Emperor's Old Clothes by Jake van der Kamp ISBN 9789889706111 | Paperback | Chameleon Press | August 2004 | HK$129 Buy this book from Paddyfield.com

'Our Emperor was not actually naked on his parade. He was wearing a raincoat. He was naked underneath, however, no shirt, no trousers, no hat, no socks, no shoes and, I think it at least possible, no underwear either. It was also a very plain raincoat and very worn. He was perfectly aware that he tempted Fate in emulating the story of the Emperor’s new clothes. Equally, he wanted the parallel made. The difference was that he had not fooled himself with the new clothes he wore on the parade. An old raincoat was exactly what he wanted to wear and the risk that he took in doing it paid it off. That day marked the greatest triumph of his life.' In The Emperor's Old Clothes, a senior civil servant tells a series of cautionary tales on the perils of big government in the Republic of Loranor, as its well-intentioned Emperor finds the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. This modern retelling of the classic fable by the South China Morning Post’s ace financial columnist Jake van der Kamp will strike a chord with anyone who has despaired at the workings of bureaucracy, and examines why things so often go wrong when politicians try to make everyone happy.

Author's Web Site Review: The Asian Review of Books