More than 220 people turned up at the Wednesday launch of a book written by The Straits Times senior correspondent Goh Eng Yeow.

The book is a compilation of 30 easy-to-read articles from the Small Change column that runs once every two weeks in the Sunday Times Invest pages. Mr Goh, a veteran business writer, helms the column.

Aptly named "Small Change: Investment Made Simple", the book captures investment principles and philosophies Mr Goh has picked up over the years.

The hour-long session at the STI Auditorium in Capital Tower started with Mr Goh sharing insights on how he comes up with topics for the various columns he helms.

For instance, watching the movie Contagion reminded him that fear is a powerful emotion - even in the marketplace.

That prompted him to write a piece on how nothing spreads like fear in the market, evident from the global financial crisis, euro-zone debt crisis as well as the recent penny stock crash.

Many of those present at the book launch were also keen on getting a sense of Mr Goh's pulse on the market.

Some asked for his views on property prices and the likelihood of the asset bubble bursting, while others wanted his take on whether regulators might change rules on contra trading and what the changes could be.

The book launch was co-organised by the Singapore Exchange and the Straits Times Press.

Small Change: Investment Made Simple is priced at $15, inclusive of GST. It is available at major bookstores.