entity for the contemporary moment. Based on extensive research and journeys across the Congo, the book forms an important contribution to the knowledge of a country that often resists being understood, and intimates itself through images that retain profound resonance. Includes 28 black and white photographs and 12 colour photographs. 312pp, USA. EDWIN MELLEN PRESS.

A survey of the society, history, art and recent political history of the Kuba of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Richly illustrated with colour photographs. Includes a guide to further reading and a glossary. Index, map, 64pp, USA. ROSEN PUBLISHING COMPANY.

The latest volume in the Visions of Africa series, it explores the intriguing sculpture and decorative art of the Kuba people of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Best known for their king figures (ndop), considered among the greatest sculptural achievements of Sub-Saharan Africa, the Kuba actually produced little freestanding sculpture. Instead, they focused on a variety of decorative works that indicated success and achievement, and initiation-related pieces such as masks. Col illus, 160pp, ITALY. FIVE CONTINENTS EDITIONS.

A survey of the society, history, royalty and art of the Luba of Zaire. Richly illustrated with colour photographs. Includes a guide to further reading and a glossary. Index, map, 64pp, USA. ROSEN PUBLISHING COMPANY.

Features outstanding works of Luba art from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Major themes addressed include: the role of visual and performance arts in Luba traditional politics; the symbolism of the female image and why the king is a woman for Luba; the instrumentality of royal insignia in politics, problem-solving, and healing; and the use of art objects in the creation and transmission of historical knowledge in both the Luba heartland and its peripheries. Case studies from the authors long research among Luba, Tabwa, and related peoples of the Congo illuminate the complex philosophical underpinnings of Luba thought and visual expression. Col & b/w illus, 147pp, ITALY. FIVE CONTINENTS EDITIONS.

A survey of the land, social systems, economic structure and religious and cultural practices of the Mbuti of Zaire. Richly illustrated with colour photographs. Includes a guide to further reading and a glossary. Index, map, 64pp, USA. ROSEN PUBLISHING COMPANY.

In 2005, Kate Jackson ventured into the remote swamp forests of the northern Congo to collect reptiles and amphibians. Her camping equipment was rudimentary, her knowledge of Congolese customs even more so. She knew how to string a net and set a pitfall trap, but she never imagined the physical and cultural difficulties that awaited her. Culled from the mud-spattered pages of her journals, this account reads like a fast-paced adventure story. It is Jackson's unvarnished account of her research on the front lines of the global biodiversity crisis - coping with interminable delays in obtaining permits, learning to outrun advancing army ants, subsisting on a diet of Spam and manioc, and ultimately falling in love with the strangely beautiful flooded forest. The reptile fauna of the Republic of Congo was all but undescribed, and Jackson's mission was to carry out the most basic study of the amphibians and reptiles of the swamp forest: to create a simple list of the species that exist there - a crucial first step toward efforts to protect them. Index, col photos, 328pp, USA. HARVARD UNIVERSITY PRESS.

Although many societies in the Congo were once renowned for vibrant masquerades and architectural sculpture, these phenomena have only been studied as living traditions among a handful of peoples, most notably the Pende. Building on the extended fieldwork of numerous researchers since the 1950s, this text offers a unique window into the dynamic performance contexts of both masquerade and architecture in Central Africa. As much as possible, it privileges Pende voices as it seeks to understand the interrelationship between ritual practice and aesthetic form and also records how these artistic practices have responded (sometimes unpredictably) to both colonial and post-colonial pressures. Lavish illustrations feature both iconic and hitherto unpublished masterworks, which have been selected to evoke the full range of Pende expression. Annotated bibliography, 124pp, ITALY. FIVE CONTINENTS EDITIONS.

Mobutu Sese Seko, who ruled Zaire (now the Democratic Republic Congo) from 1965 until 1997, was fond of saying happy are those who sing and dance, and his regime energetically promoted the notion of culture as a national resource. During this period Zairian popular dance music (often referred to as la rumba zairoise) became a sort of musica franca in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa. But how did this privileged form of cultural expression flourish in one of the continent's most brutal authoritarian regimes? In this, the first ethnography of popular music in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bob W. White examines not only the economic and political conditions that brought this powerful music industry to its knees, but also the ways that popular musicians sought to remain socially relevant in a time of increasing insecurity. Index, dicography, bib, notes, b/w illus, 300pp, USA. DUKE UNIVERSITY PRESS.

Located in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Songye are best known for their distinctive statuaries and masks, which for centuries have been used to protect villages, ward off enemies, and bring fertility and wealth. Approximately one thousand of these pieces are shown in this vibrant collection. The Songye often named their statues and decorated them with horns, skins, beads, tacks, shells, and bits of cloth. As a result, each item displays a singular, impressive identity. 400 col illus, 400pp, GERMANY. PRESTEL.