T he Blood Latitudes explores the nature and consequence of power—of "power in the blood" as they say—the power of ethnic and tribal relationships and history, and the power of European and American colonial exploitation of Africa for slaves at first, then for rubber, diamonds, oil, and other natural resources, and for strategic bases. It explores the nature of "the other" and the ferocious and terrible consequences of "othering" whether of one tribe to another or of son for father. It asserts, finally, that All the world is Africa, barbaric and primeval, and what's in the blood is more savage than we can know or possibly understand, and it comes for us like a marauder, it comes through the streets for us, it finds its way into our veins and moves toward our hearts. We refine and insulate ourselves, but our cultivations...