This groundbreaking book in African philosophy goes beyond the post-colonial enthno-philosophies and describes a genuine philosophy grounded in the African experience that illuminates the universal quest for happiness, meaning, and knowledge. Consolation philosophy is meant as the culmination of loose developments in African thought that stretch back to ancient Egypt, and which are found particularly in the thought of Senghor and the work of the contemporary Nigerian philosopher Asouzu (who is taken as offering a prolegomena to any future African philosophy). As Africa’s global influence grows in the 21st century, the significance of that continent’s philosophies rises as well. Ada Agada’s Existence and Consolation supports that judgment. Agada sheds important light on the contemporary human condition and insightfully envisions what people share and need to honor in every time and place. What is most exciting is that this account addresses significant elements of African life and thought, while at the same time making a robust contribution to world philosophy. It stands as a significant new contribution to the expanding literature on African forms of life and thought, and deserves a wide reading and careful thought. A challenging and well-informed rereading of African philosophy to date that, combined with a fascinating retrieval and transformation of Senghor as well as with the intriguing thought of the contemporary Nigerian philosopher Asouzu, leads to an impressively comprehensive speculative account of the world and of human experience. ...a sustained critique of major currents and orientations in African philosophy thus inaugurating a new order with the universal vision of consolation. It recaptures the ontology, gnosis and values determined by the weltanschauung of the African. The message is new and clear―and the style irresistible. Ada Agada is based at the University of Nigeria Nsukka, specializing in African philosophy, existentialism, and metaphysics. Jonathan O. Chimakonam, Ph.D., teaches at the University of Calabar. He is the editor of Filosofia Theoretica: Journal of African Philosophy, Culture and Religions, and the author of At??l? ?mal?: Some Unanswered Questions in Contemporary African Philosophy .