How much do you really know about Africa? And could a powerful morning routine really transform your life? In Africa Is Not A Country, Dipo Faloyin dismantles the monolithic view of Africa, revealing the rich tapestry of its 54* unique nations while exposing the lingering impacts of colonialism. On the other hand, Robin Sharma’s The 5AM Club offers a blueprint for personal success through an invigorating morning routine, though he does it in a cumbersome fashion! Join me as I provide a brief overview of these thought-provoking books that encourage us to see the world – and ourselves – from new perspectives.
Africa Is Not A Country by Dipo Faloyin
In Africa Is Not A Country, author Dipo Faloyin details the history of the diverse continent of Africa. He explores the distinct people groups and cultures, colonialism, and reckless reassignment of territory when nations sought independence. These actions did not respect language, religion or history, leading to a devastating impact on the African nations.
Faloyin challenges the modern-day perception of Africa as a single entity plagued by undemocratic, tyrannical leadership across a poverty-stricken continent. He highlights the inequitable hoarding of Africa’s wealth and history in Western museums and private estates as a starting point for redressing past injustices. This well-researched book implores readers to see Africa with fresh eyes, recognizing its 54 separate, distinctive, flawed, but beautiful nations.
Reckless Territorial Redistribution
Many revelations made my jaw drop, my heart skip a beat, my eyes shed many tears and my heart mourn, grieve and then swell with anger and frustration. Here’s one that may be more of a reminder than a revelation for you – the redistribution and assignment of territory to nation-states by colonial powers was effectively an act of carelessly drawing lines across a paper map with absolutely no respect of persons, language, religion, history or geographical landmarks such as rivers, deserts, etc. These thoughtless independence ‘negotiations’ fractured families and friends, initiated civil wars, and are foundational causes of national chaos in certain African states to this day.
Enraging. Heart-breaking. Compelling. Africa Is Not A Country is a must-read.
Other African literature that I love and would recommend:
- There Was A Country by Chinua Achebe
- Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
- The Bride Price by Buchi Emecheta
- Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi (currently on offer at time of writing for £3.99!!!)
- The Spider King’s Daughter by Chibundu Onuzo
And as I type up this short list, the books of which you can purchase from here, I recognise these recommendations primarily feature West African literature, particularly from Nigerian and Ghanaian authors who have lived in the Western world as part of the African diaspora.
So, if you have recommendations for authors from other parts of the African continent, whether fiction or non-fiction, please send them my way!
The 5AM Club by Robin Sharma
The Power Hour
What did I like about this book?
A refresher on the 20/20/20 rule that I have heard coined elsewhere as a ‘Power Hour’, but the book terms this concept the ‘Victory Hour’ where you do something invigorating for your body and mind. This hour includes:
- 20 mins of high-intensity, sweat-inducing, heart-rate upping exercise.
- 20 mins of writing and reflection, meditation, prayer.
- 20 mins of reading and learning.
Memorable Affirmations
I enjoyed some of the positive affirmations around money mindset, having a high performance resilient character, and creating and living a joyous life.
“When you feel like surrendering, continue. Triumph loves the relentless.”
“Please consider that a bad day for the ego is a great day for the soul. And what your voice of fear claims is a mean season the light of your wisdom knows is a splendid gift.“
Mr. Riley stopped for a moment, reached down and touched his toes four times while muttering the following mantra: “Today is a glorious day and I’ll live it at excellence, with boundless enthusiasm and limitless integrity, true to my visions and with a heart full of love.”
“Having plenty of money is what life wants for you. Abundance is nature’s way. There’s no scarcity of flowers, lemon trees and stars in the sky.”
I gave The 5AM Club by Robin Sharma 2 out of 5 stars for two reasons:
[1] It’s unnecessarily lengthy (it could have been chopped in half), and
[2] The cheesy, unbelievable nature of the characters and storyline was off-putting.
By the last third of the book, I was skipping passages and massively skimming because I honestly could not take it anymore. I disliked every character, though I disliked the entrepreneur the least (perhaps that’s female bias?).
The hook that forced me to push through was the fact there were new mindset strategies introduced throughout that I would have missed if I had put the book down. It was only after I finished reading that I realised I could have looked online to find a condensed version, summary and key breakdown of lessons taught within The 5AM Club. Sigh.
The Concept: Performance Principles in Parables
The concept of writing a story within the framework of mindset strategies is not unfamiliar, but Robin Sharma did not execute it well.
Of course, this is simply my opinion. I am not averse to mindset literature that frames concepts within simple stories. For example, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is a beautiful story of hope, perseverance, adventure and following one’s ‘Personal Journey’ to the end, despite the obstacles in your path. If you’ve been following my blogs over the years or you follow me on social media, you’ll have heard me mention my love for this book. Here’s a favourite quote:
‘And when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.’ – The Alchemist
But Sharma’s ‘The 5 AM Club’ was really really tough, uninspiring, ridiculously cheesy reading. I wonder, does Robin himself speak or act like his characters do in real life? Otherwise, I can’t imagine where he modelled them from!
Even writing my book review on Goodreads, I realised this website provided summaries and very clear ‘steer clear of this book’ warnings that I wish I’d seen earlier. In my opinion, reading the book from cover to cover is a waste of time and money. Check out the reviews on Goodreads for all you need to know from this book.
Exploring these books (particular the first) has been a journey of eye-opening revelations and candid reflections. Whether you’re interested in understanding the true diversity of Africa or seeking ways to enhance your personal routine, both books offer valuable insights, though I wouldn’t recommend purchasing The 5AM Club. I’d love to hear your thoughts and book recommendations! Feel free to leave a comment below or drop me a message. Let’s keep the conversation going!
abigailirozuru 