 In ‘’Derrida, Africa, and the Middle East,’’ Wise built upon Derrida’s deconstruction of Hellenic concepts of the word, and the Senegalese philosopher Cheikh Anta Diop’s writings about ancient Egyptian influence in the Sahel, suggesting that heka, the Egyptian word for “word,” is probably the historical antecedent of the Hebraic term ruah, the Mande term nyama, and the Songhay term naxamala.Regarding this book, Nigerian critic Abiola Irele stated, “Apart from its careful dissection of Derrida’s work in all its scope, Derrida, Africa, and the Middle East represents a major contribution to the on-going debate of the relations between peoples.” The Kenyan critic Emilia Ileva similarly stated, “Wise has succeeded in making deconstruction far more inclusive than the articulation of it one finds in Derrida’s writings.Derrida’s work may now begin to resonate more clearly in Africa and in African Studies in particular.” Thirteen years after his essay on Derrida and Zionism appeared, Wise published a follow-up essay in Gianni Vattimo and Michael Marder's ‘’Deconstructing Zionism,’’ which included contributions from Slavoj Zizek, Judith Butler, Luce Irigary, and others.