In recent years, Indonesia has been transformed from the world's best-kept secret to one of the most misunderstood nations on earth. The dismal litany of reports in the global media—terrorist bomb attacks, natural disasters, environmental destruction, widespread corruption—depicts this vast archipelago as a hostile, benighted region on the verge of joining the dismal roster of failed states. Nothing could be further from the truth.

While most reports are accurate, they provide only a glimpse into this astoundingly complex society and people. No matter how many words a journalist writes about Indonesia, there is always more to the story. Three decades of living and working in Indonesia has made Jeremy Allan uniquely qualified to peel away some of the gauzy layers of mystery enveloping this multi-faceted archipelago. Through a variety of media, including books, magazine articles, videos, and promotional literature, he has sought to portray Indonesia in a fair and positive manner and to promote the interests of Indonesian businesses, cultural and social organizations, and the nation itself.