Indonesia was an idea for a nation hatched by restless local activists in the early 20th century. As Elizabeth Pisani points out, their declaration of independence from the Dutch included the word “etc.,” which speaks to their hurried uncertainty over what their new country would become. A string of 1300 islands inhabited by 360 ethnic groups speaking over 700 languages, Indonesia is held together by inertia as much as anything. Pisani, a longtime expatriate, reports that the people are incredibly friendly and hospitable, the government is corrupt, the democracy chaotic and the old charm of the cities has faded against the hot glare of globalism. Indonesia, Etc. is an insightful travelogue from a string of islands as wide as the distance from Anchorage, Alaska to Washington, D.C.
