1981. Peter takes a sabbatical year to travel through Africa with his wife Claire, hoping to find out why some countries fail to develop. After a series of incredible setbacks they finally set off from Brussels one snowy evening for sunny Africa in an old Land Rover, leaving behind everything they know. The book recounts the almost impossible, even hilarious situations, in which they find themselves at times, and some extremely funny stories and odd encounters. But this is more than a travel story.

It also relates their astonishment at discovering a world unlike anything they were used to in the West. As they whittle down their exaggerated expectations and begin to move at an African pace, their meetings with the people turn into a life-changing experience: the contradictions between the western lifestyle and true human nature become apparent, and Africans turn out to be more real than any other people they have met previously. This story shows that we can learn from Africa, if only we are willing to open our hearts and listen. It touches upon some of the deepest aspects of what it means to be a human being, and leaves us with many questions as to the true values in life, which may be in danger of being lost in the West.