AbdouMaliq Simone

A gem of a book that I'm currently re-reading. At times Simone's prose can sit heavy with Deleuzian jargon; this however is less of a bad taste in one's mouth than the slight discomfiture that comes after having eaten a particularly rich, delicious meal. Simone has an amazing ability to see the layering of networks and relationships within cities that few other authors I've read can do with such elegance. One of the greatest things that For the City Yet to Come... brings to the table, besides the familiarity and acuity of Simone's 30-plus years of experience in the field, is Simone's commitment to focus on the productiveness of the anarchy, informality, and idiosyncrasy of African cities. Without romanticizing poverty ala- the detestable Thomas Friedman (beggars as entrepreneurs), and always mindful of the tenuous "state of emergency" that most of the inhabitants he describes live in, Simone challenges us to look at the novelty and potentiality of new forms of networks and sociability that are being produced daily in cities in Africa (and beyond). More after the reread...… (mere)