From the Blue Windows: Recollections of Life in Queenstown, Singapore, in the 1960s and 1970s
Tan Kok Yang
Singapore: NUS Press, 2013
ISBN: 9789971696504

Tan Kok Yang grew up in a small public housing estate in Queenstown during the 1960s and early 1970s. Queenstown is one of the earliest public housing estates in Singapore and over the years, has gone through immense changes. It was home to a group of low-rise government rental flats where the windows were fitted with unique blue louvers, hence the title of the book.

This account of the games, festivities, customs and lifestyle of the area as seen through the eyes of an inquisitive boy will arouse memories in many older Singaporeans. While the stories touch on the effects of race riots and student unrest during the 1960s, their purpose is neither political nor academic. Rather they are a reminder of a simple but fulfilling way of life that has all but vanished from modern Singapore.

Eastern Heathens: An Anthology of Subverted Asian Folklore
Amanda Lee Koe & Ng Yi-Sheng (eds.)
Singapore: Ethos Books, 2013
ISBN: 9789810756802

We love Asian folklore. We grew up listening to Chinese legends, Arab fairy tales, Malay ghost stories and Indian sacred epics, and their fabulous images have continued to inhabit our imaginations ever since.

Yet as grown-ups, we've sometimes been bugged by the moralistic, simplistic manner in which these fables are often told. What better way to negotiate this than to reinvent our heritage? This collection brings together 14 subversions, reinventions and adaptations of folktales from all across Asia, written by an international crew of authors.

Within these pages, you'll find a Cambodian horror story, a poetic meditation on Japanese fox spirits, a crime parable based on the Indian epic of the Ramayana, a sci-fi redaction of the Chinese legend of Lady White Snake, and many more exquisite gems.

This book is a treasure trove of the imagination, containing tales both intelligent and wondrous, combining the best elements of Asian heritage with the wit of the 21st century.

When the Bough Breaks
Tammy L. Wong
Singapore: Ethos Books, 2013
ISBN: 9789810756826

Tammy L Wong is devastated by the horror of September 11 2001, and finds herself at a crossroads with her dance career in Singapore. Unable to function in her personal life, she begins obsessing about war heroine Elizabeth Choy. In 2003, she embarks on a search for Mrs. Choy, hoping to find the answer for moving on in the face of tragedy, and in so doing, find for herself, a more gratifying place in Singapore society.

When The Bough Breaks is an intimate expression of Tammy’s encounter with Mrs. Choy, as well as a glimpse of Tammy's dance life. The dancer meets the war heroine. The war heroine is surprised and prompted by the dancer. What follows is a mesmerising tale of their indomitable spirits, of hope and longing.

Affordable Excellence: The Singapore Healthcare Story
William A. Haseltine
Singapore: NUS Press & Brookings Institution, 2013
ISBN: 9789971696641

This is the story of the Singapore healthcare system: how it works, how it is financed, its history, where it is going, and what lessons it may hold for national health systems around the world. Singapore ranks sixth in the world in healthcare outcomes, yet spends proportionally less on healthcare than any other high income country.

Singapore achieves its results at less than one-fourth the cost of healthcare in the United States and about half that of Western European countries. This is the first book to set out a comprehensive system-level description of healthcare in Singapore, with a view to understanding what can be learned from Singapore's unique system design and development path.

The lessons from Singapore will be of interest to those currently planning the future of healthcare in emerging economies, as well as those engaged in the urgent debates on healthcare in the wealthier countries faced with serious long term challenges in healthcare financing. Policymakers, legislators, public health officials responsible for healthcare systems planning, finance and operations, as well as those working on healthcare issues in universities and think tanks should understand how the Singapore system works to achieve affordable excellence.

Changing Lanes, Changing Lives: How Leaders Made a Meaningful Career Switch From Corporates to Non-Profits
Richard Hartung
Singapore: Candid Creation, 2013
ISBN: 9789810742553

Are you a senior corporate executive who wants to make a leap to the non-profit world? What are the risks and rewards? This book spells it out by recounting the journeys of a baker's dozen of corporate high-fliers who have made this transition and more than thrived. Their stories tell what non-profit leaders actually do, what they had to consider in making the decision about whether to change jobs, what they learnt after shifting from a corporate to a non-profit, and their advice for anyone considering a similar move.

Changing Lanes, Changing Lives is the first-ever collection of stories about corporate leaders who have transitioned to become successful non-profit champions. The book tells the inspiring stories of the following non-profit leaders:

• Alfred Tan (Singapore Children’s Society) 
• Colin Goh (The Old Parliament House) 
• Corinna Lim (AWARE) 
• Tim Oei (AWWA) 
• Veronica Gamez (aidha) 
• Yap Su-Yin (Tan Chin Tuan Foundation) 
• Chan Wah Tiong (All Saints Home) 
• Junko Yoda (Community Linked) 
• Foo Pek Hong (Kidney Dialysis Foundation) 
• Debbie Seah (Make-A-Wish Foundation) 
• William Wan (Singapore Kindness Movement) 
• Jose Raymond (Singapore Environment Council) 
• Martina Wong (School Pocket Money Fund)

Sambal Days, Kampong Cuisine
Aziza Ali
Singapore: Ate Media, 2013
ISBN: 9789810755201

Sambal Days, Kampong Cuisine reveals stories of a time when life was simpler in the kampongs of Radin Mas, but cooking and mealtimes were sometimes much more elaborate, with meticulous preparation in the kitchen and generous presentation at the dining table. Nostalgic tales of living in a communal atmosphere of 13 family members and interacting with kampong neighbours from various ethnic backgrounds are also shared by Aziza in her book.

Referencing her childhood memories in the book, Aziza recounts how family values, neighbourly gotong-royong (community ties of mutual cooperation) and cultural tradition are expressed and celebrated through the preparation and enjoyment of food - not just reserved for festive occasions such as Hari Raya or on outings such as seaside staycations at Tanah Merah, but also every single day.

Inside Out: Conversations About Leadership and Innovation in a New Global Economy
So-Young Kang
Singapore: Awaken Group, 2012
ISBN: 9789810744823

Every leader is on a unique journey. Every person has their own story. Too often, people look at leaders and focus on their accomplishments and successes. Inside Out takes a look into what they were like before they became leaders. Who are they as a person? What was their journey like for them? What are their passions outside of work?

Inside Out is about what leaders really care about - including what drives them, what their fears are, and what they feel are required to succeed in the changing global landscape. The book takes a look at the more 'human' side of leadership, gaining a glimpse into each person's personal journey.

In the book, 12 business and government leaders, many of whom have made significant contributions to Singapore’s society and beyond, offer insights into the country's unique voice around global leadership and innovation.

Memoirs of a Migrant
Francis Thomas
Singapore: Ethos Books, 2013
ISBN: 9789810756796

As a founder member of the Labour Party of Singapore in 1948, the Minister for Communications and Works in two Labour Front governments from 1955 to 1959, Principal of St. Andrew's Secondary School from 1963 to 1974, and a leader in the social service sector, the late Mr Francis Thomas arguably did as much as any one person - and more than most - to shape the destiny of Singapore.

Above all, it was his honesty and integrity ('the only honest man in the Labour Front' was Mr Lee Kuan Yew's description of him in 1958), and his compassion and care for others, that made him stand out from the crowd and led many to remember him with deep admiration and affection.

His memoirs are a fascinating story of one man's active, sometimes dangerous, and at times major role in the dramatic history of Singapore. First published in 1972, this new edition of Memoirs of a Migrant includes unpublished personal photographs as well as letters, essays and talks given by Francis Thomas.

It also has tributes to him by friends after his passing. These additional materials paint a picture of a man fully engaged with community issues and energetically focused on bringing out the best in people and in shaping a robust and just society.

A Nonya Mosaic: Memoirs of a Peranakan Childhood
William Gwee Thian Hock
Singapore: Marshall Cavendish, 2013
ISBN: 9789814408400

Set in Singapore in the 1910s, A Nyonya Mosaic is the story of a young girl growing up in a slowly changing world. William relates the childhood impressions of his nyonya mother through her own eyes- the scenes of happiness, birthdays and weddings; and the inevitable disease and death; the childish passions and fear woven through the mosaic of a strict and sometimes unrelenting culture; as intricate and as colourful in its every detail.

A Baba Boyhood: Growing Up During World War 2
William Gwee Thian Hock
Singapore: Marshall Cavendish, 2013
ISBN: 9789814382229

Now for the first time in print, writer William Gwee shares his experience on growing up during the Japanese Occupation. A Baba Boyhood goes beyond the food shortages and discusses the challenges faced by the Peranakan community during this difficult time.

Lee Kuan Yew: The Critical Years (1971-1978)
Alex Josey
Singapore: Marshall Cavendish, 2013
ISBN: 9789814408318

In this volume, Josey tells the continuing story of Singapore's remarkable development from the beginning of 1971 to the end of 1978. Read about Lee's fears, hopes, triumphs and failures, his analytical judgements, his look into the future, his valuations and beliefs, his unswerving faith in the ability of the average Singaporean to understand what his prime minister is talking about, and his supreme confidence that Singapore will survive as an independent, if inter-dependent, sovereign state, and be successful.