Indonesia Books

Evidence Not Seen by Darlene Deibler Rose is a beautiful story of a missionary wife who gave her life to God and through her trust witnessed His work in her life and the lives of those around her. She sacrificed her comfort to reach out to others and glorify God, and was blessed for it innumerably. Darlene's courage is challenging, encouraging, and inspiring.

Evidence Not Seen is one of those books that make you just go wow! This is a must read for any Christian especially with so much made for TV christianity going around. This book is about the real thing. Darlene shares with us her experiences as she and other missionaries try to survive in a Japanese prison camp. She shares her close personal relationship with God and how He is there in her times of trouble and need. When you finish this book you will know that she serves and Awesome God and so can you!

What amazing faith in God this young
woman had. I could only hope to be that brave and strong.

An inspiring story of a young missionary woman and her complete surrender to the Lord under unbelievable adversity. God's tenderness and mercies are real in her life and it encourages every believer to move into such intimacy with the Lord. One biography you will not want to put down!

This is one of the BEST books I have ever read. The evidence of God's work in the lives of the people in the book is amazing and inspiring!!

very realistic book about what really happened. my uncle was on this ship and was captured by the japanese and spent the rest of the war in prison camps. he had told me quite a lot about what happened and the book backed up what he said.

At 69, I have never shed so much tear as I did reading "Ship of Ghosts"! I walked away from reading only to wipe or hide my tears.

In a way, I took "comfort" that my father was spared of the ordeal and that "comfort" helps fill somewhat the hole in my heart of my life-long yearning for the father I never knew. The survivors survived, not only to tell the story of the Houston saga, but also to spare the agony of their family members who otherwise would be like me.

Other good books such as Winslow's offered much information about USS Houston and her crew where I first saw my father's name. This "Ship of Ghosts" offers added views from non-Houston survivors.

And lastly, it is well written.

Eric Lien

This was one of those "why not?" choices of reading.

I knew of the heavy cruiser Houston but this book filled in the story. James Hornfischer did a wonderful job accumulating stories to present a good picture of what happened to the men of the Houston in the early days of the war and what happened to them during the war.

The Houston and along with a "rag-tag" collection of ships were given the all but suicide mission to defend Java from the Imperial Navy and the approaching invasion force. Suicide in the fact they were going to a fight severely over gunned and with no air cover.

They tried but were beaten and eventually only the Houstan the and Australian Cruiser HMAS Perth remained. Trying to make a run to Australia, they stumble on the invasion forces even though they thought it was only the navy. The Perth is mortally wounded and the Houston learns she has stumbled on the invasion fleet and rushes in. Four Japanese ships are sunk by the Japanese trying to get the Houston. Eventually she is sunk.

The story reads like an adventure which are greatly added by the personal stories of the survivors. The ship cats of the Perth and Houston. The cat from the Houston runs into the jungle just before the final voyage when the ships stop to refuel. The cat from the Perth is caught 3 times and ordered to be clapped into irons(ie a fuel can with four holes). Poor kitty knew what was coming. The grizzled old marine Sargent who stays at his post firing his 50 calibers while the ship tower sinks into the water(he could not swim). The chaplin who gave up his life in the life boats so the younger men would have a better chance.

The men of both ships try to figure out what to do. Some are picked up but surprisingly many are left by the Japanese. Some unruly Australians cuss out Japanese that try to rescue them. It was commented that in a disaster it's best to be with Australians as they have the penchant to look at everything as an opportunity. One group for instance, made it to shore, made a ragtag ship and sail and were going to make a run for Australia. They were captured.

Next came the stories of the camps. The brutality and the diseases of life in the jungle as a P.O.W. You get to hear the about the amazing doctor who had knowledge of Jungle medicine and probably saved countless men. One thing was surprising was to read these men were involved with the bridge and train system that was told by the move "The Bridge on the River Kawi" I knew Hollywood tends to glamorize things but you will see the full story from this book. One of my favorite characters from this cast is the supreme scavenger named Mccone. The Japanese were scared of him because they thought he was crazy. He assembled a crew which he called the 40 thieves. One story that made me laugh was the arrival of a delivery truck. The thieves stripped it down to the frame in minutes and the tossed the frame next to the junk pile. The driver came back and was subsequently beaten by the guards for loosing the truck. The guards were beaten by the NCOs for the truck being lost and the NCOs were beaten by the commander for the guards loosing the truck. The prisoners had to work from laughing and dreaded what would have happened if the commander had put his hand on the still hot radiator as he looked through the junk pile.

An interesting aspect was the mix of brutality and the rare instances of compassion shown by the Japanese. Beatings were a constant thing but then there were moments of were they would do things. When it came to the Korean guards it was down right brutal.

One interesting side note was the fact the river Kwai was not the original name. It was later renamed after the movie came out.

All in all this is a good book for the historian and the general fan of the area. Numerous sources are listed for further research if so desired. There is also a website listed that keeps track of the survivers and men who died on that day.

As an avid reader of WWII books this is the 2nd book of Hornfischers I've read. The first was "Last of the Tin Can Soliders" which I highly recommend, also.
Growing up in the 60's I watched the movie "Bridge on the River Kwai" and thought it was great, although not extremely factual. The movie and treatment of prisoners had to be softened given how soon after WWII it came out (1958). This movie doesn't really give much background on the real hell that these captured men went through just to survive through another day.
I am always astounded at what soldiers of the "Greatest Generation" endured to survive in dire situations in WWII. How humble these men and woman remained after the war is also amazing.
This book gives extensive details of how the Houston and its men got in their predicament by being early on the frontlines trying to stop the Japanese. It contains many personalized stories of both the men that survived and those who didn't. Homage and respect is paid to both by Hornfischer in his detailed accounts of what happened.
I look forward to Hornfischer's next book. He meticulouly researches his subject matter. He then takes all of the research and creates an interesting read.

The story of the loss of the heavy cruiser USS Houston off the coast of Indonesia on 1 March 1942 is a story which strikes right to the heart of naval traditions which go back beyond the creation of the United State of America itself. It is a story of danger and brave deeds, of gallant actions and bloody combat. Most of all it is a story of ship that went down fighting against insurmountable odds - a ship which never struck her colours and was still fighting when the sea finally claimed her.

Famous for being President F. D. Roosevelt's favourite ship, the Houston was trapped in the Far East immediately after the events of Pearl Harbour and the loss of the British Force Z (Battleships HMS Prince of Wales and Repulse) just a few days later. In company with HMAS Perth, the ships fought off, avoided and evaded overwhelming enemy forces until, low on ammunition, they colluded in the most courageous action now known as the Battle of Sunda Strait where both ships were finally lost.

This, however, is where Mr Hornfischer starts his story about this legendary "Ship of Ghosts."

It is because the Japanese were so very ruthless in their bid to conquer all before them, that prisoners were treated with utter contempt. Consequently, those who survived the sinking of the Houston began a journey that became the stuff of legend and it would be a full 3 years before anyone beyond those Japanese forces would learn what had happened to the ship and that some survivors were still alive - though, by now, far fewer in number.

There is no happy ending to such a story as this because there never can be. War is brutal and warships on both sides get sunk. What actually happened to the survivors of the USS Houston has taken this author right through and beyond the ordinary realms of research into an area of personal accounts, life in captivity and life in the jungle at the hands of a regime far more cruel than anything seen since the dark days of WW2.

And yet, he produces an account of personal achievement for those who possessed that indefinable quality that always meant they were going to survive.

I congratulate Mr Hornfischer on an excellent book, an excellent job of research and a most complete account. Most of all, I congratulate him on making it all so very readable.

NM

I bought this book for my mom. She's a big fan of missionary stories and she loved this one! I recently bought her Peace Child by the same author. She enjoyed it as well.

This book is incredible. Sad and at the same time so incredibly uplifting. It shows how God's plans are so much bigger than ours, and His hand works in ways we cannot comprehend.

Lords of the Earth (International Adventures) (International Adventures)

My boss recommended this book to me, and I'm so glad he did. It was not an easy read as many of the things in it are difficult to hear. It is an incredible story though, and worth reading.

My heart was torn apart as I read the story of the Yali people. This is one of those 'I can't put it down' books. I'm still somewhat smitten in my heart over the price these missionaries paid and the intense need for the gospel these people so desperately demonstrated. God help us to heed the call to go into all the world.

"Lords of the Earth" is the term the Yali warriors use to describe themselves. They live in the Heluk valley in Irian Jaya, and the only knowledge of them to reach the outside world are the dark rumors of the cannibals beyond the mountains. The first section of the book is about them, their customs, and the awful fear and darkness they lived in. Don Richardson does a great job portraying a people bound by chains of sin, and longing for release. The horror of their pain is graphic, and not suitable to be read to younger children.

The second part of the book describes the early life of Stan Dale, his conversion, and his burden for those in darkness. He is drawn as a determined man, physically strong and fit, with firm convictions.

The book goes on to tell of Stan's coming to the Yali people. How a strange story begins over his identity, protecting his life. How the first few Yali Christians were killed, and later Stan and a fellow missionary were brutally murdered. How another missionary family died in a plane crash, except for the nine-year-old son, whose friendship with the Yali paves the way for them to turn to Christ.

The book reminded me Christ's words in John 12:24, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." On earth, Stan Dale never saw the fruit his life and death brought forth, but he will rejoice in heaven with the Yali that are there through his witness.

I love the way Miller presents his stories, pictures and foods on this book.
I do notice that Miller uses substitution. For example,he indicated green onion as garnish to 'Soto Ayam'. In most parts of Indonesia, the garnish is actually Chinese eelery, not green onion. Chinese celery is usually readily available in many Asian grocery stores in the West Coast.

Indonesia is the fourth largest country in the world and home to the largest Islamic population on earth. Indonesian Street Food Secrets: A Culinary Travel Odyssey is an impressive compilation of ethic family recipes that are prepared right on the sidewalk by Indonesian food vendors. Enhanced with 230 color photographs of the food and culture, Indonesian Street Food Secrets also includes an accompanying CD-ROM providing hours of movies, sounds and recipes that are customizable for their degree of "hotness" and party size. With its collection of authentic recipes, Indonesian Street Food Secrets will prove to be a unique addition to kitchen cookbook collections and is especially recommended to dining clubs wanting to celebrate the culinary traditions of the Indonesian archipelago!

This is a wonderful book for fans of Indonesian culture and cuisine. It comes with an interactive CD-ROM that augments the content with music, videos, scalable recipes and ingredient pronunciations! Any Indonesian traveler will immediately recognize favorites such as gado-gado, tempe kering and opor ayam. The recipes are easy to follow and result in authentic-tasting food.

On the downside, the CD-ROM has a few minor problems. Navigation is slow and cumbersome, the graphics are grainy and there are spurious characters in some of the descriptions. (Perhaps due to my running it on a PC.) The content focuses mainly on Central Java, the cultural heartland of Indonesia, interesting for beginners but leaving many other areas, such as Bali, barely touched. Hardcore Indonesiaphiles will be disappointed. This also goes for the recipes - few from Lombok, Nusa Tenggara, Sulawesi, Kalimantan or the Moluccas. Some of the photos in the book are grainy, poorly reproduced or just not very good.

Despite the downsides, the book is well worth the price. Enjoy!

Although I have never been to Indonesia, nor am I an experienced cook, I found this book fascinating. It really is about the Indonesian culture as it is represented by its food. The photos are outstanding and give the reader a non-tourist view of of this intriguing land. The recipes are easy to follow and the author gives substitute ingredients if the more exotic foods can not be found. I very much enjoyed reading the information sections and can't wait to try some of the recipes.

Having spent eight months living in Bali, I have a homesick spot for the food I ate there. This is the first Indonesian cookbook I've seen that contains recipes for just about all the dishes I actually ate while I was there. Not foofie, fancy food, this what I, and the Balinese, ate day in and day out, whether bought from the warungs and bakso carts or served by Ibu at family dinners with friends. I haven't tried any of the recipes yet (I just got the book and CD) but from those I already make, I can say the recipes are authentic, and I want to try just about every one of them! Well done!

I read this book when first published - and it has remained one of the most interesting, thought provoking and passionate books I have ever read.

With the recent interest in quantum physics (What the Bleep do I Know) and the resurgance of interest in application (the Secret) - it fascinates me that in this book - written a full 30 years before either of these two recent phenomena achieved cult following - Watson wrote about his observations as a scientist, of things he could not quite explain, and which make perfect sense after exposure to quantum physics and the power of intentional thought.

Best of all, Watson writes in a clear, easy prose - with beautiful descriptions, gentle humor and an ability to express himself without attemping to convert the reader towards thinking 'his way'.

You draw your own conclusions - and yet - this book also dares you to dream.

Absoltuely loved this book. Mr. Watson inspires me to search further for my lost connection to the world around me.

I read this for a psychology Senior Seminar class at Univ. Maine @ Farmington... The intersection of scientific knowledge and inexplicable phenomena was awe inspiring... It is amazing how the natural world has yet to be sufficiently explained by science. This book was extremely easy to read, as I read most of it backwards (the chapters are broken down into sections). This is one of those books you can easily read twice!

Biologist Lyall Watson travels to Indonesia in search of magic... and finds a 'dancing island' and a girl who comes of age to become a shaman and healer. For those who simply enjoy a good story, this is an excellent book. For those who realize that the magic described in this book is real, it's even better. Watson is a first-rate story-teller, and I would give this book ten stars if such a thing were possible!

This is an incredable little book on the "magic" of other lands. I like the writings of Lyall, but this was a late comer to my list. It has absolutely captivated my imagination and heart. I am one of those that believe that what is narrated is "real" - is just that is in that other realm of "other ways of knowing". I constanly quote it and suggest it as reading for others. It is an eye and mind opener. It is a book that challenges our "Western" ways of knowing. It is a book that easily can be denied as true, but if one has read other books impossible to believe or has had similar "weird" experiences in life, then it has that intuition that it might be true and it can then be accept it as patentable possible.
I highly recommend it to anyone, you will be surprised!

I'm heading to Bali this month and this book provided a great intro to the customs and nature of this island. I'm even more excited to get there after reading it.

I am Balinese and live in Ubud, about 10 minutes walk from where Colin McPhee stayed, when he came to Bali in 1931. My aunt worked for him.

He heard a record of gamelan music in New York and couldn't wait to get to Bali to listen to the real thing.

He stayed in Bali for almost 8 years and set about documenting gamelan music. Much of his research was carried out in a village near Ubud where my Villas are. There are still old people in the village who remember him.

His book is beautifully written and tells stories of his adventures and life in the village and his encounters with the local Balinese. It's not necessary to understand technical music matters to enjoy this book - it is totally accessible.

Highly recommended.

Even as the art & tradition of classical gamelan music fades in Java, gamelans are built & organized in America & Europe, the music is studied & taught in universities. This has occurred since the 70's, when recordings of gamelan music became widely available, particularly in a major series on Nonesuch Explorer. For many people, hearing gamelan for the first time is not only a delightfully exotic experience, the music unlike anything one has heard, but there is often also a strange shock of recognition, as if one somehow already knew the music, although where & how remains a mystery. Perhaps this is what happened to Colin McPhee. For McPhee in 1930, as for so many western musicians since, hearing gamelan inspired something like a religious conversion.

I was given an old copy of this book shortly after I heard gamelan for the first time, & so I was able to follow McPhee on his great adventure to find where the music came from. When he arrived in Bali, he discovered that although the culture was vibrantly alive, much of music was in danger of being lost. He met, befriended, & studied with some greatly talented Balinese musicians, old masters & several younger composers & leaders, including Wayan Lotring & Made Lebah. They set about restoring a Semar Pegulingan gamelan. The task of bringing this music back to life is the "plot" of the "A House In Bali." McPhee quickly realized that his western musical training was of limited value, because the "values" of music - technically & culturally - in Bali were so different. Music had popular, ritual, & concert functions, as in the West. But the music was inseparable from the instruments, & each collection of instruments - each gamelan, was unique. Compositions were learned by rote, in phrases, with the gamelan functioning as a kind of all-ages social club for men. McPhee had to become, as best he could, a person of Bali, a villager, someone with a place & a role in the life of the community. He recounts his immersion in Balinese life, As strange as Bali was for McPhee, he was the "stranger," the outsider, & he remained one, oddly indifferent to what the Balinese thought of his lifestyle. Most inexplicably, he seems not to have become a gamelan musician. One wonders not only how he resisted this experience, but also why?

McPhee later attempted to translate Balinese music into a western idiom using pianos & a symphony orchestra, with beautiful results, but losing what he had learned in the process, Sadly, when he returned home, he had left the most important stuff behind.

I first heard Gamelan was coming out of the oldest temple on the Island of Bali, near Ubud, and was reading this book at the time. I purchased the book at the Jakarta airport and was hooked by the first paragraph. I think that this is a wonderful, insight into the island, the music, it's people and culture. If you have a love for exotic music and or artform, this historical work is a captivating read. My only regret is that Colin McPhee never went back to his beloved Bali.

It's a very interesting book in regards to what I have actually read. It seems to have accounts on Balinese culture. I found it enjoyable and interesting to read because it not only talks about Balinese culture but about the conflict and clashes within the village like the little dancer named Sampih and his dance teacher Nyoman Kaler.

Colin McPhee conveys many interesting things like when bad luck happened in his home in Sayan and how they had to do a purification ceremony in regards to dispel the demons, witches and evil spirits. His wanderings in Bali to record music and study their music like the rare gamelan angklung and gamelan selonding from Tenganan who were the Bali Aga. Colin McPhee was drawn to the scintallinating sounds and metallic shimmer from the gamelan. At times there are humours accounts of what goes on between him and his friends that happen in the village or when they are touring around Bali. I found it enjoyable because, he seemed to have fitted in well with the Balinese people without too much problems compared with other writers before them spoke of barbarity and the animal like behaviour of the Balinese at certain functions. He writes with passion about what goes on and how things have changed with the colonial rule of the Dutch. The loss of autonomy by the Rajas who were reduced to poverty at times and how their obessions with cockfighting led to their ruin. Yet in times of despair and hardship they are always humble to him.

Overall the book contains a few photographs of his friends and colleagues. I found it wonderful and intriguing and as well as captiviting at times which he covers so many topics like the temple functions like Galungan, Wayang Kulit (Shadow Plays), the music club etc... This book you will grow to love like the book written by Miguel Corrovabias "Island of Bali".

Most of us understand far too little about Indonesia and yet surely this is a nation that very much matters and does warrant understanding. Indonesia has the world's largest Muslim population and in fact is the 3rd most populous country in the world. It is rich in natural resources and in history and mostly well justifies it's National motto "Unity in diversity."

Three years ago a then pertinent - and perhaps today even more important and timely book was published - A very readible biography, but more than that, a book that tells the story of this nation, built about the eventful life and perceptiveness of its last founding father, H Roeslan Abdulgani.

"A Fading Dream" is full of anecdotes and first person observations that likely could only have been written by its author, Retnowati Abdulgani - Knapp, one of the daughters of this outstanding 20th century figure. The author is an investment banker, law graduate and business women who well understood her father and the context of events in the time in which he lived and acted. You know quickly that this is no desultory narritive. Rather, "A Fading Dream" is a comprehensive socio political survey that considers the period from Dutch colonial rule virtually to the present.

Dr. Abdulgani, who passed away age 91 in July, 2005, was very much an insider and a key player in Indonesi's so called "old order" and even before. He remained a principal advisor throughout Sukarno's tummultuous years and by the late 1960s he was his country's window to / from the UN at the start of the so-called "new order" under Suharto. Since then for a further generation and then for yet another generation, he was very much listened to as a wise man and a political authority during a period that was characterised by some as a time of "no order".

Dr. Abdulgani (Roeslan) was there at the creation of modern Indonesia and remained a respected part of his country's leadership for three generations and more. At his deathbed in Jakarta, tributes came from all the leaders of his nation including Suharto and the current leadership.

Roeslan was one of the very few to successfully bridge the Sukarno and Suharto regimes by positioning himself as a somehow non political politician, as a wise man in both administrations, no mean feat for Sukarno's Minister of Information charged with responsibility for the development of a revolutionary spirit among the people of Indonesia. Later he was to be Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Advisory Council, Foreign Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the Bandung Conference of non Aligned Countries, Indonesia's UN Ambassador and counselor to all of his countries governments.

In his daughter's most readible book, Roeslan comes through as a man of reason and vision even more than as the revolutionary fighter that he had been as well. He is portrayed as someone who grew with grace and who always celebrated life. Everyone trusted him, perhaps since,as was recently said of him, "he never spoke ill of anyone."

From post war 1945 to post Bali 2002, we can now look back through his memories as related to his daughter and at her well presented contextual commentary. The sadly aptly named biography and history, "A Fading Dream", presents a well organized, personal look at the amazing shifts in the attitudes and choices taken by this country's leaders, of which Roeslan Abdulgani most certainly was one.

Like Javanese shadow puppet plays, Wati Abuldugani's biography of her father, Roeslan Abdulgani, should be viewed at many levels.

It is the life of an exceptional man, and his wife, who despite the travails and personal risks rose to the circumstances of their time to make a positive, and important impact on their country. It is the story of the birth of a modern nation, its struggle to free itself from colonialism, both European and Asian, and to become part of the community of nations. Dispersed throughout the book are insights in the social mores of Indonesia, and in particular of the Javanese, helping to provide a frame of reference for both the new and old student of Indonesia.

It is a timely book for reflection at this time of political, social and economic uncertainty in Indonesia. The concerns the writer and Roeslan Abdulgani express for Indonesia, is evident in the scope of the first chapter, which deals with the present rather than the past: Urging the current leaders to put aside personal gain for the benefit of the country, and the need for a strong leader to lead the country in the new millennium.

As a 20th century story of Indonesia, this book should not only be a required reading in Indonesian schools and universities, but also for students of Asia politics and culture.

Dr H.Roeslan Abdulgani, as he was known when I first met him, as Minister for Information, was a man whose clear-thinking views and wonderful personal demeanor were as consistent in 1965 as they were for any of the years straddling 1945 to 2003.

When Indonesia was in turmoil, Ruslan was taciturn and cool, delivering clear messages of support and elucidation. When Indonesia faced financial turmoil, Ruslan shared the trials of the poor. And when cycles of great economic prosperity arrived, Ruslan Abdulgani was one of the few who maintained his economic, simple lifestyle.

Western observors and diplomats never ceased to be amazed by his work ethnic, his tirelss writing and speaking agendas and his unfailing good manners and sense of humour.

A Fading Dream includes some wonderful surprises for even experienced Ruslan watchers. The stories of his early years in Surabaya, his anguish that Arab and Chinese traders, supported by the Colonial Dutch, were given unfair advantages, and the pen sketches of his role in early nationalist movements, are delightfully told. The book is highly recommended for those interested in Indonesia and Asian History.

review by Pat Price
> University of Indonesia Fellowship student in 1965
> Observer and student of Indonesian politics in the modern era.

A Fading Dream is not only about a great man, Roeslan Abdulgani, who is the only surviving founding father of Indonesia, but is also about Indonesia's political and cultural history, including that of recent years.
Dr. Abdulgani's daughter, Retnowati, has written a fascinating, incisive, and intimate picture of Indonesia through a combination of biography, history, political science, anecdotes, observation, and opinion.
If you were to read only one book on Indonesia, this is the one I wholeheartedly recommend.

This is a very important book by one of Indonesia's most influential, level-headed, ardent Republicans. As the years roll out, Roeslan Abdulgani's works over the past sixty years will be seen in historic context as indispensable and fundamental to the nation's survival.

It is more than the story of Roeslan Abdulgani, written by his daughter Retnowati. The early chapters discuss modern problems in Roeslan's friendly but forthright manner.

Roeslan is not the only voice now raising concerns about the Republic's wishy-washy leadership, but he is a man whom history may record as the nation's greatest Republican, even greater than founding President Soekarno, with whom Roeslan worked side-by-side to keep the young Republic afloat, to keep the diverse ethnic and geographic forces abound into a single nation with a single language and an agreed philosophy.

In October, 1965, when the Republic faced its greatest challenge from a rising, Chinese-backed Communist party, it was Roeslan's voice which clearly defined the actions of 30 September (in a
radio broadcast from Bandung, where this writer was present) as a coup d'etat, an illegal act that must be overturned. For days the nation had waited for a clear signal from other leaders, including Soekarno himself, but none came.

And now it is Roeslan who is reminding the nation that clear thinking leads to strong leadership, yet he occasionally despairs that clear thinking seems absent.

In my student days (1962-63), Ruslan's 1958 book "Pantjasila" (today written Pancasila) was the indespensable text for all young people wishing to know how and why their nation came into
being, and why Indonesia's founding fathers wisely decided Indonesia was never to become an Islamic state. (You can do an amazon search for Roeslan Abdulgani to find this and other of his books)

The wisest minds studied the constitutions of those states who chose Islam as their operating philosophy: Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Yemen and Lebanon, and later
Pakistan. None of the above examples were considered successful (and the case persists today) as social or economic successes.

"The ideology of Islam (strongly rooted in our society) has not succeeded in solving the problems of a modern society...

"In the economic field, too, we (Indonesian leaders) have not come across an example where a country which has adopted Islam as its basis has succeeded in spreading justice and prosperity

evenly among the people."

Thus Rouslan and the founding fathers saw the dangers of alienating the entire Hindu-Balinese populations of Bali and Lombok, the Protestant Christians of the Moluccan Islands, the Catholic Christians of Flores, as well as random pockets of both Christian, Buddhist, Pagan and local religious followers.

Roeslan is arguing that to abandon the founding principles of Pancasila, the world would be a less colourful, less richly cultured and less peaceful world if Arabist sects were to be allowed - through shilly-shally leadership - to take a greater foothold within Indonesian society.

What a stark, moonscape would Indonesia be without the Borobodor and Prambanan Balinese temples,the diverse colourful arts, literature, architecture, sculpture, the fascinating regional
traditional dress. Impossible? One may have thought so until madmen got control of Cambodia and Afghanistan, sending their nations and their societies back into the Iron Age.

Roeslan Abdulgani is trying, with all his living breath, to infuse strength and clarity into an Indonesia whose leadership he feels has lost its way, whose youth has drifted from their
historic and social moorings, and whose citified bureaucrats and business people have too often crossed the line between honour and corruption, self and state interest.

And on current issues: "Just as the West maintains a distorted view of Muslim society, so too are Western values misread by our society...the mixed bag of impressions about the West, especially those obtained through American soap operas and films, bear little relation to what life is really like in the West."

Sadly, one of the greatest of Indonesia's founding fathers, is depressed as he assesses modern Indonesia. There are 50 laws and ordinances deemed discriminatoryon the grounds of ethnicity on
the books, with no move to lift them. The new leadership's inaction on acting to aid the poor during and after the disastrous 2002 floods became a symbol of the government's incompetence and corruption and the meagre share of export revenues given the provinces surely will spell trouble in Aceh, Irian Jaya and the Moluccan Islands for decades to come.

Roeslan remains deeply concerned that the officer class still has in its ranks officers who have political ambitions, refusing to take their proper place as a servant of the people.

Thus A Fading Dream is an apt title as a reflection of this important leader's state of mind as he watches his beloved Republic attempt to cope with problems of over-population, diverse and self-interests, poor infrastructure and corruption.

But perhaps more importantly, a leadership he feels has forgotten the advice of the founding fathers, leaders who do not use the compasses bequeathed them to find their way to stability and harmony, and social justice.

A very important book, A Fading Dream was not intended as literature, and is so diverse in its coverage that readers will want to know more of Ruslan's life and his thinking. History will treat kindly both the man and his work.

ends Review

Review by Frank Palmos, senior Jakarta based news correspondent 1964-1972.
> President and founder of the Jakarta Foreign Press Club.
> Opened the West's first permanent newspaper bureau (1964) for the Melbourne Herald-Sun Sydney Morning Herald group. >Contributing to The New York Times, Asahi Shimbun, the Times, the Economist, Groene Amsterdammer, the Washington Post, Vrij Nederland.

This book has cost me many hours of sleep this week. I would start reading and just be unable to put it down! The characters were so interesting, and so loveable, and the plot was so good! I really felt like I was right there, going through it all with them.

This is probably the best fiction book I've read all year.

Cori just wanted to do something with her life. So the Australian teen decides to join a missions trip for the summer in Indonesia. The plan was to witness to the locals and build them a church. The team was expecting to come back with stories of how they saved the village. Instead they find themselves running for their lives after the pastor of their village is brutally murdered in a religious battle. Cori and the other members of her team plus the pastor's children must find a way to save themselves as they hike through the jungle for help. Along the way they experience trials and tribulations that no one their age should ever face and that will leave them scarred for the rest of their lives.

Word of mouth promotion really does work. That's why I picked up this book, because of all the good reviews I had heard about it. And I was not disappointed at all. This book is intense. The story will linger in your mind for days. It's not a story to enjoy lying on the beach. You need to be in the right frame of mind to read this book. I've always wanted to go on a missions trip. It is on my list of things to do before I die. So while reading this book, I did get a little of what could happen if I went to someplace like that part of Indonesia. The missionaries who live in remote areas like this are to be commended for the bravery they show trying to spread God's word. The teens in this book are wise beyond their years. I don't know if I could have been as strong as they were if I was put in the same situation. It was heartbreaking to read about the emotional turmoil they were going through just trying to get home. It was just incredible about everything they went through: from seeing killings, running from snakes and wild boars, trying to overcome malaria. It's like an extreme version of Survivor for Christian teens. Even though the characters in this book are teenagers, the subject matter is quite serious so at least older teens should be reading this. It was also sad to see how the two religions are at wars with each other. It's devastating to read about Christians acting in such a brutal way against others especially since we are taught to love everyone. Obviously those people are not the best representatives of Christianity.I agree with others that this was one of the best Christian fiction books published in 2007. Lisa McKay has made her mark in the publishing world. I encourage everyone to read to this book. I guarantee it will have a major impact on you.

My Hands Came Away Red is an exceptional story, written by Lisa McKay, a wonderfully fresh voice in Christian fiction. I loved the realism with which the story was portrayed, as well as the emotion that drew me into this incredible drama. I also loved the growth that took place in each of the characters. This was not a predictable story, with a predictable ending, and I so appreciate that. Lisa McKay obviously drew from her professional/ministerial experiences to weave this heartwrenching tale. I look forward to more from this gifted writer.

After finishing all of Francine Rivers' novels, I had been searching hard for a good Christian fiction novel. I found many that were moderately entertaining, usually ending with some main character becoming a Christian and then falling in love. Utterly predictable. McKay's novel blew right past any chiches in her treatment of tough issues like God's character and His response to injustice. She paints her characters with nuance and shading so well that I feel like I was part of their little mission team. If you have done any overseas missions, you will especially enjoy this novel. It was so thoroughly enjoyable that I couldn't help but read portions aloud to my poor husband. But more than that, it is a terrific, honest, beautiful story of an incredible journey with a bunch of messy, ordinary but also extraordinary individuals who become a family doing the work God called them to do. I hope you enjoy it as I did!

Wow! What a great book. Having lived and worked in Indonesia and dealt with some of the fallout of the many religious and ethnic fightings there, this book does an excellent job of covering the emotions and struggles of the people. While the story is told from the perspective of an American teenager this book is great read for all ages. And what fun to read a bit of Bahasa Indonesian. I can't wait too see what this author comes up with next!

This is a superb look at the nitty-gritty world of selling. Although the author does fill it with case studies, they are all useful and thought-provoking. My favorite bit of advice concerns what happens to all top salespeople: they get their territory cut. Why? To keep them from getting complacent, of course.

Joe has gone out of his way to cut to the chase. There is no self esteem building and you can do it rah rah rather Joe's frank honest and what it takes to stay on top, remain on top and what to do when you are caught in a no win situation. As an MBA this type of book should be a mandatory read but the reality of tenured professors that are effectively running a union job do not understand how duplicitous and unethically the real business world can be. I finish this book in a few hours and the insight will last me a career. It is also refreshing from the standpoint that Joe has a soul and is interested in seeing the world and some great sales jobs he has had launched that opportunity. If you surf this book is especially cool(which I do and I can relate to the author on many levels.) Another reviewer was turned off by some profanity of which I do not remember so don't focus on issues of crass.

Anybody. I repeat anybody who sells, or wants to become a sales person, has to read this book. This book will keep you in the "game" longer, by playing corporate business model to your advantage. All successful companies value their sales force. But most Sales Managers make you feel like a zero. By reading this book you can change that number and pave a brighter future. Read and Prosper.

This book is a "must have" for the new graduate or anyone who is considering a career or taking on an adventure in sales.

Finally, a fun-to-read book on sales with valuable and positive insights on getting-in, finding the right company, and getting-out when your company becomes the "wrong company."

Joe T has real-life examples and experiences that show you how to work for yourself and enjoy the adventure. He teaches you what to expect in sales and get the most out of your job and keep your sanity. Rather than providing, rehashed "supposedly new", methods of achieving one time sales success, this book provides a "big picture guide" that helps a salesperson's lifelong career. HIGHLY ENTERTAINING AND RECOMMENDED!!!

I went to B-School, got my MBA, and gained valuable education on the theory and practice of managing a successful business. What I was disappointed by, were the unexamined assumptions around the "corporate dream", which I found pervasive at all levels of the curriculum. Too complex to go into here, but essentially...

Most business schools are in the business of selling the corporate dream and training future managers in the arts of profit maximization, organizational efficiency, competitive advantage, and market penetration. Rarely do they ever address the human reality of corporate downsizing, except as economic data points relevent to the afore mentioned topics.

The Sales Adventure Guide is a practical manual on how to cut through the corporate BS, understand the true meaning behind management-speak, and know how to cover your butt when your job is on the line, through no fault of your own. It uncovers the tactics, often unethical and sometimes illegal, that HR and upper management will use to make you go away, meekly, without costing the company a penny.

The Sales Adventure Guide will help you probe underneath the company's glossy exterior and public face, by showing you how you can ask the right questions and find out important information about the organization you will be contracting your time to.

This book will teach you how to protect yourself, play the corporate game with finesse, and enjoy your life, rather than feel browbeaten at the company's ingratitude towards the days, months, years of your life you gave them - which you will never, ever get back.

Corporate loyalty is a myth, most companies will lay you off without a second thought. Read this book, understand that we are all contractors now.

This book was educational as well as an enjoyable book to read. I used this book when studying stories of survival. My students really enjoyed listening and reading it.

This is a testimony to the strength of women and the power of music to soothe the soul. Music is a common ground for all people and this true story illustrates how beautiful sounds calm and restore our spirits and, in this story, that of the oppressors. There must be thousands of heroic folks who lived through this terrible war with strength and dignity. I am always glad to find another inspiring story.

I have not yet read the book, certainly plan on reading it. I have however attended aplay this past Friday evening. A local Community Theatre presented it and I was in great awe of their performance. They did great justice to the story line and I am so pleased to have been present. At the end I so wanted to stand up with/for them as they closed with The Captive's Hymn. The message of strength, courage, and spirit were felt by all in attendance. Such strength these women had, makes me proud of my female sisters!

It wasn't long ago that America watched "Paradise Road" in movie theaters across the country. Audiences were captivated with the story of a young girl and her family's struggle to survive imprisonment by the Japanese. Like many moviegoers today, the audience may not have read the inspirational work behind the motion picture. Helen Colijn's Song of Survival is a real story. The experiences that Coljin documents in her work are real. The author gives her readers a glimpse of her life, and that of the other women imprisoned in Southeast Asia by the Japanese during World War II. Readers follow Colijn through the experiences of a shipwreck, being captured, and being imprisoned for three-and-a-half years.

Based on her original manuscript written just after her imprisonment, Colijn's story is one of hope and perseverance. Many other books written by soldiers and survivors of World War II are laden with hardship and sadness especially those books detailing the accounts of brutality of the Japanese during their quest to expand their empire westward through Asia such as The Rape of Nanking by Iris Chang. Colijn's story is unique in that it details true survival of not just the body of the imprisoned, but the soul as well. The women of the camp in which Colijn was imprisoned used music to life their spirits and "free their souls" from detainment.

Reading a book such as Song of Survival can open up a new door to the way in which we learn about prisoners of war. Colijn describes disease and starvation leading to the deaths of more than one-third of the population of the camp (Colijn 159-169). "Before our internment was over, twenty-six Dutch children lost their mothers," she says (Colijn 162). But all the while, the women kept their spirits from breaking entirely through singing classical songs and even performing vocal concerts among themselves (Colijn129-146). Colijn gives her readers an idea of the sisterhood within her camp among the prisoners. This feeling of family is often discussed within the realm of the formation of a brotherhood-such as is seen in Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose--of soldiers, but is rarely seen in accounts of imprisonment. The work is so poignant because Colijn is able to draw from true personal experiences.

The author teaches her readers that even during imprisonment, with just a little faith and a little music, souls will have the ability to wander free. By using an effective autobiographical format, Colijn tells her story from a very personal perspective. She recalls the events so vividly that it is impossible for readers not to feel the same emotions that the prisoners felt. Colijn's work is so well crafted that even her feelings of optimism shine through the seemingly unpromising situation. As trite as it may seem, Colijn notes that several women even made "liberation dresses" to wear for the day that their camp was liberated by the Allied forces (Colijn 129).

A book such as Colijn's is an important element in any study of World War II as it not only brings to light the idea of hope in spite of hardship, but it also shows what seems to be a neglected area of war accounts-the struggle of women as prisoners of war. A personal account of the struggles of being imprisoned by the Japanese that is so seasoned with hope is rarely seen. Colijn serves the women of her camp well with Song of Survival. With the work of one author, hundreds of women's stories will live on to be read by future generations who will bear witness to the events taking place-the immense struggle-during World War II. Song of Survival will live on long after the last survivor passes away. It will carry a message of faith and perseverance for the women in Colijn's camp who kept hope alive through their immense personal strength.

When one reads of the hardships that Colijn and her fellow inmates lived through, one expects that they would have focused on survival, and thrown all other concerns to the wind. There were some who did, but not others. Many strove to keep a modicum of loveliness in their lives. Sometimes, all they could do was escape to memories of their past, either through daydreaming or conversation. There were instances, however, of actual impact on their current situation, including a refusal of some inmates to lick their plates(though food was scarce), struggles to live in peace and harmony with fellow inmates, and, most of all, the musical peformances.

You might imagine that if you were living in a filthy prison camp where people were dropping like flies, you would owe it to yourself to fight for your survival tooth and nail, even against the other inmates, and the furthest thing from your mind would be music. You would need to look out for number one, period. Colijn believes that many more of them might have perished, or, at least, might not have come out as well, had there not been a commitment to community and beauty in that abject misery. In a sense, this book tells about war heroines.