West African, which incorporates some of the material found in Cooking the African Way (Lerner, 1988), begins with a discussion of the land and people of Africa, an illustrated map of the region, and mention of several holidays. In both titles, "Before You Begin" sections cover safety, utensils, special ingredients, healthy-cooking tips, and metric conversions while chapters focus on such topics as soups and main dishes. Sample dinner menus along with shopping lists are provided. Most ingredients are readily available with just one or two that may need to be purchased at a specialty store. Recipe titles are both in English and the language of the culture in most cases. Glossy covers, pictures throughout, and well-designed layouts add to the overall appeal of these volumes. Although these are not essential purchases for libraries owning the original editions, they are handsome, useful updates, along with Fran Osseo-Asare's A Good Soup Attracts Chairs: A First African Cookbook for American Kids (Pelican, 1993; o.p.), and Diane Vezza's Passport on a Plate (S & S, 1997; o.p.)