Best Books of 2008

Reading is a good habit which opens the mind. For the time spent in reading the writings of another, we are exposed to the structured thoughts of another person. But inasmuch as a good book advances the mentality of its readers, a bad book will potentially poison and malign the thoughts of its readers. Misinformed ideas, malicious misrepresentations, and generally detrimental writing, can survive great wars and become the root of misguided schools of thought. Therefore it is important to select good books. Here are two lists of "Top Books of 2008".

List Compiled By The Economist

Politics and current affairs

1. The Rise and Fall of the Islamic State. By Noah Feldman.
2. A Choice of Enemies: America Confronts the Middle East. By Lawrence Freedman.
3. Britain Since 1918: The Strange Career of British Democracy. By David Marquand.
4. The Three Trillion Dollar War: The True Cost of the Iraq Conflict. By Joseph E. Stiglitz and Linda J. Bilmes.
5. The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned into a War on American Ideals. By Jane Mayer.
6. Law and the Long War: The Future of Justice in the Age of Terror. By Benjamin Wittes.
7. India: The Emerging Giant. By Arvind Panagariya.
8. Dinner with Mugabe: The Untold Story of a Freedom Fighter Who Became a Tyrant. By Heidi Holland.

Economics and Business

1. The Trillion Dollar Meltdown: Easy Money, High Rollers, and the Great Credit Crash. By Charles R. Morris.
2. Capitalism with Chinese Characteristics: Entrepreneurship and the State. By Yasheng Huang.
3. When Markets Collide: Investment Strategies for the Age of Global Economic Change. By Mohamed El-Erian.
4. The Venturesome Economy: How Innovation Sustains Prosperity in a More Connected World. By Amar Bhidé.
5. The Logic of Life: The Rational Economics of an Irrational World. By Tim Harford.
   
6. Grown Up Digital: How the Net Generation is Changing Your World. By Don Tapscott.
   
7. Globality: Competing with Everyone from Everywhere for Everything.  By Hal Sirkin, Jim Hemerling and Arindam Bhattacharya.
   
8. The Partnership: The Making of Goldman Sachs. By Charles D. Ellis.
   

History

1. The Return of History and the End of Dreams. By Robert Kagan.
   
2. A Splendid Exchange: How Trade Shaped the World.  By William J. Bernstein.
   
3. Freedom for the Thought that We Hate: A Biography of the First Amendment. By Anthony Lewis.
   
4. The Age of Wonder: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science. By Richard Holmes.
5. Masters and Commanders: How Roosevelt, Churchill, Marshall and Alanbrooke Won the War in the West. By Andrew Roberts.
   
6. Out of Mao’s Shadow: The Struggle for the Soul of a New China. By Philip P. Pan.
   
7. Modern China: The Fall and Rise of a Great Power, 1850 to the Present. By Jonathan Fenby.
   
8. The White War: Life and Death on the Italian Front 1915-1919. By Mark Thompson.
   
9. The Blackest Streets: The Life and Death of a Victorian Slum. By Sarah Wise.
   
10. Empires of the Sea: The Siege of Malta, the Battle of Lepanto, and the Contest for the Centre of the World. By Roger Crowley.
    
11. American Rifle: A Biography. By Alexander Rose.
    

Biography

1. Nixonland: The Rise of a President and the Fracturing of America. By Rick Perlstein.
   
2. The World Is What It Is: The Authorised Biography of V.S. Naipaul. By Patrick French.
   
3. Soul of the Age: A Biography of the Mind of William Shakespeare. By Jonathan Bate.
   
4. White Heat: The Friendship of Emily Dickinson & Thomas Wentworth Higginson. By Brenda Wineapple.
   
5. Chagall: A Biography. By Jackie Wullschlager.
   

Science and Technology

1. The Big Necessity: The Unmentionable World of Human Waste and Why It Matters.  By Rose George.
   
2. The Princeton Companion to Mathematics. Edited by Timothy Gowers, June Barrow-Green and Imre Leader.
   
3. Bad Science.  By Ben Goldacre.
   
4. The Sun and the Moon: The Remarkable True Account of Hoaxers, Showmen, Duelling Journalists, and Lunar Man-Bats in Nineteenth-Century New York. By Matthew Goodman.
   
5. Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness. By Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein.
   
6. Fatal Misconception: The Struggle to Control World Population. By Matthew Connelly.
   
7. Gang Leader for a Day: A Rogue Sociologist Takes to the Streets. By Sudhir Venkatesh.
   
   

Culture and Digressions

1. Artists in Exile: How Refugees from Twentieth-Century War and Revolution Transformed the American Performing Arts. By Joseph Horowitz.
   
2. Salon to Biennial: Exhibitions that Made Art History: Volume I, 1863-1959. Edited by Bruce Altshuler.
   
3. The Secret Life of Words: How English Became English. By Henry Hitchings.
   
4. How Fiction Works. By James Wood.
   
5. Delta Blues: The Life and Times of the Mississippi Masters Who Revolutionised American Music. By Ted Gioia.
   
6. Cold Cream: My Early Life and Other Mistakes. By Ferdinand Mount.

Fiction and Memoirs

1. Sea of Poppies: A Novel. By Amitav Ghosh.
   
2. Breath: A Novel. By Tim Winton.
   
3. Lush Life. By Richard Price.
   
4. The Secret Scripture. By Sebastian Barry.
   
5. Fishing in Utopia: Sweden and the Future That Disappeared. By Andrew Brown.
   
6. The Ayatollah Begs to Differ: The Paradox of Modern Iran. By Hooman Majd.
   
7. Palestinian Walks: Forays into a Vanishing Landscape.  By Raja Shehadeh.
   
8. The Three of Us: A Family Story. By Julia Blackburn.
   
   

List Compiled By The New York Times

Fiction

1. Dangerous Laughter: Thirteen Stories. By Steven Millhauser.
   
2. A Mercy. By Toni Morrison.
3. Netherland. By Joseph O'Neill.
4. 2666. By Roberto Bolaño. Translated by Natasha Wimmer.
   
5. Unaccustomed Earth. By Jhumpa Lahiri.

Non-Fiction

1. The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned Into a War on American Ideals. By Jane Mayer.
2. The Forever War. By Dexter Filkins.
3. Nothing To Be Frightened Of. By Julian Barnes.
4. This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War. By Drew Gilpin Faust.
5. The World Is What It Is: The Authorized Biography of V. S. Naipaul. By Patrick French.

Other Lists

If you are buying for a child between the ages of  7 to 18, do check out the top books list of School Library Journal. 

If you like reading classics, do check out Michael Kinsley's list at The Week. 

Manticore Books of Canada also has a selection of compelling and deeply satisfying fiction.

Needed: A Set Of Overriding Guiding Principles

People may remember that before March 8th this year, the mainstream media portrayed Pakatan Rakyat as a motley bunch of vastly different organisations, with disparate backgrounds, and differing ideals and goals. The mainstream media accused Pakatan Rakyat of being nothing more than a marriage of convenience -- one that was set up merely to achieve the numbers needed to put PKR, DAP and PAS into power. Some people have also questioned whether Pakatan Rakyat can be considered to be validly in power, as Pakatan Rakyat itself is not registered as a society and is therefore not lawfully empowered to form the state governments. This, however, is not the question to be addressed in today's post.

Barisan Nasional is a society registered under the Societies Act. It is governed by the Registrar of Societies. (If I am mistaken, kindly correct by leaving me a comment) Its status as the federal government, and also government for several states, is therefore proper.

What is important is that the same allegations that were levelled at Pakatan Rakyat before March 8th, can also be said to be true of Barisan Nasional. Is Barisan a marriage of convenience? A coalition of disparate organisations, with differing goals and ideals? Barisan is made up of fourteen (14) component parties. These component parties do not have altogether similar goals / ideals. The various component parties of Barisan want different things: some want the supremacy of a certain community; others want to ensure the welfare of certain ethnic communities; and yet others seek to realise the existence of a peaceful multiracial, multireligious and multicultural society. In short, it can be said that the Barisan coalition is also, in a manner of speaking, a marriage of convenience.

I once asked somebody whether Barisan Nasional has an official ideology. What did I mean, he asked me. I said that it was simple. The current situation has played itself out again and again. It is clear that supremacy of a certain group is being pushed by one component party only. When other component parties speak up against it, they are accused of acting against the spirit of the Barisan. Similarly, when certain unhealthy policies (that enable the creation of wealth for a small section of a certain community) are questioned, those who raised the issue are again accused of straying from the spirit of Barisan. But when a certain youth leader raises a certain dagger at his party's annual general meeting, the other component parties are told to accept it.

All of these problems would not have arisen in the first place, if Barisan Nasional had an overriding set of principles to guide its leaders. It is crucial that this overriding set of principles be enunciated, so that component parties will know what policies to undertake in unison, and which matters to disagree on (by agreement). It is when we recognise what we agree to disagree, can we demarcate the borders that separate us and our national harmony. In time, we can work out our differences, because we can identify the causes of our problems. Principles such as natural justice, and fairness, and equality, buoyed by the concepts of mutual prosperity, free education, and top notch healthcare, can be a starting point. I am quite certain that we all seek a brighter future for all our descendants, and we all share a hope that civil war will be a remote, far away possibility.

In working out our differences, and establishing a set of overriding principles, the Barisan Nasional must learn to discard the age old mechanism of "closed door discussion". Discussions are meant to be open, because the contents of the discussion ultimately affect the welfare and the future of all citizens of this country. It is not enough to usher everybody into a room, hold a pow-wow session stretching several days, and in the end open the doors just to announce "we have an agreement". What eventually happens is that issues which have been "settled behind closed doors" become issues again, when another youth chief takes over, or when a new president takes over. These new leaders, in search for popularity in their own parties, tend to press the "hot buttons" of racial issues. No doubt, in racial parties, playing the racial card will win these aspiring leaders points, but in the long run this affects the unity and harmony of the component parties. Worse yet, issues which have been debated once before behind closed doors, must necessarily be debated afresh, with certain parties knowing the way the last "closed door discussion" went and having had opportunity to anticipate arguments against them.

If the results of discussions of Barisan Nasional component parties can be compiled, and distilled into guiding principles, the said set of overriding guiding principles that I referred to earlier, can be grown organically. Principles will be added from time to time to the existing set of principles. This can only be beneficial to all component parties, who by now must be quite tired of being dictated to by an overly dominating leader. After all, the whole idea of the Barisan to begin with was the balance between the members of the Alliance, and the other component parties. What has taken place in actual practice is that the non-Alliance component parties of Barisan have exuded only a pale silence, with no disagreement being registered. The fact is that component members of a coalition have as much a right to determine the direction of the coalition. There is a right to voice dissent. The time has come for a new way of doing things. This change will benefit all component members of the Barisan Nasional coalition. Again, I cannot stress enough the benefits that a set of overriding principles can do to facilitate healthy, and principled, discussion amongst component members of the Barisan Nasional. It is time to learn to agree to disagree. And also time to install in place a guiding set of principles that will facilitate constructive discussions.

The following may be of much use for the reader of this post:

1. Bernama, 2nd Dec 2008, All Quarters Should Stop Talking About Malay Supremacy
2. New Straits Times, 1st Dec 2008, "Discuss Touchy Issues In Private"
3. The Sun, 1st Dec 2008, Najib to BN Leaders: Discuss Ketuanan Melayu Issue Internally
   
4. Malaysiakini, 5th Dec 2008, Wan Mutalib: PAS to Capitalise on Infighting in UMNO, BN
5. Malaysiakini, 5th Dec 2008, "Time for BN to hold annual convention"
6. Malaysiakini, 4th Dec 2008, "Ruling party jeopardising racial unity."
7. Malaysiakini, 3rd Dec 2008, Reform of UMNO doubtful, says sacked ex-Minister
8. Malaysiakini, 1st Dec 2008, DPM: Use BN channels to resolve Ketuanan Melayu issue
   

Language and the Malaysian Young

Language has been a sensitive topic in the hot and humid Malaysian climate. It causes some people to sweat just thinking about it. But language in itself is not a controversial topic. It is the championing of language that invariably raises the ire of some quarters. Some people will go to great lengths to ensure the primacy of their language. Mild versions of these efforts may take the form of efforts to promote correct grammar and to encourage speaking of "pure" language. More enthusiastic efforts may take the form of defining and mapping the language. Law and government policies are shaped to ensure that the language remains relevant. More extreme efforts may take the form of criminalizing perceived threats to the language.

It is understandable as language is one of the defining features of a people, and its culture. People get worried that if their language becomes obsolete, so too will their way of life. Eventually the question is enshrining the place of a language so that the culture linked to that language will not disappear. A people is cohesive and united, so the idea goes, when its language is being used. Peculiarities in its culture will continue to survive. These unique features in that culture serve to keep that group of people together. 

In the news today, language makes big news in Germany. German Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is pushing for an amendment to the German constitution. If passed by Parliament, the constitution would be amended to include a new provision: that the official language of the Federal Republic of Germany is German. Apparently Turkish and Arabic are increasingly used by the immigrant population instead of German. (Source: The Telegraph, German Constitution To Be Rewritten Because Of Rise Of Arabic And Turkish - 2nd Dec 2008. Interestingly, the body of the article does not state anything about the rise of Arabic and Turkish. Apparently the writer forgot to address the title.) 

In another report, Otto Wulff of the CDU was quoted (and this may resonate with language purists everywhere): "Language is the most precious jewel of culture. Why shouldn't we protect it in the constitution?" Migrant communities, notably the Turkish population, are not in favour of the move. Kenan Kolat, chairman of the Turkish Community Association, said that the move would be interpreted as an effort towards assimilation. Cem Oezdemir, deputy chairman of Germany's Green Party, had also called for optional Turkish language courses in German schools. (Source: Deutsche Welle, Conservatives Want German Language Protected in Constitution - 2nd Dec 2008) Angela Merkel's personal stand on the matter is that she does not support it, and she is quoted saying: "I don't find it good to put every possible thing into the constitution." (Source: Deutsche Welle, ibid.)

Hans Vorlaender, a political scientist at Dresden's Technical University, was quoted saying that it was an election ploy. While it is obvious that Germany's official language is German, pursuing the point would offend immigrant communities, and also cultural minorities such as Sorbs in Saxony and Danes in Schleswig-Holstein. (Source: Javno (Hungary), German Must Be Enshrined As National Language - 2nd Dec 2008)

Bringing back the point to our Malaysian shores, where a hodge podge of various cultures threatens to breed new cultures, hybrid languages, and hybrid peoples. It is not necessarily a bad thing. To recognise the shift in culture and society, and the emergence of a new hybrid peoples, would be a first step towards dealing with this society. History has shown that hybrid cultures can emerge: The Baba Nyonya, the Chitty, and even the Mamak are recognised communities in the fabric of Malaysian society. Sadly the peculiarities of their communal languages are not being recorded and many will fade with the coming generations, who may not grow up in environments where these languages are spoken. The Ethnologue website lists 516 languages that are nearly extinct. In Malaysia, these "nearly extinct" languages include: Mintil, Orang Kanaq, and Punan Batu. (To be honest, I have never heard of these!) 

The world is getting smaller. This may be a truism. Yet I am reminded that despite sharing the same haircuts and the same taste in music, language sometimes poses barriers in multiracial countries. In the past, when the flow of information was controlled, the lack of communication between communities (due to the different languages preferred by different communities) made it easy to keep the peace. People who didn't understand each other much, did not argue much with each other. When this was exploited for good, the results were commendable. When this was exploited for bad (hence, the word "exploit"), the results were divisive and harmful to nation building.

At crucial junctures of this nation's history, our leaders have sought to work together towards shared goals and shared prosperity. This could not be possible without good communication. Yet many years after emancipation, misinformation, or "double talk", sometimes occur. This may take the form of telling certain portions of society to tolerate, while telling another portion of society that all is well. In the short run, peace remains. But in the long run, the one told to "tolerate" may well reason to himself that there is no point in tolerating what he perceives as a wrong. And when the explosion comes, the one who has been told that all is well, will find that all is not well. 

In my opinion, to promote co-existence of all races in Malaysia, the young should be taught each other's language. This may mean that an Indian boy will learn Mandarin, and a Malay boy will learn Tamil. The Chinese boy may learn Kadazan. Unless I am mistaken, no loss has ever come of learning a new language, and more so a language of another community in this nation. Therefore all students should be required to learn (at their own pace) the languages of major races in this country. If this suggestion were to be realised, there is no doubt that national integration would quickly ensue. Individuals would cease to look upon other individuals as members of the "other", and quickly learn that every individual is, when you look past his colour and his creed, a fellow human being who is very similar to himself. They share similar dreams of building families and accumulating wealth, of providing for their families and educating their children, and living in a country bolstered by strong fundamentals. They abhor war and inflation, and fear joblessness and crime. 

Former Education Director of Sabah, Datuk Kamal Quadra, was quoted saying:

The Government is sincere. Parents can now choose whether they want their children to study in national or vernacular schools. We appreciate the Federal Government's approval for minority languages to be taught in schools. The Kadazan language is now included as a subject in the primary school curriculum in Sabah.

[Source: Daily Express (Sabah), "Teaching Religion Is A Must" - 5th May 2005]

This may be a precedent for future education policy considerations. Young people may see learning their own vernacular language as a boon or a bane. They are motivated by their own reasons. In South Africa, young South Asian students (of Indian origin) have been divided over whether learning Tamil would be of any use. (Source: The Times (South Africa), Youth Divided Over Relevance Of Eastern Languages In South Africa - 30th Nov. 2008) This situation could have been avoided if these young South Asian students had been forced to learn their own vernacular language by way of education syllabus compulsory requirements.

On a side note, it may be speculated that the ability to understand each other was a factor in the formation of the European Union. It is reported that over the past 30 years, primary schools all over Europe have increasingly taught foreign languages to primary school students. The study shows that over 90% of young students in the EU learn English, and additionally learn at least one foreign language by the time they are in primary school. From the report:

While in most cases, children learn a foreign language from the age of eight to 10 years of age, in some cases, there is even an earlier start: in all autonomous communities of Spain, and in Belgium's German speaking community, children learn a foreign language from the age of three.

The countries that include at least one foreign language from the first or second year of compulsory primary education are Italy, Luxembourg, Austria, France, Norway, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Estonia, Finland and Sweden.
[Source: Sofia Echo, Pupils in the EU are learning foreign languages at an earlier age - 21st Nov 2008]

Maybe, one day, when we all understand each other a little better, we will be able to unite in one purpose. We will build this nation into a stronger vehicle to take us into the next fifty years. One prominent Malay politician in the current political landscape used to write on banners, 我们是一家人 (translation: We are one family). The fact that his feats were applauded by members of the Chinese community, shows firmly that multilingualism is the way forward for Malaysia. With so many different communities in this great nation, efforts to make the young speak each others' distinct languages would be akin to giving them the key to the various strongholds that have heretofore contributed to doublespeak. In another time, in the efforts of a future leader, a more progressive educational policy may include optional subjects such as Japanese and Hindi to empower young Malaysians so that they can become global citizens.