Oke, a Yoruban Nigerian who works as a Christian missionary in west central Africa, claims that juju --an age-old religion involving animal and human sacrifice, spells, curses and manipulation of good and evil sprits--flourishes in modern Africa. This pulsing first-person narrative, written with freelancer Wright, begins with Oke's cult initiation at age 13, which involved drinking blood. Sections of this report are graphic, such as descriptions of the murder and dismemberment of a white male captive and simliarly horrific activities. Oke and Wright argue that juju inflicts far-reaching damage on modern African society: its ceremonies promote sexual excess, leading to unwanted babies and infanticide; cocaine and marijuana are routinely administered "sacraments"; juju practice casts a net of general secretiveness and mistrust. The authors' contention that the widespread use of blood in juju rituals (and in Haitian voodoo) is a chief transmission mechanism in the AIDS epidemic merits attention.

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