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Lee Kuan Yew: The Man and His Ideas
Lee Kuan Yew passed away on 23 March 2015 at the age of 92. This book, which was first published in 1998, tells the story of his life from when the Japanese occupied Singapore in 1941 until 1998 when he was Senior Minister.
Based on 13 exclusive interviews held over 30 hours, this book chronicles the events, people and political fortunes that were to shape Lee’s view of the world, as well as the path he set for the transformation of Singapore. It delves into the choices he made, the political turnings he took, the insights gained and lessons learnt, some of which were expounded to the authors for the first time, with wit, wisdom, candor and vivid recollection.
Written by three leading journalists from The Straits Times.
Based on 13 exclusive interviews held over 30 hours, this book chronicles the events, people and political fortunes that were to shape Lee’s view of the world, as well as the path he set for the transformation of Singapore. It delves into the choices he made, the political turnings he took, the insights gained and lessons learnt, some of which were expounded to the authors for the first time, with wit, wisdom, candor and vivid recollection.
Written by three leading journalists from The Straits Times.
456 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1998
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
January 18, 2016
So much wisdom; when the master speaks, it's best to listen.
RIP Lee Kuan Yew
RIP Lee Kuan Yew
May 26, 2020
I recommend this to every Malaysian because the book gives us a glimpse into the past. It shook me to my core because Malaysia’s political scene hasn’t changed a day since 1957. My main takeaway: invest in education.
April 27, 2019
Should be a mandatory read in Singaporean schools today.
October 20, 2019
So much information about the why and what , perhaps the best book for national education for Singaporean.
November 19, 2021
This is the best source of transcripts of Lee Kuan Yew’s speeches (particularly in the 1950’s and 1960’s) that I have found.
May 29, 2020
This is so freaking weird. I'm a super critical person. I frantically search for great books but am critical of anything in social science that's not truly amazing. I picked this book randomly because I saw a great quote from Yew and just found a random book about him. It's not even one of the more popular books. Yet still this blew me away in the 2 chapters on IQ and culture. I haven't read all chapters but I'll already proclaim those 2 chapters a must-read for any leader or anyone interested in politics. It's just that clear writing and that clear ideas. Just know that the level is not high. It's a super accessible book but it's very light on stats, tables and complicated math or science. It may feel too easy for the more intellectual readers.
The IQ, race and worker motivation chapter is a great basic intro to human behavior with good examples.
The honesty and direct way to tell things here works well. Then Lee Kuan Yew also has a great and beautiful way to say things. All of his speeches in the IQ chapter read like old Abraham Lincoln speeches with great focus on narration and speech. It's stuff we don't see much at all anymore but these kind of big speeches used to be popular in the old USA. It makes you reminiscent of great Western cultures of the past that have been replaced by liberal progressive chaos that makes you more free but maybe less happy. Whether you support this or not it's still a very admirable culture.
In other chapters he talks about keeping crime down and making the country one of the safest in the world by handing out hard punishments to criminals. It does make the population feel much more safe according to the polls but it will also make you think about liberty vs. safety. For Yew safety and family is essential so for him criminals need to be punished for their crimes. This would in the more progressive West often not be the case at all. In the West the assumption is that you do as little time as possible and then hopefully can do what is right once free. So many Western readers may be shocked by the ideas here. But you can't say they don't work. They very much do.
The history chapters on average are mediocre and not that engaging. The journalists keep repeating sentences and it's hard to understand history from speeches. They are informative chapters but nothing great and nothing must-read as you surely are better off just reading the history in some better book.
It's a very simple and accessible book about the man behind one of the great success stories of our time. But you may not want to read the full book unless you have the time. Read the ideas chapters.
The IQ, race and worker motivation chapter is a great basic intro to human behavior with good examples.
The honesty and direct way to tell things here works well. Then Lee Kuan Yew also has a great and beautiful way to say things. All of his speeches in the IQ chapter read like old Abraham Lincoln speeches with great focus on narration and speech. It's stuff we don't see much at all anymore but these kind of big speeches used to be popular in the old USA. It makes you reminiscent of great Western cultures of the past that have been replaced by liberal progressive chaos that makes you more free but maybe less happy. Whether you support this or not it's still a very admirable culture.
In other chapters he talks about keeping crime down and making the country one of the safest in the world by handing out hard punishments to criminals. It does make the population feel much more safe according to the polls but it will also make you think about liberty vs. safety. For Yew safety and family is essential so for him criminals need to be punished for their crimes. This would in the more progressive West often not be the case at all. In the West the assumption is that you do as little time as possible and then hopefully can do what is right once free. So many Western readers may be shocked by the ideas here. But you can't say they don't work. They very much do.
The history chapters on average are mediocre and not that engaging. The journalists keep repeating sentences and it's hard to understand history from speeches. They are informative chapters but nothing great and nothing must-read as you surely are better off just reading the history in some better book.
It's a very simple and accessible book about the man behind one of the great success stories of our time. But you may not want to read the full book unless you have the time. Read the ideas chapters.
October 6, 2019
I was a direct beneficiary of his policy. Born and brought up in china, I received a full scholarship to study in Singapore at 16. Bundled with the scholarship was a six year bond working in Singapore. During my time, Singapore government brought in foreign students in hundreds if not thousands from China, India and Southeast Asia every year. This was a grand scheme of how Singapore government drew talents to fill the job vacancies arising from foreign companies setting up their regional offices in Singapore. Also the large number of Chinese and Indian students who they hoped to assimilate to the society was to balance the racial ratio (70% Chinese 20% Malay and 10% Indian roughly speaking) while Chinese and Indians were failing rapidly in proportion due to their low fertility rate.
Since then I have lived in a few more countries and got to see the world a bit more, and no government impressed me more than the Singapore government - efficient, simple, effective and pragmatic. Such a government was created by none other than LKY and his colleagues. And since then the government, where the smartest minds gather, is still evolving to solve the latest challenges of our generation.
Better than he was a politician or an eloquent speaker, LKY was a keen and curious observer of history, culture, society, psychology and human nature. Drawn insights far and wide, LKY never hesitated in sharing his own conclusions in public, regardless how counterintuitive or how politically incorrect they might be. His disagreement on democracy, on one-man-one-vote would no doubt make many western liberals appall. However astonishing, he built his opinion based on historical, cultural, political and economic evidences, and it’s very convincing. Time and time again, his words were proven right by unfolding events such as brexit.
What impressed me most after I read this book was that LKY never overlooked small things regardless how minute they were. For example, he made a speech admonishing the civil servants for bad writing skills! Imagine, why would a leader at the highest level worry about his people’s writing skills? But think about how important communication is in every aspect of life, maybe bad writing was no small problem after all. :D
LKY was a phenomenal leader, and his story is definitely a worthy read to everyone who is interested in politics and human society. His wisdom would benefit generations and beyond.
Since then I have lived in a few more countries and got to see the world a bit more, and no government impressed me more than the Singapore government - efficient, simple, effective and pragmatic. Such a government was created by none other than LKY and his colleagues. And since then the government, where the smartest minds gather, is still evolving to solve the latest challenges of our generation.
Better than he was a politician or an eloquent speaker, LKY was a keen and curious observer of history, culture, society, psychology and human nature. Drawn insights far and wide, LKY never hesitated in sharing his own conclusions in public, regardless how counterintuitive or how politically incorrect they might be. His disagreement on democracy, on one-man-one-vote would no doubt make many western liberals appall. However astonishing, he built his opinion based on historical, cultural, political and economic evidences, and it’s very convincing. Time and time again, his words were proven right by unfolding events such as brexit.
What impressed me most after I read this book was that LKY never overlooked small things regardless how minute they were. For example, he made a speech admonishing the civil servants for bad writing skills! Imagine, why would a leader at the highest level worry about his people’s writing skills? But think about how important communication is in every aspect of life, maybe bad writing was no small problem after all. :D
LKY was a phenomenal leader, and his story is definitely a worthy read to everyone who is interested in politics and human society. His wisdom would benefit generations and beyond.
August 28, 2019
Enlightening view into the man behind what is known today as modern Singapore - to say the least.
A man full of vision, determination, wisdom, unwavering grit and wit despite the vicissitudes. At the end, he said "All I can say is, I did my best. This was the job I undertook, I did my best and I could not have done more in the circumstances. What people think of it, I have to leave to them. It is of no great consequence. What is of consequence is, I did my best".
Separately, he concluded, "I have no regrets. I have spent my life, so much of it, building up this country. There's nothing more that I need to do. At the end of the day, what have I got? A successful Singapore. What have I given up?. My life."...quote from the book Hard Truth by Mr Lee Kuan Yew.
---
My adult life is spent in Singapore, to which I am grateful, part of it is owed to Mr Lee Kuan Yew, the man and his ideas.
Mr Lee Kuan Yew, the founding father of Singapore, has since passed on 23 Mar 2015 at the age of 92 years old.
A man full of vision, determination, wisdom, unwavering grit and wit despite the vicissitudes. At the end, he said "All I can say is, I did my best. This was the job I undertook, I did my best and I could not have done more in the circumstances. What people think of it, I have to leave to them. It is of no great consequence. What is of consequence is, I did my best".
Separately, he concluded, "I have no regrets. I have spent my life, so much of it, building up this country. There's nothing more that I need to do. At the end of the day, what have I got? A successful Singapore. What have I given up?. My life."...quote from the book Hard Truth by Mr Lee Kuan Yew.
---
My adult life is spent in Singapore, to which I am grateful, part of it is owed to Mr Lee Kuan Yew, the man and his ideas.
Mr Lee Kuan Yew, the founding father of Singapore, has since passed on 23 Mar 2015 at the age of 92 years old.
June 12, 2021
Fascinating ideas about government & how to develop a country. Not all great ideas, but fascinating ones.
Examples:
- Easing racial tensions by requiring English as a second language (like how we teach Spanish/French/etc. in the US), but letting schools/parents choose the first language
- Paying civil servants & teachers well
- Two votes for parents aged 35-60
- Requiring simple words in government memos & comms
Examples:
- Easing racial tensions by requiring English as a second language (like how we teach Spanish/French/etc. in the US), but letting schools/parents choose the first language
- Paying civil servants & teachers well
- Two votes for parents aged 35-60
- Requiring simple words in government memos & comms
June 25, 2020
Reading this has helped me develop a deeper appreciation for our late Mr Lee and his ideas in shaping our country’s political philosophies. Yes, his methods were harsh, his opinions might sound rather elitist, but this book reveals the reasons for his actions and what led him to his convictions. This is a definite must-read for all Singaporeans.
Currently reading
June 24, 2022Every single page make you ponder. If you are curious how Singapore was able to transform itself from a mosquito infested swamp to a country that rivals the US in per capita GDP in 60 years, through the beliefs, imagination and vision of a single man, you won’t be disappointed.
June 27, 2022
If you want to understand Lee Kuan Yew, read this book. Some of his ideas were radical and I find them hard to accept. Still, the fact that he led Singapore from developing country to a first world nation in such a short time is undeniably an extraordinary accomplishment!
October 3, 2020
The title is so apt. The book encapsulates the man and his ideas. It demonstrates his upstanding character, his fortitude in overcoming every obstacle and hurdle thrown at him, his commitment and love towards his wife and his pragmatic thought process. His purpose is to better the lives of the people he lead, and he has achieved that in ways no other could have done.
I am proud to be a Singaporean. I am grateful for the country he has founded and built. I am thankful for the characteristics tied to being a Singaporean. My hope is that the integrity, the hardworking ethos and the ambition to constantly innovate and improve will carry on with the future generation of Singaporeans.
Some of his words which made me laugh, made me tear and kept me inspired:
"You can ask any taxi driver - he is a most uninhibited Singaporean you can think of. You can ask any bartender in any hotel. He'll let off a bellyache. But at the end of the day, when he puts his cross, when election comes, he has given me and my colleagues over 18 years in office, which I think is cause for some satisfaction." (In 2020, it's been 61 years where PAP holds office.)
Good government was not so much about fine liberal slogans and championing the rights of the people, but more a practical matter of strong leadership which would deliver material progress and improve the people's lot. "Houses are going up, chaps are earning money, there are lots of scooters around. Last year, they registered nearly 8000 scooters. You just imagine that. Three in the family using it, you've got 24000 people kept happy. With 24000 girlfriends, you've got 48000 chaps happy."
"In other parts of the world, when their pigs suffer from swine fever, they hush it up. They pretend they do not have it. Net result: all pigs get infected, the position becomes permanently chronic. We can do likewise. But we will become permanently a chronic society: sick. So when we get swine fever, we announce it, alert everyone so that we can arrest the spread of the disease and bring back normalcy. This is what is required of this community: all the time, that push, that thrust to counter the natural sluggishness which this climate tends to build into our physical system, and all that while, we must have an awareness of the realities of life."
"We have what sociologists call a highly 'achievement-oriented' type of society. Not all societies have this. In many societies, they are quite happy just to sit down under the banyan tree and contemplate their navel. So when there is a famine, they just die quietly. Here, they will not die quietly. If there is no food, they will do something, look for somebody, break open stores, do something, plant something and if they have to die, they die fighting for the right to live. A good, striving, hardy people cannot be kept down."
"My great advantage was I have a wife who could be a sole breadwinner and bring the children up. And that was my insurance policy. I think without such a wife, I would have been hard-pressed."
"It is not by accident that we got here. Every possible thing that could have gone wrong, we had tried to pre-empt. That's how we got here, that's why we have substantial reserves. Because if we don't have reserves, the moment we run into trouble, who will lend you money when you've got no gold mines or oil fields? We've got nothing. All we have is this functioning organism which requires brains, specialised skills put together in a very intricate form, with inputs from many nations and their experts in financial services, manufacturing, tourism, all sorts of economic activities put together. It's not easy to replicate."
"I think you must have something in you to be a "have" nation. You must want. That is the crucial thing. Before you have, you must want to have. And to want to have means to be able first, to perceive what it is you want, secondly to discipline and organise yourself in order to possess the things you want, and thirdly the grit and the stamina."
"I know little of the mysteries of advertising and the soft sell. But I believe no magic set of initials, no logo, can sell, to more than the first few, something which is not good. By skillful publicity, the PR man can attract attention and get across an idea. But if the idea got across does not tally with the reality, then the value of the advertisement, however attractive, is soon dissipated."
"Our best asset is in the reputation of Singapore itself. To most people abroad - in governments, in finance, in business, and to many ordinary newspaper reads in the thrusting new nation rapidly climbing up the technological ladder. This is a reputation forged out of our struggle for survival."
When asked if he would live his life differently if he had to do it all over. "I may not be as lucky a second time in so many things. All I can say is, I did my best. This was the job I undertook, I did my best and I could not have done more in the circumstances. What people think of it, I have to leave to them. It is of no great consequence. What is of consequence is, I did my best."
I am proud to be a Singaporean. I am grateful for the country he has founded and built. I am thankful for the characteristics tied to being a Singaporean. My hope is that the integrity, the hardworking ethos and the ambition to constantly innovate and improve will carry on with the future generation of Singaporeans.
Some of his words which made me laugh, made me tear and kept me inspired:
"You can ask any taxi driver - he is a most uninhibited Singaporean you can think of. You can ask any bartender in any hotel. He'll let off a bellyache. But at the end of the day, when he puts his cross, when election comes, he has given me and my colleagues over 18 years in office, which I think is cause for some satisfaction." (In 2020, it's been 61 years where PAP holds office.)
Good government was not so much about fine liberal slogans and championing the rights of the people, but more a practical matter of strong leadership which would deliver material progress and improve the people's lot. "Houses are going up, chaps are earning money, there are lots of scooters around. Last year, they registered nearly 8000 scooters. You just imagine that. Three in the family using it, you've got 24000 people kept happy. With 24000 girlfriends, you've got 48000 chaps happy."
"In other parts of the world, when their pigs suffer from swine fever, they hush it up. They pretend they do not have it. Net result: all pigs get infected, the position becomes permanently chronic. We can do likewise. But we will become permanently a chronic society: sick. So when we get swine fever, we announce it, alert everyone so that we can arrest the spread of the disease and bring back normalcy. This is what is required of this community: all the time, that push, that thrust to counter the natural sluggishness which this climate tends to build into our physical system, and all that while, we must have an awareness of the realities of life."
"We have what sociologists call a highly 'achievement-oriented' type of society. Not all societies have this. In many societies, they are quite happy just to sit down under the banyan tree and contemplate their navel. So when there is a famine, they just die quietly. Here, they will not die quietly. If there is no food, they will do something, look for somebody, break open stores, do something, plant something and if they have to die, they die fighting for the right to live. A good, striving, hardy people cannot be kept down."
"My great advantage was I have a wife who could be a sole breadwinner and bring the children up. And that was my insurance policy. I think without such a wife, I would have been hard-pressed."
"It is not by accident that we got here. Every possible thing that could have gone wrong, we had tried to pre-empt. That's how we got here, that's why we have substantial reserves. Because if we don't have reserves, the moment we run into trouble, who will lend you money when you've got no gold mines or oil fields? We've got nothing. All we have is this functioning organism which requires brains, specialised skills put together in a very intricate form, with inputs from many nations and their experts in financial services, manufacturing, tourism, all sorts of economic activities put together. It's not easy to replicate."
"I think you must have something in you to be a "have" nation. You must want. That is the crucial thing. Before you have, you must want to have. And to want to have means to be able first, to perceive what it is you want, secondly to discipline and organise yourself in order to possess the things you want, and thirdly the grit and the stamina."
"I know little of the mysteries of advertising and the soft sell. But I believe no magic set of initials, no logo, can sell, to more than the first few, something which is not good. By skillful publicity, the PR man can attract attention and get across an idea. But if the idea got across does not tally with the reality, then the value of the advertisement, however attractive, is soon dissipated."
"Our best asset is in the reputation of Singapore itself. To most people abroad - in governments, in finance, in business, and to many ordinary newspaper reads in the thrusting new nation rapidly climbing up the technological ladder. This is a reputation forged out of our struggle for survival."
When asked if he would live his life differently if he had to do it all over. "I may not be as lucky a second time in so many things. All I can say is, I did my best. This was the job I undertook, I did my best and I could not have done more in the circumstances. What people think of it, I have to leave to them. It is of no great consequence. What is of consequence is, I did my best."
July 11, 2020
Content is good but too much repetition in the book.
Read
December 19, 2020so so book
January 31, 2021
Informative, interesting, easy to read.
Read
March 2, 2021Bedtime
January 8, 2022
Revolutionary ideas worth a read.
Explain how the systems of humans behavior, politics, culture, religion interact and complement causing after effects for asia countries and Singapore
Explain how the systems of humans behavior, politics, culture, religion interact and complement causing after effects for asia countries and Singapore
December 8, 2022
Was essentially a collection of quotes and speeches with very little analysis or critique. As far as a biography goes is very shallow
April 4, 2024
Felt my brain expanded a lil after reading
First 300 pages is very good but then get repetitive afterward
First 300 pages is very good but then get repetitive afterward
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews