The Little Red Cliff: 1946-1963
Yeo Hong Eng
US: Trafford, 2013
ISBN: 9781466932364

The Little Red Cliff portrays life in the 1950s and 1960s in Tanah Merah Kechil (Little Red Cliff) in a corner of Bedok District along the eastern coast of Singapore. Author Yeo Hong Eng chronicles the story of his family, the Yeo family, as they struggled to make a living during the lean years after the Japanese Occupation. He describes in detail how his parents developed the land for farming and exploited other available resources, such as sand mining during rainy seasons, until they were forced to leave the land in 1963. He also explains how they processed coconuts into cooking oil and bamboo into food, materials for building trellises, farming accessories, and basic toys. Whether they were working in animal husbandry or in vegetable cultivation, his grandmother and parents used the age-old methods passed down from their parents and grandparents to work with the land and their animals. What's more, they made sure to take time from their work to celebrate important festivals, entertainment, and the joys and sorrows of everyday life. They attended wayangs (street plays), flew kites, and made their own playthings-shuttles, spinners, sling shots, and musical instruments-with whatever raw materials they had on hand. In The Little Red Cliff, Yeo Hong Eng shares a description of family life in Singapore in the mid-twentieth century-its lows and highs, its struggles and joys.

Where I Was: A Memoir From the Margins
Constance Singam
SIngapore: Select Books, 2013
ISBN: 9789810760274

Where I Was: A Memoir From the Margins is a rich, funny and compelling account of the life of an extraordinary woman. It is filled with anecdotes, both humorous and moving, of her colourful life, from early years in Kerala; her teenage years and adult life in the country of her birth, Singapore; and her journey from being an apathetic innocent citizen to a committed civil society activist.

50 Stories From My Life
S.R. Nathan
Singapore: Editions Didier Millet, 2013
ISBN: 9789814385343

S.R. Nathan is one of Singapore's most distinguished public servants. Born into poverty, he survived family tragedy, destitution and the Japanese occupation. After getting a university diploma as an adult, he worked his way through the civil service ranks to become successively a mediator in trade union disputes, a foreign affairs expert, a manager of a media company, a diplomat and a two-term president of Singapore. He has been an eyewitness to Singapore's history before and after independence, with an insider's view of many key events at home and abroad.

It is easy for the younger generations of Singaporeans to assume that the good fortune they now enjoy was easily won. For them, and for anyone interested in Singapore and its history, Mr Nathan has selected 50 episodes from his personal and official life, which offer insights from which the up-and-coming generation will benefit.

Knowledge Management Initiatives in Singapore
Margaret Tan & Madanmohan Rao
Singapore: World Scientific, 2013
ISBN: 9789814467803

Knowledge Management Initiatives in Singapore is the first book that provides descriptive analyses of the award-winning knowledge management initiatives undertaken by the public sector organisations in Singapore. It features 12 organisations honoured for their outstanding efforts to understand and implement knowledge management, not only to enhance tactical efficiency and effectiveness but also to plan for strategic opportunities in the dynamic environment.

Based on these successful case studies, the book provides a comprehensive overview and approach for organisations to understand how to plan and execute their knowledge management journeys. This includes analysing the rationale, thereby calibrating specific knowledge management plans and roles; identifying resources for knowledge management implementation (such as people, process and technology); and evaluating the outcomes and future paths.

This book will be invaluable to managers, knowledge management practitioners and graduate students in the field, offering deep actionable insights on the implementation of knowledge management projects and providing a balanced perspective of organisational knowledge management encompassing both theory and pragmatism.

Heartfelt: a Compilation of Short Stories
Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine
Singapore: Xpress Print, 2013
ISBN: 9789810755447

Ever felt miles apart from the doctor who treats you when you are ill? Heartfelt will break down that fourth wall, unveiling the human being behind the stethoscope.

Prepare to embark on an emotional trajectory as this compilation bring you on an unforgettable journey through the doctors' darkest moments and their sweetest victories. Appealing to the heart, celebrate and cry with the doctors as they share their compelling experiences with their most fascination patients and how they reacted in diverse situations. Cherish this laboured collection of a wide spectum of professionals in the medical field ranging from medical entrepreneurs to clinician scientists who have left their indelible mark on the medical history of Singapore.

Written in support of the Christine Chong Hui Xian Bursary, readers will be treated to never-before-seen up-close and personal moments with the doctors in this precious compilation. Be ready to embrace this universal spirit of humanity as you board this once-in-a-lifetime maiden voyage.

Game for Life: 25 Journeys
Tan Chin Kar
Singapore: Write Editions, 2013
ISBN: 9789810762735

Game for Life: 25 Journeys chronicles the transformation of 25 ordinary lives made extraordinary through sports. Featuring 25 individuals from diverse backgrounds playing different sports, it aims to inspire readers to play the game of their lives, and in so doing, discover themselves, unleash their true potential and develop their character.

Game for Life: 25 Journeys celebrates the triumph of man, showcasing role models with a spirit of excellence and perserverance. The 25 remarkable stories are set to stir the hearts and minds of every reader, young or old, man or woman. Instilling in all the principles of team camaraderie, sportsmanship, leadership and sporting for life.

I Will Survive
Leow Yangfa (ed.)
Singapore: Math Paper Press, 2013
ISBN: 9789810725785

What is it like to be gay and experience bullying in school or National Service? How do you deal with being rejected by your family and religious group because of your sexual orientation? How are women's experiences different or similar to men's? What does one go through in an abusive same-sex relationship, or when one loses a partner to suicide? What does a transgender man or woman go through in Singapore? When you have been diagnosed with a life-long illness, how do you continue living?

This collection brings together real-life experiences of love, grace, faith, dignity and courage from 21 ordinary gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people in Singapore who have survived extraordinary circumstances.

Malaya's Early Music Scene: Musika: Arena Muzik Silam Di Malaya
Azlan Mohamed Said
Singapore: Azlan Mohamed Said, 2013
ISBN: 9789810737641

Many archival photographs are included in this insider's account of Malaya's music scene 1900-1965, a period of close Malaya/Singapore interchange. The first section overviews the history of Malay music, traditional songs and the early 20th century's Bangsawan opera, and gramophone and radio music. This music scene and Japanese policy 1942-45 and the 1945-65 developments in Radio Singapura, in cinema and entertainment hubs and at functions are then described. Inset photographs and biographical summaries are given for some 90 artistes and performers, and the role of musical groups noted. With bibliography, online database and index. Bilingual in Malay.

Living in a Garden: The Greening of Singapore
Timothy Auger
Singapore: Editions Didier Millet, 2013
ISBN: 9789814385244

In June 1963, Singapore's prime minister planted a tree to mark the beginning of a sustained campaign to enhance the city state's appearance. No one could have anticipated the transformation that followed. This is the story of that process. Now, 50 years later, highly urbanized Singapore enjoys a green network of nature reserves, large and small parks, tree-lined streets and community gardens that is the envy of other big cities.

Singapore has had to make tough decisions. Land is scarce. There are trade-offs between maintaining the island's rich, natural biodiversity and public demands for housing and infrastructure appropriate to the 21st century. Nevertheless, the National Parks Board, and its partners in the public, private and civic sectors, continue to strive to keep Singapore green.

Lavishly illustrated, the book shows how Singapore aims to be a 'City in a Garden', reminding us that the community must engage with the greening ‘mission;, if this great achievement is to continue.

Singapore Street Names: A Study of Toponymics
Victor R. Savage & Brenda S.A. Yeoh
Singapore: Marshall Cavendish, 2013
ISBN: 9789814408356

Place names tell us much about a country – its history, its landscape, its people, its aspirations, its self-image. The study of place names, 'toponymics', unlocks the myriad interlocking stories that are encoded in every street and landmark.

In Singapore, the coexistence of various races, cultures and languages, as well as its history of colonisation, immigration and nationalism, have given rise to a complex tapestry of place names. Alkaff Quay, Coleman Bridge, Ann Siang Hill, Bukit Merah – how did these places get their names? Nee Soon or Yishun? Serangoon Road or Tekka?

First published in 2003 as Toponymics, this updated and expanded edition of the book incorporates a wealth of new findings, from archival research and interviews, and sets out to answer these questions – and any question that might be asked about the origin, meaning or significance of place names in Singapore.