Singaporean scholar Chua Beng Huat is one of Asia's leading commentators on the sociology of shopping and consumption. In a wide-ranging series of essays he explores the consumption experience in Singapore, whether that be hanging out at the town centre McDonalds, riding the escalator at Ngee Ann City, or learning how to look at price tags at Prada. Why do powerful women wear cheongsam? What is the symbolic significance of Peranakan food in Singapore? What do locally made films say about class in Singapore?