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Mochtar Lubis is the acclaimed author of a number of novels and several collections of short stories. Originally written in Dutch, Indonesia: Land Under the Rainbow is the first popular history of Indonesia to appear in English.Written in an extremely accessible style, the book offers a narration of the highlights of Indonesian history through Indonesian eyes. ... Read more

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President Barack Obama's mother, S. Ann Dunham, was an economic anthropologist and rural development consultant who worked in several countries including Indonesia. Dunham received her doctorate in 1992. She died in 1995, at the age of 52, before having the opportunity to revise her dissertation for publication, as she had planned. Alice G. Dewey and Nancy I. Cooper, Dunham's graduate adviser and fellow graduate student respectively, undertook the revisions at the request of Dunham's daughter, Maya Soetoro-Ng. The result is Surviving against the Odds, a book based on Dunham's research, over a period of fourteen years, among the rural craftsmen of Java, the island home to nearly half Indonesia's population. Surviving against the Odds reflects Dunham's commitment to helping small-scale village industries survive; her pragmatic, non-ideological approach to research and problem-solving; and her impressive command of history, economic data, and development policy. Along with photographs of Dunham, the book includes many pictures taken by her in Indonesia.

After Dunham married Lolo Soetoro in 1967, she and her six-year-old son, Barack Obama, moved from Hawai`i to Soetoro's home in Jakarta, where Maya Soetoro was born three years later. Barack returned to Hawai`i to attend school in 1971. Dedicated to Dunham's mother Madelyn, adviser Alice, and "Barack and Maya, who seldom complained when their mother was in the field," Surviving against the Odds centers on the metalworking industries in the Javanese village of Kajar. Focusing attention on the small rural industries overlooked by many scholars, Dunham argued that wet-rice cultivation was not the only viable economic activity in rural Southeast Asia.

Surviving against the Odds includes a preface by the editors, Alice G. Dewey and Nancy I. Cooper, and a foreword by her daughter Maya Soetoro-Ng, each of which discusses Dunham and her career. In his afterword, the anthropologist and Indonesianist Robert W. Hefner explores the content of Surviving against the Odds, its relation to anthropology when it was researched and written, and its continuing relevance today. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Ground breaking work
S Ann Dunham broke new ground with her important book about village industry in Indonesia--aptly titled Surviving Against the Odds. It got published because her son is now the president of the United States--but it is important in its own right and no doubt would have been published sooner had she lived to do it. The tensions between traditional skills and modernizing life and how traditional village industry and those who carry it out survive is an on-going issue. Her emphasis on the importance of micro finance was among the early work on the subject. Worth reading by those interested in Indonesia generally, mystical arts--the magical making of the kris, the ceremonial short weapon that is enbued with power in a traditional sense, and in the issues of development and the role of traditional village industry in that.

Collectible Book
It's very well written and its message is very accessible. People will be moved by her story and will love to have this book. It will also shed light on part of President Obama's legacy and why his life brings something different to the presidency. The book is published with an initial print run of 10,000 copies. ... Read more

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During Suharto's New Order (1966-1998), the ethnic Chinese expanded the nation's economy (and their own wealth), but, paradoxically, were marginalised and discriminated against in all social spheres: culture, language, politics, entrance to state-owned universities, and public service and public employment. Following the fall of Suharto, and the anti-Chinese riots in May 1998, Indonesia underwent a process of 'Reformasi' and democratisation, whereby for the first time in several decades Chinese culture became more visible. Many ethnic Chinese took advantage of the new democratic space to establish political parties, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and action groups to fight for the abolition of discriminatory laws, defend their rights and promote solidarity between ethnic groups in Indonesia. They utilised the 'Reformasi' atmosphere to promote pluralism and multiculturalism, and to liberate their long-suppressed identity and cultural heritage.This book sets out to unpack the complex meanings of 'Chineseness' in post-1998 Indonesia, including the ways in which the policy of multiculturalism enabled such a 'resurgence', the forces that shaped it and the possibilities for 'resinicisation'.The author examines how ethnic Chinese self-identify, and investigates how the pribumi 'Other' has contributed to identifying the ethnic boundary in terms of 'race' and class. A unique aspect of the study is its discussion of the complexities of cultural crossing, borrowing and mixing experience of Chinese-Indonesians through localisation and globalisation. ... Read more

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Revelatory studies capture a moment in Indonesian history: "a leap forward in what may be a major transition from patriarchy to gender equality." ... Read more

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Women in Indonesia
This is a ground breaking book.The author tells the story of Indonesian Christian women who go against significant cultural patterns to enter graduate school in theology to train for leadership positions in the Indonesian Christian churches.In order to sustain themselves in this culturally unpopular endeavor, the women develop spiritual practices in everyday life that enable them to go the distance.In significant ways, Adeney shows, it is from these everyday practices that the womens' theologies grow.
After telling these stories Adeney then discusses the methodological implications of her study, focussing especially on the tension between universal values and culturally specific values.Her ethnographic study shows that the ethnographer, even if Western, does not have to choose between universal values and culturally specific ones, but can apply a middle hermenetic that accounts for both.Her study demonstrates this in its implicit argument for the universality of women's rights without arguing for strictly Western--or Indonesian--views of women.Rather than either/or, or neither, she shows how method can include both.A thought provoking book. ... Read more

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A massive biography of the Indonesian nationalist leader and Prime Minister of the Indonesian Republic, Sutan Sjahrir, this work is both a study of an individual and a study of the social conditions that shaped him. It moves from his birth in the Minangkabau region through his childhood, education, and early influences, and is most detailed, of course, during the periods of Sjahrir's imprisonment and exile by the Dutch, the Japanese occupation, and the Indonesian Revolution. The author has conducted extensive research and interviews with those who knew Sjahrir personally, politically, and by reputation. ... Read more

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Best Sjahrir book
this is the most fascinating book regarding Sjahrir's account. Very detailed explanation on many occasions.

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Previous studies of the Indonesian Chinese have failed to address their role as a commercial bourgeoisie. This study fills that gap by focusing directly on Chinese business roles and the emergence of partnerships between Chinese businessmen and Indonesian revolutionaries. ... Read more

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A good account - Chinese Family Businesses in Indonesia
A very interesting account of Chinese Family businesses, their trials, tribulations, rewards of adventure amidst the backdrop of Dutch rule, Japanese infiltration and the rise of Indonesian nationalism in the land of great opportunities. The influence and stranglehold of industries by different clans of Teo Chew, Tionghoa, Hakka, Totok etc are well documented tracing many of Fujian, Guangdong and Hainan origins. It may enlighten the reader why and how some chinese family businesses in Indonesia are who and where they are currently as the 2nd and 3rd generation names mentioned in the book are still very much present and striving in major cities like Jakarta, Surabaya, Medan. Unfortunately Sulawesi and Maluku traders and business tycoons are not as well covered in this book. A very good read in any case. ... Read more

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Studies of contemporary Indonesian history thus far have been largely confined to developments at the national level, and the selection and interpretation of events has been for the most part pitched to their national and international relevance. This has been particularly true of most studies dealing with the Indonesian revolution. The lack of concentrated studies in depth for this period has denied us access to strata of historical development and aspects of the revolutionary process, which the more broadly focused studies cannot easily cover. It is by his concentration on the local events in one particular area during this period that Dr. Smail has been able to give a deeper understanding and added perspective to the history of the revolution.His is the first study of local history during the Indonesian revolution and one of the very few for any part of Indonesia in the modern period. He gives us a detailed narrative and analysis of events in and around the city of Bandung in West Java between August 1945 and March 1946. The story which he tells is an absorbing one in its own right and he brings out many aspects of Indonesia's revolutionary history which have hitherto been ignored or passed over lightly. These include the development of both regular and irregular military organizations as manifestations of a militant youth movement, the group interests lying behind the fundamental conflict between policies of negotiation and of militant struggle, the relation of the general anarchical conditions which prevailed during these early months to major political and social changes in both urban and rural areas.After preliminary training at Cornell, Dr. Smail spent two and a half years in Holland and Indonesia doing field work, and received his doctorate from Cornell in 1964. Since 1962 he has been at the University of Wisconsin, teaching Southeast Asian history in the Program in Comparative Tropical History there. - George McT. Kahin, June 29, 1964 ... Read more

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The Malayan Emergency, the confrontation with Indonesia and the Brunei Revolt are fundamental to an understanding of Southeast Asia during the 20th century. This bibliography brings together 4575 sources which should provide useful information for scholars researching these developments and Southeast Asian history in general. Sources include books, theses, newspaper and magazine articles and unpublished manuscripts. ... Read more

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Indonesian organizations today increasingly demand rigorous qualifications from the PR practitioners. However, old misperceptions about PR being a glamorous job that does not require much intelligence still exist. Consequently, physical attractiveness and youth are often regarded as requirements more important than education and experience for PR practitioners. Moreover, many Indonesian organizations still limit the public relations practitioner?s role to that of a technician, and only in times of crisis would these organizations seek strategic public relations. This book explains the history of PR in Indonesia and analyzes its status and the various perceptions Indonesians have toward the field. This study used quantitative online surveys as well as qualitative online and face-to-face interviews as research methods. Although based on the author?s Master?s thesis in 2003, this book contains valuable information that is still accurate today and will be useful to PR practitioners and scholars in Indonesia and worldwide. ... Read more

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This book shows how colonial representations have been revived and rearticulated in postcolonial Indonesia. It shows how one might write a political history of postcolonial cultures of the present without neglecting the importance of the colonial past. In the process, it poses serious questions about the relevance of contemporary postcolonial theory and criticism for the analysis and understanding of postcolonial states. ... Read more

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somewhat disappointing
incredibly good theme; structure seems acceptable, illustrations usually efficient, quotations well chosen. But then it is so much about commenting the author`s own intentions, and far too little about the subject. Writing three pages about what will be dealt with in the chapter, one more about the structure of the chapter, and two pages about what has been purportedly demonstrated on the chapter, is not enough for a 20 pages chapter that actually fails to demonstrate anything, but the author's ability to rephrase those he quotes. ... Read more

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From 2001, Indonesia's military commitment to the province of Aceh has resulted in the largest East Asian regional war since the 1975 East Timor invasion. Indonesia's War over Aceh presents the background and history of this war, investigating the domestic and regional implications of the conflict, at a time when the recent tsunami devastation has brought Aceh to the international forefront.

From monitoring and coercing Aceh's civilians to manipulating international perceptions, Indonesia's military-dominated state combined its fighting forces with politically repressive campaigns to destabilize and eliminate Acehnese resistance. The problems presented by rebellious Aceh expose many of the fundamental vulnerabilities of the Indonesian state itself, where possible secession has provoked quite extreme and often uncompromising reactions from Jakarta's ruling elites. So severe are the challenges posed by Acehnese separatism that Indonesia's post-New Order government has embraced a new era of censorship, disinformation and frenzied lobbying, all of which have distorted many important facts about the War and its causes.

Using military and intelligence doctrinal references, and extensive, original research, Davies reconstructs reported events, combatant forces, terminology and statistical data to expose many of the war's sensitive issues. It challenges others' preceding research by detailing the Indonesian military's mission, combat strains, and activity within political, operational and paramilitary realms. Drawing on Indonesian-Malay sources normally unseen by the English-speaking world, Indonesia's War over Aceh will be essential reading for regional specialists and those with an interest in third world conflict. ... Read more

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Indonesia provides particularly interesting examples of gender diversity. Same-sex relations, transvestism and cross-gender behaviour have long been noted amongst a wide range of Indonesian peoples. This book explores the nature of gender diversity in Indonesia, and with the world’s largest Muslim population, it examines Islam in this context. Based on extensive ethnographic research, it discusses in particular calalai – female-born individuals who identify as neither woman nor man; calabai – male-born individuals who also identify as neither man nor woman; and bissu – an order of shamans who embody female and male elements. The book examines the lives and roles of these variously gendered subjectivities in everyday life, including in low-status and high-status ritual such as wedding ceremonies, fashion parades, cultural festivals, Islamic recitations and shamanistic rituals. The book analyses the place of such subjectivities in relation to theories of gender, gender diversity and sexuality.

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