[.ca] Making Out in Indonesian (ISBN 490073702X)

To be used only among friends!:
An amusing guide to some of the rudest slang in the language. Useful in a practical sense only if Indonesian speakers are among your closes friends, or if you're happily acquiring a potentially offensive or troublemaking vocabulary in Bahasa Indonesia. My Indonesian speaking friends were the ones who got the biggest laugh out of it, but unless you've already got a good grasp of the language and the culture, beware utilizing most of the vocabulary in this book...

This is the only book of its kind - and is good as such.:
This book is what it claims to be - a guide to the way Indonesian is really spoken. But there isn't really a lot of language contained in the book. It is not a substitute for a text book or a phrase book, but it can add nicely to what you are already doing withthe language. It includes a brief grammar and pronunciation section atthe beginning, however, it does not indicate in the text the difference in the the pronunciation of "e" which is unpredictable. Also, I was very surprised to see that the author has omitted the common slang words for girl and boy "cewek" and "cowok" respectively. On reading some of the other reviews, you may getthe feeling that this book is going to get you into trouble if you use the phrases. It is made very clear which phrases will get you into a fight and which are obscene, so it is not really a problem. You can use a lot of the phrases and sound natural. I would say that about two thirds of the phrases can be used without a problem and the other third are there for your amusement. Furthermore, you can buy this book in the knowledge that the information contained therein is correct. This is something that, having read the reviews of Constantines's other books, and through personal experience, is not always the case.

Guide before you look for a date in Indonesia:
Many basic words to impress your Indonesian date. Many of your favorite pick-up line

A great way to have fun with Indonesian!:
I am glad I took this book with me on my trip to Malaysia and Indonesia. It teaches you the basic language that people actually speak, and not the language of the textbooks. What is good is that it also has many slang words and phrases that you can't find anywhere else, though they range from mild to very strong! Also sexual expressions that you should use with care. But the main thing is: This book is great fun.

A great ice-breaker:
An excellent introduction to slang and idiomisms, use it carefully and you'll have a superb time. I tried it in many bars in Jakarta and Bali to great effect.