Gedung Kuning: Memories of a Malay Childhood
Hidayah Amin
Singapore: Singapore Heritage Society & Helang Books, 2009
ISBN: 9789810847562

Gedung Kuning or the Yellow Mansion was home to the family of Haji Yusoff 'Tali Pinggang' from 1912 to 1999. It was acquired by the Singapore government in August 1999 under the Land Acquisition Act. What used to house six families is now preserved as a historic building under the Malay Heritage Centre.

Hidayah Amin, one of Haji Yusoff's great–granddaughters, revisits her childhood home and takes readers beyond the gate guarded by stone eagles, through rooms with big mirrors and marble floors, and shares interesting anecdotes growing up in Gedung Kuning.

Through 28 short stories, readers get a historical narrative detailing the lives of people living in Gedung Kuning and the Malays of Singapore from 1850s to 1999.

Reflecting on the Merlion: An Anthology of Poems
Edwin Thumboo and Yeow Kai Chai (eds.)
Singapore: National Arts Council, 2009
ISBN: 9789810843007

How has an improbable creation come to take on the hopes and aspirations of a nascent nation? This book, with poems by nearly 40 poets, zeroes in on the Merlion and what it ultimately says about Singapore and Singaporeans.

Reframing Singapore: Memory - Identity - Trans-regionalism
Derek Heng and Syed Muhd Khairudin Aljunied (eds.)
Amsterdam: ICAS, Amsterdam University Press, 2009
ISBN: 9789089640949

Over the past two decades, Singapore has advanced rapidly towards becoming both a global city-state and a key nodal point in the international economic sphere. These developments have caused use to reassess how we understand this changing nation, including its history, population, and geography, as well as its transregional and transnational experiences with the external world. This collection spans several disciplines in the humanities and social sciences and draws on various theoretical approaches and methodologies in order to produce a more refined understanding of Singapore and to reconceptualize the challenges faced by the country and its people.

Malay Peninsula: Old Photographs of Malaya and Singapore by Kleingrothe, c. 1900
John Falconner, Neil Khor, and Gretchen Liu
Singapore: Editions Didier Millet, 2009
ISBN: 9789814217996

Malay Peninsula: Old Photographs of Malaya and Singapore by Kleingrothe, c. 1900 presents a selection of works by German commercial photographer Charles J. Kleingrothe, who was active in the Malay Archipelago during the early 1900s. His large-format photographs are one of the key visual records of Malaya at a time of great transformation, and record life and landscapes in Malaya at the dawn of the 20th century.

The book is based on the more than 100-year-old portfolio Malay Peninsula (Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States) from the personal collection of HRH Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, Sultan of Selangor.

Fifty on 50
Edwin Thumboo, Chia Hwee Pheng, Isa Kamari, & K.T.M. Iqbal (eds)
Singapore: National Arts Council, 2009
ISBN: 9789810846817

Fifty on 50 celebrates Singapore's 50th year of self-government. This poetry volume reflects the rich multi-ethnic hues of our people in words, photographs and illustrations. From personal experiences to broad sweeps of history, these poems by 50 poets, in English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil and their translations make a unique contribution to the literary heritage of the nation as she embarks on the next 50 years of her journey.

Singapore Through 19th Century Prints & Paintings

Wong Hong Suen
Singapore: Editions Didier Millet and National Museum of Singapore, 2009
ISBN: 9789814260077

As sea transport evolved from sail to steam, the 19th century witnessed an explosion of travel, and Singapore - a port of call at the maritime crossroads of India and China - thrived as a result. Grand voyages of scientific exploration, trade and colonial conquest brought many visitors to Singapore, and globe-trotting tourists began to arrive in growing numbers as travel became increasingly convenient.

Today, we owe much of our understanding of early colonial Singapore, the city's appearance and the daily life of its inhabitants to the accounts of travellers. While many recorded their impressions in writing, some captured their in prints and paintings. Colonial administrators and surveyors also contributed to this body of work, and their colourful creations - now displayed in this book - have a special significance today as some of the few surviving visual records of Singapore's early history.

As Singapore developed into a major entrepot, documenting the changes to the natural and urban environment became a significant undertaking, resulting in many artworks that divulge intriguing details about a dynamic time. Two essays, along with comprehensive captions for each print and painting, offer insight into the context in which the images were produced.

Echoing the journeys that travellers to Singapore undertook - the places they went and the sights they saw - Singapore through 19th Century Prints and Paintings reveals how visitors made sense of the landscape, providing a vivid picture of modern Singapore in its first century.

Myths and Legends of Malaysia and Singapore
Ralph Modder & Aeishah Ahmed (compilers & editors)
Singapore: Horizon Books, 2009
ISBN: 9789810831004

Among the tales in this volume that were based on the Sejarah Melayu (Malay Annals) and other historical resources is the West Malaysian legend about the great Malay warrior Hang Tuah and the Princess of Gunong Ledang, a mountain on the Johor-Melaka (Malacca) border.

Another tale comes from the resort island of Langkawi in which a young wife names Mashuri was wrongfully accused of adultery and executed. And there is the story of Raja Bersiung who is said to have grown large fangs and drank human blood! And, a story about giant, human-like apes named 'Bigfoot' which were seen in the jungles of Johor!

The tales from East Malaysia (Sarawak and Sabah) include one about the world famous Bird's Nest Soup and the belief that it has qualities to prolong human life.

Legends about Singapore include how the island became known as 'Singapura' (meaning 'Lion City' in ancient Sanskrit) and how a young boy saved the island from being attacked by thousands of garfish. There is the tragic legend of a princess named Radin Mas who was murdered on her wedding day. Also, the one about Kusu Island that is believed to have been created by a sea turtle! The island's Taoist Temple attracts thousands of worshippers each year.

Heritage Places of Singapore
Wan Meng Hao & Jacqueline Lau
Singapore: Marshall Cavendish, 2009
ISBN: 9789812618580

Where can you find stately Colonial mansions, beautiful churches and synagogues as well as magnificent temples coexisting side-by-side with over 400 species of plants, birds, animals and insects?

The answer is Heritage Places of Singapore which introduces readers to the island city's historical, natural, cultural and social contexts. In addition, readers can learn about the various landmarks that played a part during the two world wars.

Grouped by geographical location, each of the 100 entries includes full-colour pictures and well-researched text. With over 200 colour photographs and a handy transport guide, Heritage Places of Singapore is the ideal companion to explore the city's legacy.

Sounds and Sins of Singlish and Other Nonsense
Rex Shelley
Singapore: Marshall Cavendish, 2009
ISBN: 9789814276313

Feel like a goondu when you ask for a cuppa in a kopitiam? Wish you could charm everyone from the chattering aunties in the crowded streets of Chinatown to the beaming makcik in the Geylang Serai mee soto stall? Or perhaps buaya that seksy girl with witty rapport?

SOS of Singlish reveals our language sins against English, and is stuffed with trivia, gems and devilishly funny nonsense. It will aggravate academics, titillate readers with unexpected jokes, and educate you on the snags and wrong sounds of Singlish.

In Singapore: 60 Fabulous Adventures in the City
Marianne Rogerson
Singapore: Marshall Cavendish, 2009
ISBN: 9789812618733

If you've ever heard or said "there's nothing to do in Singapore except eat and shop", then this book is for you. The pages are jampacked with fun and interesting activities to keep you entertained during your stay in Singapore. From exploring World War II tunnels, to swinging through trees, taking a trip on a Chinese junk boat or tucking into a plate of chilli crab, there really is something for everyone in this fast-paced, ever-changing city-state.

Highly illustrated with photographs and complete with all the important information you will need, sections include Take a Hike, Cultural Interest, Eat, Drink & Be Merry, Entertaining the Kids, and Just for Fun. Whether you are visiting for a weekend or staying longer-term, you need never be at a loose end in Singapore again.

Collection of Essays on Asian Design Culture
William S.W. Lim (ed.)
Singapore: AA Asia, 2009
9789814022590

The 21st century heralds a new age for Asian Design. Creative communities in Asian countries have now the self-confidence to operate on a global stage and to achieve cross-cultural interchanges with the West. The diverse cultural and social practices in Asia are now being accepted, with far-reaching implications for the theories and practices of architecture and design. Organised by AA Asia and chaired by William S.W. Lim, a two-day conference on Asian Design Culture was held in Singapore in late 2008. This collection of essays comprises six stimulating theoretical papers and four insightful city-oriented papers addressing the three themes of design culture, creativity and criticality. The papers cover issues from contrasting cultural traditions, current global urban practices, the archival of cultural memory, urban history, contemporary fringe art and the emerging Asian art scene. Collectively, the book presents rich and complex ideas vital to the understanding of and meeting the challenges of Asian Design Culture today.

Building a Business: The Secrets Shared!
Singapore: Straits Times Press, 2009
ISBN: 9789814266482

Building a Business: The Secrets Shared! is a compilation of experiences and tips from 117 nominees of the 2009 Spirit of Enterprise Awards. Each year, the Spirit of Enterprise (SOE), a non-profit, donor-funded Institution of Public Character (IPC), gives out the Spirit of Enterprise Awards to deserving entrepreneurs and their companies. The nominee list for 2009 consists of 117 people, each with a story to tell. This book showcases these entrepreneurs, who possess unwavering resilience to grow their businesses and keep their dreams alive in this current unpredictable economic environment. Learn the secrets of entrepreneurship and building a business, including:

• the attributes required
• the planning involved
• how to keep your customers
• staying resilient
• being ambitious and innovative
• the importance of the team
  

Singapore Places Its Bets: Casinos, Foreign Talent and Remaking a City-State
Derek Da Cunha
Singapore: Straits Times Press, 2009
ISBN: 9789814266505

Singapore Places Its Bets sketches out some of the transformative bold changes that have occurred in Singapore society since the late 1990s. It focuses on Singapore's ambitious efforts to re-orient its economy to take on the challenges thrown up by the competitive pressures of globalisation, and how in the process it has had to "remake" itself. The advent of casinos is a part of that remaking process. Once repeatedly rejected by a socially conservative government that has ruled the city-state since its independence in 1965, casinos, as part of two "integrated resorts", will now be a fixture of the Singapore landscape.

The likely economic benefits and social consequences of casino gambling in a densely populated city-state are examined at length. Singapore's relatively liberal policy of allowing foreign nationals to live, study, work and take up permanent residency and citizenship will also be scrutinized largely in terms of its impact on social cohesion and national identity. Have the transformative economic and social changes that have occurred in a small country over such a short space of time, and at such breakneck speed, unwittingly morphed it from being a nation-state to being purely an economic entity? This book will provide a few answers to that and other questions.

The Illustrated Men in White
Ng Tze Yong & The New Paper team
Singapore: Straits Times Press, 2009
ISBN: 9789814266529

This is for teens, the time-strapped fans of graphic novels and all who love a good real-life story. The tales here of power, struggle and betrayal were inspired by the best-selling Men in White. They were picked because they captured the imagination of The New Paper team behind The Illustrated Men in White. Says author Ng Tze Yong: "We felt the tales selected for our slim book just had to be told in a graphic way to those who might never delve into Singapore's political roots. We have tried to bring the tales to colour and life, so you can feel the emotions, comprehend the urgency, be there."

The graphic novel begins at the close of World War II, and stops at 1961, just before the familiar story of merger and separation begins.

A Walking Tour: Singapore [3rd ed]
G. Byrne Bracken
Singapore: Marshall Cavendish, 2009
ISBN: 9789814276146

Singapore is a cosmopolitan city with towering skyscrapers and state-of-the-art building technology. Nestled within its modern built environment are vestiges of its British colonial past and its cultural history. From its sparkling new waterfront to its quaint shophouses and from its temples to its mosques and churches, Singapore is as multifarious architecturally as it is culturally. Architect G. Byrne Bracken captures with his sketches the unique diversity that defines Singapore. Covering favourite places such as Chinatown, the Civic District, Orchard Road and Kampong Gelam, this charming sketch-cum-guidebook will enrich your appreciation of Singapore through its distinctive urban landscape.

Dare to Challenge!: The SIAS Story
Leong Chan Teik
Singapore: Straits Times Press, 2009
ISBN: 9789814266437

In 1999, the sudden emergence of the Securities Investors Association (Singapore) made all the difference to thousands of shareholders owning billions of dollars in CLOB shares. It was a milestone in shareholder activism. A group of public-spirited individuals had banded together, challenged a foreign government, and won.

Dare to Challenge! looks not only at the challenges SIAS had to overcome 10 years ago, but also the challenges it has faced since. It covers landmark cases in crisis management and how SIAS found a unique approach to shareholder activism that has successfully brought win-win resolutions for both companies and investors.

SIAS has improved investment odds for retail investors in Singapore through its extensive investor education programmes and its push for better corporate governance. This book is not only about SIAS' groundbreaking efforts but also the exceptional people behind it and its unique contribution to the Singapore community.

Chronicle of Singapore, 1959-2009: Fifty Years of Headline News
Peter H. L. Lim (ed.)
Singapore: Editions Didier Millet, 2009
ISBN: 9789814217750

Chronicle of Singapore gives a lively view of the events that have shaped Singapore over the last 50 years, when the country was granted self-governing status. Based on the archives of The Straits Times, and other news publications of the last half-century, it is vibrantly illustrated with more than 1,300 images. There are over 2,000 gripping news stories on politics, nation-building, defence, economy and education, but equally, it covers more colourful and quirky aspects of Singapore life: violent crime, great sporting moments, salacious scandals, high culture and pop culture, risqué entertainment and more, and retells real-life stories that have made Singapore what it is today. A year-by-year review of events within Singapore is set against a timeline of regional and international developments, and gives a dramatic overview of the successes and scandals, as well as the victories and disasters that have shaped Singapore since 1959.

Latent Images: Film in Singapore [2nd ed]
Jan Uhde & Yvonne Ng Uhde
Singapore: NUS Press, 2009
ISBN: 9789971694562

Latent Images: Film in Singapore, first published in 2000, is the pioneer reference of Singapore cinema. This extensively updated edition with new illustrations presents a comprehensive examination of the country's film landscape from the early days of local film production up until the end of 2007. The wealth of material is clearly written and organized for quick and easy reference.

This edition presents new discoveries on the city's film history, which throw fresh light on its earliest feature productions. The update of Singapore film production between 2000 and 2007 discusses over 50 new feature films. New chapters investigate Singapore cinema in its regional and wider contexts, short film production and its impact on the development and filmmaking in the country, the role of censorship and film classification. New interviews with industry professionals and filmmakers are included, while expanded appendices provide quick reference to bio-filmographies of important Singapore filmmakers, the Singapore International Film festival statistics and awards, and a comprehensive list of films produced in Singapore between 1927 and 2007.

Six Degrees of Expatriation: Uncovering the Lives of Expats in Singapore
Maida Pineda
Singapore: Marshall Cavendish, 2009
ISBN: 9789814276672

What begins as an innocent food trip to partake of roti pratas, Hainanese Chicken Rice, and Oyster Omelettes turns into a life changing decision. International food and travel writer Maida Pineda captures the thrills, quirks, and adjustments of her big move to Singapore. Her candid and honest essays cover everything from the inescapable conversations with cab drivers, to finding a place to rent, and even the art of saving a seat in hawker centres. Through her everyday adventures in this small island, she encounters a diverse mix of expatriates including a photographer, a linguist who speaks eight languages, and a meditation teacher coming from all over the world. She tells the story of their lives in this compact country, closely interconnected, where everyone seems to be linked in a mere two degrees of separation.

Different Voices: The Singaporean/Malaysian Novel
Rosaly Puthucheary
Singapore: ISEAS, 2009
ISBN: 9789812309112 / 9789812309105

Different Voices: Singaporean/Malaysian Novel focuses on the challenges that face a novelist in the literary representation of a multilingual environment. The early writers used strategies like vernacular transcription and mimetic translation. However, the close readings of twelve selected novels by non-European writers from 1980 to 2001 indicate the increasing use of strategies like lexical borrowings, code mixing, code switching and varieties of Singapore-Malayan English, instead. Puthucheary asserts in her book that the methods of language appropriation have a direct connection to how the writer conveys the multilingual nature of the Singapore-Malayan society through the speaking person while developing the central theme of the novel. The book maps out the verbal artistic representation of the speaking person and the correlation between speech and character in a multilingual environment.

Sudden in Youth: New and Selected Poems
Felix Cheong
Singapore: Ethos Books, 2009
ISBN: 9789810834128

Out of the mundane, a flash of lyrical. From the profane, a hint of sublime. And always, the inventive wordplay that cuts through the skin of language.

Sucking up the marrow of his life, from crisis of faith to divorce, from fatherhood to being, yes, tattooed. Voices of killers and prostitutes. Sudden in Youth: New and Selected Poems brings together the best of ten years of Felix Cheong's poetry, as well as his recent writings. Poems at once intensely personal and universal about love. God and things that matter to he heart.

Singapore: A Biography

Mark Ravinder Frost & Yu-Mei Balasingamchow

Singapore: Editions Didier Millet, 2009
ISBN: 9789814217620

Singapore was not always the orderly and successful city-state that it appears to be now. Over the last seven centuries, the island has undergone several changes of identity. In this entertaining and wide-ranging account, drawn from research undertaken in collaboration with the National Museum of Singapore, Mark Ravinder Frost and Yu-Mei Balasingamchow present Singapore's mercurial lifestory as experienced by the people who participated in it. Singapore: A Biography brings together a Ming-dynasty travelogue, 19th-century memoirs and correspondence, modern oral histories and even radio and television broadcasts to reconnect a contemporary audience with the Singapore story.

While famous names from Singapore's past take their place, this new story also introduces a cast of lesser known, though no less compelling, historical personalities - from dissenting poets and radical ideologues, to patriotic factory workers and early feminists. The portrait of Singapore that emerges is dashing, lively and multi-layered, and it offers fresh insight into the ruptures and continuities that have made Singaporeans and their nation what they are today.

Run For Your Life!: The Complete Marathon Guide
Ben Tan
Singapore: Marshall Cavendish, 2009
ISBN: 9789812617811

Fast track your running experience with this comprehensive guide by one of Singapore's most experienced athletes, Dr Ben Tan, a three-time Sportsman of the Year and sub-3 hour marathoner.

Both novice and seasoned runners will benefit immensely from Dr Ben Tan's personal and professional experience as a world-class athlete and a sports physician, as well as tips from the best of Singapore's sporting community. Understand the inner workings of a runner's body and learn how to improve your running technique and economy, meet your nutritional needs, optimise your training plan, strategise for races, and avoid and manage injuries. Wherever you are as a runner, this book is the running start you need to take you from simple running to training for a marathon.

Secrets of Food Millionaires: How You Can Churn Millions in Asia's F&B Industry
Phua Wen Yi
Singapore: Rank Books, 2009
ISBN: 9789810820022

The food and beverage industry is ever competitive and saturated. What makes one F&B concept flop and another churn out millions in revenue? Secrets of Food Millionaires takes away some of the mystery behind the scenes. Within this book lie many secrets for you to uncover, to help you forge your way toward becoming a food millionaire.

Secrets of Food Millionaires is the first book to feature detailed insider stories of established Singapore-grown F&B service companies. Learn about the trials and triumphs of seven food millionaire companies that have made their mark in Singapore and elsewhere: Bakerzin, Crystal Jade Culinary Concepts Holdings, Esmirada Group of Restaurants, Jollibean Foods, Michlangelo's Group of Restaurants, Purple Sage, and Waraku Holdings. Each featured company, with their varied concepts, offers different insights into the world of F&B. Discover how certain founders fought past failures and challenges, to grow from previous obscurity to eventual success. By learning from these real life examples and absorbing the tips provided within, you will gain greater awareness of various invaluable F&B business practices. Secrets of Food Millionaires will also guide you in getting in touch with the food around you, to determine which F&B business may be right for you, and discuss how you can come up with new concepts and product ideas. In addition, Secrets of Food Millionaires features a bonus chapter on the Singapore food industry, its growth and trends, and how the government agency, SPRING Singapore, helps spur the growth and development of F&B businesses in Singapore.

Blood Lust
Alex Josey
Singapore: Marshall Cavendish, 2009
ISBN: 9789814276214

The Tenth Man - Gold Bar Trials:
The true story of the murder of a gold merchant and his two employees reads like a fast-paced thriller.

From the sinister excitement of the plotting and the merciless, savage execution of the victims, to the hiding and waiting for eventual retribution, this will prove one gripping read.

The Murder of a Beauty Queen:
This is the story of a man found guilty on circumstantial evidence, of the murder of his beautiful, sensuous, rich and widowed sister-in-law. Not until the condemned man appealed did a witness admit he had committed perjury—given false evidence. Confessing, this was the first time in Malaysia’s legal history that a witness in a murder trial had been convicted and sentenced to long-term imprisonment for perjury.

The accused was finally acquitted. Had he been hung and the perjurer exposed later, this perjurer would most likely have been hung in accordance to the law that demands a life for a life in these circumstances. With carnal and carnage in flux, this is a trial not to be missed.

Cold-Blooded Murders
Alex Josey
Singapore: Marshall Cavendish, 2009
ISBN: 9789812618924

The Trials of Sunny Ang:
Bankrupt and desperate for money, a brilliant psychopath planned the perfect crime. Sunny Ang selected his victim with care. Jenny was a young divorced bar girl with little schooling, flattered that an educated, charming man should notice her. He seduced her and promised marriage. He also insured Jenny's life for a million dollars; the sum would go to his mother if she died an accidental death. Then he plotted murder: first, an unsuccessful car accident, and then the fatal scuba diving trip off the dangerous waters of Sisters Islands. Jenny went down and never came up. Only a cut flipper was found.

Without a body, the prosecution had no medical evidence and no witnesses to claim unnatural death. How did the law finally catch up with Ang?

Pulau Senang - The Experiment that Failed:
In 1965, 18 convicted criminals were sent to death fro murder - a haunting testimony to the failure of a bold experiment to reform seasoned criminals in a goal without bars. Right to the end, Daniel Dutton, director of the model penal settlement, could not believe that the men he had befriended and worked so hard to rehabilitate would want to destroy him. Too late he realised the extraordinary hold secret society leaders had over their men.

Pulau Senang reconstructs the events that led to the tragedy and the trial, and throws light on a question that has never been answered satisfactorily: Why did the experiment fail?

Muslims in Singapore: Piety, Politics and Policies
Kamuludeen Mohamed Nasir, Alexius A. Pereira, & Bryan S. Turner
London: Routledge, 2010
ISBN: 9780415560085

This book examines Muslims in Singapore, analyzing their habits, practices and dispositions towards everyday life, and also their role within the broader framework of the secularist Singapore state and the cultural dominance of its Chinese elite, who are predominantly Buddhist and Christian. Singapore has a highly unusual approach to issues of religious diversity and multiculturalism, adopting a policy of deliberately 'managing religions' including Islam in an attempt to achieve orderly and harmonious relations between different racial and religious groups. This has encompassed implicit and explicit policies of containment and 'enclavement' of Muslims, and also the more positive policy of 'upgrading' Muslims through paternalist strategies of education, training and improvement, including the modernization of madrasah education in both content and orienttation. This book examines how this system has operated in practice, and evaluates its successes and failures. In particular, it explores the attitudes and reactions of Muslims themselves across all spheres of everyday life, including dining and maintaining halal-vigilance; education and dress code; and practices of courtship, sex and marriage. It also considers the impact of wider international developments, including 9/11, fear of terrorism and the associated stigmatization of Muslims; and developments within Southeast Asia such as the Jemaah Islamiah terrorist attacks and the Islamization of Malaysia and Indonesia. This study has more general implications for political strategies and public policies in multicultural societies that are deeply divided along ethno-religious lines.

Letters and Books of Sir Stamford Raffles and Lady Raffles: The Tang Holdings Collection
John Bastin
Singapore: Editions Didier Millet, 2009
ISBN: 9789814217682

The letters of Sir Stamford Raffles in the collection of Tang Holdings in Singapore has been transcribed and annotated by the world's foremost expert on Raffles, Dr John Bastin. The letters include personal letters as well as more official letters, such as the never-before-published missive describing the founding of Singapore in 1819. Featuring other artefacts of Raffles and Lady Raffles, such as books, medals and coins, this book is an important work in the study of Raffles, Singapore and the region. The transcribed letters, shown with full-colour photographs of the original documents, are an invaluable source for insight into the life and thoughts of the man considered to be the founder of modern Singapore.

De La Salle Malaysia & Singapore: The Tradition. The Legacy. The Future
Ian Ward, Norma Miraflor, & David Webb
Singapore: Media Masters, 2009
ISBN: 9789834430023

This volume portrays a broad picture of Lasallian history as it have evolved over the past 157 years within the eight major institutions that have been run by the Brothers in the neighbouring territories of Malaysia and Singapore. It brings into contemporary focus a pattern of educational endeavour that has provided untold benefits for both nations through all those years.

The book seeks to examine and record, both dispassionately and objectively, an extremely complex journey. The reality is that the movement launched locally with such zeal and fervour in 1852 by the pioneering Brothers finds itself at a critical crossroad. The world has vastly changed, particularly over the past 50 years. As of June 2009, not a single Lasallian school in either Peninsular Malaysia or Singapore has a la Salle Brother as principal. Meanwhile, the overall number of active teaching Brother across both territories has dwindled to just a handful.

Is there a way forward for a highly distinctive and immensely valuable tradition in local education - one widely recognised as “the Lasallian ethos?” This becomes the underlying theme of the book’s final chapters.

Did I Give Back Enough?
Arthur S. M. Lim & Charity Wai (eds.)
Singapore: World Scientific, 2009
ISBN: 9789814289863

The aim of this book is to encourage Singaporeans to give back to society and this applies not only to the wealthy but also to everyone. Giving back to society could take the form of donation of money, contributing one's time, skills, effort and so on.

Both Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong have spoken extensively about the need for our society to care for the less fortunate, and that we should aspire to become a "giving society". It is hoped that the stories in this book will imbue readers with a spirit of giving.

The book includes first-hand accounts by a wide spectrum of people - from renowned philanthropists to common folks. It contains interesting anecdotes with insights into each individual's thoughts and feelings with regard to giving. The book is written in an easy-to-read style and contains attractive photos and stirring pictures.

This book contains real-life stories of some 100 people and groups who have given generously in various ways, particularly in Singapore. The areas in which they have contributed include education, medicine and for poverty alleviation programmes.

Issues of Law and Justice in Singapore: Some Christian Reflections
Daniel K.S. Koh and Kiem-Kiok Kwa (eds.)
Singapore: Armour Publishing, 2009
ISBN: 9789814270168

This book is an attempt at putting together in one accessible volume what some Singapore Christians think about matters of law and justice in their own country. It is the first volume in the CSCA Christianity in Southeast Asia Series.

The writers share the same concern about Christians being the light and salt of the world. Christians can make meaningful contributions to public discussions on matters which affect the common good. Justice properly understood is justice for all even if it is informed by the Christian faith. That is why Christians who love God and their neighbours are interested in issues of law and justice.

While the book is primarily written for Christians, it may be of interest to the wider readership. Readers will be able to identify some common interests, and gain further understanding of how thoughtful Christians have sought to contribute to developing a wholesome social vision, "based on justice and equality", for a multi-racial, multi-religious society.

The Wellbeing of Singaporeans: Values, Lifestyles, Satisfaction and Quality of Life
Tambyah Siok Kuan, Tan Soo Jiuan, and Kau Ah Keng.
Singapore: World Scientific, 2010
ISBN: 9789814277174

This book is part of the authors' continuing research on quality of life issues in Singapore and builds on past research into the values and lifestyles of Singaporeans. The findings of the 2006 AsiaBarometer Survey are presented, revealing comprehensive insights into Singaporeans' feelings and opinions about various issues related to their wellbeing. These issues include the standard of living, priorities in life, worries, government spending, happiness, enjoyment, achievement, the overall quality of life, value orientations, lifestyles, national identity, democracy and political rights. Selective comparisons are made with the other East Asian countries covered in the same survey, namely, China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam.

The Chempaka Tree: Short Stories
Tan Jing Quee
Malaysia: Gerakbudaya Enterprises, 2009
ISBN: 9789834479305

This collection of short stories of old Singapore before its rapid transformation into the modern city state marks a welcome nostalgic trip to a quite different world. These stories, set from Sembawang to Orchard Road, present a green and more leisurely city before its advent to a concrete metropolis. Except for a story set in India and two stories set in neighbouring peninsula Malaysia, most of the stories in this collection are based in Singapore.

The title story in this collection, the Chempaka Tree, is a charming love story loosely based on the old Malay legend of the Pontianak.

Singapore Through 19th Century Photographs
Jason Toh
Singapore: Editions Didier Millet, 2009
ISBN: 9789814260060

Singapore Through 19th Century Photographs is a comprehensive photographic record of Singapore from the early 1840s to the 1900s. Paired with lively commentary, the more than 120 rare photographs from leading institutional and private collections recreate a compelling portrait of 19th century Singapore.

Emphasising the topographical and architectural landscape of the city and its surrounding environs, this visually irresistible city tour transports the reader back to the Singapore of an earlier age, a city that has now changed beyond recognition. The vibrant old metropolis is brought back to life through insightful captions and mostly albumen prints, the dominant photographic medium of the second half of the 19th century.

Moreover, also documenting the growth of photography in Southeast Asia, this book reveals a watershed moment. The rise of international trade and the push for immigration led many Western studio photographers to seek their fortunes in the East, during a period that coincided with a rise in tourist travel, sparked by improvements to transportation networks. These propitious conditions set the stage for intense production of commercial photographs of Singapore, and the book captures this unique moment of rapid development, both with the photographs shown and the perceptive analysis offered in the text.

Illustrating the city at its most striking, Singapore Through 19th Century Photographs records a dynamic moment of development for both photography and of Singapore, the pre-eminent port-city of Southeast Asia.

CultureShock!: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette: Singapore [2nd ed.]
Marion Bravo-Bhasin
USA: Marshall Cavendish, 2009
ISBN: 9780761456766

CultureShock! Singapore takes you inside the tiny island nation at the tip of the Malaysian archipelago and pulls back the veneer on a country that is both Asian and Western at the same time. Discover how this multi-racial society manages to work like clockwork despite its disparate backgrounds, and find out how to deal with the people's kiasu attitude. Through this book - filled with practical information and tips for everyday living - you will learn more about the different local and ethnic customs and beliefs, and be introduced to its diverse and mouth-watering cuisine. CultureShock! Singapore is the definitive read for anyone who wants to settle easily into Singaporean society and it will have you understanding Singlish in no time.

Interlogue: Studies in Singapore Literature: Volume 8: Interviews II
Ronald D. Klein (ed.)
Singapore: Ethos Books, 2009
ISBN: 9789810835910

In this volume of 12 interviews, Professor Ronald D. Klein includes the insights of critic Ong Sor Fern, the background and thoughts of poets like Felix Cheong, Madeleine Lee and Yong Shu Hoong, playwright Ovidia Yu, short story writer Jeffrey Lim and filmmaker Eric Khoo. David Leo and Alfian Sa'at, who write in several genres, are also included. Interviews with Ng Yi-Sheng, Daren Shiau and Cyril Wong complete this volume.

This is an important book for readers who wish to know more about contemporary Singapore writing.

Criminal Intent: True Stories From Changi Prison
Wong Kim Hoh
Singapore: Marshall Cavendish, 2009
ISBN: 9789812618894

Criminal Intent: True Stories From Changi Prison tells the stories behind the crimes committed by 12 inmates currently incarcerated in Changi Prison.

Written by veteran Straits Times journalist Wong Kim Hoh, the accounts as told by the inmates of their modus operandi and the reasons behind them, all make compelling reading.

Commissioned by the Singapore Prison Service, the cases include outrage of modesty, robbery, cheating and rape. With a foreword by Ng Joo Hee, Director of Prisons.

Men In White: the Untold Story of Singapore's Ruling Political Party
Sonny Yap, Richard Lim, and Leong Weng Kam
Singapore: Marshall Cavendish, 2009
ISBN: 9789814266246

Men In White is the inside story of one of the world's most successful political parties - the ruling People's Action Party of Singapore. With its victory in the 2006 polls, PAP has won 12 successive general elections since it assumed power in 1959.

Narrated in three parts, it chronicles the rise, fall, capture, split and rise of a political party which has become synonymous with the spellbinding success of Singapore, and delves into the reasons for its track record and longevity.

Part One tells how Lee Kuan Yew and his anglicised associates collaborated with radical Chinese-speaking trade unionist to form a small left-wing party in 1954 to drive out the British colonialists and how they fell out over the issue of merger with Malaya.

Part two captures the agonies of leadership self-renewal.

Part Three wraps up the PAP story by tracing the origins and discussing some of the key principles that characterised Singapore governance.

Voice of Malayan Revolution: The CPM Radio War Against Singapore and Malaysia, 1969-1981
Wang Gungwu & Ong Weichong (eds.)
Singapore: S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, 2009
ISBN: 9789810836399

Voluminous works - popular and academic - have been written on how the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) lost the shooting war in the Malayan Emergency (1948-1960). But much less has been said on what happened thereafter. By 1960, the CPM's "long march" from the Malayan interior into Southern Thailand was complete. In a sanctuary far from the writ of the Malaysian and Thai governments, the CPM reorganised, reviewed their strategy and bided their time. In 1968, inspired by the Cultural Revolution in Red China and events in Indochina, the CPM sought for a second time to establish a "People's Republic" in the Malay Peninsula. From 1968 to 1989, the Malaysian security forces and the CPM once again confronted each other in jungles of the Malaysian-Thai border in what was known as the Second Emergency.

In an attempt to subvert the populations of Malaysia and Singapore and win them over to their revived revolutionary cause, the CPM embarked on a clandestine radio war. From a Chinese military base in Hunan, China, the CPM's underground radio network transmitted under the codename Project 691 and on the airwaves as "Suara Revolusi Malaya" or "Voice of Malayan Revolution" (VMR).

This edited volume, for the very first time, reproduces a selection of those broadcasts. These hitherto classified transcripts of the Internal Security Department, Singapore, are supplemented with an introductory essay and chapter introductions that seek to situate the selected documents against the revolutionary events of the 60s and 70s not only in Singapore and Malaysia but the whole of Southeast Asia. This selection is accompanied by a CD containing all available transcripts of VMR broadcasts made form its very first broadcast in 1969 to its very last in 1981.

Far from being a spent force, the CPM had the capacity and resources to revive their ideological struggle against the newly emergent post-colonial states of Malaysia and Singapore for another 12 long years. This edited volume is part of that story.

The Little Red Dot: Reflections by Singapore's Diplomats, Volume II
Tommy Koh & Chang Li Lin (eds.)
Singapore: World Scientific, 2009
ISBN: 9789814271868

This is the sequel to the bestselling book, The Little Red Dot, published in 2005. This volume is a collection of essays by the third-generation of young diplomats, with a Foreword penned by the Second Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Raymond Lim. It contains many inspiring stories that demonstrate the resilience and inventiveness of young diplomats. It also includes an updated and comprehensive Annex of the milestones of Singapore's external relations. This book is a highly enjoyable read for all who are interested in Singapore current affairs and in the art and science of diplomacy.

In the stories contained in this book you will find and discover:

• The cultures of countries such as Cambodia, Saudi Arabia and Thailand
• Lessons in crisis management
• Courage and teamwork amidst crises
• How international treaties are formulated behind the scenes
• The necessity of exercising one's brains and opening his/her heart in diplomacy
  

Path of the Righteous Crane: The Life & Legacy of Eu Tong Sen
Ilsa Sharp
Singapore: Landmark Books, 2009

ISBN: 9789814189224

The name of Eu Tong Sen is well known in Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong. Yet to date, there has been little of substance written about the man; much of what there is has been drawn from a deep well of unsubstantiated folklore.

Ilsa Sharp's account of Eu Tong Sen's life, based on voluminous research by academic Maria Yang Tse-oy, has theatre aplenty, from mystic feng shui mountains and murder by poison, through dare-devil jungle trekking to fending off revolutionaries, taking on the opium establishment, playing political games with colonial masters, consorting with opera stars, racehorses, flashy cars and women (11 wives), building stately palaces and castles, and above all, the amassing of enormous personal wealth, a respectable part of which went to family, friends, and needy causes, from schools to hospitals.

Yet this is no ordinary tale of a towkay who just struck it rich. Eu Tong Sen stands tall as a man of his age, and also ours, signalling a future 'Renaissance Chinese' character that would combine the best of many worlds and so produce something quite new. In this, Eu Tong Sen was a man well before his time. His life was not a footnote to the period of history he lived in; it was an integral part of the main narrative of the lives of the people who called themselves hua qiao, the Overseas Chinese.

A History of Modern Singapore, 1819-2005 [Revised edition]
C. M. Turnbull
Singapore: NUS Press, 2009

ISBN: 9789971693435

When C.M. Turnbull's A History of Singapore, 1819-1975 appeared in 1977, it quickly achieved recognition as the definitive history of Singapore. A second edition published in 1989 brought the story up to the 1988 election. This fully revised version takes into account recent scholarship, including the work of social and cultural historians. The author has added a chapter on Goh Chok Tong's premiership (1990-2004) and the transition to a government headed by Lee Hsien Loong. The book now ends in 2005, when the Republic of Singapore celebrated its 40th anniversary as an independent nation.

Major changes occurred in the 1990s as the generation of leaders that oversaw the transition from a colony to independence stepped aside in favour of a younger generation of leaders. Their task was to shape a course that sustained the economic growth and social stability achieved by their predecessors, and they would be tested toward the end of the decade when Southeast Asia experienced a severe financial crisis.

While most modern studies have focused on contemporary or very recent times and Singapore's successful transition from the developing to the developed world, younger historians are increasingly interested in other aspects of their past. A History of Modern Singapore, 1819-2005 provides a general framework for their research, giving due weight to the origins, early development and successive periods of Singapore's history.

Sentosa Cove: Island Modern
Yu-Mei Balasingamchow
Singapore: Editions Didier Millet, 2009

ISBN: 9789814217651

Just 15 years ago, few could have imagined that the quiet eastern shore of Sentosa would one day become the crowning glory of luxury living in Singapore. Land that was once marked by no more than a few groves of coconut trees is now home to the prestigious gated communities and signature bungalows of Sentosa Cove, Singapore's first and only oceanfront marina residential community. This lavishly illustrated volume tells the story of how Sentosa Cove rose on the back of the vision, ambition and inspiration of the pioneering few who saw its potential, and provides a showcase to the stunning design and cutting-edge architecture that epitomise the development. Evocative images and descriptive passages provide a guide to an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the lush landscape and waterfront homes of this tropical residential resort, and a glimpse into the privileged lifestyle of its international community. This stylishly presented book will appeal to those interested in resort development, architects and designers, and photography-lovers.

In the Footsteps of Stamford Raffles
Nigel Barley
Singapore: Monsoon Books, 2009

ISBN: 9789810835347

Stamford Raffles is that rarest of things – a colonial figure who is forgotten at home but still remembered with affection abroad.

Born into genteel poverty in 1781, he joined the East India Company at the age of fourteen and worked his way up to become Lieutenant Governor of Java when the British seized that island for some five years in 1811. There he fell in love with all things Javanese and vaunted it as a place of civilization as he discovered himself as a man of science as well as commerce. A humane and ever-curious figure, his administration was a period of energetic reform and boisterous research that culminated in his History of Java in 1817 and it remains the starting-point of all subsequent studies of Indonesian culture.

Personal tragedy and ill-health stalked his final years in the East. Yet, though dying at the early age of 44 and dogged by the hostility of lesser men, he would still find time to found the city-state of Singapore and guide it through its first dangerous years. Here, mythologised by the British and demonised by the Dutch, he is more than a remote founding father and remains a charter for its independence and its enduring values.

In this intriguing book, part history, part travelogue, Nigel Barley re-visits the places that were important in the life of Stamford Raffles and evaluates his heritage in an account that is both humorous and insightful.

Writing Singapore: An Historical Anthology of Singapore Literature
Angelia Poon, Philip Holden, and Shirley Geok-Lin Lim (eds.)
Singapore: NUS Press, 2009
ISBN: 9789971694586

The first comprehensive historical anthology of English-language writing from Singapore, this volume covers more than a century of literary production in a variety of genres. It provides readers in Singapore with an easy point of access to compelling narratives and poems, some of which have been forgotten or are difficult to obtain. For readers outside Singapore, it introduces a neglected but important range of works that represent the historical and contemporary imaginaries and realities of one of the world's most cosmopolitan cities.

Uniquely in Southeast Asia, the importance of English language continued to grow in Singapore after independence. The country's English-language literature documents and reflects on the possibilities and tensions brought about by Singapore's rapid economic transformation and changing society.

Because of Singapore's small size and the lack of international reach of many of its publishers, most of this literature has received relatively little international exposure, in contrast to writing in English from the Caribbean, West Africa, or South Asia. Within Singapore itself, a number of major works have gone out of print. This pioneering anthology places key texts in a historical narrative allowing them to be read, studied, critiqued, and treasured.

Impressions of the Goh Chok Tong Years in Singapore
Bridget Welsh, James Chin, Arun Mahizhnan, and Tan Tarn How (eds.)
Singapore: NUS Press, 2009
ISBN: 9789971693961

Singapore experienced substantial changes during the 14-year tenure of the country's second Prime Minister, Goh Chok Tong (1990-2004). Coming after a long period of growth and stability, the period brought to office a new generation of political leaders who faced the task of sustaining and building upon the policies of their predecessors. There were social and cultural initiatives and significant challenges to the economy arising from the Asian crisis of 1998 and the SARS outbreak in 2003. This volume examines the changes that took place during the Goh premiership and assesses its legacy. The 45 essays in the volume review a range of issues from domestic politics and foreign policy to economic development, society, culture, the arts and media.

Singapore by Subway

Stephanie Pee & Sylvy Soh

Singapore: Marshall Cavendish, 2009

ISBN: 9789812617439

Singapore by Subway is a fun and adventurous way of exploring the island of Singapore. Discover exciting eating places, shopping haunts large and small, and unique sights and activities, all within 10 minutes of walking distance from each MRT station. Accompanied with photographs, relevant contact details and nuggets of information, Singapore by Subway is a comprehensive tool for finding your way around the country and unearthing its many gems. Additional travel tips on the weather, transportation and other useful topics make this guide a must-have for all visitors.

Rickshaw Reporter [reprint]
George L. Peet
Singapore: Marshall Cavendish, 2009
ISBN: 9789812616371

George Peet's memories of colonial Singapore begin in 1923 when, as a young man of 21, he arrived from his Colchester bedsit to become a reporter at The Straits Times. Fresh off a Blue Funnel steamship, he tastes fully the flavours of the Straits Settlements: being outfitter in tropical topee and tutup; living in a high-ceilinged, punkah-cooled bungalow with a 'boy' at his disposal; sleeping in balmy nights under a mosquito net; and commuting to work in a rickshaw. Almost instantly, and without even realising it, this new boy from Home had become a member of the Establishment - the colonial hierarchy where social dos and don'ts were aplenty.

Above all, he remembers those hectic rounds about the dusty roads of Singapore, interviewing Somerset Maugham, reporting cricket on the Padang, being a member of the first expedition by car 'up-country'.

Indeed they are the memories that are very rare in the world today. This memoir is the 'swan song of an almost extinct breed of colonial man' heightened by the special sensitivity of its writer. George Peet was neither Tuan Besar nor Pukah Sahib but a keen, thoughtful young journalist conscious of the social mores of the multi-racial milieu around him. The result is a unique reflection on colonial life from the pen of someone who lived life on the line separating the worlds of white-washed mansions and cluttered tenements. George Peet brings these people together in a warm, personal account of life in the colony of Singapore during its belle epoch.

Singapore: Sketches of the Lion City
Lorette E. Roberts
Singapore: Bridge House Design, 2009
ISBN: 9789889732837

Singapore: Sketches of the Lion City is a collection of images. by artist Lorette E. Roberts. She illustrates the amazing and fascinating range of variations to be found in this vibrant country. Indeed it seems that perhaps the only constant in Singapore is its weather! Everything else is truly multiple, as Lorette suggests in her introduction. So this sketch-book contains pictures - as one might expect - of Raffles, the Marina, the varied architecture, mouthwatering food, Bumboats, Singapore Slings, Boat Quay; Orchard Road (one of the best places to “people watch”) ...... but Lorette digs deeper and shows us much more, for instance Singapore’s history, including its heritage derived from a diversity of cultures - or the new versus the old such as the Fl debut around the Padang in contrast to the brightly coloured shophouses of Joo Chiat. She brings to our attention the wide range ‘Of places to yisit- the Jurong Birdpark, the Zoo, Sentosa, Art Museums - to mention a few! Then she highlights the unexpected - the farms at Kranji, a tiger-faced car at Haw Par Villa, hedgehog pastries, the Art Bridge, birdcages on tall poles in a park at AngMo Kia, a posse of schoolgirls with bright umbrellas arriving for “Ballet under the Stars” at Fort Canning and so on ... Finally, don’t forget to look for her trademark snail - sometimes heavily disguised - on every page!

Singapore: a 700-Year History: From Early Emporium to World City
Kwa Chong Guan, Derek Heng & Tan Tai Yong
Singapore: National Archives of Singapore, 2009
ISBN: 9789810830502

Ever wondered if Singapore was indeed a "sleepy fishing village" prior to Raffles' famous arrival in 1819? Did we really not have an economically-viable trading port during the pre-colonial times? How then is this possible conjecture of Singapore being a thriving emporium pre-1819 being juxtaposed and/or correlated to our present day context of being a global city?

These are the questions that the authors of Singapore: a 700-Year History - From Early Emporium to World City aim to address. With new archaeological evidence recovered since 1983 and more systematic search of the Dutch, Portuguese and to a lesser extent, the Spanish archives, a more long-sighted view of Singapore's past is made visible through the facts presented in the book. 700-Year History seeks to fill the gaps of much of Singapore's pre-1819 history with the indisputable evidence that Singapore actually enjoyed prosperity in an earlier cycle of globalised trade underpinned by the Yuan and Ming dynasties. Even  for the post-1819 period, the coherent and continuous narrative in the book offers new insights and interpretations.

The book is an attempt at providing a historical basis for thinking of Singapore's experiences, not just in the past, but also in the present and the future. 700 years of history, with each period providing its respective significance on the emergence of our World City, have finally been compiled into an enriching and informative readable joy.