Indonesia, Etc: Exploring the Improbable Nation

Elizabeth Pisani's Indonesia, Etc: Exploring the Improbable Nation brings readers to the groundwork of the nitty-gritty of what works and what doesn't in a multi-racial, multi-lingual, and multi-religious nation of over thirteen thousand islands. An thorough accord of an island-hopper cum reporter-investigator.

Pisani started off with painting the nation's diversity from its people to geography to culture, which sets the tone for a rollercoaster ride from island to island.

Being fluent in Indonesian with ample repertoire of knowledge about the country's culture from her previous assignment as a reporter in the country, Pisani has an upper hand in terms of personal accessibility, perhaps with a lot of charm and wit, sprinkled with occasional element of danger in her quest, she was able to pass through securities, get into and stay in villagers' homes for lengthy period of time, being invited to cast vote for political election, and riding with jungle people. Determined, even in hopeless situation, Pisani marched on.

Objective perspective and reasoning about the things that she encountered throughout her quest, often with good metaphors, yet some were deservingly described as literal as horse face in the name of justice. My favorite part is upon self-reflection where Pisani revealed her regret in sponsoring a hopeless political candidate while she could have done something with the money to change the live of those who deserve better. Kudos to honesty.

Bold and fair, no-nonsense and funny.

The way Pisani described the jamu herbal medicine sellers throughout the nation as a "tribe" reflects her sense of humor throughout the book, despite having to endure insanely long journeys between islands, torturing bumpy and dusty country roads, and numbingly patient wait for the next boat to some obscure far flung island.

The title is catchy, simple. A quick flip into the inside front cover I was immediately hooked. The subject is totally relevant that I would give five out of five. There is always something hilarious along the way, entertaining indeed.

The smooth transition in segue scaffolding, swinging from tsunami up to the volcano, from rainforest down to the coast, readers are being piggy-backed seamlessly in weaving through the conglomerate of logic and illogic, of good and evil, and of content and effort in an improbable nation with so many etc. still to be unfolded.