Review of How the Rhino lost his Horn

And so, the intrepid author decided to go from Pennsylvania to South Africa, because of Hans Zimmer…

Don’t believe it?

By the end of the book, you just might.

This isn’t a coherent tale of one mans journey from Inspiration to salvation, topped off by the inevitable revelation that we are all the same under the skin.  This is a madcap romp through south Africa, back to America, back to South Africa, rinse (with unclean water) and repeat.

The style of storytelling is engaging, it’s fast paced and doesn’t spare the blushes of all those concerned, Mammoth Gruesome Bowel Movement being one of the more colourful (although thankfully not illustrated) descriptions when it came to the things encountered.  It’s clear that the author had a lot to learn when they left Pennsylvania, and they own their complicity in how things were to begin with, understanding that while things have always been that way, it doesn’t mean that they had to be that way.

This is not to say that the book is full of political overtures and conclusions, and while there are changes in thought that occur steadily throughout, it’s clear that the person writing the book has already matured from the person who made the journey in the first place. 

The revelation that the problems seen in places like South Africa are not just a result of the policies that were enacted over decades, but also a glimpse into the future of the rest of the world, can really only be understood when you read through the book and see how those things crept up on the people who lived in those countries and only after they came to pass, did everyone realise that they’d seen them all along.  What you think has been a riotous error of an endeavour turns out to be a thought provoking theorem only in the last few pages.

For those not sure, you can read more of Jacks thoughts at https://www.jacks.blog/, his style of writing has not changed since he wrote the book, but there’s a lot to digest in here and it’s always good to start with a primer.

Thanks to Whitefox Publishing and the Author for the Free ARC, my views are my own, no incentive offered or accepted.