Book excerpt: "From its modest beginnings in the 1860s, Dar es Salaam has grown to become one of Africa's most important urban centres. A major political, economic and cultural hub, the city has also acted as a crucible of local social and cultural innovation, exerting a powerful influence on wider Tanzanian society. Reflecting important contemporary socio-economic trends of urban Africa, it has recently attracted the attention of a diverse range of scholars from several disciplines. This collection draws on the best of this scholarship." --Book Jacket.