Silverfish - Book Blurbs

Growing Up in Trengganu by Awang Goneng (RM 39.90)

Growing Up in Trengganu started life as the blog of Awang Goneng (pen name for writer Wan A. Hulaimi) until it was found to be too good to exist only in cyberspace. Through a collection of memories retold in glorious colour, Awang Goneng evokes the pleasures of a kampung childhood for the benefit of new generations brought up in air-conditioned condominiums. Listen to the azan call to prayer from the surau of Haji Mat Kerinci, order satay with toast for breakfast, meet notables such as Tun Long the laundry man and Cik Wook Payong Locoh, whose umbrella turned inside out in a storm, and relive the pleasure of hearing the rain hammer down on a corrugated-iron roof while reading The Beano and eating kuih putu.

Sultans, sweetmeat sellers and shopkeepers all act as springboards as you meander through Trengganu history, and by the end of this book you will have painlessly mastered the 'Trengganuspeak' that foils even fellow Malaysians.

Labels: Biography

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My Life: Chronicles of a wartime pilot and other stories (an authobiography) by Lim Kean Chong (RM 38.00)

The story of his [Lim Kean Chong] life, as a young and intrepid RAAF bomber pilot in World War II, operating in raids over Germany and Europe, his subsequent experiences working in China during the Cultural Revolution, and later in an African country - Tanzania - should make interested reading for those of us who have had no experiences of those parts. But it was not a life without its disappointments and frustrations. Nor is it a story devoid of pathos, when for instance, on returning to Australia after demobilization to rejoin Melbourne University as a second year student, he was asked by Immigration to register as an alien student, a victim of the White Australian policy. These are memories poignant in the telling thereof.

- Preface by PG Lim -




Song at Twilight by Chan King Nui (RM 20.00)

From living in Hong Kong as a child, to living in Siam and also in the Big House in Kuala Lumpur, the author shares her rich life experiences which will inspire many who read this book. The book continues with her pursuit of education and the interruption due to the Second World War when she lived in India.

Her experience as a teacher and meeting many people who later become important leaders in the political and corporate world is an interesting read. The author traveled to many parts of the world, learnt many types of art and craft, went through some very painful experiences and finally found God in her life.


The Encyclopedia of Malaysia, Volume 13: The Economy edited by Prof Dr H Osman Rani (RM 95.00)

This volume provides an in-depth insight into the dramatic transformation of Malaysia from an agrarian economy at Independence in 1957 into a diverse and triving manufacturing- service based economy in 2006.

The volume begins with an overview of Malaysia's economic history, covering the evolution of economic policies from post-Independence to 1970, the formulation of the New Econmic Policy (1971-90), the balanced growth thrusts of the 1990s and finally the shift towards a knowledge-based economy in the 21st century.

An extensive analysis of the various sectors of the economy follows. The rapid growth and modernization of the Malaysian economy is documented, beginning with the natural resources and agricultural sectors and moving into the manufacturing sectors. The services and financial sectors are then explored, focusing on the development of key sub-sectors.

The volume proceeds with a discussion of the infrastructure which supports Malaysia's economy, and the stable social framework that sustains its human resources.

The volume concludes by examining the macroeconomic policies implemented by various governmental bodies and agencies, and Malaysia's position in the rapidly globalizing world economy.

Labels: Biography

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Brickfields: A Time, A Place, A Memory by Balan Moses (RM 30.00)

Brickfields: A Time, A Place, A Memory, is a first-person account of the childhood and teenage days of Balan Moses, a senior editor with the New Straits Times, in Brickfields.

He narrates the joys and sorrows of growing up between 1955 and 1970 in a middle-to-lower-middle-class neighbourhood with its pecularities, unforgettable personalities and unique ambience. He has tried to trace developments in the area over the period in question in a light, narrative manner.

His sense of humour, evident in the anecdotes and many unique experiences that he has sprinkled throughout the book, has helped bring Brickfields alive. Moses has taken readers by the hand for a stroll through Brickfields and through time so that they too can see and experience what he saw and experienced all those years ago.

This book is intended to provide the younger generation of today a glimpse of the halcyon days spent in a suburban in a newly-independent nation. It is a personal story of how a child grew into a teenager in a quaint area called Brickfields that is almost no more, except in the memories of the people who once called Brickfields home.

Labels: Biography, History

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