Man of Contradictions: A Lowy Institute Paper: Penguin Special: Joko Widodo and the struggle to remake Indonesia

by Ben Bland

From a riverside shack to the presidential palace, Joko Widodo surged to the top of Indonesian politics on a wave of hope for change. However, six years into his presidency, the former furniture maker is struggling to deliver the reforms that Indonesia desperately needs. Despite promising to build Indonesia into an Asian powerhouse, Jokowi, as he is known, has faltered in the face of crises, from COVID-19 to an Islamist mass movement.


Man of Contradictions, the first English-language biography of Jokowi, argues that the president embodies the fundamental contradictions of modern Indonesia. He is caught between democracy and authoritarianism, openness and protectionism, Islam and pluralism. Jokowi’s incredible story shows what is possible in Indonesia – and it also shows the limits.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, Biography, Asia, Current Affairs

125 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 1, 2020

Reviews

[Zulfa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was excited when my friend gave me the unofficial version of this book. I thought it would finally shade the light on how contradictive Jokowi is as the President of Indonesia just by looking at the title. The synopsis and media coverage on this book also seem promising. It took me nearly a week just to finish this book because nothing excites me as I read it; no new informations about Jokowi.

All informations provided in this book are well-known already by most Indonesians. Jokowi's background from have-nots family, building his furniture empire and crawling his place from Solo to Presidential Palace are something all Indonesians familiar with. I expect this book to provide an in-depth analysis seen from international journalist perspectives on how Jokowi's contradictive (as Bland put it) policies lead Indonesia as a big nation. Rather than serving the new facts, Bland just decided to summarize all news on Jokowi that scramble all over the internet. This book shouldn't be called a biography—a paper would suit it better.

Even though this book disappoints me in terms of providing new insights, I have to admit that it reminds me again on who Jokowi actually is. As a rising star in Indonesia's political stage, Jokowi has set certain standards on what kind of leader Indonesia actually needs. His figure as wong cilik who made it to the top on his own is like an oasis in the middle of Indonesia's political dynasty. He made it clear on his first term that his priority is to serve the people, but power always reveals. The higher Jokowi rose from his obscure roots, the more his political contradictions were exposed. He still has 4 years left in his second term and Indonesia can't wait any longer to see him proving his leadership claims.

In short, this book is recommended for those with zero knowledge on Jokowi, especially foreigners. Indonesians may also read this book to remind how far Jokowi has gone from his early political promises.

[Kate Walton · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good overview but nothing new for Indonesianists. Also not a biography - not sure why it's referred to as such.

[Marina · Rating 3 out of 5]

** Books 88 - 2021 **

This books to accomplish Tsundoku Books Challenge 2021

3,4 of 5 stars!

I love how the writer elaborates everything what positive and negative of Mr President Joko Widodo about his contradictions for indonesia's economy policy.

This books is not an biography since it is only give some brief explanation about how Mr Jokowi come from Furniture's entrepreneur, became mayor in solo, jakarta's governor until Indonesian President.

Thankyou Kobo!

[n · Rating 2 out of 5]

i was really excited as a friend told me about this book. even pre-ordered this for only 2.99€ on google play books. the synopsis is promising: a biography of the most powerful person in indonesia and his contradictory actions to his background. but when I read it, it was a huge disappointment.

to be completely honest... this feels like a collection of the news on jokowi and indonesia in general since the days when he began to rule solo. summarized, and taken a brief conclusion from it. i expected something grander; a deeper analysis on why he chose some problematic officials to be his ministers, why he built the trans-papua highway, and why he's fixated on infrastructures and economic growth—just like soeharto did. note that i’m an indonesian passport holder who’s still following the news on indonesian politics regularly, and i guess that explains why i'm hugely disappointed by the book. not to mention the shade bland throws at jokowi—which i don't really mind as long as analysis on it is provided, and how it will affect indonesians in general. this is like, jumbled words from someone who hates jokowi from the bottom of his heart.

in short: i want in-depth analysis, not a summary of 10 years worth of news in 125 pages. bland didn't provide it. me is disappointed.

this book is certainly for people who do not follow the news, or those who are clueless: who the fuck is jokowi, why did the people of Indonesia chose him to be the president, and how is he doing during his 6th out of 10-year period?

[Bimana Novantara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Membaca buku ini mengajarkan bahwa perlu untuk selalu bersikap skeptis terhadap semua hal yang dilakukan dan dikatakan Jokowi. Ia adalah pribadi yang tidak memiliki ideologi dan konsep dalam menjalankan pemerintahannya, bahkan terlihat tidak tertarik terhadap saran orang lain dan analisis terperinci dari kalangan ahli, dan hanya mengandalkan insting dan pelajaran dari pengalaman pribadinya selama menjadi pengusaha serta saran dari segelintir orang yang ia percayai. Jika ada guyonan yang mengatakan bahwa untuk mengetahui apa yang akan terjadi pada Indonesia di masa depan maka cukup dengarkan perkataan Jokowi lalu lihat sebaliknya, maka guyonan itu rasanya tidak terlalu jauh dari kenyataan.

Seperti yang sudah banyak disampaikan dalam ulasan-ulasan tentang buku ini, tidak ada hal baru tentang Jokowi dan Indonesia yang disampaikan di dalamnya. Jika cukup rajin mengikuti berita politik dan ekonomi, maka isi buku ini semacam ringkasan padat tentang bagaimana Jokowi bisa menjadi presiden dan peristiwa-peristiwa yang terjadi selama masa pemerintahannya. Buku ini sepertinya memang lebih cocok dibaca oleh orang asing yang ingin tahu seperti apa Indonesia di bawah pemerintahan Jokowi, meskipun orang Indonesia juga bisa membacanya untuk melihat bagaimana seorang wartawan dan peneliti asing dari lembaga think tank papan atas mencoba menjelaskan kondisi Indonesia sekarang ini.

[Bart Thanhauser · Rating 3 out of 5]

This books sums up western consensus on Jokowi fairly well and is clearly tailored to a western, business audience. It gets a lot of things right I think. But overall seemed overly harsh, unfair. Worse, for all its talk of nuance (and embracing “contradiction”), Man of Contradictions is remarkably un-nuanced, seeking more to critique and opine than to understand. This is a fine primer for someone fairly new to Indonesia that is working in business or foreign policy circles. But, all in all, it felt forgettable. It doesn’t capture the vibrant rumor mill of Jakarta. It doesn’t doesn’t teach or reveal things not already known to most Indonesia followers. And it has a high handedness and judgment that, though often correct, turned me off.

[Royston Wah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I surmise it wasn't the most granular and deep of analysis of Jokowi and fell flat for Indonesians who picked up the book. But for someone who doesn't follow Indonesian politics closely, this was a fantastic primer into Jokowi. I would say the choice of framing (fleshing out the 'contradictions' of Jokowi) is window dressing since it's clear that leaders struggle with tensions and competing objectives all the time, and thus demonstrate 'contradictory' behaviour from time to time. A sharper angle, whatever it may be, may have been more insightful.

[Greg Samsa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great introduction, well written. I didn't know much about Indonesia before, now i feel well-educated on the modern history of one of the most diverse countries and it's enigmatic president.

[Hana Bilqisthi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pick this book after saw this quote on Twitter

Former Finance Minister Chatib Basri once told me: ‘Indonesia always disappoints. It disappoints the optimists and it disappoints the pessimists too.’ It is a somewhat comforting view of an Indonesia that always scrapes through, despite the worst fears about balkanisation, political unrest, and Islamic radicalisation, and despite the highest hopes that it can become an economic powerhouse, a diplomatic fulcrum, and a beacon for democracy.


It is page turner and interesting takes but I disagree with some opinion.

[Taufan Satrio · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who mainly consumes political news from Indonesian media outlets and social media platforms, this book tremendously helps me make sense of the events involving Jokowi through a much more holistic and broad lens. It provides a concise yet insightful overview of the president's rise to power, linked to his approach of politics, economic policies, and foreign relations.

I particularly enjoyed the occasional juxtaposition between Indonesia's history and identity as a nation and how they influence Jokowi's decisions throughout his presidency.

Finally, this book invites us to move away from our 'relentless search for easy, often mono-causal explanations for the fiendishly complex world around us' and embrace contradictions to better understand Jokowi and Indonesia moving forward

[Matias Singers · Rating 3 out of 5]

This should not be seen as a biography of Jokowi, it’s primarily focused on his rapid political ascent from Mayor of Solo (Surakarta), to his short stint as Governor of Jakarta, and then finally the Presidential palace.

Another reviewer also mentioned that this lacks in analysis and insights, and seems more like a retelling of news stories - which could be useful for people who don’t follow Indonesian politics closely.
It was a good refresher for me of the gallery of personas at the top of Indonesian politics, and included a few recent remarks about COVID-19 as well.


I picked up a few interesting new book titles that I’m excited to read:
Oligarchy
Power in Motion
Language and Power: Exploring Political Cultures in Indonesia

[Pradipa P. Rasidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is not so much a biography (as it was advertised) as very long-form journalism on brief history of Jokowi's policies and thoughts (or lack thereof), interspersed with some op-ed. It consists of six chapters: one and a half briefs Jokowi's supposedly humble beginnings; one is written more like an op-ed; and the rest is summary/review of Jokowi's policies.

Bland paints Jokowi as a "man of contradictions": a man seen as a democratic reformer yet ended up turning to authoritarian practice. According to Bland, observers struggle in deciding which one Jokowi actually is - a genuine democrat at heart or an authoritarian wolf in sheep clothing? Bland's answer is neither: Jokowi is "shaped by the winds that swirl around him." (Chapt. 5) To fully understand why Jokowi acted the way he did, argues Bland, one has to turn to his life history - Jokowi the furniture maker.

It's an interesting premise. Yet Bland's exploration of the president's beginnings is concluded less than two chapters. Bland argues that Jokowi's pragmatic policies is shaped by his furniture exporter mindset who just wants to get the economic balls rolling. Each time Bland asks Jokowi's about his political thought or political leaders he admires, "a quizzical look comes over his face before he brushes the question away." (Chapt. 1)

Explorations on how Jokowi ended up as the man he is should've been revealing, unfortunately Bland does not spent much of his writings exploring the way Jokowi managed his business that could have strengthen his argument. Bland also takes for granted the information supplanted by Jokowi's autobiography, that makes the most part of Jokowi's businessman history. As a journalist, I think Bland could have assessed political pamphlets such as Jokowi's autobiography more critically - e.g., I recall that Jokowi's own mother denied the claim that they were evicted (one popular Jokowi claim), but the claim is unquestioned in this book. Bland stops at the argument that Jokowi is a businessman, hence his pragmatic politics; but we all know that most Indonesian politicians are pragmatists.

Most of the chapters focus on review/summary of Jokowi's since he jumped into political arena. Calling Jokowi suffering from "edifice complex", Bland discusses how Jokowi hops around sensation and publicity (e.g. Esemka project) to boost his popular appeals. Bland writes with occasional humor that makes his writings easy to read, and especially useful for readers unfamiliar with Jokowi's policies. However in the end it's still a summary - if one is already familiar with Jokowi's policies so far, Bland elaboration offers nothing exactly novel.

Where the book shines bright are the parts where Bland elaborate insights not from Jokowi himself - which often are following certain template or presupposed by puzzled look - but from people around him. The commentaries from Jokowi's advisers and officials (all are anonymized) truly shows how the president seems contradictory even in his own circles.

"Jokowi doesn’t like analysis," one adviser told Bland. "There was no proper analysis of which infrastructure projects would boost growth and productivity the most." Another senior official contrasted Jokowi to SBY. Whereas Jokowi is "instinctive and stubborn," SBY "listened to advice" and "would make up his mind based on the facts." (Chapt. 4) One ex-minister told Bland that Jokowi increasingly acted "like a king", that they were "scared to challenge his decisions." Bland also elaborated, based on interviews, on how foreign diplomats were puzzled with Jokowi's erratic foreign diplomacy, yet supported the president under the illusion the president would bring reform to this country with decades of authoritarian past. (Chapt. 6)

In that aspect, the book does not pull punches. Yet at the same time it is not as hard-hitting as it should have been. That sort of commentaries mostly are laid out to fill the blanks in Bland's succinct summary of Jokowi's policies in the last few years. I believe Bland has all the materials needed to write an Indonesian Fire and Fury, but he remains reserved in this short book that has been hyped as an insider look of Jokowi's presidency. Bland attempts to historicize Jokowi under Indonesia authoritarian past, but in this aspect too Bland needs more helping hand, as the book resorts to a brief history of Indonesian political thought (Chapt. 5) instead of exploring the flesh and blood of authoritarianism, covered already by many scholars.

The book offers a number of interesting arguments, but like the bureaucrats who compose Jokowi's administration who Bland criticized, it is tempting to judge that the book "runs only skin-deep."

Regardless, I still recommend this book. The book stays in my library as a go-to book for a pocket history of Jokowi's policies. Bland attaches useful footnotes as well, for readers interested in pursuing the topic further. And, most importantly, the book still serves as an eye-opener for readers who still wear rose-tinted glasses in viewing Jokowi's presidency. A glasses that unfortunately is not yet removed for many, not even during this dumpster fire of Jokowi's handling of pandemic.

Considering Bland's wit and access to juicy sources, I am eagerly waiting for his next book on Jokowi's presidency.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid introduction to and overview of Jokowi and his Presidency.

[Sry Puteri · Rating 3 out of 5]

The general view of Indonesia's politics is sufficiently written in this book. But, unfortunately, it failed to provide a more thorough elaboration of his critical decision in his policies and his ministries. There are deeper questions to be imposed for his decision, such as "Why Terawan is chosen as the health minister, even if he was proved to conduct unethical practices in the past?" ; "What is his expectation in Nadiem Makarim and how does Jokowi envision Indonesia's education in the future?" ; "Why the highly popular Susi Pujiastuti is not re-elected to be the minister despite her awesome achievement during her term?" ; "What is his follow up to the demand from the mass demonstration of #reformasidikorupsi? and many more.

Further, the book is released in 2020 during the pandemic. There are so many chaotic policies and uncoordinated movements/narratives between the central government and the local government. I guess this one should be one whole chapter.

[A Raz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book tells about how Jokowi came to power and how he maintains his political legitimacy once he achieved it. It shows his thick-skin, simplistic, stubborn yet action-driven and persevered personality. He is perplexed by the intricate political and economic concepts and prefers a more layman-style actions. Ironically, this facile approach has gained him abundant political capital. His simplicity is manifested in his bold infrastructure-focused economic projects that, at the same time, lack any solid long-term goals and systematisms.

This book may not reveal anything new to many readers, particularly those familiar with Indonesia's tumultuous political scene. However, it still provides a coherent narrative vis-à-vis the journey of the president of one of the biggest democracies in the world. It also may give many of his supporters, and his political opponents, a more objective view on his leadership, particularly amidst the calamitous political environment in Indonesia that is full of bipartisanship and bigotry.

[Tirani Membaca · Rating 3 out of 5]

A unique book about Jokowi and Indonesia. It captures the struggle of Indonesia as a nation and Jokowi as its leader. I love how Bland described every contradiction that happened in this country and Jokowi. Even though as an Indonesian there is nothing new in this book. But, this is a good start for everyone who wants to know more about Indonesian contemporary politics in Jokowi era. Especially if you are new to Indonesian politics.

This book also provides many references that could lead you to go deeper into any discourse that was written in this book.

[Keshia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good summary of the stuff Jokowi’s been up to since he became president, not bad for someone like me who’s been living abroad for most of his presidency and so needs a bit of a catch up. It’s insightful enough. Also good for putting children to sleep; I read this book out loud to my seven year old sister and she fell asleep almost right away! It deserves another star just for that.

[Edwin Setiadi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The enigma of Jokowi

What kind of politician who can do so much by saying so little? Who can play both ends between the elite and the ordinary people? Whose unpredictability can consistently surprise his strongest critics and disappoint his most fanatic supporters? The answer: a good one. This trait is in fact one of Robert Greene’s 48 Laws of Power: assume formlessness.

In that case, is Jokowi a good president? Well, not so fast.

This book does a great job on depicting the hard-to-define enigma of Indonesia’s 7th president, Joko Widodo, or belovedly nicknamed Jokowi. He was a simple local furniture businessman in small town Solo, whom the book then cheekily portray as “accidentally on purpose” at becoming the most powerful man in Indonesia in less than a decade later.

The author of the book, Ben Bland, certainly have the right credentials to be able to write a full picture of the president. He was the Indonesia correspondent for the Financial Times (2012-2015), whom was very much present from the time Jokowi was a mayor of Solo, to when he was running to be the governor of Jakarta (2012), until when he was elected as the country’s president (2014).

It is by far the most honest portrayal of the man, without hidden agenda and without partisanship bias, with the good, the bad, and most importantly the contradictive nature of Jokowi all presented within the context of complicated Indonesian political environment. Remember that crucial last point.

Along with the presidential vote, 16 parties were competing in 2014 election with 9 parties secured power in the 575-seat main parliamentary body (DPR). When Jokowi won the race, he showed his knack as a master in transactional politics where he can increase his coalition from 40% control of the parliament into 70% in just 2 years. But this move came with a heavy price tag. With patronages and compromises mean his choice of ministers were not entirely up to him, that the best of the best people for the job often overlooked to make way for the choices made by his party’s chairman Megawati, the wider coalition, and the tycoons that back him up financially.

The complication exacerbated by the fact that there are no well-defined ideology in Indonesia, no left wing or right wing, no liberals and conservatives, with the only differences between the parties are Islamic parties or nationalist parties. And even then the nationalist parties promote syariah regulations and the Islamic parties support secular policies change such as abolishing motorcycle tax. Bland also remark “[the parties] operate more as a vote-getting machines at election time and patronage distribution machines once on power. It is little wonder that Indonesians consider their political parties to be among the nation’s most corrupt institutions.”

Moreover, the book brilliantly capture one of the core problems in the country’s political environment, where “many decisions, in any case, are made in backroom deals on issue-based parliamentary committees, rather than majority votes of the whole DPR. This reflects a political culture that prioritises musyawarah and mufakat - ‘deliberation’ and ‘consensus’ - over sound policymaking” in an environment where money is the only real ideology.

It was in this context, in an environment where the elite dynasties are dominating Indonesia’s political parties (and hence political landscape), that Jokowi emerged as a fresh hope, as one of us the people. His folksy charm of blusukan (direct visit to the slumps) - where he told the author that the idea was ridiculously simple: “go to the people, ask what their problems are, and then solve them” - has since copied by seemingly all politicians in the country.

But by being constantly on the road meeting people he often criticized for always in a “support rally” mode and not working as the actual leader, a problem most obvious during his short 2 year tenure as the governor of Jakarta. And as a president with politically-appointed ministers this problem escalated into the national stage: with the absence of clear guidance from the president, our daily news are filled with shenanigans made by some rouge ministers while others became a media darling with little effectiveness, where the book commented that “Jokowi prioritised action (and PR stunts) over quality and planning.”

Jokowi also has the tendency to disregard experts’ advice and has the unwillingness to listen to analysis, and instead rely more on snap judgements and act upon stubborn desires, which also contribute to the chaos of his presidency, for better or for worse, whether it is wrecking havoc industries or become a good catalyst for change. “Well-intentioned but poorly executed, it was a metaphor for the way Jokowi’s government managed the economy”, as the book put it.

And while as a mayor of Solo it was relatively easy to get every fraction of society to be more or less satisfied, as a president it became increasingly difficult for him to please everybody, which is very apparent in, among many others, his policy on Foreign Direct Investment: Promising foreign investors for better and more relaxed regulations to attract investments, at the same time promising local businesses to protect them from foreign competitions. A man of contradictions.

However, when it comes to political maneuvers, he’s the chess master. Chapter 5 was particularly hard to read, as the scar from the event still feel very fresh and left me with a bitter reminder of the rotten world of Indonesian politics, with Jokowi’s backstab at his loyal partner (for the safety of the nation) simultaneously opened the gate for the flood of hardliners to grab power in Indonesia. But few people can arguably handle it as well as him, with the relative peace (and not civil war) we all get to enjoy since 2016 until now is a testament of his mastery.

So, is Jokowi a good president? The book finally answers the dilemma I had on my president. I voted AGAINST his opponent (not necessarily FOR him) for reasons exactly like the book says in page 108. And as you would see throughout the book, in a diverse country of 273 million people spread across 17,000 islands, 1300 ethnic groups, 300 languages, and 6 official religion, the complex political environment in Indonesia constrain him (and would also constrain anyone after him) from fully implementing his vision of the country, and perhaps had even turn an idealistic man into a pragmatic one.

So in that sense, he’s not an effective Indonesian president, nobody could be. But love him or hate him, or indifferent about him, one thing can’t be denied: he may be an ineffective president, but he’s a damn good politician.

[Luke · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Did you know that Indonesia is at a crossroads?"

~ Homer Simpson, reading The Economist

I really wanted to enjoy Man of Contradictions. Joko Widodo, the seventh President of Indonesia known fondly as Jokowi, has surprised his critics and disappointed his supporters in equal measure since winning his first term in 2014, and Ben Bland offers an accessible introduction to the Javanese salesman who will rule the world's third-largest democracy until 2024. Bland's book, however, is described as the first English-language biography of Jokowi, and in truth it is neither. Eve Warbuton and Thomas Power, among others, have published short-form pieces placing their subject into context, and Bland’s description of modern Indonesia lacks the deep-dive into Jokowi's past that might qualify Man of Contradictions as a true biography.

That said, readers will appreciate Man of Contradictions as a useful primer on modern Indonesian politics, and how it has shaped (and been shaped by) Jokowi. His meteoric rise from Mayor of Solo to Governor of Jakarta – roughly comparable, in population terms, to being mayor of the Gold Coast, and then becoming the NSW Premier – was partly a function of his earthy brand of retail politics but partly due to a dearth of qualified, trustworthy candidates without troublesome baggage from the autocratic New Order regime. Jokowi used his gubernatorial term as a springboard to the Presidency, and three aspects of Bland’s book will appeal to amateur Indonesianists such as this reviewer: the perils of Indonesia’s transactional and policy-free party politics, Jokowi’s shopkeeper approach to economics, and his rotating carousel of big personalities (often in military garb) handpicked for high office.

Man of Contradictions should form part of a mixed diet of Indonesia-related books, including Elizabeth Pisani’s Indonesia, Etc. and Ken Ward’s Condemned to Crisis? (another Lowy publication). Ironically, though, Bland himself becomes wrapped up in a handful of contradictions. It is difficult to tell whether he relies too heavily on Jokowi's humble origins as a furniture maker in Central Java to explain his instinctive approach to presidential palace intrigue, or seeks to uncover what lies beneath this Marvel-worthy origin story (Jokowi is known to be a fan of The Avengers). It is also unclear whether Bland believes Jokowi offered up his former Deputy Governor on spurious blasphemy charges to preserve his own administration, or to keep the peace on Jakarta streets. The truth is likely a little of both, but if Bland isn’t trying to be original in his analysis, he should at least seek to be transparent and rigorous.

Despite falling short of what was promised, Man of Contradictions doesn’t ask for much of a reader’s time in return for a rough guide to Jokowi’s haphazard administration. As long as the reader isn’t caught up too much in the eyebrow-raising strain of exoticism in Bland’s prose, the book communicates a single pearl of wisdom: to paraphrase Homer Simpson, Jokowi is neither the cause of, nor solution to, all of Indonesia’s problems.

[Tomek Kobyliński · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pierwsza anglojęzyczna, a więc szerzej dostępna, biografia obecneo prezydenta Indonezji - Joko Widodo. Fascynująca postać - prezydent czwartego najludniejszego kraju świata będący prawdziwym selfmademanem. Pochodząc z biedy, który dzieciństwo spędził w slumsach, jeszcze 1.5 dekady temu był właścicielem niewielkiej firmy produkującej meble. W ciągu mniej niż dekady, przeszedł drogę od zostania wybranym na burmistrz prowincjonalnego miasta (a kandydowane w tych wyborach to byl jego pierwszy kontakt z polityką) do zostania wybranym prezydentem jednego z największych krajów świata.

Człowiek w którym pokładano wielkie nadzieje, który wygrał kampanię wyborczą pozując na Indonezyjskiego Obamę i jego "Change" i który wszystkie te nadzieje zdradził albo, w najlepszym wypadku, zawiódł. Zarazem jest najlepszym na co system polityczny indonezji było i zapewne dlugo będzie stać, więc ze zgrzytaniem zebów popierany przez (nielicznych) liberałów i zwolenników świeckości państwa. Czyli inaczej mówiąc taki Tusk. Bo jak wiadomo, Indonezja to często Polska tylko że bardziej.

Ksiązka napisana prez byłego dziennikarza Finnancial Times więc momentami wychodzi z niej dość prymitywny neoliberalizm, ale zarazem przez człowieka który i Indonezję i Widodo zna, więc po odfiltrowaniu ideologicznych skrzywień nadal warta lektury. Jako, że postać Widodod jest naprawdę fascynującą, ksiązka jest krótka, chyba nawet osoby które nie mają wkrętki na Indonezję myślę, że będą zadowolone.

[Andrew Carr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Presenting a politician as full of 'contradictions' may seem like an author has come up short, but in this case it's a useful, cautious and insightful way of approaching the topic.

Joko Widodo is a fascinating figure, in whom so much has been hoped, but from whom a far more traditional Indonesian story seems to be playing out. Bland wisely seeks to offer an engaging pen portrait that informs, without trying to force a single picture or image of the man he's profiling.

In between, you get interesting chapters on Indonesian politics, economy and foreign policy. All of which could easily have been padded out to a traditional 300-500 pages, but once again this Penguin series delivers carefully edited texts. One's that seek to tell the reader a few engaging things, make a clear argument, but not demanding more of your time than they should.

An engaging and useful read. I still feel i'm not quite sure of what Jokowi's final legacy will be, or Indonesia's path under his last few years but I have a better sense of how he may approach such questions.

[adik miftakhur · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOW!!!

This is such an eye-opening. I've always seen Mr. President from only one perspective which is mine as a citizen. Also, a surprisingly good perspective from Mr. President himself through videos and/or his social media. I would never imagine reading another viewpoint from a journalist which for me journalists would try their best to seek what they want to (I used to join in a journalist student community back in college).

A book that weirdly enough introduces me to the political world that is now today. A lot of differences from my textbooks when it comes to politics. Everyone could take a part in it, even though they don't have that knowledge of it. THAT was the thing that I found the most from this book! I would never think that a businessman, in this case, could play some tricks in order to run the political system, and that's a wow!!!

highly recommended if you're looking for that tactics and your mind to be blown away!!

[Wahyu Novian · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's been said in a lot of reviews and I must agree, there's nothing new here. This book is more like a summary of news.

Though to be honest, I don't know what to expect before reading it. I tend to avoid reading books about politic let alone politician. The shallow reason could be because this book is published by penguin with its 'iconic' cover. I don't even know how this kind of books are written but, boy, the 'I' and 'me' quite annoyed me (and I don't know why.)

But then this book reminds me how disappointed I am to this government. Jokowi represented himself as 'someone like you'--the common citizen who brought a new hope. Nowadays, I only sighed. I might looking for the explanation on how he could do that on this book (which I don’t think I get fully.) Either power had corrupted the man or it had revealed his true nature or he just follow his gut without any plan, the disappointment stays.

And now I'm just being indifference.

[Patria Priharmoko · Rating 5 out of 5]

For Indonesians, there is nothing new to reveal in this book. Most of the information provided is shared public knowledge.

The writer was able to capture the complexity of Indonesian democracy, the ambiguity of its international foreign policy, and Jokowi's pragmatism in his vision of future Indonesia.

Jokowi was a new phenomenon in Indonesian politics when he entered the arena in 2014 as a presidential candidate. It's still unclear why he got popular votes. Whether it is caused by people’s tiredness with the political actors and establishment, is it because of great campaign strategies or other factors. The book yet to reveal its depth analysis of the situation.

I have to acknowledge the writer’s courage to mention Jokowi’s strategy to run the country by saying it is driven mainly by gut rather than analysis—more of rhetoric phrases without significant philosophical background backed with good policies or plans.

[Maura Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This 2021 Penguin Shorts volume by former Financial Times journalist Ben Bland, now based at the Lowy Institute think tank in Australia, is a succinct and informative introduction to Indonesian politics in the 2010s. Not exactly a biography of Joko Widodo (“Jokowi”), Bland has used the president’s rise to power as an explanatory focus for discussions of history, economics, international relations, and religion. Informed by his reporting, which includes multiple interviews with Jokowi, Bland considers the tensions between democracy and authoritarianism, elite politics and on-the-ground campaigning, that have characterized Joko Widodo’s decade at the top. Man of Contradictions effectively conveys that with a two-term limit in place and a new president elected earlier this year, when Jokowi leaves office in October he will have made his mark on Indonesia in important, if not always coherent, ways.

[Lake K · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s nothing particularly groundbreaking in this book, but it offers a balanced overview of Jokowi’s first term. In just 150 pages, you get glimpses of his rags-to-riches story, his economic vision, his foreign policy moves, and his gradual lean toward authoritarian tendencies.

It paints the story of a humble furniture maker who once embodied hope for the ordinary man-yet has since embraced political dynasties and the entrenched corruptions of Jakarta politics. Did power corrupt Jokowi? Or did it simply reveal?

One thing is clear, though: Jokowi is not an authoritarian wolf in sheep’s clothing. He is less a mastermind of power than a figure shaped by the shifting political winds that swirl around him.

I liked how the author drew parallels between Jokowi and Sukarno and Jokowi and Suharto. The comparisons are not only apt but also revealing of Indonesia’s cyclical political patterns.

[Takdir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buku soal Indonesia nulis ulasannya kok pake bahasa Inggris. Bukunya bagus, bernas dan sudut pandang orang luar ini menyegarkan. Bukan orang luar sembarangan, Ben Bland adalah jurnalis Financial Times yang sudah sering liputan di Indonesia, bahkan mengikuti karir Joko Widodo sejak satu dekade.

Bukan biografi personal, melainkan sebuah pemeriksaan akan Indonesia seperti apa dalam satu dekade kebelakang. Bagian favorit saya adalah kesimpulan di akhir buku, soal bahwa politik luar negeri Indonesia itu refleksi domestik bukan strategi khusus di pentas global dan soal bagaimana orang Indonesia mempersepsikan demokrasi yang ternyata bukan dipersepsikan sebagai tujuan mencapai masyarakat sipil yang adil, namun hanya alat bagi kemakmuran.

Sayangnya bukunya terlalu tipis, seharusnya bisa lebih tebal. Tetapi dimengerti sebab buku ini "terlalu awal" dalam menilai pemerintahan sekarang.

[Tasya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a staunch supporter of Jokowi during the Jakarta Governor's election as well as both of the Presidential Election and I admit, while I still think he is the best choice we have (considering the others on the field at the time), I have been disappointed by his policies and actions. As an Indonesian, this book doesn't really reveals a lot of new things but what makes this book captivating for me was how the author presented context to Jokowi's actions, such as Indonesian history and how it shaped Jokowi's business and later his political approach as well as our attitude towards both liberalism and communism; Javanese principles; and significant effects happened such as the Anti-Ahok movement. Put together, this book kinda reconcile the Jokowi that emerged in Jakarta and the version we're seeing now- at least for me.

[Cathreen Shiucheng · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book will put Jokowi in a bad limelight, especially on the western media and western readers. Tbh, the front part i think it's kinda repetitive, especially when Bland keep emphasizing Jokowi was a furniture seller prior joining the politics. Nothing much about Jokowi's background as all that he mentioned you can read it on Wikipedia. I was expecting it to be a great book on how Jokowi contradicts with what he promised. Nothing much on his foreign policy stance and politics.

[Nini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing really new for me, more like confirming and reminding us how Jokowi really is. What I really like how this is very accesible and enjoyable to read. This book gives enough insight but is quite short, finished in two sittings.

I can imagine this becomes a good intro for those want to start learning about Jokowi/Indonesia.