perrytong.blogspot.com
http://parlerment.blogspot.com/2006/07/language-cleansing-evils-of-speak.html

ahh! so late!
Read the blogs, read the books (ah, books are insufficient now. to keep up with modern and ever changing views of casual people, blogs and newspaper forums will come in handy), and you know what? You should talk to people about these issues. Have a discussion.

Of course, A Sleepwalking Land is getting very boring. It is written in such a strange format, all allegorical. But perhaps in such a book, the content is less important than the language and descriptions that portray a set of mentalities - in this case African mentality, though not generalized. For Russian mentalities of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Dostoevsky is always available for reading. *wink wink*

Unless you've got the time, perhaps that should wrap up "African studies" for now, having Things Fall Apart completed as well. For further readings in the future, search for the "12 best African novels" online and add Arrow of God.

For "Economic studies", there is an insane amount to be done. Moreover, it is constantly on-going and evolving. Start with Hot, Flat & Crowded to level the playing field. To know what other business oriented people might be influenced by and therefore are more inclined to think, reading the top books based on sales may be a good start. Freakanomics seemed popular, although it may not be my taste. I think it would be useful to learn the history behind the modern system of money and banking and a book from the Mises Institute may be fitting for this. I also suggest reading The Post American World.

"Linguistic studies" will be definitely useful and interesting as I continue my university education in this field. Its concepts can be applied to any language being learned to make it much more interesting. There is also a treasure in my possession and that is Singlish. Studies have surely been made on this creole language and it will serve well for a Singaporean interested in linguistics to analyze Singlish.

"International Relations", "Political studies" and "History" will also account for a wealth of knowledge. Knowledge about Singapore in every aspect is essential to becoming a good commentator of the country and its policies. Areas like its "Speak Mandarin, No Speak Dialect" or equivalent campaign can be scrutinized, observing "social engineering" and attempted "linguicide" as quoted from other sources. Its education system and policies will be a very interesting area for critical analysis.

Night makes a great book to be read not only because of its international fame but also because its author is a professor at my university.

Public Opinion by Walter Lippmann.