Singapore - Culture Smart!

Like all Culture Smart! books, it acts as a surface-level introduction to a country right from its inception, the people, and things to do, and finally ends with some tips about how to do business or communicate with people.

The book’s first half is quite interesting: it talks about how Singapore came to be, the initial merger with the Federation of Malaysia and the quick subsequent expulsion, and then the rise of a regional superpower. The best of all is how the government tried to promote a multi-ethnic society and how well it gels together today. There’s also how the state is working towards economic mobility of low-income Singaporeans with housing efforts, mandatory provident fund, etc. But there’s the flip side of the coin too, there’s quite an urban divide in Singapore too, it’s just not talked about that often, see This Is What Inequality Looks Like by Teo You Yenn for more on the topic.

I feel a little restless about not reading or knowing about a place I’m planning to visit and Culture Smart! books tend to do just that. I recommend this if you’re of the same mindset but apart from that, as a standalone read, I don’t think it’s going to prove that fruitful.