There are some very nice glossy photos in here, but once I got it home and started studying it, the disappointment set in. The book heavily features hotel gardens, and I mean the massive gardens like the Bali Hyatt, not the intimate, small hotel gardens like the Tandjung Sari's.

It is good that the editor includes photos of some of Bali's most interesting gardens, such as Tirta Gangga, Walter Spies' Tjampuhan residence, and several sites designed by Made Wijaya, but these photos do not always do the places justice (strange angles, views of the gardens that do not show their best aspects). I concede that the exception to this is the section devoted to the gardens of the Batujimbar estate, which is the second best part of this book. But many of the photos left me wanting more variety, smaller margins (larger actual photos), and better angles.

The best chapter is Traditional Gardens in Bali, but again the photos are often disappointingly small. And, from this chapter, conspicuously absent, were photos of Ubud's Agung Rai Museum gardens and any number of single-family (not sacred, public, or hotel) Balinese gardens.

Somewhat useful is the chapter on Balinese plants, but because it lacks stats like height and shade / sun preferences, it is not great as a reference for the person interested in some serious landscaping or plant identification.

Text does have interesting tidbits about garden history, thanks to contributor Adrian Vickers (and, for the Ubud text, William Warren).

Visually, not as bold as "style" books can and should be. I put other books on my coffee table.

This is the source of book if u need a good reference of Bali gardens (or any TROPICAL LUSH gardens). Enough for someone who wants to make the garden looks tropical. Plenty of pictures and good text. Anyone interested in the tropical garden style should buy this one.

Very few books are available giving information on the Balinese style of gardening. This is strange as flowers and gardens are so much part of the Balinese culture. Balinese Gardens, text by William Warren and others and wonderful photographs taken by Luca Invernizzi Tettoni, is a perfect coffee table book. But after reading the vivid accounts of the famous gardens of both hotels and private gardens, I realise that it is more than a coffee table book. There are wonderful pictures also of the natural areas of this Island Bali, the Garden of Paradise

This book tells the story of a US Navy PBY crew that was shot down on a combat mission in the south pacific during World War II, how they were betrayed by the indigenous population to the enemy, and the fate that befell them by the cruel and remorseless Japanese military.

This book tells the story of a shot down and captured PBY crew in the pacific in WWII. It recounts the brutal, sadistic torture and murder these men ultimately faced at the hands of their Japanese captors. The author is the son of one of the murdered airmen. This is a poignant, personal account of a story that needed to be told. The reader will have feelings of rage at the way the Japanese treated the Americans and the way the American Government did NOT treat those Japanese responsible for war crimes. Very few Japanese were held accountable for their actions in the rebuilding climate of postwar Japan. I'm glad this story was told and I hope it is read by many. God bless the souls of all the airmen on that last flight of PBY No. 08233.

This is more than a history. It is a man's search for a connection with his father's experiences -- and with the father he never knew. It is also a very readable story. And it works well on all counts.

Mike Goodwin has done thorough historical research ... even to the point of finding the location where some of these executed POWs still-missing bodies lay more than 50 years later. Those who are researching POW experiences in the Pacific would do well to pay attention to Mike's bibliography.

"Almayer's Folly" adequately introduces the theme of culture conflict, an angle that is expressed more fully in Conrad's later works. I would certainly recommend this to anyone familiar with Conrad's body of work, which is not to say that readers new to his work should avoid this novel.

This tale, set in the colonial-era East Indies, narrates the brief rise and slow descent of a man's search for fortune and adventure. Quite simply, the treasure never appears and Almayer is left to ponder what could have been. His woes are intensified by the departure of his daughter, one of his few links to "civilised Europe." Classic symbolism occurs late in the novel, as Almayer erases the footprints of his daughter the day of their parting. While "Almayer's Folly" doesn't reach the heights of Conrad's longer (read: better) works, this effort still captures the romantic essence of the Far East in the classic Conrad style.

Although not to be compared with his major works, this is nonetheless a most impressive first novel. Perhaps because he was already well into his thirties when he wrote and published it, the book contains all the major themes that one associates with Conrad. If one has not read any Conrad at all, I would recommend going to his great masterpieces first (VICTORY, NOSTROMO, THE SECRET AGENT, UNDER WESTERN EYES, HEART OF DARKNESS, THE NIGGER OF THE 'NARCISSUS', or LORD JIM). But for anyone who enjoys the work of Joseph Conrad, this book can hardly fail to fascinate.

I myself am a student from Indonesia, currently studying in Carnegie Mellon University. In light of recent international events, I became attracted to learn the history of my own country from the prespective of Western authors. That is why I read this book at the first place.

I find this book very informative, it gives the reader a good sense of what has been going on in Indonesia from the time of the encounter with the Dutch (~1500), the Dutch colonial period (1600 - 1945), the nation's independence (1945), and the recent reformation of the nation (2000). However, I think some parts of the book are too brief and rather inaccessible for those who do not have prior knowledge of Indonesian history. But that shouldn't be a problem in understanding the overall picture.

I would say that this book is more for the serious readers who want to know more about Indonesia's past and understand its present. A recommended reading especially for students and scholars from Indonesia!

I just want to add that this book does contain several good maps of the nation in great details, so anyone should be able to follow the chain of events that were illustrated in the book.

I myself am a student from Indonesia studying in Carnegie Mellon University. In light of recent international events, I became attracted to learn more about the history of my own country from the perspective of Western authors. That is why I purchased this book at the first place.

I find this book very informative and covered a vast range of time, from the Indonesian first encounter with the Dutch until the independence and reformation of the nation in 2000. This book is definitely for the serious readers who want to get the big picture of what has been happening in the fourth most populous country in the world. Definitely a good buy for anyone who is researching the past of my country and a recommended reading for those students and scholars from Indonesia.

Overall, this book gave a brilliant summary of the whole Indonesian history; those events that have shaped Indonesia in the past and formed our own sense of national identity. I did however think that some parts of the book may be a bit too brief and inacessible for those who do not have prior knowledge of the Indonesian history.

This book is based on a 1995 ferry accident that happened in Malaysia. By interjecting the main character, Emily, an American living in Malaysia on board, we get to see what it was like for the lucky ones- those who could swim. Emily, angry at her parents for bringing her around the world while they try to heal the sick children of third world countries, decides to go visit her uncle, who is visiting a nearby island. She never suspects the ferry ride won't make it to the other shore. The book will disgust you at times, thinking of all the time wasted to get to people like Elizabeth, or how people act in the face of living or dying. You can't be so sure with this one how the story will end.

Everyone in my family enjoyed this book. With prose that is both beautiful and realistic, it interwines the story of the internal struggles of an adolescent girl with her struggle to survive in the sea. Over a couple of days, we watch Emily grow from a child to a brave and generous individual whose problem-solving, decisions, and courageousness are critical to her own life and the lives of others. From the moment she entered the water, we were constantly on the edge of our seats waiting to see what new challenges she would face at the next turn and whether she would survive. Along the way we learned so much about Indonesia (language, customs, and geography) and the Muslim religion. My 6th grader read this book on her own, while my 2nd grader and I read it together. It is a wonderful choice for a book club and a great gift idea.

My daughter and I each read this book in one sitting. It is simply too good to put down. The plot, the imagery and the character development are extraordinary. What's more, this novel transmits wonderful values of tolerance and true heroics. When's the last time you read a book about a teenage girl that was at once realistic (her moodiness, dissatisfaction with life) and idealistic? I love that my daughter might easily identify with such a character and perceive altruism as a fact of life. Also, in this time of anti-immigrant sentiment, this book lovingly reminds us of the value of people quite different from ourselves. You'd never know right off that the book has these effects because it disguises all of this in ONE GREAT READ! It will be the birthday gift for all our friends this year!

This book has all the elements of historical fiction: accurate information, detail of the times and places, appropriate personalities, and a storyline pertinent to its era. But somehow the book is missing its zing. There is no spice that makes the reader want to pick it up.

Mr Collison obviously had, and still has, a remarkable insight into East Timor. The recent events in the region are testimony to this. The Australian / US involvement in those times was probably, only just, justified. However, the tardiness in the realisation that Communism was no longer a threat is disgustingly obvious and the region is paying the price for this today.

My congratulations to the author for impeccable accuracy in his predictions, only the last chapter need be changed to make it almost a work of fact!!

Collison's book, The Timor Man, is exciting, thoughtful, and fun to read. With all of the attention recently paid to East Timor, I was fascinated to read something of the historical roots of current news as well as some interesting speculation as to what sort of resolution may present itself someday. The role of the US in recent East Timorese history was an unpleasant surprise - I'd like to believe it fiction, but Collison's record of barely-fictionalized reporting suggests otherwise. Overall, an engrossing and compelling read.

Islands in the Clouds is one of the better travelogues to come out as part of the Lonely Planet Journeys series. Tree gives a good overview of the history, sociology and culture of the highlands of Papua New Guinea in an well-paced, beautifully written tale. Adding to the value of the book is its Tok Pisin glossary, which makes for a nice introduction to the pidgin/creole language of PNG.

I've been to Papua New Guinea, and I found this a very enjoyable read. Isabella Tree lets you get to know the people she meets, and her writing style really takes you along with her. This is just a short note to say "give this one a try."

I enjoyed this book because I like to find out about how world wars affect peoples lives. Janet Lim has lived a very sad life but has always shown great willpower. She has always triumphed over several dangerous experiences. I would really love to know how the rest of her life turned out.

In "Sold for Silver" Janet Lim, a Singaporean Chinese, gives an autobiographical account of her life, from her early childhood in China to the end of World War II. Janet Lim was an ordinary person whom in normal times would have led a useful but undistinguished life. But what makes this book worth reading is that the times in which she lived were not normal at all. In the twenty years related here she was confronted by a series of extraordinary challenges, any one of which could have broken her. Sold to be a slave as a child, bombed at sea by the Japanese during the war, captured and held prisoner by them, selected to be a "comfort girl," and then sentenced to be executed, she withstood these challenges and emerged with her spirit intact. The events she experienced and the spirit she showed facing them make this book well worth reading.

This is the first complete English translation of an important work by the Dutch botanist, zoologist, and ethnographer Rumphius; it was first published in 1705. On his arrival on the island of Ambon in the Dutch East Indies, Rumphius began studying, as a hobby, the region's flora and fauna; soon, he was toying with the idea of writing a book on the subject.

However, he went blind at 42, and thus was forced to write his books during three decades of "sad darkness." Notwithstanding this misfortune, his charming descriptions are marvellously detailed; as though in compensation for his blindness, he had a prodigious visual memory and a gift for striking descriptions. (In fact, a 1990 scientific survey of Ambon praised Rumphius for his "great accuracy and reliability.") The black-and-white plates are beautiful, and would be worth having even if one had no intention of reading a word of the text.

Apart from its scientific virtues, "The Ambonese Curiosity Cabinet" contains many evocative and mildly alarming passages, as thus: "The Dog Crab...extends its hollow passages under Houses, and crawls out of them at night, making a lot of noise. It also knows how to creep up on Chickens, grab one by the feet, and haul it to its hole, which causes the nocturnal noise that one hears sometimes coming from the Chicken coops. If you pour hot water in their holes, they have to come out."

This is a valuable work of ethnography as well, since Rumphius respectfully catalogs the natives' folklore and social behavior. And he is not above throwing in the odd bit of gossip, political commentary, or personal anecdote. (For hardier souls than myself, it might even serve as a cookbook, since Rumphius describes his attempts to eat virtually every creature he comes across.)

Rumphius epitomizes the best qualities of the woefully devalued seventeenth-century approach to science: as the editor and translator of this volume says, his writing "is ready to impart information yet is more interested in understanding, while as religion, it aspires to a state of rapture but does not want to impose orthodoxy or ideology." More by far than one could say of Richard Dawkins!

Anyone who enjoys this book may also wish to track down a used copy of "The Poison Tree," which comprises excerpts from the same author's massive "Ambonese Herbal."

First published in 1949, Athesis is an important work by Mihardja in the study of Indonesian literature and history. Hasan is the hero of the story, coming from the villiage to the city and encounters many personal challenges.