Book Review?

Title: “Habibie dan Ainun”
Author: Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie
Place: Jalan. Kemang Selatan No.98 Jakarta 12560-Indonesia
Publisher: PT THC Mandiri
Publication date: Cet 1: Nopember 2010
Edition: Soft cover
Pages: xii+323 pages
Special features:
Price:Rp. 80.000,-
ISBN: 978-979-1255-13-4

            One of the best seller was popular in 2011 is “Habibie & Ainun” that given by Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie. Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie is Indonesia’s third president and one of Indonesia’s most notable scientist worldwide. In Habibie and Ainun, B. J. Habibie wrote about his life with Mrs. Hasri Ainun Habibie, his beloved wife. It is start from the beginning of their youth until the moment when Mrs. Ainun passed away. “Ainun & Habibie” is the first romantic book that had written by Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie. By write this book Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie presented with three genre: romance, history, and science that can gives motivation and also inspiration for everyone. Deep love between Habibie-Ainun couple, you won’t doubt it reading the narration of Mr. Habibie himself, and some times  Mrs. Ainun’s word taken from another book.

    Bandung is being their memorable town since they spent their high school there. They were reunited in Bandung, 1962. They loved each other and soon they married. Habibie brought Ainun to Germany. They lived happily there and were given two sons. Suddenly, when Ainun suffered from ovarian cancer, Habibie was getting a call from the Indonesian government to devote his knowledge to develop his own country. Then they went back to Indonesia, as Habibie’s career was expanding to the governmental sector. Many challenges happened to their marriage, but their love survived through years.
    Along with this book’s pages, the author also wrote about his carrier in Germany and then in Indonesia. From an engineer until company director. From a minister until a president. It’s including Mr. Habibie and Mrs. Ainun social life, their thoughts, and their contribution  to form some social and science foundations with many obstacles.
    Habibie & Ainun also presenting many aspects of science and technology, since Mr. Habibie himself is a scientist. At some point, science even becoming the main topic. And again, readers can catch a glimpse of historical side in Indonesia’s struggle of being developed country.

However, this is the most inspirited story that I ever read. Habibie can’t forgot with Ainun, it’s not only showed by this book but the poem that included. “they probably think that iam a good lover for you darling. They do not realize that you make me become a good lover. How come I loyal to you as basically I tend to have more than one, but you taught me about being loyal, so iam loyal, you taught me the meaning of love, then I can love you as it is. Goodbye, you come from the GOD and get back to the GOD home”. Aside from the romantic part of Habibie’s life, I especially moved by the part where he fight for his dream for Indonesia. One of his dream that is also his promise to Ainun is to make a save and cheap airplane for Indonesia. Indonesia is an archipelago with thousands of Islands spread in its wide territory. So airplane would be a very useful means to connect all island. By creating and producing it domestically, Indonesia would have more plane to reach more places, with cheaper price. Imagine how much it would help us communicate, transporting people or things would become much easy.

Aside from it’s wonderful contents, readers may find this book isn’t easy to read. Mr. Habibie wrote Habibie & Ainun in a form of memorial for his wife, and the writing style itself sometimes felt strict and less flowing. Also, the main topic in each chapter can jump from one into another. So you may end a chapter in time his first son already in elementary school just to find the next chapter began with the story of Mrs. Ainun pregnancy.