Customer Reviews

The Worlds of a Maasai Warrior: An Autobiography

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a fantastic book by a Maasai warrior who was brought up traditionally, schooled in local schools, employed as a park warden and tourist guide, and then able to fulfill his dream of education in Germany and the U.S. Not only does he give us a view of his culture, he shows us our culture through his eyes.
The book is both a well-written view of what the traditional Maasai life is like, as well as their sense of values, and the life story of Tepilit himself and his reactions as he grew up Maasai, and was introduced to modern life and technology.
It will broaden ANYONE'S understanding of this culture, but would be especially valuable reading pre-safari. For instance, on safari you'll see young Maasai in the ceremonial black clothing who have recently been circumcised. With this book you'll understand the full significance of that ceremony.

I read this book 12 years ago and was so moved that I wrote a letter to to the author - something I have never done before or since. I was so struck by his ability to navigate between two cultures that seemingly had little in common. His book is a testimonial to the flexibility of the human spirit and the power of education. Last week, out of the blue, I received a telephone call from the author. Apparently, he had saved my address all these years. Saitoti is currently in the US as a visiting scholar. He will be speaking in various institutions and he has just started writing a follow up to The Worlds of a Maasai Warrior (The Worlds of a Maasai Elder). I have just shown him these amazon reviews. He is sitting here beside me and
would like to take this opportunity to say: "Thank you to the reviewers of my book for such beautiful reviews and to amazon.com for posting such a wonderful display of my work."

I read this book as part of an anthropology course I was taking recently and was totally enthralled with it. Seeing American culture through the eyes of someone from such a vastly different background made for excellent reading. The depiction of the author's life in Africa was exceptional, making a Western reader, like myself, realize how many common threads we all hold with the whole of humanity. I cannot recommend this book enough.

I recently was on safari with the San Diego Zoo and had the priviledge of having Saitote as a guide in Tanzania. He as a Maasai of course has a unique understanding of his land, but after having been educated in the United States and having helped make the film for the National Geographic "Man from Serengeti" he sees Tanzania as perhaps no-one else on earth does. His book shows a man who killed his lion, was ritually circumcised and then appears to have been tempted by the opportunities of North America. The book is quite frank and is a rare opportunity to understand the difference between the two worlds.

Excellent book, very accurate and really worth the money. It gives the picture of a boy growing up as a real Maasai and the new life in civilized world of Germany and USA - a man between two cultures and the difficult question to decide which way to go along. Makes yourself wondering about the way we Western people are living and gives a chance to see our world with other eyers.

After having visited the Maasai area some months ago a good opportunity to compare facts with my own experience and found it even more interesting. Go for it!

There couldn't be two more different places than New York City and the lands of the Maasai in Tanzania. Tepilit Ole Saitoti's story of his journey in and between these two worlds is fascinating. I am looking forward to the update he is writing now that he is a Maasai Elder. This insight into another land and culture is a gift.

I am a high school social studies teacher and I am currently teaching a course on world cultures. For the course I have decided to teach about the Maasai culture. The vast majority of the books that I found on the Maasai were either very vague or very elementary. I found the book "The Worlds of a Maasai Warrior : An Autobiography by Tepilit Ole Saitoti" to be an outstanding resource that depicts what true Maasai culture really is. The author is able to draw the reader into the story while telling his life history. It is a captivating novel that has received high remarks from some of the toughest critics in the world-- high school students.

After having just visited Africa, I wanted to get a better feel for what it's really like to be Maasai. This book is very real, and gives interesting insights from the "inside". I enjoyed it thoroughly.

I chose an autobiography of a Maasai himself, rather than an anthropologist's description, for my first reading about a people and part of the world about which I know nothing. Each page of Saitoti's book piqued my curiosity for more details and led me to search for more information. I can't wait to read his collaborative photo-essay (with Carol Beckwith) of the Maasai. The challenge of retaining cultural diversity in the modern world is well-articulated here.

Very interesting first person account of a Maasai man who becomes western educationed and gives insight to what growing up in a Maasai village was like. Quick read - powerful story. You must read this book if you plan on going to Kenya or Tanzania.