A Life Less Ordinary

by Wong Kim Hoh

A Life Less Ordinary made its debut in The Sunday Times in May 2003 and immediately captured public imagination. In this volume, veteran journalist Wong Kim Hoh shares with us the triumphs, joys, heartaches and struggles of ordinary Singaporeans who have, by sheer force of will, lived their lives in ways that make them extraordinary. This book offers a glimpse into the colourful world of some Singaporeans. Read about the real life stories * the eccentric ex-commando who eats out of a maggot-infested pot of rice * the woman who specialises in make-up for the dead * the man who almost became a woman * the ex-convict turned scholar * and many more ...

192 pages, Paperback

Published September 12, 2005

About the author

Wong Kim Hoh is a senior writer with The Straits Times. He has published It Changed My Life (2015), a compilation of his interviews with inspiring Singaporeans for two of his best-known series for The Sunday Times: ‘Wong Kim Hoh Meets’ and ‘It Changed My Life’. He has also published three other books. The first, A Life Less Ordinary, is a compilation of his award-winning columns on extraordinary Singaporeans in The Sunday Times in 2005. In 2009 and 2011, he collaborated with the Singapore Prison Service to write Criminal Intent and Criminal Intent 2. The books comprise in-depth interviews with inmates currently serving time for crimes ranging from rape to criminal breach of trust. Kim Hoh is also a scriptwriter and frequent collaborator with respected Singaporean filmmaker, Eric Khoo. He co-penned/scripted Khoo’s Be With Me, No Day Off, My Magic and Recipe. Be With Me was the opening film for the Directors’ Fortnight section at the Cannes Film Festival in 2005 and won the Best Screenplay at the Belgium International Film Festival in the same year. My Magic made local history by being the first Singaporean film to compete for the Palm D’or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2008.

Reviews

[Imas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kisah kehidupan orang-orang biasa di Singapura. Orang-orang biasa yang menjalani hidupnya dengan tidak biasa, gigih dan penuh perjuangan sehingga mereka bukan lah hanya sekedar orang-orang biasa. Mereka orang-orang memenangkan hidup dengan tidak mudah.

[alexis phoenix · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some stories touched my heart more than others. The biggest lesson I took away - My problems are small, compared what these people had to go through

[Sally Bosch · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful find! I couldn't put it down until I had finished it.
This book is filled with the stories of fascinating people - all Singaporeans.
I can't wait to re-donate it to my local SPCA, where I found it a few days ago, laid out on a table labelled 'Extraordinary reads' - so that someone else can enjoy these interesting stories about unusual people.

[Rany Handayani · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book because it's so ordinary. It's real.