Different time. Different place. Different culture. That is what makes the people here so fascinating. These rich and beautiful photos of people from northeast Nigeria invite you into their world. They give you a glimpse of life far from the western technology of the twenty-first century.

They lived without modern amenities. They worked without electricity or machines common in the developed world now, or even in their time. Connected to the land and its resources, they used simple tools and natural materials. In the pattern of their ancestors, their lives focused on family and social relationships.

In this book you will see the process of body marking, discover how brass casting is done, and see the faces of people you’d probably enjoy meeting. Looking at these photos, imagine who these people are; imagine what living with them would be like; imagine how their lives are different and yet similar to your own. What do they say to you?

For twelve years, author Gerald A. Neher and contributing author Lois R. Neher lived and worked among the Nigerian people appearing in this book. Gerald was a trained agriculturalist and anthropologist, having studied at McPherson College, Cornell University, Kansas University, and Southern Illinois University. He was a keen observer of life in other cultures. Lois graduated from McPherson College with a B.A. in education and has taught in both the United States and Nigeria.