To Sir, With Love – E. R. Braithwaite
04 Apr 2009 6 Comments
in Books, Non-fiction, Reviews
E.R. Braithwaite was born 1922 in British Guiana and educated in British Guiana and the United States. He served in the R.A.F. His publications include To Sir with Love (1959); Paid Servant: A Report About Welfare Work in London (1962); A Kind of Home-coming: A Visit to Africa (1963); A Choice of Straws (1965).
The book in one sentence: A man who takes up a teaching post and teaches his students about overcoming racial prejudice.
Who would you recommend it to: Someone who is looking for a good old-fashioned feel-good read.
OK bits: I like the inspirational true story of this book.
Boring bits: The beginning was a bit dull, but it picked up when he started teaching his class.
Random review quote:
“A book that the reader devours quickly, ponders slowly, and forgets not at all… Moving and inspiring” – New York Times
Verdict: I did not realise To Sir, With Love is actually a true story, or a book in the first place! I saw the movie a few months ago and I enjoyed it. The book is as good as the movie, though I could have said the book is better if I read it first before watching the movie. A good read nonetheless! Pretty quick too as it’s a slim book.
A Nyonya in Texas – Lee Su Kim
07 Mar 2009 1 Comment
in Books, Non-fiction, Reviews
Lee Su Kim is a writer of Straits Chinese parentage. Her father is a fifth generation Baba from Malacca and her mother a Nyonya from Penang. She is currently Associate Professor at the School of Language Studies and Linguistics, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia where she teaches Langauge and Culture. She lived in Texas from 1996 to 2000 and obtained her Doctorate in Education during her stay there.
She is the author of seven book including two bestsellers, Malaysian Flavours and Manglish: Malaysian English at its Wackiest. She was a columnist for The Star (a leading English language newspaper in Malaysia), for three years. She is also a corporate trainer for cross-cultural awareness and communication skills.
The book in one sentence: An erudite Malaysian perspective on the American life.
Who would you recommend it to: People who are interested to learn about Malaysia, despite the book focusing on America.
OK bits: I like the author’s personable writing style.
Boring bits: Nothing boring about it to me.
Random review quote:
“A light and insightful page turner that vividly captures the obvious and subtle differences of Asian and American culture. A must read for anyone who is interested in understanding cultural differences – Asians, new immigrants and Americans alike!” – Lili Zheng, International Tax Partner (Deloitte Tax LLP) Deputy Managing Partner (Chinese Services Group, USA)
Verdict: I could relate a lot to this book, being a Chinese who can’t speak Mandarin myself and can only utter broken Cantonese at the best of times. It lends insight about the myth of the American life and the reality of it from a Malaysian perspective. A good read, in short! This is one Malaysian book I would buy (I don’t usually buy books written by local writers, though I’d happily read them).
Honk! If You’re Malaysian – Lydia Teh
01 Mar 2009 1 Comment
in Books, Non-fiction, Reviews
Lydia Teh is a desperate housewife and writer. She’s desperate for her books to sell well so she can pay for her children to cook and clean while she spends more time writing.
Honk! If You’re Malaysian is her third book. Her first, Congratulations! You Have Won:A Guidebook on How to Maximize Your Chances of Winning Competitions, was published in 2001, while her second, Life’s Like That: Scenes from Malaysian Life, was published in 2004.
You can read her jottings on her weblog at www.lydiateh.wordpress.com or email her at tehlydia@yahoo.com. She welcomes comments and feedback.
The book in one sentence: Malaysians and their ‘best’ quirks, told in short essays with a good dose of humour.
Who would you recommend it to: People interested to read about the other side of Malaysians.
OK bits: I did laugh out loud reading some chapters, but I forgot which.
Boring bits: There were some boring bits but I can’t remember which either.
Random review quote:
“What we have here is a delightful treasure trove of Malaysian idiosyncrasies that we can all identify with. ” – Reggie Lee
Verdict: All the raving reviews at the back cover and at the first few pages made me expect too much, so I’m left somewhat underwhelmed after reading it. Is it bad? Not at all, I’m just not as crazy about it as the glowing reviews the book has generally received. I think if the reader wasn’t Malaysian he or she might like it better. It’s an entertaining way to learn about Malaysian culture.
Another Malaysian book review
The Last Lecture – Randy Pausch & Jeffrey Zaslow
01 Jan 2009 Leave a Comment
in Books, Non-fiction, Reviews
Randy Pausch is a professor of Computer Science, Human Computer Interaction, and Design at Carnegie Mellon University. From 1988 to 1997, he taught at the University of Virginia. He is an award-winning teacher and researcher, and has worked with Adobe, Google, Electronic Arts (EA), and Walt Disney Imagineering, and pioneered the Alice project. He lives in Virginia with his wife and three children.
Jeffrey Zaslow, a columnist with for the Wall Street Journal, attended the Last Lecture, and wrote the story that helped fuel worldwide interest in it. He lives in suburban Detroit with his wife, Sherry, and daughters Jordan, Alex, and Eden.
The book in one sentence: Randy Pausch is diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer, and his desire to live his remaining life to the fullest led him to do the Last Lecture about fulfilling childhood dreams, which is also in a way his memoir.
Who would you recommend it to: People who like inspirational reads. Even if you’re not into self-help books like me (though this isn’t really a self-help book), this is a nice read because it’s sort of a memoir of an inspiring man.
OK bits: I pretty much like the whole book.
Boring bits: Nothing boring in particular.
Verdict: This is the current bestseller in Malaysia, and it’s not hard to see why. It is a story of a dying man, but it is full of optimism for life. It’s the kind of book that makes you want to be a better person after reading it. Or at least change the way you see life! A good, quick read.
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