Urbanization Overspeed in Tropical Africa, 1970-2000(1986). Facts, Social Problems and Policy. INU Societal Research Series. Dirk Pereboom. Guy Ankerl has written several books talking about subjects such as sociology, capitalism, socialism and of course urbanization among others. He was a professor at the Graduate Institute of Development studies at the University of Geneva when he wrote this study. The study covers a long period from the independence to the beginning of the years 2000 noting the rapid growth of cities to which several social problems are linked. The data collected from this book all come from surveys, census and case studies with many performed under UN services. Although it concerns tropical Africa (TA), it is limited to only the five largest countries of the region: Nigeria and Ghana in Western Africa, Zaire the current Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in Middle Africa and finally Kenya and Tanzania in Eastern Africa. Tropical Africa has the lowest urbanization rate but it is also the fastest growing rate which is what the author is trying to explain.Identifying the indicators of urbanization and development has been key to performing this whole study. I particularly liked the logic of ordering of the subjects. The first chapter talks about independence and the development of African countries since then. As he continues his research the author identified the issues and later announced their solutions.The extensive bibliography of the book and the different maps put more emphasis on the different themes developed by the author. African countries underwent a considerable development between 1970 and 2000, this book describes the socio-economic aspect of urbanization including the policies in place. Some important questions discussed in this book are: • What are the bases of urbanization in Africa since the independence? • What are the sources of growth? • What are the issues related to urbanization? • What are the social problems and which populations are most affected? • What are the possible solutions to those problems including policies and other mechanisms that can help? • How does the urbanization process as an aspect of transition in tropical Africa affect the underprivileged situation and how can this situation be improved? Just to name a few questions. Although there are some similar patterns in urbanization, by using trends the author was able to note “significant differences” between smaller countries and larger ones across all Africa.It was quite confusing for me to read the author thoughts about correlation between the urbanization process and the overall density of the population. The final part of the book is a bit surprising to me because although not very current, some of the solutions suggested by the author are still relevant these days. The author has talked about the historical context of urbanization. However, he failed to clearly develop ideas such as segregation during the independence which has led to the type of cities we can still observe in Tropical Africa. Meanwhile, it was a great idea to focus mainly on the 5 most populous cities of TA. According to the author, the main source of urban growth is the rapid increase of the population. He later added that the rural to urban migration is accentuated by the fact that cities are attractive for the opportunities they offer, for the subsidies that people can receive. Meanwhile, it is important to remember that those people leaving the villages to join the city become part of the population that lives in poor conditions in the outskirt of the city. The author asserted that middle Africa will increase its urbanization indicator more than other African countries. I am not sure I got that point since he later added that small countries and large have different development profiles. I was also surprised to read that there is no positive correlation between the urbanization process and population density as I will suggest the opposite. In our class we clearly saw settlements form in cities and difficulties for the city to adjust to its rapid growth. From 1970 to 2000 growth is continuous but at slower pace, which explains why Kinshasa has remained the largest city of TA although Dar es Salaam has the highest growth rate. There should economic factors linked to this distribution of the populations in both cities although the trend has started since after the independence. The author also discussed some problems occurring in urban areas. The first one he mentioned is discrimination (gender, ethnic, physical, economical), then the underprivileged and the difference between rural and urban underprivileged which is sometimes neglected and of course discrimation towards the elderly and the disabled. This is so obvious because in most African cities disabled lack of care, facilities and even of support from their families who might be too poor to do so. The indicators for the underprivileged include; infant mortality, life expectancy and literacy. Public service was also an issue in urban areas. Rural areas are underserved with public goods and services that people have to travel to receive public services. He cited a few examples where areas with wealthy people are better served with schools, hospitals etc…than adjacent neighborhoods that are most populous. In addition to underservice, rural areas are also better supplied with food which is contradictory since the food comes from rural areas. However, most of that food is now meant for exportation which makes it more difficult to cover the internal food demand. Meanwhile, the author failed to mention that with the increase exportation, the price of food is also increasing making it more difficult for some people to afford it. Some issues are also related to gender. Women are called a minority, not because they are low in number but because they are victims of negative discrimation. According to the author, women move to cities in search of husbands and freedom. This is seldom true in my opinion. It can also be true if we assume that their freedom is through financial independence and education. Most women go to cities in search of opportunities they do not have in their community. They might also leave because they are pressured to conform to norms they do not want to abide to such as arranged marriages. “In general terms, man looks for a framework where he can realize his aspirations in accordance with his lifestyle” (Ankerl, 24) which a good explanation for women’s moving to urban areas. There are several solutions proposed by the author. Apply policies goals and measures to help decrease the rate of urbanization, give incentives to people to remain in rural areas, solve social problems in both rural and urban areas, increase social networks among populations and create a stronger sense of community (solidarity ties). In conclusion, the book is still relevant even after so many years. The author has raised issues that are very pertinent in Tropical Africa and other countries. He proposed some solutions that are feasible if governments take the time to do what it takes to ensure that the social, economic life in urban areas evolve at a rate compatible with the rate of urbanization. In cities such as Douala, Cameroon, urbanization has occurred so fast that the city is hardly adjusting to it. There is lack of water in the cities for several days many areas are also underserved with electricity. Meanwhile, the growth rate is not decelerating. Therefore, city officials must act fast and think of long term solutions for the problems their city face.