About Java

Java is one of 13,000 islands that makes up Indonesia, whose capital is Jakarta (see Figure 0.1). It is home to about 120 million people with an area about 50,000 square miles. While on the island, you can hear traditional music such as gamelan or angklung. The island also has a dangerous volcano named Merapi, which makes up part of the Pacific "Ring of Fire." In 1891, fossils from Pithecanthropus erectus, better known as "Java man" (homo javanensis) were discovered on the island by Eugene Dubois.

Java's main export is a coffee that is considered spicy and full bodied, with a strong, slightly acidic flavor. O'Reilly has shown good taste in staying away from the pervasive coffee theme in its book titles and cover designs. (However, if you're ever in Sebastopol, check out the coffee at AromaRoasters in Santa Rosa.)