Rating: 
Summary: REFRESHING AND TOTALLY IRRESISTIBLE
Review: Hooked. That's what you are. After reading only a few pages of Alexander McCall Smith's delightful tale you're completely in this author's thrall. Episodes in the life of the incorrigible, unconquerable Precious Ramotswe, proprietress of Botswana's No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, are endearing, amusing, and speckled with truths. Possessed with intelligence and human intuition in an abundance that matched her girth Mma Ramotswe (the courteous form of address) has familiarized herself with an instruction manual, "The Principles of Private Detection." Then, equipped with a "tiny white van,"minimal office equipment, an assistant, Mma Makutsi, and three mugs in which to brew redbush tea she opened for business.
She loves Botswana, and feels she knows "how to love the people who live in this place." It is her duty, she believes. "to help them solve the mysteries in their lives." (Not the crimes, mind you, but the mysteries). Much has happened since Mma Ramotswe first entertained these revelatory thoughts. Her business has flourished to the extent that she has been able to buy a home on Zebra Drive and, on the far side of her thirties, which she considers the "finest age to be" she has become engaged to Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni, the proud and proper owner of Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors. Now, with the fourth in Alexander Smith's engaging series, "The Kalahari Typing School for Men," she has two adopted children in her care, and is confronted by a rival business run by a macho retired policeman who trumpets that only a man can be a proper detective. Mma Makutsi also faces challenges. Her bank balance is anemic, and her life lacks romance. Then, quite suddenly, "a strikingly good idea" occurs to her: she would open a typing school for men. She realizes that men have to type in order to use computers, but did not learn to type correctly because "they are ashamed to say that they cannot type and they do not want to go and have to learn with a class full of girls." An evening class held in a church hall so that others would think the men were going to a church meeting was the solution. Once the idea was fully formed in her mind Mma Makutsi is so elated that "she began to gyrate round the office in celebratory dance, ululating quietly as she did so, her right hand moving backward and forward before her mouth." Not only is the school an unqualified success, but there is extra-circular activity when a student becomes enamored with Mma Makutsi. Regrettably, there are complications in this pairing - complications that trouble Mma Ramotswe. Equally distressing is Mma Ramotswe's latest client, Mr. Molefelo. Now, a well-to-do engineer Mr. Molefelo once committed what he considers to be egregious sins. He wants to make amends for past wrongs. Thus, it falls to Mma Ramotswe to find those he has misused. These tasks aren't difficult for Botswana's No. 1 lady detective who, possessed with Solomon-like wisdom, also suggests precisely what Mr. Molefelo might do to achieve proper atonement. Spare and neatly crafted, "The Kalahari Typing School For Men" sparkles with African sunshine and Mma Ramotswe's wit. It is refreshing and irresistible, leaving readers eager for more.
- Gail Cooke
Rating: 
Summary: Powerful view of African traditions
Review: The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency has problems--a new competitor run by a man has opened in town. And with Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni returning from his long bout with depression, there's the problem of how to pay Mma. Makutsi--who has served as assistant detective and also acting manager of Matekoni's garage. Still, although the competitor threatens to steal some of their business, Mma. Ramotswe has some detecting jobs to do--including finding the people a client wronged many years before and whether a husband is cheating on his wife. In the meantime, Mma. Makutsi comes up with a brilliant idea--a typing school for men--men who wouldn't be caught dead in a secretarial college like Mma. Makutsi attended, but who need keyboard skills for their jobs. It's an ideal solution to her money problems and also a convenient way for the single Makutsi to discover a man. Author Alexander McCall Smith loves Africa, its traditional ways of life, and the ways that its people (at least the people of Botswana) treat one another. His No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series, including THE KALAHARI TYPING SCHOOL FOR MEN are practically poetic in their praises of this traditional way of life. Mma. Ramotswe is the protagonist in these stories and the central pillar for tradition. Her detecting and the solutions to her clients problems flow from these African traditions (as interpreted by Smith) and prove heart-warming even in the midst of poverty and the AIDS crisis that has destroyed so much of Africa (AIDS is not mentioned by name in this novel but its impact is clear to see). Whether Smith's view of Africa has anything to do with the real continent is something I won't even attempt to decide, but it is certainly his view and his love for this Africa is obvious and compelling. Smith's beautiful writing makes KALAHARI an enjoyable read that can be savored or swallowed in a gulp. The characters of Mma. Makutsi and Mma. Ramotswe are well drawn and interesting. KALAHARI is anything but a thriller, but it makes a wonderful diversion from the everyday.
Rating:
Summary: Easy going, just plain fun.
Review: If you'd like some relief from profound, violent, or even sugary sweet characters, this is the book for you. The story just rocks along at a pleasant pace. You may guess some of the endings of each part but still it's fun just to see that ending unfold. Read this ...you'll be glad you did.
Rating:
Summary: I LOVE THE CHARACTERS IN THIS BOOK!
Review: "I must remember, thought Mma. Ramotswe, how fortunate I am in this life; at every moment, but especially now, sitting on the verandah of my house in Zebra Drive, and looking up at the high sky of Botswana, so empty that the blue is almost white. Here she was then, Precious Ramotswe, owner of Botswana's only detective agency, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency-an agency which by and large had lived up to its initial promise to provide satisfaction for its clients, although some of them, it must be said, could never be satisfied. And here she was too, somewhere in her late thirties, which as far as she was concerned was the very finest age to be; here she was with the house in Zebra Drive and two orphan children, a boy and a girl, bringing life and chatter into the home. These were blessings with which anybody should be content. With these things in one's life, one might well say that nothing more was needed." (Page 1) So begins Alexander McCall Smith's latest book, THE KALAHARI TYPING SCHOOL FOR MEN. He has a wonderful African storytelling voice. Parts of the book are funny, sad, educational, and touching. Mma. Ramotswe deals with real and moral problems. Although the troubles take place in Africa, they are universal and range from searching for people from the past, cheating spouses, looking for love, raising children, trying to improve one's financial status, trying to right a wrong, to dealing with competition, and more. I enjoy the way Mma. Ramotswe solves her clients' problems as well as her own. There are no guns or high-speed chases. There is no fighting, cursing, or the likes. An element of danger and adventure exists in Mma. Ramotswe's work but the detective uses her wits and manners when dealing with others. The plot is always refreshing. I love the way THE KALAHARI TYPING SCHOOL FOR MEN transports me to Mma. Ramotswe's world. I feel like I'm a part of the detective agency. I feel like I'm riding with Mma. Ramotswe in her little white van along the Botswana plains. I feel like I'm sharing a cup of red bush tea with her and Mma. Makutsi. I feel like I've tasted a slice of the cake that Mma. Potokwani always serves Mma. Ramotswe at the orphanage. I feel like I know the kind and gentle Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni. I feel like I'm in the same room with his funny mechanic apprentices. Another good read. Fafa Demasio
Rating:
Summary: These books are great.
Review: I spent a couple of weeks in Botswana at the game parks. I was always impressed by how nice the Botswanans were. Have traveled a lot and there is professional courtesy and there are genuinely nice people. All the ones I met were really sweethearted, kind people. Was very happy that these books reflected that culture. And a pretty decent detective story too.
Rating:
Summary: Sneaks up on you
Review: If you're looking for action-packed suspense, you won't find it here. Like the rest of the series, this book offers a quiet charm that draws the reader into the lives of a small town in Botswana, Africa. Through the eyes of the heroine, Precious Ramotswe, we feel as though we, too, live in this village. The book as a realistic feel and the characters grow on me with each volume. There's gentle suspense. This detective agency tracks down a lost family, to help a client repay a debt, and a straying husband, who turns out to be uncomfortably close to the agency. Although Precious Ramotswe owns a detective agency,
she draws on common sense and her vast network, rather than special skills. Unlike Miss Marple, she doesn't go out of her way to find mysteries, or even label her puzzles as mysteries. She just enjoys life to the fullest. Her fiance,Mr. Maketoni, provides a nice foil, with his motor repair agency, and we now meet two apprentices who have the potential to add additional flavor to the series. Like M. C. Beaton, Smith writes small books that convey a sense of place with economy and skill. However, his characters have a dignity that keeps the book charming rather than humorous. Smith is respectful, while Beaton takes a satiric twist every so often. Stiill, of all mysteries I read, Beaton bears the closest resemblance. Fortunately for fans, both authors are prolific. With any luck, we'll see many more volumes in our lifetime.
Rating:
Summary: WOW !
Review: I'm running out of superlatives for this series. It keeps getting better and better even though there is a bit less emphasis on the detective business than there was in the first three installments. That gives more time for character development and when you're dealing with characters as wonderful and unique as Precious Ramotswe, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni and Grace Makutsi, that's not such a bad thing. These characters truly come alive and leap right off the page, as does the country of Botswana. There is a lot of emphasis on "traditional" ways, manners and mores in this book and Botswana must be a lovely, dignified and proud country indeed if it is anything like the place described by the author. I highly recommend this book to anyone who care about good fiction.
Rating:
Summary: Another great romp with The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
Review: Mma Ramotswe is back in form in the fourth book in the series about the No. 1 Ladies' Detective agency. Her detective agency is on solid footing although she's barely breaking even financially; she's become in institution in the community, her faithful fiance Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni is still faithful (are these two ever going to set the date??) and overall, life is good. But there's a small cloud on the horizon; a pushy male detective who claims to be from the Big Apple sets up shop in town, loudly proclaiming that sleuthing is a man's business after all, and threatens to give Mma Ramotswe some serious competition. But Mma. Makutsi, her trusty assistant, saves the day by scavenging some old typewriters and opening an adjunct business in their office, a typing school for men (what's the difference between a clerk and a secretary, except that men are called clerks and women are called secretaries, Mma. Makutsi reasons; after all, they both need to know how to type). And next thing you know, business is booming, and one of Mma. Makutsi's students is making some serious moves on her. Is love in the air? Or is this guy maybe too good to be true? It's up to Mma Ramotswe to find out, when she has time off from her search for two missing persons, and dealing with that pesky competition on the side. Alexander McCall Smith brings Mma Ramotswe back onstage with all her formidable qualities very much in effect; her shrewd mother-wit, her common sense, and her uncanny intuition. Like the first three book, "The Kalahari Typing School for Men" is an enchanting love poem to the people and the continent that so intrigues and fascinates Smith, and which he makes so fascinating for the rest of us. It's all summed up in his coda on the final page: africa
africa africa
africa africa africa
africa africa
africa
Rating: 
Summary: A Story to Make You Smile
Review: Fourth in a series about The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency of Botswana, The Kalahari Typing School for Men by Alexander McCall Smith is an easy read. There is nothing terribly exciting or riveting about this novel, but the simple storyline will make you smile. In The Kalahari Typing School for Men Mma Precious Ramotswe and her assistant Mma Makutsi run a detective agency. Business is slow and a competitor has moved into town so the ladies are forced to develop new ways to earn business and money. Mma Ramotswe investigates a complicated case that requires her to use intuition, tact and foresight. Mma Makutsi creates an entirely new way to make money that will also help elevate her from the ranks of assistant detective and help her lead a more full life. Being perceptive of human behavior, Mma Makutsi sees many men around her falling behind in the business world because of their inability to type. They do not want to take classes and be shown up by women, so they end up falling behind technologically. Being a top graduate of secretarial school, Mma Makutsi decides to open a typing classes geared specifically for men. She is able to make use of her contacts at The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency and from her secretarial schooldays and suddenly she is in business and finding renewed purpose in her life. As in many good tales, the storylines of Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi become more and more interwoven as the story progresses. The Kalahari Typing School for Men reads like a children's fable written for adults. At no point will the reader be challenged but reading the novel is a pleasure, as Smith's novel reads with the rhythm of life in Botswana.
Rating:
Summary: Charming, but with a touch of condescension
Review: I've read all four of the Alexander McCall Smith books centering on Mma Ramotswe and her No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency and I plan on reading the fifth, so clearly (to me, anyway) there is something attractive, charming, and addictive about these little literary gems. The gentle wisdom of the main characters, the insights into human nature that are revealed in the succession of episodes, the often lyrical references to life, nature, and culture in Botwana, all of these things render Smith's books fun to read and at times spiritually uplifting. This latest episode, featuring the professional and romantic adventures of Mma Rowatswe's trusted assistant, the typing prodigy Mma Makutsi, is every bit as charming and readable as the first three books in the series, so one cannot say that Smith is losing his touch as he cranks out book after book. There are, however, some troubling aspects to this series that I confess have come to bother me. Example: in his laudable effort to portray life in Botswana in a positive light, Smith's narrative at times takes on a kind of paternalistic tone, the subtext of which seems to be, "these people are simple, yes, but they are gentle, good, and in a kind of salt-of-the-earth way, wise." A style that apparently seeks to keep the prose simple and accessible ends up making the characters themselves often appear childlike and one-dimensional, lacking in real human depth. Because of this, I can see how these books have come to be so whole-heartedly embraced by rat-race-weary urban Western professionals daydreaming of a "simpler life and a slower pace." This tendency toward flattening out the stresses and complexities of life in rural Botswana would be more forgivable were it not for the fact that this is the nation with the highest rate of HIV infection on the planet. This is a startling, sad, alarming reality that probably will surprise many readers of these books, and yet this overwhelmingly serious problem is never mentioned even once in Smith's upbeat tales about lady detectives and dedicated auto mechanics. I certainly don't expect the author to dwell in his stories upon this health catastrophe, but his failure even to allude to the problem seems to me an almost calculated part of his overall strategy of presenting a romanticized, sanitized, they're-poor-but-they're-happy image of life in Botswana. People who have read and appreciated all of the novels will surely interject at this point at least one, "Yeah, but..." Noteworthy among these could be the fact that in a previous book the principal male character, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni (always, cutely, referred to by this full title), is diagnosed with clinical depression. Yes, this is strikingly "real to life," certainly, but even here the simplistic, dumbed-down approach to human problems advanced by Smith emerges, as Matekoni's apparently severe depression is completely obliterated almost instantly through a simple presciption for antidepressant drugs. Anyone familiar with the issue of depression knows that overcoming this malady is seldom so simple as is portrayed in Smith's novel. But problems in Smith's Botswana tend generally toward rapid and total resolution, much in the manner of prime time television episodes. Still, I confess that I find these novels to be soothing and easy bedtime reading, and I'm sure I'll end up buying and reading the next one, despite my growing reservations about Smith's overall project.
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