"Beautifully written, richly entertaining."
"Exuberant and wise…Pisani is an exceptionally resourceful observer of the ongoing battle to define Indonesia."
The New Yorker - Pankj Mishra
"A rollicking good adventure…To read Indonesia Etc. is to grow rather fond of both author and country."
Los Angeles Review of Books - Pallavi Aiyar
"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."
"Pisani is a force of nature… A treasure of a volume."
Wall Street Journal - Simon Winchester
"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."
Shelf Awareness - Bruce Jacobs
"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!"
"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."
"This perfect chronicle not only depicts [Indonesia’s] bewildering multiplicity of languages, ethnicities, religions and political beliefs but also answers such questions as why there is no Indonesian diaspora and whether Islamic militancy poses a deep threat to the country."
"Fills a much-needed gap on literature about Indonesia…an intimate portrait."
Christian Science Monitor - Lydia Tomkiw
"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."
"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."
11/01/2014
2014-04-08
