Sitting with Elephants: Lessons in Humility from the African Bush, Enhanced and Expanded Second Edition

A professor of communication and strategy reveals deep lessons from life in the African bush.

Sitting with Elephants is a heartfelt memoir that follows a middle-aged American professor and his wife as they trade suburban life for a remote bush house in South Africa. What begins as a spontaneous decision becomes a life-changing experience—one shaped by lions at the backdoor, baboons in the rafters, and above all, a herd of elephants who frequent their yard like neighbors.

Told through a series of emails to their adult children and brought to life by vivid illustrations from Abbey Ndlovu, Ronald Dulek’s narrative explores the profound lessons nature teaches: patience, humility, and deep respect for the wild. As the couple learns to communicate with elephants and navigate the rhythms of bush life, they also reflect on the unexpected beauty of slowing down and embracing the unknown.

Blending lighthearted anecdotes with moments of quiet insight, Sitting with Elephants invites readers into a story of transformation—both personal and environmental. This second edition includes expanded content with new stories and reflections, offering a deeper look into the couple’s unforgettable time in the African bush.

1147315195
Sitting with Elephants: Lessons in Humility from the African Bush, Enhanced and Expanded Second Edition

A professor of communication and strategy reveals deep lessons from life in the African bush.

Sitting with Elephants is a heartfelt memoir that follows a middle-aged American professor and his wife as they trade suburban life for a remote bush house in South Africa. What begins as a spontaneous decision becomes a life-changing experience—one shaped by lions at the backdoor, baboons in the rafters, and above all, a herd of elephants who frequent their yard like neighbors.

Told through a series of emails to their adult children and brought to life by vivid illustrations from Abbey Ndlovu, Ronald Dulek’s narrative explores the profound lessons nature teaches: patience, humility, and deep respect for the wild. As the couple learns to communicate with elephants and navigate the rhythms of bush life, they also reflect on the unexpected beauty of slowing down and embracing the unknown.

Blending lighthearted anecdotes with moments of quiet insight, Sitting with Elephants invites readers into a story of transformation—both personal and environmental. This second edition includes expanded content with new stories and reflections, offering a deeper look into the couple’s unforgettable time in the African bush.

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Sitting with Elephants: Lessons in Humility from the African Bush, Enhanced and Expanded Second Edition

Sitting with Elephants: Lessons in Humility from the African Bush, Enhanced and Expanded Second Edition

Sitting with Elephants: Lessons in Humility from the African Bush, Enhanced and Expanded Second Edition

Sitting with Elephants: Lessons in Humility from the African Bush, Enhanced and Expanded Second Edition

eBook

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Available for Pre-Order. This item will be released on January 15, 2026

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Overview

A professor of communication and strategy reveals deep lessons from life in the African bush.

Sitting with Elephants is a heartfelt memoir that follows a middle-aged American professor and his wife as they trade suburban life for a remote bush house in South Africa. What begins as a spontaneous decision becomes a life-changing experience—one shaped by lions at the backdoor, baboons in the rafters, and above all, a herd of elephants who frequent their yard like neighbors.

Told through a series of emails to their adult children and brought to life by vivid illustrations from Abbey Ndlovu, Ronald Dulek’s narrative explores the profound lessons nature teaches: patience, humility, and deep respect for the wild. As the couple learns to communicate with elephants and navigate the rhythms of bush life, they also reflect on the unexpected beauty of slowing down and embracing the unknown.

Blending lighthearted anecdotes with moments of quiet insight, Sitting with Elephants invites readers into a story of transformation—both personal and environmental. This second edition includes expanded content with new stories and reflections, offering a deeper look into the couple’s unforgettable time in the African bush.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780817395858
Publisher: University of Alabama Press
Publication date: 01/15/2026
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 232

About the Author

Ronald Dulek is the John R. Miller Professor of Management at the University of Alabama. He is author of Who Killed Keyboard? Lessons in Leadership and Email as well as eight other books and over fifty refereed academic articles.

Abbey Ndlovu, whose surname in Zulu means “an Elephant,” is a self-taught artist working full-time as a gate guard at Sabie Park Private Nature Reserve. Ndlovu’s work has been shown in local galleries; he is also the proud artist of the mural at Skukuza Primary school.  In his spare time, Ndlovu teaches art to children at the local village.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction: Squeeze the Juice

Chapter 1: Elephant Ping-Pong

Chapter 2: Guidelines for Approaching an Elephant

Chapter 3: Never Run--Unless You Have To

Chapter 4: A Postage-Stamp View of Africa

Chapter 5: Keep the Doors Locked and the Windows Closed

Chapter 6: A Little Night Music

Chapter 7: Take a Walk on the Wild Side

Chapter 8: When I Have Fears

Chapter 9: Fears and Foolishness

Chapter 10: Taking a Stand

Chapter 11: Unexpected Visitors

Chapter 12: Sitting with Elephants and Chasing Leopards

Chapter 13: A Little Monkey Business

Chapter 14: Humility Breeds Respect

Chapter 15: Changes in Latitude, Changes in Attitude

Chapter 16: Africa Is Hungry

Chapter 17: Synchronicity

Chapter 18: Good Fences Make Good Neighbors

Chapter 19: A Trip to the Grocery Store and the Television Room

Chapter 20: Shock and Awe

Chapter 21: The Beautiful Mysteries

Afterword

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