To Catch a Tartar: A Dissident in Lee Kuan Yew’s Prisonis an excellent study of the conceit and deceit of a man many Singaporeans thought they knew. The author, Francis Seow, is a former solicitor general and president of the Law Society in Singapore. This is his first-hand account of how he has suffered under… Read More »
The World’s Most Infamous Killers is a collection of more than 150 tales of the most prolific and shocking murderers to have made the world’s headlines over the years is not a treatise on the psychology of serial killers. As noted on the introduction page, the book “does not discuss how to build up a… Read More »
Written by Nguyen Du (1765-1820), The Tale of Kieu: Truyen Kieu (Vietnamese Edition) (The Tale of Kieu) was produced during the social and political upheavals of the 19th century, and is now a cornerstone of Vietnamese literature. In Vietnam, Truyen Kieu has attained almost a Shakespearean status: according to news reports, children study it in… Read More »
In one of my previous posts, I mentioned about the organised chaos in Hanoi. Well, road behaviour usually reflects the national character pretty well. Examples: United States Polite and orderly, but piss them off and they’ll drive over your head with a monster truck. IndiaLike Vietnam, absolutely chaotic, but there is a certain rhythm to… Read More »
On 14 June 2001, George W. Bush, unaware that a live television camera was still rolling, blurted the following words to Swedish Prime Minister Goran Perrson: “It’s amazing I won. I was running against peace, prosperity, and incumbency.” That just about sums up the sorry state of affairs in the US, led by a “president”… Read More »
Tales of the Unexpected is an impressive showcase of Roald Dahl’s writing talent as well as his vast knowledge of various subjects. Drawing upon his own experiences in life, and peppered with Dahl’s trademark humour, this collection of short stories often managed to provoke a knowing smile, some unsavoury thoughts, and if you allow your… Read More »