In this fully updated 4th edition of his ever-popular Crossroads, Jim Baker adds new analysis following the watershed 2018 general elections in Malaysia and reviews the policies and impact of the next generation of Singapore’s leaders. The original text, which traces the complex currents of history and politics of Malaysia and Singapore—neighbours with a common past—has also been revised to re-evaluate events in the context of new historical findings and perspectives. From Srivijaya to British colony to modern states, this is “history without tears” (The New Straits Times). “A must-read” — Ken Whiting, former Associated Press Singapore Bureau Chief “Baker’s thrilling book profits from his refusal to separate Singapore’s history from Malaysia’s. What we get is a broad story filled with surprising details drawn from his own experiences and from other scholarly works and told in an easy and captivating style.” — Dr Ooi Kee Beng, Senior Fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore "Jim Baker’s Crossroads is bound to raise more than a few eyebrows in more than a few quarters. His book presents a side of history not many may be aware of or even want to know … it is as thought-provoking as it is enlightening.” — The Sun

Tall Tales of Malaysia is a collection of 18 vivid and memorable short stories about life in the Federation of Malaysia. The stories vary greatly in scope and theme. However, taken together, they capture the distinctive flavour of the people and states that make up modern Malaysia, its exotic rainforest, its diverse races, its indigenous people and their belief in ghosts, djinns and bomohs. There is a good deal of flashback to the colonial era and some mention of the legacy issues which still remain. The stories are entirely fictional and belong to the rich oral tradition of storytelling across Southeast Asia. Tall Tales of Malaysia are refreshingly different. They are gripping and a joy to read.

First published by Landmark Books in 1993, Green is the Colour explores how people of different races face the challenges of living together. The story centres on Yun Ming and Siti Sara falling in love with each other in the post-1969 period in Malaysia. Both characters are not only from different racial backgrounds and faiths but are also married to different people. In addition, Siti Sara’s father is a respected religious figure. How do the protagonists resolve their excruciatingly different circumstances in their fight to stay together?

In this fully updated, second edition of Crossroads, Jim Baker adds two new chapters that bring Malaysia and Singapore into the middle of the first decade of the 21st century. The original text (which traces the complex currents of history and politics of Malaysia and Singapore—neighbours with a common past) is also revised to re-evaluate events in the context of an expanded history. “Jim Baker’s Crossroads is bound to raise more than a few eyebrows in more than a few quarters. His book presents a side of history not many may be aware of or even want to know … it is as thought-provoking as it is enlightening.” — The Sun (on the first edition). “Baker’s thrilling book profits from his refusal to separate Singapore’s history from Malaysia’s. What we get is a broad story filled with surprising details drawn from his own experiences and from other scholarly works, and told in an easy and captivating style.” — Dr Ooi Kee Beng, Fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore

Rising densities of human settlements, migration and transport to reduce distances to market, and specialization and trade facilitated by fewer international divisions are central to economic development. The transformations along these three dimensions density, distance, and division are most noticeable in North America, Western Europe, and Japan, but countries in Asia and Eastern Europe are changing in ways similar in scope and speed. 'World Development Report 2009: Reshaping Economic Geography' concludes that these spatial transformations are essential, and should be encouraged. The conclusion is not without controversy. Slum-dwellers now number a billion, but the rush to cities continues. Globalization is believed to benefit many, but not the billion people living in lagging areas of developing nations. High poverty and mortality persist among the world's 'bottom billion', while others grow wealthier and live longer lives. Concern for these three billion often comes with the prescription that growth must be made spatially balanced. The WDR has a different message: economic growth is seldom balanced, and efforts to spread it out prematurely will jeopardize progress. The Report: documents how production becomes more concentrated spatially as economies grow. proposes economic integration as the principle for promoting successful spatial transformations. revisits the debates on urbanization, territorial development, and regional integration and shows how today's developers can reshape economic geography.

In this fully updated 4th edition of his ever-popular Crossroads, Jim Baker adds new analysis following the watershed 2018 general elections in Malaysia and reviews the policies and impact of the next generation of Singapore's leaders. The original text, which traces the complex currents of history and politics of Malaysia and Singapore--neighbours with a common past--has also been revised to re-evaluate events in the context of new historical findings and perspectives. From Srivijaya to British colony to modern states, this is "history without tears" (The New Straits Times). "A must-read" -- Ken Whiting, former Associated Press Singapore Bureau Chief "Baker's thrilling book profits from his refusal to separate Singapore's history from Malaysia's. What we get is a broad story filled with surprising details drawn from his own experiences and from other scholarly works and told in an easy and captivating style." -- Dr Ooi Kee Beng, Senior Fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore "Jim Baker's Crossroads is bound to raise more than a few eyebrows in more than a few quarters. His book presents a side of history not many may be aware of or even want to know ... it is as thought-provoking as it is enlightening." -- The Sun

In this fully updated, third edition of Crossroads, Jim Baker adds new information following recent government elections in Malaysia and reviews the policies and impact of the next generation of Singapore leaders