What We Read, And Why

Synopsis

What We Read, and Why is for anyone who has wondered how to make sense of our bewildering, fast-changing world. How do we cope with the welter of information all around us? How do we tell fact from fiction, given the proliferation of misleading or fake news, videos, and content? The answer is simple: we must read and develop our ability to think critically. In this book, we will read from people who do so. In personal essays, business, political, media and community leaders, as well as parents, teachers and students who share what they read, and why — to learn and know, to grow, to go places, to feel and give, but most of all, to live!

About The Authors

Warren Fernandez has loved reading and writing for as long as he can remember. From The Cat in the Hat to To Kill a Mockingbird, and favorites ranging from Murakami novels to works by Shakespeare, books have shaped the way he thinks, works, and leads. They sparked ideas that carried him from reporter to Editor-In-Chief of The Straits Times and President of the World Editors Forum. Today, as a Senior Fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, he continues to read widely to engage with ideas, issues and people, while serving on Singapore's Public Service Commission and as Deputy Chair of the National Library Board. The title for his essay in this volume sums it up simply: Reading Made Me.

Table of Content

• Foreword
• Introduction
• Read to Know:
  • Lee Hsien Loong
  • Goh Swee Chen
  • Arthur Lang
  • Wahab Yusoff
  • Sandra Davie
  • Heng Swee Keat
  • Steven Sim Chee Keong
  • Rohit Brijnath
  • Walid Jumblatt
  • Thomas Jacob
  • Mazuin Zin
  • Ravi Velloor
  • Tan Kong Yam
  • Melanie Khow
  • Collen Yau
• Read to Grow:
  • Bhagyashree Garekar
  • Violet Oon
  • Chitra Rajaram
  • Puty Puar
  • David Walmsley
  • Rakesh Thukral
  • Low Shi Ping
  • Alexander Chua
  • Jason Leow
  • Lee Jun Kai, Jia Ying and Jun Yi
  • Zachary Wong
  • Alison Lye
• Read to Go:
  • Zakir Hussain
  • Kahchun Wong
  • Vikram Khanna
  • Ken Choi
  • Hoo Cher Mou
  • Julie Hoo
  • Ooi Kee Beng
  • Cian Sacker Ooi
  • Farah Nadine Seth
  • Andrea Pasion-Flores
  • Hairianto Diman
• Read to Feel:
  • Daniel Fung
  • Irene Ng
  • Angie Chew
  • Tan Tai Yong
  • Serene Cai
  • William Choong
• Read to Give:
  • Tommy Koh
  • Ng Cher Pong
  • Beatrice Chia-Richmond
  • Joseph Chinyong Liow
  • Siva Govindasamy
  • Priscilla Tan
  • Irene Hoe
• Read to Live:
  • Warren Fernandez
  • Asad Latif
  • Kumar Ramakrishna
  • Leong Ching
  • Jo Osorio
  • Sumiko Tan
  • Edson Tandoc Jr
  • Leslie Koh
  • Deborah Koh
  • Charissa Yong
  • Ho Seng Chee
  • Sunaina Kura
  • Krist Boo
  • Rex Heng
  • Simon Lee
  • Loh Chin Ee
  • Manu Bhaskaran
  • Haslina Hassan
• Parting Words
• List of Contributors