Wildest Africa

In color photographs and essays, this handsome book celebrates the natural beauty of Africa, region by region--the Great Rift Valley of the east central section, the desert of the southwest, the rain forest of the Congo River basin, the Zambezi River district, the velds of the south and the southern coast. In his introduction, Tingay, author of travel books, novels and films set in Africa, describes the geography and history of the continent and laments that, because of the current economic crisis on the continent, humans ""will undoubtedly wipe out every last source of nourishment, animal and tree, in order to survive."" The pictures, by numerous African photographers, of animals, birds and plants are superb--e.g., a close-up of a pair of lions drinking; a red, black and white reed frog on an orange water lily; flamingos on a lake in the golden light of dawn. Tingay's sensitive accompanying essays emphasize the vulnerability of this endangered country where humanity competes with other animals for shrinking natural resources. (Dec.)