Books about Singapore from Amazon.com

Discover Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei

Have your fortune told by a psychic parrot, then dig into dosa in Singapore’s Little India.
Trek in the footsteps of tribal war parties on the Headhunters’ Trail in Gunung Mulu National Park.
Travel the length of Peninsular Malaysia, through the world’s oldest rainforest, on the Jungle Railway.
Give the turtles plenty of space as they haul their 750kg-bodies up the beaches of Cherating.

In This Guide:

Top adventure activity coverage – the best hiking, snorkelling, caving, diving or bird-watching info.
Five authors and 2731 hours in-country researching this edition.
More listings of sustainable businesses, to help you make the right choices for the environment.
Find out how you can minimise your impact at lonelyplanet.com
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Price: $14.91 [Notify me when price goes down.]

A rhyming story of opposites that uses animal charactistics to help us explore ourselves and our feelings .
Price: $8.90 [Notify me when price goes down.]

In this memoir, the man most responsible for Singapore's astonishing transformation from colonial backwater to economic powerhouse describes how he did it over the last four decades It's a dramatic story, and Lee Kuan Yew has much to brag about. To take a single example: Singapore had a per-capita GDP of just $400 when he became prime minister in 1959. When he left office in 1990, it was $12,200 and rising. (At the time of this book's writing, it was $22,000.) Much of this was accomplished through a unique mix of economic freedom and social control. Lee encouraged entrepreneurship, but also cracked down on liberties that most people in the West take for granted--chewing gum, for instance. It's banned in Singapore because of "the problems caused by spent chewing gum inserted into keyholes and mailboxes and on elevator buttons." If American politicians were to propose such a thing, they'd undoubtedly be run out of office. Lee, however, defends this and similar moves, such as strong antismoking laws and antispitting campaigns: "We would have been a grosser, ruder, cruder society had we not made these efforts to persuade people to change their ways.... It has made Singapore a more pleasant place to live in. If this is a 'nanny state,' I am proud to have fostered one."

Lee also describes one of his most controversial proposals: tax breaks and schooling incentives to encourage educated men and women to marry each other and have children. "Our best women were not reproducing themselves because men who were their educational equals did not want to marry them.... This lopsided marriage and procreation pattern could not be allowed to remain unmentioned and unchecked," writes Lee. Most of the book, however, is a chronicle of how Lee helped create so much material prosperity. Anticommunism is a strong theme throughout, and Lee comments broadly on international politics. He is cautiously friendly toward the United States, chastising it for a "dogmatic and evangelical" foreign policy that scolds other countries for human-rights violations, except when they interfere with American interests, "as in the oil-rich Arabian peninsula." Even so, he writes, "the United States is still the most benign of all the great powers.... [and] all noncommunist countries in East Asia prefer America to be the dominant weight in the power balance of the region." From Third World to First is not the most gripping book imaginable, but it is a vital document about a fascinating place in a time of profound transition. --John J. Miller.
Price: $19.64 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Southeast Asia and Oceania are global epicenters of economic growth, and Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines in particular have each enjoyed building booms that include modern houses designed by some of the world's most talented architects. And though these countries feature rich variations in culture, language, and in some cases climate, their contemporary residential architectures share many similar characteristics. Sometimes these are crisp residential designs rendered in the most modern forms, while in other cases architects draw on local cultural or vernacular building materials, such as stone or wood, to create houses that, while still undeniably modern, are very much of their place. But the most ambitious and innovative of these projects all maintain a strong design sensibility that transcends geographic borders. Pacific Modern is a spectacularly illustrated tour of the most exciting examples of residential architecture in these regions. Among the architects whose work is presented are Glenn Murcutt, Sean Godsell, Burley Katon Halliday, Engelen Moore, Kerry Hill, and Fearon Hay..
Price: $27.57 [Notify me when price goes down.]

The Cinderella of Asian cities, Singapore has shrugged off its reputation for being boring and stepped into the 21st century with style. As well as being one of the world’s premier fashion and food centres, the city now excites travellers with a buzzing bar scene, hip modern arts and a cultural mix like no other. Want a piece of the Singapore action? Then let this guide show you a good time.

Shop Till You Drop – the best bargains or a high- end fashion spree: shopping to suit any credit card limit

Rest Your Head – in-depth accommodation listings for small or big budgets

Travel Your Tastebuds – from Sichuan to satay

Beat Your Own Path – plot your day using detailed maps of the city

Get Out Of Town – head out from the high-rises and explore the city’s surrounds
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Price: $7.98 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Singapore, 1939: life on the eve of World War II just isn't what it used to be for Walter Blackett, head of British Singapore's oldest and most powerful firm. No matter how forcefully the police break one strike, the natives go on strike somewhere else. His daughter keeps entangling herself with the most unsuitable beaus, while her intended match, the son of Blackett's partner, is an idealistic sympathizer with the League of Nations and a vegetarian. Business may be booming—what with the war in Europe, the Allies are desperate for rubber and helpless to resist Blackett's price-fixing and market manipulation—but something is wrong. No one suspects that the world of the British Empire, of fixed boundaries between classes and nations, is about to come to a terrible end.

A love story and a war story, a tragicomic tale of a city under siege and a dying way of life, The Singapore Grip completes the “Empire Trilogy” that began with Troubles and the Booker prize-winning Siege of Krishnapur..
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Turn East-West Relations Into Win-Win Situations

China has more than one billion people. That's one billion potential customers. China Now is your must-have guide to this exciting world of opportunity, written by a top corporate advisor and a renowned business professor who specialize in East-West business strategy. Together, Mark Lam and John Graham have worked with dozens of Fortune 500 companies and thousands of American and Chinese executives, and now share with you their most successful strategies, tactics, and insights.

A comprehensive all-in-one tour of the world's fastest growing market, China Now is filled with everything you need to know about China's people, negotiation styles, culture, history, economics, and business dealings. You'll learn how to plan, where to go, and who to visit for the best results. And, unlike other books on the market, you'll discover the key differences between various regions and businesses that could make or break the deal.

China Now includes:

• The best regions to do business
• Nonverbal cues and culture-based signals
• Important travel, meeting, and personnel tips
• Laws and regulations on customs, foreign trade, and investment
• Protecting your intellectual property rights

Even if you've read Sun Tsu's The Art of War, this book will help you master the art of peaceful negotiations-and establish long-term partnerships that profit everyone involved. The advice you'll find here is not only invaluable; it's absolutely essential to the future of your business.

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Price: $12.95 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Culture Smart! provides essential information on attitudes, beliefs and behavior in different countries, ensuring that you arrive at your destination aware of basic manners, common courtesies, and sensitive issues. These concise guides tell you what to expect, how to behave, and how to establish a rapport with your hosts. This inside knowledge will enable you to steer clear of embarrassing gaffes and mistakes, feel confident in unfamiliar situations, and develop trust, friendships, and successful business relationships.

Culture Smart! offers illuminating insights into the culture and society of a particular country. It will help you to turn your visit-whether on business or for pleasure-into a memorable and enriching experience. Contents include


* customs, values, and traditions
* historical, religious, and political background
* life at home
* leisure, social, and cultural life
* eating and drinking
* do's, don'ts, and taboos
* business practices
* communication, spoken and unspoken


"Culture Smart has come to the rescue of hapless travellers." Sunday Times Travel

"... the perfect introduction to the weird, wonderful and downright odd quirks and customs of various countries." Global Travel

"...full of fascinating-as well as common-sense-tips to help you avoid embarrassing faux pas." Observer

"...as useful as they are entertaining." Easyjet Magazine

"...offer glimpses into the psyche of a faraway world." New York Times
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