Bend, Not Break: From Mao's China to the White House

(Paperback)

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One woman's journey from Mao's China to the White House Ping Fu was born on the eve of China's Cultural Revolution; aged just eight she was taken from the arms of her loving family. She suffered appalling treatment and was denied an education. For ten years she lived in bleak dormitories, while protecting her younger sister from Mao's Red Guards. She survived, even succeeding in gaining admission to university. Yet, her education brought unwanted political attention and she was forced into exile. Arriving in the United States, speaking just three words in English, she set about making her fortune ... Bend, Not Break tells the incredible personal story of a journey from imprisonment to freedom, from the dogmatic anticapitalism of Mao's China to the high-stakes world of technology start-ups in the US. It is a tribute to one woman's courage in the face of cruelty, and a valuable lesson on the enduring power of resilience.

Reviews

Extraordinary, moving, captivating * The Times *
There are few people in our world who embody optimism like Ping Fu. She shows us how the human spirit can endure amazing hardship to with find happiness, joy, and astounding success -- Simon Sinek, author of Start With Why
She tells her story with intelligence, verve and a candour that is often heart-rending * Wall Street Journal *
I could not put this book down - it's amazing to believe this all happened in one person's life. The lessons Ping Fu has so artfully accumulated are inspiring, heartening, educating, and entertaining. -- Kevin Kelly of Wired; author of What Technology Wants
Her odyssey from the old world to the new - from the bleakest totalitarianism to the most ebullient flowering of imagination and enterprise - forms a story worthy of a 21st-century Homer * Inc. Magazine *
There is no more shining role model for resilience (and grace and humility and a whole bunch of other qualities) than Ping Fu -- Chip Conley, founder of Joie de Vivre Hospitality and author of Peak and Emotional Equations
Ping Fu's life story is the stuff of heroic novels -- Bo Burlingham, editor-at-large of Inc. magazine and author of Small Giants
This is an utterly unique memoir, a fascinating look at one woman's journey from a difficult childhood in Mao's China to the top of the American tech world -- Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com, author of Delivering Happiness
In this outstanding testament to the resilience of the human spirit, Ping takes readers on a journey both heartbreaking and inspiring. Ping's eloquent prose and remarkable attitude shine through in every word * Publishers Weekly *

Author Bio

Ping Fu is VP and Chief Entrepreneur Officer at 3D Systems. She co-founded Geomagic, a 3D imaging software company, which was later acquired by 3D Systems. Previously, Ping was involved in the NCSA Mosaic software that led to Netscape and Internet Explorer. In 2005, she was named 'Entrepreneur of the Year' by Inc. Magazine. Ping serves on the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Department of Commerce and on the board of directors at the Long Now Foundation.