Get refreshed with these latest reads in the midst of this busy semester.
Title: Secret Singapore
Authors: Heidi Sarna and Jerome Lim
No. of pages: 253
Call No.: DS608.8 Sar
This book is emphatically not a dry list of places to visit, with some nuggets of information thrown in at random.
Instead, the authors delight in highlighting little-known details of structures (for example, the lion sculptures on Elgin Bridge) and arousing readers’ curiosity to seemingly out-of-place objects – what is that arrow doing in the middle of the Symphony Lake in the Singapore Botanic Gardens? Still on arrows, why are there arrows etched into the brick steps at the Plant House?
A well-researched book, and recommended for those interested in finding out more about the history behind the history of Singapore.
Title: Stay Curious!: A Brief History of Stephen Hawking
Authors: Kathleen Krull and Paul Brewer
No. of pages: (Unpaged)
Call No.: QC16.H33 Kru
Once the reader is introduced to Stephen Hawking’s family, his parents’ love of reading and doing unusual things such as keeping bees in the basement and making fireworks in the greenhouse, it is easy to see how his sense of curiosity and adventure developed. And adult readers who are maths educators would be especially pleased to know that it was a maths teacher who led the young Stephen Hawking into the world of physics to become one of the 20th century’s most famous physicists.
Recommended for curious primary schoolchildren who also enjoy tinkering and exploring!
Title: The Power of Fun: How to Feel Alive Again
Author: Catherine Price
No. of pages: 336
Call No.: BF717 Pri
This is admittedly a rather serious book to be writing about fun. However, the author, an award-wining journalist and speaker, has the laudable intention of weaning readers off “fake fun” such as binge-watching shows or being glued to our mobile devices. She emphasises that “true fun” is best experienced when playfulness, connection (with other people) and flow all come together.
Readers may like to dip into this book and weigh for themselves what will work for them and what might not, and, hopefully, have fun doing so!