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Book Review
Mike Warren Dies in Nigeria


SMALL BRIDGES TO ONE WORLD, A PEACE CORPS PERSPECTIVE, NIGERIA 1963-1965
by Katharyn W. Saltonstall

Having no young children to care for at home, Saltonstall had the unusual opportunity of traveling with her husband when he visited many of the over 800 PCVs in virtually every corner of the country.  She recounts problems with vehicle breakdowns on the roads, dissatisfied headmasters, and difficulties of the volunteers they visited.  These difficulties included loneliness, discouragement, and poor health.

However, the book is not a downer.  Saltonstall devotes much of the book to describing certain volunteers and their devotion to their projects.  None was large and impressive; each was small and, well, impressive!  The enthusiasm of the volunteers and their devotion of so much of their time to helping improve the lot of the Nigerians around them is described with little editorial comment on the author's part.

Though the travel segments are the most memorable, she wasn't always traveling.  Her attempts to make her home in Lagos a welcoming place for volunteers seems to have succeeded beyond her wildest dreams.

Saltonstall does very little delving into the philosophy of what her husband and the rest of us were doing.  At one point, however, she admits that our attitude was unconsciously condescending; implying that the America way is the best way. A point worth discussing.
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MIKE WARREN DIES IN NIGERIA

We regret to report that FON member Mike Warren, (Ghana 64-66), died recently.  Mike and his wife Mary authored the lead article in the last issue of our newsletter, "Students Research Indigenous Knowledge."

Mike spent a great deal of time in Nigeria.  His wife Mary is Nigerian.  Mike's research interests led him to establish the Center of Indigenous Knowledge for Agriculture and Rural Development (CIKARD) At Iowa State University.  The article reported on his work in developing this Center and in Nigeria.

In spite of the troubling political and economic situation in Nigeria these days, Mike's enthusiasm for Nigeria knew no bounds.  The Jan. 2 issue of the Des Moines Register included a very brief article stating that Dennis Michael Warren, anthropology professor at Iowa State University had died recently in Africa.  The article indicated that he had been in Nigeria but that the university knew neither the cause of death nor the exact date.  We have since learned that Mike died of a heart attack.