[.ca] Jakarta Inside Out (ISBN 9799589878)

Entertaining and Illuminating:
It's rare to come across a book that truly is valuable for novice and expert alike, that informs about serious matters while entertaining the reader, and that can be read quickly and yet is a "keeper" for one's library. In Jakarta Inside Out, Daniel Ziv has written one of the best insider's guides to the dirty, messy, smelly, and yet fascinating Indonesian capital. In a series of one and two page essays on various categories peculiar to Jakarta, Ziv gives the reader new to things Indonesian a great introduction to the capital and country, and yet the long-time expert will also find much of value--not the least of which is Ziv's style. His text is a hoot, and the photographs he has chosen capture all the wackiness of Jakarta. Let's hope Ziv changes jobs frequently, allowing him similar sojourns in various Asian capitals and opportunities to produce more essential guides like Jakarta Inside Out.