I liked mostly the balanced narrative of this surprising development of a major personality in modern Indonesian Islam. The first chapter of the book looks like a hasty collection of all kind of broader theories. What a case for a researcher, to be so close to so dramatic changes in the subject of the research! Aa Gym recovered slowly but never became as famous as before. The researcher was present and gives a fascinating story of the scandal. Hoesterey started research in 2006 and after about one year it became known that Aa Gym had taken a second wife and his imperium of some 700 employees collapsed within a few weeks. Like ESQ Training (Emotional Spiritual Quotient) of Ary Ginanjar has more affinity to 'the American pop psychology of Daniel Coleman, also much content of Aa Gym is taken from self-help programmes in the international psycho-market. But newer developments should not always be explained by this Arab background. Hoesterey acknowledges that Islam in Indonesia is part of a global religion with the Arab countries as the centre. After the terrorist attacks in Poso he once preached in a Christian church and his concern for harmony and unity in Indonesia is sincere. Frequent Qur'anic quotes are in Arabic, but there is no talk about application of shari'ah. There is some and even now and then a strong Muslim flavour in his teaching. He also compares Aa Gym with televangelists and with other self-help gurus. Hoesterey has a chapter 2 with the title: Popular Psychology and Religious Wisdom. In 2000 he held his first sermon at SCTV, in 2001 his first great talk in the national mosque of Indonesia, Istiqlal in Jakarta. Already in 1992 Times magazine labelled him as 'Indonesia's Holy Man'. His formal knowledge of Islam and Arabic is poor, but he has a good sense of homour and practical insight in human problems. Barang siapa yang mengucapkan doa ini di waktu awal siang, lalu meninggal di waktu sore, maka dia masuk penghuni surga. Karena, istighfar sesungguhnya berguna membantu hamba Allah SWT keluar dari kesulitan. Aa began a business as a preacher in Bandung in 1990. Dalam tausiahnya, KH Abdullah Gymnastiar atau Aa Gym menjelaskan kehebatan dari sayyidul istighfar bagi Anda dalam keterpurukan. There was a marriage with a pious wife in 1987. After general education and some years in a technical university, some study of accountancy, Aa (older brother, in Sundanese, apparently the same as kakak in Indonesian), earning money with making movies of celebrations like graduation. Aa Gym (born 1962) was the son of a sports trainer in a school in Bandung and therefore the strange Arab-Indonesian name of Abdullah Gymnastiar.