Inside Southeast Asia by Niels Mulder

Picture and details amazon.co.uk

Started reading 5 September 2006
Finished reading 25 September 2006

A study on the religion, everyday life and cultural change in Thailand, Java and the Philippines. The author starts with the history of religion in the three different societies and expands on the effects it has on everyday life and culture. The three societies may look different at first glance but there are underlying similarities in life attitudes of the population. The way each member of the society faces everyday challenges and their interaction with their counterparts and superiors find some common ground across the borders. This is despite the different historical background of each society. But they cannot be lumped together as one common trait since each society has evolved its own mechanisms adapted to their own unique space.
A good read for anyone who wants to have some background material on the three societies but since this book was first published in 1996, a more current update might be useful especially with the advent of the internet. It would be interesting to find how the internet has changed the societies.

Hotel World by Ali Smith

Picture and details randomhouse

Started reading 31 August 2006
Finished reading 4 September 2006

Clever use of different writing styles pulls the reader into the story from the first few pages. The hotel is the focus of a girl killed in a fall, her sister and three others. Each character’s voice is written in a different style highlighting their different life experiences. The reader might be able to identify with their experiences as their stories unfold.