The American Spectator

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To Be Absolutely Frank

(Page 2 of 2)

Unless of course the alternatives are the cities with the lowest quality of life: Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire, in the Republic of the Congo (not to be confused with the bigger and seemingly even more wretched Democratic Republic of the Congo, formerly known as Zaire), and Khartoum, Sudan.

As should be clear by now, this little book (at 7.87 x 3.94 inches, it's actually a little big for most pockets) is both a handy reference and a dependable conversation-starter.

It's also a valuable reminder that, in spite of globalization and the Internet, the world remains a dramatically diverse place. The next time you're tempted to think otherwise, remember that the typical woman in Niger bears 8 children, while her opposite number in Bulgaria bears 1.1. I think those mothers would agree that boring homogenization is still at least a few years off.

topics:
Education, Law, United Nations, Africa