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Jakarta Post

Iwet Ramadhan: Life from the classics

Radio announcer and host Iwet Ramadhan has been exposed to literature ever since he was a kid

The Jakarta Post
Sun, June 9, 2013 Published on Jun. 9, 2013 Published on 2013-06-09T14:46:04+07:00

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adio announcer and host Iwet Ramadhan has been exposed to literature ever since he was a kid. His mother played the biggest role, introducing him to classic books, from Sang Nabi (The Prophet) by Khalil Gibran and Pada Sebuah Kapal (On a Ship) by NH Dini to the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Now calmer and reserved, Iwet tends to read inspirational books, which he claims have transformed him into the man he is.

Little House series
by Laura Ingalls Wilder

My mother, who read Indonesian literature at university, introduced me to the series. It somehow taught me that we can do so many things in life ourselves. The Little House series is about an independent family that is accustomed to doing things themselves ' from making clothes, to producing candy, flour and bread. The book shows that there is a process in life, and that we are able to do things on our own.

Bung Karno: Penyambung Lidah Rakyat (Sukarno: the Mouthpiece of Indonesians) by Cindy Adams

I think the biography proves that Sukarno was truly a great and visionary man. I've learned that he was indeed a bit narcissistic, but he had the capacity for it.

I've also read a biography on Muhammad Hatta. After reading these two books, I acknowledged that Sukarno and Hatta were like yin and yang. They completed each other ' because Sukarno was more of an expressive person, while Hatta was calmer. Hatta brought Sukarno closer to reality.

The Power of Now
by Eckhart Tolle

The Power of Now is one of the books that made me into what I am. I used to be a guy living a loud life, having fun at clubs every weekend, but now I've learned that life isn't just about worrying about the past or over-thinking the future. Life is about living in the present. Now, I'm a man who appreciates the process ' I used to love instant success. We often see ambitious people. I once lived that kind of life, resulting in me visiting the hospital twice a year.

' Niken Prathivi

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