The city in time: contemporary art and urban form in Vietnam and Cambodia

with living pawangs. These are especially valuable as they provide a greater understanding of the earlier material, and enabled texts and concepts to be clarified. A Glossary of Malay terms, and details of the manuscripts and archival sources consulted, follows the Conclusion. As manuscripts are one of the main sources that were used in the research and provide the basis for many of the arguments, it would have been useful to have the original Malay texts included within the book. In some instances, English translations of phrases and passages are used, but the Malay equivalents are not given. The inclusion of these texts would have helped further support the arguments provided, and they would make the book even more valuable as an academic resource since many of them have yet to be published. The book contains ten black and white photographs of various subjects, including pawangs, manuscripts and shrines. More images like these might have given more flavour to the individuals, activities and places discussed. Altogether, Miracles and Material Life has ably demonstrated the importance of the pawang in Malaya during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Indeed the main impression that can be gained was how many economic activities had a spiritual dimension, hence the central role played by the pawangs. Perhaps this will lead to a similar approach being applied to historical research on other industries (such as manufacturing and fishing), which would help provide a more holistic view of the economic and social aspects of Malayan life during this period.