it is difficult to remember that this book is a true story and not only is it true but it is written by the mother involved. it must have taken great strength and resolution to write of the happenings in Jaqueline Gillespies life. It is a life story of horror, abuse and insecurity which is fought to win the happiness of self-confidence, love and happiness only to have it all taken away again by one cruel and unfeeling person. to have survived the nightmare which surely still goes on for the author is a credit to the soul that she has. the ending leaves the reader unable to sleep and praying for the safe return of two loved children to their mother. The book also relays the true story to all the people who ever doubted Jaqueline Gillespie and to all who failed her in her fight for her family. I am sure that they are still squirming in their realisation that they were weak, ignorant and corrupt - and worst of all ... that they regard money and status in higher esteem than they do the lives of innocent children ... "the future of their country".

An exceptionally moving book about a woman trying to fit into a society that does not tolerate her (she is half Chinese, half Australian). She marries a Malaysian prince and moves to Malaysia where she has two children. She leaves her husband taking her children with her back to Australia and tries to begin afresh, but her children are kidnapped and taken back to Malaysia to live as strict Muslims with their father. This true story goes on to relate how she tries to get her children back and her journey to find happiness. This book made me cry at every chapter and it put my own problems into perspective.

A very sad book about the life of a woman who was so desperate to feel like she belonged to something that she ended up sacrificing her happiness. When she does eventually leave, her children are taken away from her... a very sad book but once I started to read I could not stop.

What a WONDERFUL BOOK! .... this should be on everyones top 10 lists ..... makes you think about NOT buying those next exotic wood chairs.... Eric has such a marvelous way of making you live the jungle and its rythem....I was sad when the book ended....it was better than Motering with Mohamed.... wish he would wite MANY MORE books .... a gifted writer and free spirit.... love this book

One of my favorite travel adventure books... one of my top recommends to friends who love exotic travel or anthropolgy or have an interest in the rainforest/SE Asia. Hansen is a terrific writer; although he's not funny like Tim Cahill, his simple yet descriptive prose draws you in so that you feel as if you are trekking across Borneo with him. His experiences while traveling with 3 Borneo natives (enjoying barbequed giant grubs and scorpions, finding that after a few days his eyes adjust to the darkness below the forest canopy and he gradually begins to see colors he's never seen before) are so compelling that I found I was unable to put the book down once I began reading it.

Intrigue, mystery and danger abound as author Hansen finds his Western culture colliding dangerously with the myths of a tribe's culture. This section actually had my heart pounding... a few friends who've read the book had the same experience. It was real life scary!

Since it's out of print, try to find a copy. I bought a used copy at a library sale and made my friend promise to return the gift to me if she ever decides she doesn't want it!

A must read for travel adventure enthusiasts.

Eric Hansen is one of the most insightful, sensitive travel writers I've encountered. This book is a delightful window on the world of forest nomads in the jungle of Borneo. Hansen captures their incredible lifestyles that tie them to so intimately to the land but never lets you forget that they are modern human beings, as sophisticated and brilliant at moving through their world as any from what some might call the "civilized" world. As he travels with them, he is like a child in their world and his respect for and dependence on them is evident as they teach him how to survive their jungle.

this book was an excellent guide to malaysia, it not only helped my camping trip there, it was enjoyable as a book as well

This book an invaluable resource for anyone traveling to Malaysia. Did you know it's highly offensive to hand someone an object with your left hand? This book explains the local customs and cultures, so you will be a welcome guest, not one who is just tolerated.

This path-breaking book applies rigorous and invaluable economic analysis to major natural resource and environmental policy issues in Malaysia under the New Economic Policy decades of the 1970s and 1980s-a period of profound socio-economic changes, rapid depletion of natural resources, and the emergence of serious air and water pollution problems.

It examines the interrelationship among natural resources, environmental quality, and economic development. This scholarly work addresses, from an economic perspective, a broad set of natural resource and environmental issues in Malaysia and places it in a historical context.

This book would be of particular interest to resource and environmental economists, and development economists, i.e. anyone seeking a thorough understanding of the economic underpinnings of natural resource and environmental management policy in fast-growing, resource-abundant Malaysia. It represents a reference volume to facilitate further research on Malaysian natural resource and environmental policy issues.

Dr Jeffrey R. Vincent is a Fellow at the Harvard Institute for International Development. Formerly director of the Centre for Environmental Studies at Malaysia's Institute of Strategic and International Studies, Dr Rozali Mohamed Ali is currently executive director of Commerce Asset Holdings Berhad.

The book does a fine job of compiling evidence and results. The book is clearly written and organized. The book is a welcome additon to the study of Malaysia and to study of environment and development in general. The fisheries section, the sector I know from first-hand experience, is well done and includes original material.

This is one of the funniest loveable books on the market. We have 4 chidren ages 2 1/2 to 8 and they enjoy this book over and over. I recommend this to all. BRILLIANT. Thank you

Very enjoyable story with a nice twist at the end. My two children enjoyed it on the first reading and it is still one of their favorites ! I recommend it to anyone - either with or without children !

The author is a straight shooter, from neutral perspective unclouded by political biasness. Credit was given to those who deserve it (even to Mahathir, so no, this is not blind fury anti-Mahathir book) and vice versa. Unlike most literature on Malay politics and social issues, this one wasn't written with the intention to please any party.

Brilliant refutation on the points put forward by Dr Mahathir in his book "The Malay Dilemma" - The problem is not with the people ...(read it find out more...)

Explains accurately the evolution and factors that shapes the psyche of the Malay people and the root cause of the problems they are facing. The mistakes that the governement had done which the Malay people had to endure. The author supports his arguments (like the "Sultan syndrome") accurately by drawing from his own experiences with certain government officials.

This book is both enlightening and entertaining. The best book I have read pertaining to the issues of the Malay people. A must read to all Malaysians, especially the government officials.

Thrilled to find a book that is so well written and reader friendly. This timely book not only highlights Malaysia's race relations and the shortcomings of its economic policies, but also offers refreshingly commonsensical solutions. One wonders why Malaysian leaders have not thought of them.

This book is obviously a response to the original "The Malay Dilemma," written by Mahathir Mohammad in 1970. Mahathir is now Malaysia's present Prime Minister and this book takes a critical look at his social and economic policies.

I particularly like the chapter that compares and contrasts Malaysia's race problems to that of America and that of the English/French conflict in Canada. Although the book focuses primarily on race relations in Malaysia, the author's perspectives and analyses could well apply to other multicultural nations.

This book is a must read for those interested in race relations generally, and for students of Southeast Asian Studies.

A superbly integrative, imaginative document of the lives of a people trying to make sense of their adaptive efforts in a newly modern society. Sloane treats with dignity and respect women and men's efforts to explain their work, their religion and traditions to themselves and others. Within this flux that is dynamic Malaysia we see the meanings of entrepreneurship as these are manifested in men and women, their families, friends and associates. We also see their struggles within and the social effects of their romance--entrepreneurship.

One finds a most impressive, complexly rich writing gift in professor Sloane's first(?)volume.

This extroadinary document details the look and feel of the entreprenurial act, which includes the ways Malays "talk" entreprenurship,imagine it, try to reconcile it with their past, square it with Islam etc....as they go about exploring what it holds for them.

A poignant, informative picture of urban Malays shines forth as we see a people caught up in the excitement, challenge and emerging alienation of modernity calling them now forth: engaging them in both noble and foolish endeavors--- in a new world that charms them-- the intensely experienced world/word "entrepreneur."

I felt for these people: their fascination with business schemes; their hopes and big dreams; the questions they now ask of Islam, and what they think it expects of them and their families as they seek the meanings and rewards the entreprenurial life may or may not hold for them.

I also could not help but sense the high stakes among the Malays on these pages.Sloane is an exciting, emotionaly rich, intellectually complex and integrative scholar; her imagination rarely, if ever, fails her: her readers should come to know the Malays. And, to the bargain, be deeply moved by this peoples' efforts, accomodations, and resources. The Malays leap off these pages into their modern dramas. Good luck to them all.

In a world with decreasing respect for literary writing, I was delightfully surprised to read this study of economic anthropology.

Dr. Sloane's thesis brings trenchant analysis to the table, in lucid prose, of the world of ethnic , urban Malays in Kuala Lumpur: how they go about reinventing entrepreneurial culture; the full lives of men and women and families; and the role of Islam in it all. And, its all told in the very finest intellectual writing, as distinguished from the turgid jargon normally employed in scholarship and research today and in recent decades.

I wish I had more time to get into the heart of her thesis, which obviously took extensive disciplined field observations and intensive labor in the writing---- of her findings and elaborate integration and synthesis of her and others concepts. I truly hope many Malay academics and intellectuals read it-- oh, and students too!

This is a unique addition to the burgeoning literature on what it means to be a modern actor on the Southeastern Asian stage; in this case entrepreneurship is seen as something different from Western notions of this endeavor. An insightful and sensitive analysis , a researcher's goldmine and a whetstone for methodologists.

A major contribution to the need to understand entrepreneurship from an international perspective.

Illuminating depiction, closely observed, of economic life among urban Malays. Special study given to a cohort, privileged by their government's special treatment of them over many years, in many ways. Their memberships in ethnic, educational and social groups for indigeonous " bumiputras" affording them modest and big breaks : from free education to banking breaks, to forged peer alliances. We are shown the extensiveness and limits of these alliances, as well as the powerful complicated emotions and feelings cohort membership has bestowed on these receipients of government affirmative action programs

Its also sometimes a hoot to be shown, however delicately, the follies that can emerge from being caught up in one's Malayness, in the mystique of bumiputraness, and the profound hand and glove life of being a modern Malay Muslim whose government is at work for one-- whose religion counts, big time-- and those of one's likeness.

This is an enthralling report of economic activity and its impact on individuals and their families. Islam, today, in Malaysia figures prominantly in the brilliant anthropological account given by fieldworker Sloane of the Malays at work in the entrepreneurial Dream, theirs, and how it can also become a haunting and nightmare. Modernity's alienation is well ensconsed in urban Kuala Lumpur.

This is an incredibly thorough-- going piece of social science, as comprehensive as it gets-- coming out a moment when, for the Malays, it could turn out to be as good as it got, given their current experiencings of Asian economic woes and the profound civic and civil challenges awaiting them it would seem.

For getting the feel of this Southeast nation's experience of modernity, reading Patricia Sloane's full accounting of entrepreneurship among the Malays, treats the reader to a delightfully alive contextual piece of scholarship.

I was glued to the page, as she revealed how men's and women's economic dreams and aspirations are played out in their fa! milies and social lives- -- the entrepreneur here is a vitally alive economic actor. I had the feeling I was right there, among their strivings, inspirations and misadventures too!

I have to confess to owning this book for seven years before reading it. A habit of mine, buying books in large numbers then reading them at leisure. Delayed reading "A Malaysian Journey" because, quite frankly, much English language Malaysian writing is hard work.

But what a wasted seven years: this was a revelation. Fluid, beautifully constructed, alternating chapters contrasting the author's personal life journey to the history of his country. On this basis the author wins, coming out ahead of his Prime Minister Mahathir by a nose - incidentally he claims to have once dated the PM's daughter Marina. But he is a far better writer than her.

In fact stayed up till 3.30 a.m. last night just to finish this, and my first act this morning was to copernic the web to find out what else he'd written in the last ten years. That should tell you something.

This book is Malaysia all the way. Having now lived here four years, it is astounding how little things have changed. If I were Mr. Rehman, I'd still be worried about ending up in 'government guest quarters' for a couple years! A 'must read' for anyone who has to do business in Malaysia. Fortunately, as more Malaysians become like Rehman, the accuracy of this book will fade into fable.

We will shortly be living in Malaysia for 10 months and wanted a non-tourist introduction to the society and culture. This book is a highly personal and, therefore, highly biased, narrative, by a native of the soil (bumiputra) with an unusually mixed background, who has grown up as Malaysia became a country. At that, it is extremely well-written, both in language and structure. It examines modern Malaysia's history and visits many of its major towns, as seen by the eye of a hopeful-but-critical citizen. Of course we could not judge its factual accuracy but the tone and thoroughness are quite credible and we recommend the book highly.

It is soo good !! I tried the eggs curry from Indonesia it is so yummy !! Also the have menu suggestions so that was real helpfull since I do a lot of parties !!!

This book is incredible. First, the photography is excellent, beautifully portraying most of the recipes. The book begins with a complete listing of all of the ingredients used. It is about 6 pages of pertinent information, including pictures for some of the most obscure ingredients. The recipes cover a thorough range of the basic recipes that you may be looking for. I am Indian and am thrilled with the list. Just about every recipe is critical, they appear back-to-back and have several pictures. I will probably cook every recipe in the Indian section. That section alone makes it worth the purchase. However, it covers seven other asian cuisines in a very similar manner. It also offers enticing "melting pot" menus, mixing the cuisines. You will get the recipes you want, that you can make, with a little commentary and exquisite pictures. This is one of the best cook books I have ever seen.

All recipes are well described and illustrated. Everything is clear and easy to understand.