Indonesia, Etc.: Exploring the Improbable Nation

Elizabeth Pisani's book Indonesia, Etc. (2014) is an entertaining and informative look at the island kingdom. Pisani has spent two long stints in Indonesia, first as a journalist in the late 80s and then more recently as an AIDS consultant with the Indonesian government. Furthermore, she speaks Bahasa fluently, which allows her to communicate with people from all walks of life. The fact that she was a divorced, childless woman who was atheist made it difficult for some Indonesian to relate to her which sometimes led to white lies that sometimes came so burdensome she went back to the truth. Her year long itinerary included a host of isolated and lesser known island along withe largest such as Java that are the homes of the largest percentage of the population. Along the way she uses interactions with people to segue into discussions about race, religion, politics, corruption, law and commerce among other thoughtful well-informed observations about contemporary Indonesian life. Some interesting observations included meeting a tribe that hunts dolphins-I thought it was only the Japanese that did that in Asia. Here's another interesting tidbit: "Prayek. It was a word I was to hear endlessly, part of the vast system of patronage that props up Indonesia's current 'Etc.'" I had to laugh at this observation: "...Subrabaya is virtually litter-free. It is hard for someone who who has not visited Indonesia to feel the full impact of of the last five words..." I really enjoyed getting to know Indonesia with the wise and witty Pisani-I may even search out her other book The Wisdom of Whores: Bureaucrats, Brothels and the Business of AIDS in the future.

This is a good book on Indonesia, a country, the author explains is Improbable. Ms. Pisani travels through the country, checking out different islands and communities, seeing all of its quirks and characteristics, for better or for worse. This is a good book for people like me who know next to nothing about the country and want to get a better understanding of it but should not be taken as a travel guide of any sorts. Ms. Pisani gets the real experience but does so because of all of her contacts in the country from working there for the better part of a quarter of a century. Regular travelers like me might not get the benefit of the doubt while traveling throughout the country. For the book, there are some very dull spots in the story, and she can go on tangents that can last a couple of pages when a simple paragraph or two can explain better, but overall paints a good picture of Indonesia and its contradictions. Good read, highly recommend.

Only when you read this book you are starting to get an idea of how diverse this country is. Extremely knowledgeable author who does not judge or despair but communicates on every page her affection for Indonesia and especially its people. Maybe one day, I will visit the country. part of the motivation would then certainly be this book.

This is really a fabulous book, not to be missed by anyone who has visited Indonesia -- or anywhere else for that matter. I've never been, and now cannot wait to visit. But only if the author agrees to accompany me. My treat! I'm such a lousy tourist that I'm sure I'd be better off reading this book rather than heading out as she did, via rickety boat and motorbike.Elizabeth Pisani is an incredible guide, enough outside of the myriad cultures of Indonesia to observe clearly, but obviously deeply in love with what she calls her "bad boyfriend." I would travel with her anytime, anywhere. She is also an excellent writer; every page was a joy, like wandering a great city and just letting your feet take you to places of surprise and delight.I've been all over the world, and spend about half of every year in Asia and Africa at this point. Due to my work, I spend far too much time in 3-star hotels, boring restaurants and official meeting rooms. Pisani reminds us that just a few steps outside of the circles navigated by tourists and business travelers exists a whole world of wonders. Reward yourself, and read this book.

A wonderful book. I wish I'd read it years ago (a bit hard as it's not long out.) A couple of months ago we had our first real trip to Indonesia (Yogyakarta, Bali and Jakarta), then not long after it I read three very praising reviews of "Indonesia, Etc." and I knew I had to read it. I was not disappointed.It's hard to describe as it is on so many levels - it's a travel book as Pisani covers about 20,000km crisscrossing Indonesia; it includes brief excursions into the culture, history, politics, sociology, etc.; and it's a personal commentary by the author on all of these. You came away from the book inspired both to read more about Indonesia, but more importantly go there again and again; not to Kuta, but to the many and wildly varying places that make up this improbable country. (I think I'll need a crash course in Bahasa Indonesia first.) And we may well be visiting soon - my son's wife is from Indonesia and we now have an instant extended family there.

While Indonesia is one of the largest countries in the world, there are very few books about it. That is one reason why I read this book: there were few other options. That being said, I thought it was pretty insightful and educational.If you are planning a trip to one of the larger, more populated islands (most notably Java and Bali), this book really won't give you an idea of what to expect since the author writes about less-traveled places in the country. Some of it covers Jakarta, but the rest of Java is hardly mentioned, and Bali is just mentioned in passing reference generally. On the other hand, Pisani does go into a little detail about Javanese culture at least.Overall, the book does aw good job in providing some insight into Indonesia and is an entertaining read for the most part.

One of the best travel-country analysis books I have ever read. Perceptive, well-informed, humane and funny. One small correction: the good people of Pontianak in Kalimantan (= Borneo) may think they are the only city in the world on the Equator, but Macapa, the capital of the Brazilian state of Amapa, is also directly on it. The Equator is the centre line of the local football stadium.

It can be read as a travelogue, or with an anthropologist’s mind, or from a history/sociology standpoint. The naif, the anecdotal and the dramatic are very well mixed. Lovely book written with passion.

Libro di un viaggio, ma anche della cultura di un Paese, della sua storia passata e recente, delle sue sfide. Si può essere d'accordo o meno con l'autrice su certi temi, ma il libro rimane splendido: sicuramente il racconto stimola tantissime riflessioni e talvolta fa anche un po' sognare!

Good print and typeset besides good content.It covers only Island and not mainland.

This is an excellent piece of writing, combining great readability with fascinating insights about Indonesia. Elizabeth Pisani has a lot of experience of living and working in Indonesia, and clearly speaks very fluent Bahasa Indonesia. She gets to parts of the country most foreigners never go to. Her insights - whether about economics, the effects of decentalisation post-Suharto, the influence of fundamentalist Islam - make this wonderful book essential reading for anyone interested in the diverse and amazing country.