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A review by slightlyliterary
Air-Conditioned Nation Revisited by Cherian George
5.0
Air-Conditioned Nation Revisited is an anthology of 37 essays written by Cherian George over the past 20 years. Flitting between 2000 and 2017, we see how the political landscape and people of Singapore have changed over time, with George succinctly covering each issue with grace and expertise.
While a lot of his essays are littered with his own subjective opinions, he introduces the elements to the issues and various viewpoints to the reader as well, allowing us to formulate our own grasp of the topic of discussion (something I really appreciated). Additionally, reading this has also led me to discover sides of Singapore politics and history I'd never been exposed to back in school, which resulted in lots of googling in between chapters!
It's an extremely educational, yet easy-going read that encourages Singaporeans to think more deeply about Singapore as a whole, and I'd highly recommend everyone (especially political noobs like me) to take their time and read through this slowly.
Also some chapters that I really liked for my own future reference:
1. Chapter 19: The PAP I can get behind
2. Chapter 20: Future-proofing the PAP
3. Chapter 30: Justice and equality
4. Chapter 36: Voices of conscience
While a lot of his essays are littered with his own subjective opinions, he introduces the elements to the issues and various viewpoints to the reader as well, allowing us to formulate our own grasp of the topic of discussion (something I really appreciated). Additionally, reading this has also led me to discover sides of Singapore politics and history I'd never been exposed to back in school, which resulted in lots of googling in between chapters!
It's an extremely educational, yet easy-going read that encourages Singaporeans to think more deeply about Singapore as a whole, and I'd highly recommend everyone (especially political noobs like me) to take their time and read through this slowly.
Also some chapters that I really liked for my own future reference:
1. Chapter 19: The PAP I can get behind
2. Chapter 20: Future-proofing the PAP
3. Chapter 30: Justice and equality
4. Chapter 36: Voices of conscience