The Star Online: Lifestyle: Bookshelf
The Star Online: Lifestyle: Bookshelf |
| Posted: 21 Sep 2012 03:31 AM PDT SILVERFISH Books' Malaysia/Singapore Book Launch takes place tomorrow. Among the titles that will be launched are Routes by Robert Yeo, Dr Wong Yoon Wah's The New Village, and Wong Phui Nam's The Hidden Papyrus Of Hen Taui. The launch will include discusssions on the development of Malaysian and Singaporean writings in English. The event begins at 5.30pm, at Silverfish Books (03-22844837 / email info@silverfish books.com). Admission is free, but seats are limited. |
| Posted: 21 Sep 2012 03:30 AM PDT Where China Meets India: Burma And The New Crossroads of Asia WHEN Myanmar (previously known as Burma) is mentioned in the news, it is primarily in relation to Aung Sang Suu Kyi. As a country that was cut off from the West for many years, their living national icon (and arguably, an international one as well) served as one of the few bridges to the outside world. Myanmar is also well known for its oppressive military regime and the devastating effects this has had on their economy. Furthermore, Malaysia has seen a large influx of Myanmar refugees looking for a better life. For those of us who would like to see a silver lining in Myanmar's sad situation, Thant provides us with one in this book. Where China Meets India serves as a journey into Myanmar, through the eyes of a Myanmar-born man who has lived outside of his country for many years. Nevertheless, Thant has kept abreast with developments in Myanmar, but in his book, he has chosen to focus more on the positive aspects of the situation. This is where China and India come in. A look at the world map shows us that Myanmar serves as an important link between these two Asian giants. The resources from Myanmar could prove valuable to both countries. Yet, being in that situation is not ideal, either. Myanmar could easily be taunted on a rope by the two superpowers and dropped when results are not being produced. The book is part-travelogue and part-history, with analyses of possible future directions for the country. We see the contradictions, for example, in the north-eastern region known as Lashio, where the closeness in geography to China has contributed to its success. The truth of this success, however, is questionable, as it is also an area monopolised by drug lords, who gain many benefits from being close to China. Interestingly, while the book does criticise certain actions taken by China and India, Thant criticises policies, not the people. While he tackles the big issues, the author also enriches the book with anecdotes, mythology and personal stories of the Myanmar people. Some may think that this reduces the validity of the arguments proposed in the book. I, however, believe it gives genuine insight into the lives of individuals who are isolated from even their neighbouring countries. Despite this "silver lining" approach, I do believe Thant could have taken the book a step further by addressing the human rights issues faced by Myanmar. I found it difficult to keep the plight of the Myanmar refugees out of my mind while reading this book, and feel the lack of exploration of these issues is a major oversight. The book could have been an eye-opener for those who are passionate about human rights but not fully aware of the ongoing issues in Myanmar. One can also question the feasibility of some of Thant's proposed solutions. As someone who was educated outside Asia, it is difficult to say whether his solutions have considered the complexities of Asian culture. That said, the amount of work Thant has put into researching these three countries is commendable. It is clear from his writing that he is optimistic about Myanmar's future, and as a reader, you can't help but feel the same way. There is clearly a lot of passion behind Thant's words, and it is for this reason that I am now motivated to seek out Thant's other book on Myanmar, The River Of Lost Footsteps: A Personal History Of Burma. The conclusions that Where China Meets India draws may need to be reassessed in the near future. Myanmar has been making some progress in its relations with the United States and Britain, and as a result of their recent general elections, many changes seem to be on the horizon. However, for anyone who has an interest in the Asian region and how its economy serves to fuel many of its issues, this book is worth a read. |
| Posted: 21 Sep 2012 03:28 AM PDT Fantasy funnyman Terry Pratchett and sci-fi specialist Stephen Baxter join forces to step into a world of alternate Earths. The Long Earth FORGET reality-changing spells, dimensional rifts or wormholes. All you need to step into an alternate Earth in Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter's The Long Earth is a Stepper box made from, well, a box, some wires, a switch (which is vital), and a potato (for power of course, what else?). With this laughably simple device, one can "Step" into any one of millions of alternate Earths, all of which are completely devoid of human life, and thus completely unspoilt by the destruction wrought upon the "original" Earth (or Datum Earth) by humans. After this miraculous discovery was made (during an infamous day called "Step Day"), people began making their own Steppers and exploring the "Long Earth" (as these alternate Earths came to be known), some going as far as to colonise and live in these unspoilt paradises. Joshua Valienté also visits the Long Earth quite often, but unlike most other people, he doesn't need a Stepper box. He is what is called a "natural stepper", and his ability soon attracts the attention of a mega-corporation called transEarth, which is interested in exploring the vast reaches of the Long Earth. Thus, Joshua joins a strange character called Lobsang (who is apparently a Tibetan motorcycle repairman reincarnated into a... er... drinks dispensing machine) on a specially built "stepping ship" called the Mark Twain, and they attempt to travel to the end of the Long Earth. I have to admit, what attracted me most to this book was the name "Terry Pratchett" printed on its cover. I'm a huge fan of Pratchett's books (Discworld or otherwise), but I had yet to read a single book of Baxter's until now, even though he is one of the most prolific authors in the science fiction genre. This book is actually Pratchett's second collaboration with another author, the first being the hilarious and utterly brilliant Good Omens, with Neil Gaiman. Now, Gaiman once told me during an interview that many people assume that Good Omens had him doing "all the dark bits" while Pratchett just walked around behind him adding in the jokes. Well, I had that same assumption about The Long Earth, which really felt as though Baxter had written a serious science fiction book, and roped in Pratchett to make it funnier. Granted, that may be because I'm more familiar with Pratchett's work than with Baxter's, but I just could not shake the feeling that this was more of a Stephen Baxter book than a Terry Pratchett one. Don't get me wrong though, The Long Earth is pretty good, as long as you're not expecting one of Pratchett's Discworld books. The story seems simple enough (it's mostly about Joshua and Lobsang's journeys through the different Earths), but it also touches on weightier social and political issues that arise from the discovery of the Long Earth. For instance, what would the segment of the population that can't Step (and are therefore left out) do? What happens if you put a group of different people together in an expedition to colonise a new Earth? With the explosion of easily available natural resources on all these parallel worlds, how would greedy corporations react, and what would it do to the economy? And how does a natural-stepping loner cope with being on a ship for extended periods with a talking drinks dispenser? All in all, The Long Earth is an easy enough read (I managed to finish it within a day), and has enough charm and ingenuity to make it pretty compelling as well. However, I felt that there really should be more to the story, and that there is so much more potential to the universe Baxter and Pratchett have created. The authors have announced, though, that there will be another book set in the Long Earth, so there will definitely be more Stepping to look forward to in the future. Until then, get those boxes, wires and switches ready. And don't forget your potato. |
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