Tim Butcher's first-hand account of his travels in the Congo reveal the social prejudice and economic troubles of a decade ago. Despite overt criticism from all around him, he keeps his promise to his mentor to visit the Congo. His book Blood River details his adventures and personal reflections during the trip. This nonfiction account is both thrilling and revolting as it reveals how racism and classism still exist in the west, stemming from almost total ignorance.
Butcher is uniquely qualified to condemn his readers because he's addressing a culture which he knows intimately and had participated in. The Congo was just another pin in the map to him, doubtless full of savages and disease. When he got there, however, he quickly realized his mistake. He knew nothing of what Africa is like and should never have dared to make assumptions. In fact he concludes that the Congolese people were, in some ways, radically more civilized than his European friends.
Before leaving, Butcher made a point to meet with anyone he could find who had actually visited the Congo. He wanted all the information he could have about the place. Even before his life-changing experience there, he demonstrated his calculated open-mindedness by not discriminating between sources based on any factor except their truthfulness. This is why his account holds so much gravity: he was willing to learn anything and everything the Congo offers.
