Status Updates From Goh Keng Swee: A Portrait

Excellent read to gain insights on the early developments of Singapore and also the reasoning behind some of the most successful policies, landmarks (jurong bird park, SAFTI etc) and organizations. Must read for civil servants!

I dont really understand why the author decided that referring to the titular figure across the whole book was a good idea. It's jarring and gives the whole text a very weird, mechanical quality, as if she were writing more about some departmental store. "GKS did this, this was GKS' father, GKS felt that"

(Im reading this vook in segments) p.90: bruhhhh...she used "socialist" synomymously with "communist"....cannot la....how can like that....what the HECK

["socialist infiltration was widespread in politics, unions, factories, and even schools"]

The writing is insipidly descriptive, hopping from one event to the next with little pause for contemplation or elaboration. One gets the sense Tan is more interested in listing than in narrating. Goh's stint at the PPD is also strangely missing.