Superbaker's Ping picks his favourite books.
Superbaker have gained a reputation for intelligent pop music over the years. In particular, their most recent album, 2015’s Beside You, boasts some of the catchiest and most literate pop music around. So it’s no surprise to learn that the band members themselves are so fond of books.
Guitarist Wishnu Pumitavorn (Ping) is an avid reader. He first got into books in his high school years when he had to read novels as part of his studies. He fell in love with reading and hasn’t stopped since. Nowadays, when Superbaker are on tour, there are two things that Ping never forgets to pack — his guitar and some quality reading material.
S Weekly asked the guitarist to share some of his favourite titles with us.
Tang Lok (Moment of Inertia) (2009)
Worapoj Phanpong
“Worapoj is a renowned columnist and essayist. In particular, he’s famous for his reflections on life. To me, Tang Lok reads like Worapoj’s personal diary, recording some of the most important moments in his life. The book made me feel like I was looking back at my younger self. Every line is very clever and the book tells a moving and entertaining story about humanity.”
Meetings With Remarkable People (2008)
Osho
“Our singer Golf recommended this book to me. Osho was one of the most influential spiritual leaders of the 20th century. In this book, he uses messages from many of mankind’s most important religious figures, like Buddha, Krishna and Jesus, as well as revered poets and philosophers. Meetings With Remarkable People taught me that, with all of the ideas and faiths out there, we have to think carefully before we decide what to believe in. It’s a very good read for students, especially those with an interest in philosophy and spirituality.”
The Hippie Movement (1970)
Rong Wongsawan
“I remember getting this book as a gift from one of my friends at university. I was just getting into Rong Wongsawan at the time. He was a really important writer. The Hippie Movement is about the radical youth movement that emerged in Western countries during the ‘60s. It had an enormous effect on culture, influencing music, film, literature and the arts. The movement spread all around the world, including to Thailand. This book focuses mainly on the hippie philosophy. I didn’t fully understand it until the second time I read it. But it’s worth the effort.”
Arpes Kamsuan (1994)
Win Lyovarin
“Arpes Kamsuan is a collection of short stories by Win Lyovarin. It was the first S.E.A. Write Award-winning book that I read. I had to study it at school and it just blew me away. I’d never read anything that had such a unique style of storytelling. There’s a wide variety of genres — romance, adventure, crime, mystery, detective story — and they’re all great.”
Inside Petch Phra Uma Part One (2011)
Phanom Tian
Petch Phra Uma is probably the most famous series of Thai adventure novels. The first book came out in the ‘60s and tells the story of a group of explorers who hunt for the great Phra Uma diamond deep in the jungle. Anybody who thinks they’d enjoy an adventure story mixed with elements of mystery, thriller and the supernatural will love Petch Phra Uma. Inside Petch Phra Uma Part One gives a lot of background about the author and the novel. It helps you understand and enjoy the story much more.”
