Marina Mahathir is one of Malaysia's most fascinating voices: compassionate, outspoken, liberated and unabashedly liberal, usually generous, sometimes wicked, never parochial and always proudly Malaysian.

Marina's 'Musings' columns for The Star newspaper are a talking point in Malaysia's capital and throughout the country. They began as a regular personal commentary on Marina's everyday life as a mother, but as time went on the range expanded. Her writing came to touch on, and often debate, vital issues of national and global importance, and are eagerly read by a huge public.

As a mother, a committed AIDS worker, daughter of the Prime Minister, publisher and activist, Marina engages directly with the troubles and triumphs of Malaysian society as it reaches towards a new millennium.

This book collects the best of these columns between 1991 and 1997, and Marina herself introduced the pieces, putting them into perspective.