A book intending to show the current state of dynamism in Viet Nam, capturing changes in the economy, society and culture as seen through the eyes of ordinary people, has just been released in Singapore.— VNS Photo Viet Hai

SINGAPORE (VNS)— A book intending to show the current state of dynamism in Viet Nam, capturing changes in the economy, society and culture as seen through the eyes of ordinary people, has just been released in Singapore.

It's a Living: Work and Life in Viet Nam Today is a collection of over 60 interviews with Vietnamese people currently living both within and outside the country.

The interviews were conducted by Prof Gerald Sasges, who lived in Viet Nam between 2000 and 2011, and works at the National University of Singapore's Southeast Asia Studies Department. He completed the book with the assistance of some of his students.

The researchers interviewed a wide range of subjects of various ages and occupations in order to capture their thoughts on their careers and and their life, as well as their hopes and dreams.

Sasges said the most important message of the book was that all jobs were as meaningful as one another and everyone, from gabbage collectors to advertising clerks, aimed for a better life.

Photographs in the book, taken by Mai Huyen Chi, were displayed at the IPA Photo Book Show being held at the Singapore National Museum over the weekend.

The book, released at Select Books house and published by Singapore National University Publishers, was a joint project between California University and Ha Noi University undertaken in 2010.

The hard copy version of the book can be bought at bookshelves in Singapore and an electronic edition has been released on Apple iTunes. — VNS