Indonesia Etc.: Exploring the Improbable Nation

Description

In 1945, Indonesia's declaration of independence promised: 'the details of the transfer of power etc. will be worked out as soon as possible.' Still working on the 'etc.' seven decades later, the world's fourth most populous nation is now enthusiastically democratic and riotously diverse. Over 65 million Indonesians use Facebook, though 80 million live without electricity. It is one of the richest and most enchanting countries on earth, but is riddled, too, with ineptitude and corruption. Elizabeth Pisani, who first worked in Indonesia 25 years ago as a foreign correspondent and came back a decade later as a medical researcher, set out in 2011 to rediscover its enduring attraction, and to find the links which bind together this impossibly disparate nation. She travelled over 13,000 miles by land and sea, dropping in on local potentates and staying with farmers and fishermen, and nomads and nurses, often on islands too small to appear on a map. In Indonesia Etc., Pisani weaves together the stories of Indonesians encountered on her journey with a considered analysis of Indonesia's recent history, corrupt political system, ethnic and religious identities, stifling bureaucracy and traditional 'sticky' cultures. Fearless and funny, and sharply perceptive, she has drawn a compelling, entertaining and deeply informed portrait of a captivating nation.

ELIZABETH PISANI was Indonesia correspondent for Reuters and the Economist from 1988 to 1991. She worked with Indonesia's Ministry of Health from 2001 to 2005 as an epidemiologist, and spent 2011 travelling the archipelago. Pisani is the author of The Wisdom of Whores (Granta, 2008), and speaks several languages, including Indonesian.

Exuberant and wise Pisani is an exceptionally resourceful observer of the ongoing battle to define Indonesia. --Pankj Mishra" Beautifully written richly entertaining. " Fills a much-needed gap on literature about Indonesia an intimate portrait. --Lydia Tomkiw" Pisani is a force of nature A treasure of a volume. --Simon Winchester" One of the year s most engrossing and edifying travelogues Pisani s book will stir up wonder and wanderlust in even the most experienced travelers. --Jim Gladstone" As close as we may come to a feet-on-the-street, impassioned and amusing understanding of the fourth-largest-populated country in the world. --Bruce Jacobs" A clear-eyed and smart look at a rising Asian giant that has defied all conventional wisdom A good read not only for those interested in Indonesia, but everyone who is thinking about how other developing countries too could rise above their internal problems to be improbable success stories. --Vali Nasr, author of The Dispensable Nation, and The Rise of Islamic Capitalism" Intrepid and passionate, Elizabeth Pisani takes readers on board a hilarious series of jury-rigged forms of transportation, from bustling, insane Djakarta to the smallest and remotest islands and country villages of Indonesia. By the end, exhausted, dusty, thirsty, and laughing, we feel we know this idiosyncratic country in all its moving complexity. Profound, lasting, a masterpiece of its genre and so much fun! --Amy Wilentz, author of The Rainy Season and Farewell, Fred Voodoo" It's hard to imagine the energy, tenacity and intimate background knowledge needed to write this book. Luckily, Elizabeth Pisani has these qualities in droves. Read it, even if you don't think you're interested in Indonesia it s inspiring on so many levels, from the boundless curiosity and warmth of the author to the country s spectacular miracle of geo-political confidence and experimentation. --Emma Larkin, author of Everything is Broken and Secret Histories" Pisani not only travels a dizzying amalgam of the 13,500 islands that comprise Indonesia, but she also follows their history from the seventh century forward with fluidity and ease. There are few other books or authors to attempt such a daunting task. --Eliza Griswold, author of The Tenth Parallel"