Stranger in the Forest by Eric Hansen, October 2013

This is an older book, written in the 1980s, detailing Hansen’s trip across Borneo accompanied by local guides. He explored parts of the country that were completely unknown to white people and spent a lot of time in camps and long houses with various local tribes. I read it while I was travelling in Borneo. His observations are interesting though a bit dated and of course, very personal. So I’m not sure how accurate they are – though this is a book full of personal experience and opinion and doesn’t purport to be a text. What shocked me was how much has changed in Borneo since he was there: the jungle is disappearing daily, sacrificed to logging, mining and palm oil plantations. It is extremely likely that most of this rainforest will have disappeared by the end of the decade and the extensive range of animals, plants and birds, representing one of the most diverse populations in the world, will be extinct.