FOOD FOR THOUGHT

The Complete Works of Shakespeare, William Shakespeare

Sungei Buloh prison on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur may never again have such a celebrated inmate. Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia's onetime premier-in-waiting, is being held there during his trial for sodomy and corruption. Life behind bars, however, has not given him a taste for escapist fiction. So what has he been dipping into? Perhaps Shahnon Ahmad's Ranjau Sepanjang Jalan (No Harvest But a Thorn)? In a note to Asiaweek, Anwar says he has turned to the Bard - his solicitor supplied him with "an elegant edition" of The Complete Works of Shakespeare. "Solitude has helped me see more in my favorite tragedies than I ever did before," he writes. "My concentration becomes especially keen when I come to passages that have a bearing on my current tribulations." Othello and King Lear figure prominently. But it is the trial of Hermione in The Winter's Tale that he seems to identify with most. Because of the villainous Leontes, she can only throw herself "to the mercy of Providence." Anwar quotes Hermione: "If I shall be condemned/ Upon surmises, all proofs sleeping else/ But what your jealousies awake, I tell you/ 'Tis rigour and not law." He concludes, "How surreal!"

CATHERINE LIM

Consilience, Edward O. Wilson

Can it be that pursuit of creativity inevitably leads to a clash with officialdom? Catherine Lim wanted to write, and did. By the time she published her 12th book in 1994, the author had become almost as well known as a critic of Singapore's heavy-handed government. As a writer "on the fringe," Lim was struck by U.S. biologist Edward Wilson's lively thesis - Consilience: the Unity of Knowledge. "It is so daring," says Lim, "an ambitious attempt to have a unifying theory, not just for science, but for the arts, humanities, religion." Was it persuasive? The exposition was too much of a "grand gesture" to convince Lim. Even so, the breadth of knowledge is impressive. Enthused by the energy and sweep of the book, Lim says: "I loved it."

MATHIAS WOO

Good City Form, Kevin Lynch

Hong Kong theater group Zuni Icosahedron is no respecter of boundaries - between mediums (mixing drama and video, for example), or between public debate and performance. That's just how Mathias Woo likes it. One of Zuni's prime movers, Woo, 30, trained as an architect but gave that up for cultural work. Still, his book choice recalls his background: Good City Form by Kevin Lynch, an influential figure in urban-planning. "All mayors should read this," says Woo. "It teaches them not to be dictatorial." Although it was first published in 1981, Woo still finds the arguments relevant. "As Asian economies suffer in the hands of speculators, so do cities," he says. Consider the property bubbles. Lynch emphasizes cities that are responsive to human needs. Woo adds to that a call for governments to "stop destroying street life [small shops, markets] and replacing them with malls and warehouse-like structures." A must-read for Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa?

KAN NAOTO

The Path to Power, Margaret Thatcher

The popular leader of Japan's opposition Democratic Party, Kan Naoto, has a taste for history, especially books by the late Shiba Ryotaro. On the political spectrum, Kan, 52, stands closer to Tony Blair than Margaret Thatcher. All the same, he felt greatly stimulated by the Iron Lady's biography, The Path to Power. Her strong stance and persistence in pushing through her policies is "impressive." This spirit, Kan feels, is sadly lacking in Japanese leaders, especially during negotiations with other nations: "The book reminded me that principles are very important, especially at this time of political uncertainty."

MANJULA PADMANABHAN

Memoirs of a Geisha, Arthur Golden

Her drawings have livened up more than 20 children's books. Besides a newspaper column, Manjula Padmanabhan's creativity extends to short stories and drama too. In fact, the Delhi-based illustrator's fifth play won a $250,000 international culture prize in Greece last year. Among the works that stand out in Manjula's 1998 reading is the Arthur Golden novel, Memoirs of a Geisha. The tale of a geisha in pre-war Kyoto, it details the intrigue and silk-lined luxury of the floating world. "Perhaps because the author is a man and an American, there is a freshness in what cinematographers called POV - Point of View," says Manjula. "It's a bit like seeing a Japanese woodcut rendered as a color photograph, but the smooth efficiency of the story-telling overcomes resistance." Golden's village girl who becomes a geisha captivates "from page one."

DEWI FORTUNA ANWAR

Palace Walk, Naguib Mahfouz

She's accustomed to women speaking up. After all, Dewi Fortuna Anwar is a Minang - they form the world's largest surviving matrilineal society. That may explain how the political scientist gravitated toward her post as spokesperson for President B.J. Habibie. An avid reader, Dewi says she can't remember which book she liked best. Her well-stocked shelves include V.S. Naipaul's Beyond Belief: Islamic Excursions Among the Converted People (in which she appears often in the chapter on Indonesia), and Spin Cycle: Inside the Clinton Propaganda Machine (a gift from a journalist). And there's Palace Walk, the first book in the Cairo Trilogy by Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz. "It's about the hypocrisy of a man who is a real tyrant at home - very religious, upright, feared - but the soul of the party outside," Dewi says. "The language is very rich."

MARINA MAHATHIR

Reviving Ophelia, Mary Pipher

Malaysia's famously liberal Premier daughter, Marina Mahathir, had a hectic year. Between her AIDS work, newspaper columns and p.r. firm, there's barely time to read. Then there was her marriage to photographer Tara Sosrowardoyo. Among the books she fitted in, one had special relevance: Reviving Ophelia, in which psychologist Mary Pipher discusses teenage girls' growing pains. "There is a vested interest because I have an 11-year-old daughter [from a previous marriage]," she says. The conclusions were "a bit frightening." In trying to conform to the ideal of being "thin, sexy and shapely," girls often end up with such problems as anorexia and bulimia. Marina once thought these were mostly issues in the West. No more.

MARILOU DIAZ-ABAYA

Cool Memories, Jean Baudrillard

The head of the Philippine directors' guild, Marilou Diaz-Abaya, is a tireless advocate for quality local films. This year's crop of movies has been boosted by her own work: In the Navel of the Sea, an award-winning film about a man who takes over his mother's midwifery practice, and her well-researched epic on the nationalist hero Jose Rizal. For Diaz-Abaya, one book has become an intellectual bible over the past two years: Cool Memories by French social theorist Jean Baudrillard. A "philosophical analysis of world culture" sounds heavy going, but "nothing has surpassed its attention-grabbing quality so far," raves Diaz-Abaya. In fact, it's an enjoyable read. Still, you need time to digest the material. Which is why she reads just a page each day.

KORN DABBARANGSI

The Biography of Venerable Acharn Mun, Mun Bhuridatta Thera

Politics can bring out the worst in people. Thai Deputy Prime Minister Korn Dabbarangsi would like to think he has the answer: Buddhism. Of the stacks of books by his bed, the one that he most enjoyed was The Biography of Venerable Acharn Mun. The late Mun Bhuridatta Thera (acharn means teacher) is probably the most respected Buddhist monk in Thailand. And his life is an "inspiration," says Korn, who leads the Chart Pattana Party. He appreciates the monk's renunciation of power and materialism. Amid the confusion of a politician's life, Korn says, the reading helps him to "barricade" himself away from the three evils - greed, obsession and anger.