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.