Book Reviews

Yujiro Hayami and Toshihiko Kawagoe, The Agrarian Origins of Commerce and Industry: A Study of Peasant Marketing in Indonesia (with a foreword by Peter Timmer), St Martins Press, New York, 1993, pp. 208.

J. Thomas Lindblad, Between Dayak and Dutch: The Economic History of Southeast Kalimantan 1880–1942, Verhandelingen van het Koninklijk Instituut voor Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde No. 134, Foris Publications, Dordrecht, 1988, pp. x + 282. Dfl. 30.-.

Mark Cleary and Peter Eaton, Borneo: Change and Development, Oxford University Press, Singapore, 1992, pp. ix + 271. A$44.95

James Spillane, Komoditi Kopi: Peranannya dalam Perekonomian Indonesia [Coffee: Its Role in the Indonesian Economy], Kanisius, Jakarta, 1990, pp. 259.

United Nations Industrial Development Organization, Indonesia: Growth and Diversification, Industrial Development Review Series, Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), London, 1993, pp. xxiii + 255. £95.     

Meanings of Food among Polish and American Young Women

Food carries different meanings across cultures and times. This study aimed to explore the meanings of food among young women in Poland and the United States using a qualitative approach. The findings show that, in both countries, women associate food with health, pleasure, and socializing, but overall Polish women are less emotional about food. More specifically, in the United States, women associate food with love, their identities, and have more conflictual feelings about food, whereas in Poland women associate food with creativity. The study discusses marketing implications of the results.     

An economic survey of northern Sulawesi: turning weaknesses into strengths under regional autonomy

The separation of North Sulawesi and Gorontalo into two provinces in 2001 complicated the issue of making regional autonomy work for northern Sulawesi, a region far removed from Indonesia's centre of power. Although the region had come through the economic crisis relatively well, the over-reliance on coconuts and the lack of a focus for dynamic development remained a challenge. Tourism, mining and services were the most dynamic sectors but, for different reasons, none of these sectors can be relied on for steady long-term growth. With the selection of the corridor from Manado to Bitung as one of Indonesia's 13 integrated economic development zones (Kapet), and given the new North Sulawesi province's potential role as a ‘gateway’ to Northeast Asia, the longer-term prospects for this province are brighter than those of Gorontalo. Nevertheless, capitalising on North Sulawesi's potential remains a formidable challenge.