This fascinating work reveals the historically pioneering entrepreneurial role that the Gurage people of Ethiopia have played – and still play. They have long been the proverbial example of inventive economic activity in this multi-ethnic country, fueled by a political economy that after c. 1900 pushed many of them out of their agrarian homelands towards Addis Ababa, the emerging capital. Worku Nida describes this process and its, ultimately overall positive, consequences in an insightful and exemplary way, giving us a rich and theoretically well-framed picture of a remarkable people whose exceptional role and positive image in Ethiopia are recognizable still today.

Jon Abbink, Professor Emeritus of Politics and Governance in Africa, Leiden University, The Netherlands

For perhaps the first time in scholarship, Worku Nida brings into focus the role of various subsections of the Gurage in national Ethiopian history. The story of how Gurage migrants to Addis Ababa eventually transformed themselves from low-status laborers, “coolies,” into some of the richest capitalist entrepreneurs in the country is fascinating. This book deserves a wide readership.

Donald L. Donham, Distinguished Research Professor of Anthropology, University of California, Davis, USA