Book excerpt: The Cultural Unity of Black Africa is a profound contribution to the universal store of knowledge in that it situates the geographical and cultural origins of patriarchy and matriarchy in Europe and Africa respectively, and shows that social systems evolve out of specific climatic and environmental factors. These proclivities predispose the inhabitants of both zones towards a particular world-view and thus meaningful conflict. Diop also demonstrates the extensive influence of ancient Egypt on classical Greece in terms of literature, science and