Written and illustrated by the pair behind the popular Singapore-based blog The Woke Salaryman, Crash Course on Capitalism & Money: Lessons from the World’s Most Expensive City is now available online and at Fully Booked.
By Edward Tan
The Woke Salaryman, a popular Singaporean personal finance blog with over 470,000 followers on Instagram, has published its first book, Crash Course on Capitalism & Money: Lessons from the World’s Most Expensive City earlier this year. Since its publication in February, it has sold over 10,000 copies.
Founded by writer He Ruiming and illustrator Goh Wei Choon in 2019, The Woke Salaryman has produced over 300 graphic stories and articles on personal finance and money over the past five years. Its page gained popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
In their new book published by Wiley, the duo have compiled their best work over the past five years, along with new bonus content exclusive to the book.
“We believe many young people in major cities probably face similar challenges with each other. And some of us are tired of aimlessly shaking our fists at the world,” said Wei Choon, who illustrates the comics on The Woke Salaryman. “But often the journey towards financial independence is a lonely one. We hope this book sparks conversations with like-minded people who can resonate with it.”
The response from their community has been overwhelmingly positive. The book has taken the number one spot on the Amazon Best Sellers list in Personal Finance every week since it was launched.
While the book is popular among fans of The Woke Salaryman, many new readers have also discovered them through their book. Ruiming, the blog’s main writer, explained the rationale behind publishing the book:
“Most of our readers have probably encountered our content in bits and pieces online. As much as we love social media, it also has its drawbacks: chronological order, sometimes the algorithm reaches you, sometimes it doesn’t. And we don’t think that’s good for storytelling, or understanding. So for this book, we’ve arranged stories in the order we think will be most helpful for a clueless young person to read,” he said.
In a sea of personal books giving all the best strategies on how to manage one’s finances, The Woke Salaryman is offering something different–instead of focusing on what to do, the book wants to explore the question of why.
Through a mix of essays and comics, the book has the ambitious goal of providing readers with the knowledge and mindset to navigate the capitalist system of the world today, by providing different perspectives and hard but necessary truths.
“We’ve created the book we wished we read during our final year in education,” the content creator duo said. “But it’s also for just about anyone ready to accept the realities of the world we currently live in.”
The book has received praise from Kristy Chen, author of Quit Like A Millionaire, who wrote on her blog:
“I found myself re-reading it when I was up at night during my son’s 2 AM nursing sessions, and it felt familiar like talking to an old friend. It also helps that the book has lots of adorable cartoons to explain complex financial topics, making it a joy to read. It’s hard to find a practical financial guide to living your life that’s also empathetic, and this book strikes the perfect balance.”
Though influenced by the Singapore situation, The Woke Salaryman’s content transcends national borders. Outside of their home country, the authors have also held book events in Indonesia and Malaysia, where they have a sizable fanbase. Despite the Singaporean context, their ideas are relatable to many people in Southeast Asian countries — including the Philippines.
The Woke Salaryman hosted an event in Manila last Saturday, July 27, at Fully Booked, Bonifacio High Street branch. The authors shared excerpts from the book, followed by a Q&A session and a book signing.
Crash Course on Capitalism & Money is available at major bookstores across Southeast Asia and online, including Amazon.
