Francis X. Johnson and Vikram Seebaluck have, with inputs from more than 40 collaborators, produced a thoughtful and timely book, packed with facts and both technical and policy advice. The premise is that Africa, and especially sub-Saharan Africa, now has an enormous opportunity to expand production of sugar for food, energy and economic benefits. Further, and perhaps more importantly, potential investors and the governments that must take actions to support them can learn from the experience of the first-movers in this industry, especially Brazil, but also Mauritius and South Africa. The global sugar industry has significantly evolved towards greater efficiency and competitiveness over the last three decades, providing a vast array of lessons of experience on issues technical, political and financial. Every African leader whose country has the agronomic potential for expanding sugar production – for bioenergy as well as sugar – should take the authors’ offer of an admirably presented immersion course in the subject before formulating their strategies for investment.