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nergetic, successful and fashionable are the best words to describe Fitria Yusuf, a fashion entrepreneur who is widening her skill set by stepping into the property business.

The former fashion editor of Dewi, one of the top fashion magazines in the country, also cowrote the Little Pink Book: Jakarta Style and Shopping Guide with her friend, Alexandra Dewi.

Despite her outstanding looks, Fifi, as she is familiarly called, loves traveling and is bold in venturing to do other things.

Here are a few of Fifi’s favorite books:

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

This is a novel that looks like a children’s storybook. However, it contains many good lessons for all human beings facing different stages in life. It teaches you how to meet and deal with people, which for me is an inspiring example to build my character. It is light reading but, at the same time, has profound meaning.

Philosophy in the Boudoir by the Marquis de Sade

This is a book written by a controversial 18th century French author who is famous for his erotic works. He wrote the book while imprisoned in Paris, and it has been considered one of French literature’s national treasures ever since his release.

It tells of how a girl sees the world through her relationships with men. For me, the book has an interesting moral story in addition to the erotica it contains. It teaches you how to develop yourself as a woman who will become a wife, a muse and a friend to someone. I think it’s simply good reading for women.

Bhutan travel book

I have a plan to go to Bhutan in the near future, so I just finished reading a travel book about the country.

The book offered me a glance of Bhutan, a country that at one time put no effort into developing its tourist industry but now works hard at doing so. The Bhutanese have successfully preserved their cultural traditions as well as their religious communities.

Bhutan is one of the most exotic destinations on the planet, and it has a culture that is very different to ours — an interesting thing for me because I love anthropology. Traveling and learning about new cultures is the finest way for me to refresh my mind.

 — Niken Prathivi