Wisdom out of Africa

This short book is one of those which, once started, is difficult to put down. Helman’s storytelling is supreme as he recounts his experiences as a medical student in apartheid South Africa, and his journey to London to rid himself of the shackles of medicine and seek solace in anthropology and poetry. But of necessity, he became a general practitioner in suburban London, and herein lies the strength of his story — his insights into his experiences from medical and anthropological viewpoints, with a fair sprinkling of self-analysis.