After a journey into the dark history of Europe and Africa with Sven Lindqvist, I was shocked. It's shocking. Historical ideas and events are presented through a diary/proposal of his unique view on racism. Lindqvist raises questions about where racism was spurred and why what happened in the late 1800s and early 1900s led to the Holocaust. Including religion, personal human values, advanced warfare, and even the impact of societies as a whole. His travels across the Sahara and Africa in the early chapters show a more current view of society on the seas. The description of the desolate continent and harsh conditions paints a picture of what previous civilizations experienced. He explains that part of the reason he traveled to the desert is to feel the space around him, a definite void if you will. As his travels progress, he introduces his family life which is about human emotions, which is also a big focus in this book. The childhood beatings for using the lord's name in vain, the interrupted calls from his daughter that leave him torn and sad. He does a great job taking the reader on a personal journey with him through his current travels and also his early life. Connecting these personal experiences and connecting misconceptions of "right and wrong" into stories is what makes this book so valuable. Lindqvist provides a relevant and learned answer to the question of how racism has become such a terrible tribulation in all parts of the world. Is it possible to live without fear of death? If you can, change your life and who you are as a whole? Lindqvist is convinced of this. At the beginning of the book he proposes the idea that with the fear of death life has a deeper meaning. Which only with the fear of death is done...... middle of paper ......using the retarded mental growth of certain peoples. What Lindqvist was looking for in this book was to give a more sane answer as to the origin of the reasoning behind it. He doesn't propose any ideas to solve it, nor does he hope that one day it won't exist anymore. I also can't imagine a day when everyone considers themselves equal. It would be beautiful and utopian. Yet my logical part of the brain doesn't allow me to believe it. Primitive thoughts and actions will always exist, for we were all once much more of an animal than we are now. Evolution is now not physical but mental. Can the world as a whole ever coexist completely and peacefully? I trust that is the ultimate goal and understanding our history gives us the drive to do so. Just as Lindvqist says: “It's not knowledge that we lack. What is missing is the courage to understand what we know and draw conclusions”.