From Third world to first | The Singapore Story 1965 - 2000
I just finished a very interesting book: The memoirs of Lee Kuan Yew (it worths reading the comments from the site). I already can hear the cynical remarks of my friends by stating that the book is fantastic and the dude is a genius. I do not say this (that the book is great) because I agree with what has happened or happening in Singapore politics. The books is not a political doctrine, so it should not be evaluated like that. And there are some facts: Singapore has become one of the best places to be in Asia, with a growing economy and great lifestyle in only 40+ years. And this is mainly due to him and his team.
However the book is not a propaganda book, as one might expect. Actually is not really writing a formula on how to build a nation and a great economy, more some principles around it. Nut it is a must read for everybody interested in strategic development. And it is balanced in it between the realisations and mistakes. The strictly Singapore part is not even half of the book. The most valuable thing in his book is the fact that he describes his interactions with all the Asian and western nations and leaders and one can learn a lot from how international politics is. It describes how things are going behind the scenes and how the circles of influences function in world politics. It is also a very good history book on a lot of events. It also can give insights of why Singapore is as it is and why the society in Singapore is built as it is. Everybody living in Singapore or interacting with Singapore should read. But everybody in understanding world and Asian politics and relations should read as well.
It was interesting to learn from this book that former Chinese president Jiang Zemin could speak Romanian and he worked in Romania. And the book gives thousands of insights about leaders of different countries of the past 40 years.
Again, a nice surprise is that he writes very bluntly and openly about things. The language of the book is very simple and anybody can easily understand complex issues described in it.
About Lee: I think he is a great politician; great thinker and a great visionary. And I think that these qualities made it possible for him to influence the politics and history of the whole region and not just the one of the tiny little dot below Malaysia.
Ok, I did not really managed to write cohesively about this book, but I think is very complex and tackles so many things that I can't write just one main reason why this book is good to read!!! Of course you have to like the topic :):):):)
However the book is not a propaganda book, as one might expect. Actually is not really writing a formula on how to build a nation and a great economy, more some principles around it. Nut it is a must read for everybody interested in strategic development. And it is balanced in it between the realisations and mistakes. The strictly Singapore part is not even half of the book. The most valuable thing in his book is the fact that he describes his interactions with all the Asian and western nations and leaders and one can learn a lot from how international politics is. It describes how things are going behind the scenes and how the circles of influences function in world politics. It is also a very good history book on a lot of events. It also can give insights of why Singapore is as it is and why the society in Singapore is built as it is. Everybody living in Singapore or interacting with Singapore should read. But everybody in understanding world and Asian politics and relations should read as well.
It was interesting to learn from this book that former Chinese president Jiang Zemin could speak Romanian and he worked in Romania. And the book gives thousands of insights about leaders of different countries of the past 40 years.
Again, a nice surprise is that he writes very bluntly and openly about things. The language of the book is very simple and anybody can easily understand complex issues described in it.
About Lee: I think he is a great politician; great thinker and a great visionary. And I think that these qualities made it possible for him to influence the politics and history of the whole region and not just the one of the tiny little dot below Malaysia.
Ok, I did not really managed to write cohesively about this book, but I think is very complex and tackles so many things that I can't write just one main reason why this book is good to read!!! Of course you have to like the topic :):):):)
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