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From Third World to First: Singapore and the Asian Economic Boom

From Third World to First: Singapore and the Asian Economic Boom

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  • Create Date：2021-10-28 06:53:29
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Lee Kuan Yew
  • ISBN：0060957514
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Summary

Few gave tiny Singapore much chance of survival when it was granted independence in 1965。 How is it， then， that today the former British colonial trading post is a thriving Asian metropolis with not only the world's number one airline， best airport， and busiest port of trade， but also the world's fourth–highest per capita real income？

The story of that transformation is told here by Singapore's charismatic， controversial founding father， Lee Kuan Yew。 Rising from a legacy of divisive colonialism， the devastation of the Second World War， and general poverty and disorder following the withdrawal of foreign forces， Singapore now is hailed as a city of the future。 This miraculous history is dramatically recounted by the man who not only lived through it all but who fearlessly forged ahead and brought about most of these changes。

Delving deep into his own meticulous notes， as well as previously unpublished government papers and official records， Lee details the extraordinary efforts it took for an island city–state in Southeast Asia to survive at that time。

Lee explains how he and his cabinet colleagues finished off the communist threat to the fledgling state's security and began the arduous process of nation building: forging basic infrastructural roads through a land that still consisted primarily of swamps， creating an army from a hitherto racially and ideologically divided population， stamping out the last vestiges of colonial–era corruption， providing mass public housing， and establishing a national airline and airport。

In this illuminating account， Lee writes frankly about his trenchant approach to political opponents and his often unorthodox views on human rights， democracy， and inherited intelligence， aiming always "to be correct， not politically correct。" Nothing in Singapore escaped his watchful eye: whether choosing shrubs for the greening of the country， restoring the romance of the historic Raffles Hotel， or openly， unabashedly persuading young men to marry women as well educated as themselves。 Today's safe， tidy Singapore bears Lee's unmistakable stamp， for which he is unapologetic: "If this is a nanny state， I am proud to have fostered one。"

Though Lee's domestic canvas in Singapore was small， his vigor and talent assured him a larger place in world affairs。 With inimitable style， he brings history to life with cogent analyses of some of the greatest strategic issues of recent times and reveals how， over the years， he navigated the shifting tides of relations among America， China， and Taiwan， acting as confidant， sounding board， and messenger for them。 He also includes candid， sometimes acerbic pen portraits of his political peers， including the indomitable Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan， the poetry–spouting Jiang Zemin， and ideologues George Bush and Deng Xiaoping。

Lee also lifts the veil on his family life and writes tenderly of his wife and stalwart partner， Kwa Geok Choo， and of their pride in their three children –– particularly the eldest son， Hsien Loong， who is now Singapore's deputy prime minister。

For more than three decades， Lee Kuan Yew has been praised and vilified in equal measure， and he has established himself as a force impossible to ignore in Asian and international politics。 From Third World to First offers readers a compelling glimpse into this visionary's heart， soul， and mind。

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Reviews

Corina Murafa ，

It’s a must read book for any policy analyst， political commentator or for any person preoccupied by the public sphere for that matter。 LKY’s recipe of turning a piece of land from a deprived colony to a strong state is a masterpiece of strategy， behavioural science and public management。 Undoubtedly， several of his strategies would not fly any longer today - like the oppression of free media。 But in terms of how to organize a country’s bureaucracy， the book is still top notch。 The second part o It’s a must read book for any policy analyst， political commentator or for any person preoccupied by the public sphere for that matter。 LKY’s recipe of turning a piece of land from a deprived colony to a strong state is a masterpiece of strategy， behavioural science and public management。 Undoubtedly， several of his strategies would not fly any longer today - like the oppression of free media。 But in terms of how to organize a country’s bureaucracy， the book is still top notch。 The second part of the book is a glimpse into 20th century international relations， particularly Asia’s relationships to the rest of the world。 。。。more

Pavel Vlasov-Mrdulyash ，

Highly recommended。 Очень занятно и полезно， особенно если знаешь современный Сингапур。 Но вообще всем должно быть интересно。 Читать лучше в обнимку с Гуглом， особенно вторую часть， где Ли описывает взаимоотношения с различными странами и их политической верхушкой。 Дает не очень нам привычный， но глубокий и супер интересный взгляд на послевоенную историю мира。

Anj✨ ，

Well， I didn't expect to enjoy this。 I must be getting old， I do prefer the word evolving tho 🤪TBH I only read this on a whim。 Start of campaign season in the Phillipines and I'm already too tired seeing the Marcoses on my newsfeed。 I keep seeing LKY's name associated to the late President Marcos which is disgusting。 Both were in office at the same time and I can't understand why people can't see how different they are？？？First off， LKY's vision is for Singapore， not for his own gain。 Just look h Well， I didn't expect to enjoy this。 I must be getting old， I do prefer the word evolving tho 🤪TBH I only read this on a whim。 Start of campaign season in the Phillipines and I'm already too tired seeing the Marcoses on my newsfeed。 I keep seeing LKY's name associated to the late President Marcos which is disgusting。 Both were in office at the same time and I can't understand why people can't see how different they are？？？First off， LKY's vision is for Singapore， not for his own gain。 Just look how thriving Singapore now。 And Philippines is Phillipines， poorer than ever and getting too deep on debts。。。againLee Kuan Yew is a visionary。 A man who isn't shortsighted。 He's disciplined， pragmatic， and he has a legacy that everyone should be proud of。In this book it detailed his humble beginnings slowly morphing to a discussion of the domestic policy which became the foundation and more discussion of foreign policy that made Singapore what it is now。 It detailed the problems， the experience and reasons of each decisions he took。 All I can is LKY is a brilliant social， political， economic engineer。Overall， this is an outstanding read。 Makes me mad even 'coz all we have here are abundance of stupid politicians who can only think about what Phillipines can give them， not what they can give to the country。Well this is my favorite among all the things he said on Philippines。 Hurts too much but too true。 It is a soft， forgiving culture。 Only in the Philippines could a leader like Ferdinand Marcos， who pillaged his country for over 20 years， still be considered for a national burial。 Insignificant amounts of the loot have been recovered， yet his wife and children were allowed to return and engage in politics。 。。。more

TimEs ，

really good。 gives really valuable insight onto many foreign and domestic policies

Theeban T ，

A memoir from modern Singapore's fearless， charismatic， and pragmatic founding father， Lee Kuan Yew。 Mostly credited for lifting the country out of independence from the British after a fresh separation from Malaysia， to an independent nation in 1965。 Growing up in Malaysia， this one hits an intimate node to me。 With a very similar diversity of population， one fifth the population size and over 400 times smaller in land size than Malaysia， Singapore has a GDP higher than Malaysia （much higher in A memoir from modern Singapore's fearless， charismatic， and pragmatic founding father， Lee Kuan Yew。 Mostly credited for lifting the country out of independence from the British after a fresh separation from Malaysia， to an independent nation in 1965。 Growing up in Malaysia， this one hits an intimate node to me。 With a very similar diversity of population， one fifth the population size and over 400 times smaller in land size than Malaysia， Singapore has a GDP higher than Malaysia （much higher in PPP and per capita terms） and has one of the lowest corruptions in the world。 In terms of race amalgamation， I always heard about how Singapore was the more fair and equal society where a persons race didn't matter。 Lee Kuan Yew's wisdom draws from his tireless studying of history， his own breadth of experience and what other new nations have done。 In his book Lee dives into Asian and South East Asian politics， the Vietnam war， Cambodia's vehement and atrocious leader， Pol Pot， China's Deng Xioping's brilliance that lifted them out of Mao Zedong's backwards economic and social policies to one that is more open to free markets， Lee's relationships with various US Presidents， his closeness to President Reagan and how Reagan relied on Lee's wisdom on advice with Asian politics， the fall of the Berlin wall and the Soviet Union， the failures and successes of new Commonwealth countries in the African region， relations with the UK and Margaret Thatcher and lots of building Singapore from ground up by getting the basics right。 Lee's successes are not without criticisms though。 He is often criticized with trenchant approach to human rights issues and democracy， aiming always to be correct and not politically correct。 Typically arguing the difference between Asian values （more specifically Confucian values） and Western values。 Differences between freedoms and autonomy in family and of an individual。 He argues that democracy is not a one size fits all approach and most underdeveloped countries that try to use the democracy model failed greatly drawing examples from the Philippines， South Korea and Haiti， and that can only come after you have economic development， a growing middle class， and political institutions that support free speech and human rights。 I wanted to share this with all of you because I think Lee argues "the other side" very well。 I liked this quote from him that I thought sums up his approach。"If there was one formula for our success， it was that we were constantly studying how to make things work， or how to make them work better。 I was never a prisoner of theory。 What guided me were reason and reality。 The acid test I applied to every theory or scheme was， would it work？ This was the golden thread that ran through my years in office。 If it did not work， or the results were poor， I did not waste more time and resources on it。 I almost never made the same mistakes twice， and I tried to learn from the mistakes others had made。" 。。。more

Mantareads ，

I enjoyed this book much better than Lee's first memoir， which reeked of hubris from its title alone， to say nothing of its self-absorbed political narrative。 This book is different。 Despite （or as） its title suggests， this book deals more with Lee's encounters with other world leaders of the time， which makes for fascinating reading， almost as if he were an alien emissary meeting other alien emissaries， and dealing with strange， powerful hegemons。 I'm reminded of Orson Scott Card's gradations o I enjoyed this book much better than Lee's first memoir， which reeked of hubris from its title alone， to say nothing of its self-absorbed political narrative。 This book is different。 Despite （or as） its title suggests， this book deals more with Lee's encounters with other world leaders of the time， which makes for fascinating reading， almost as if he were an alien emissary meeting other alien emissaries， and dealing with strange， powerful hegemons。 I'm reminded of Orson Scott Card's gradations of alienness in 'Speaker for the Dead'。Finally， reading the closing chapter in 2021， where Lee briefly discusses his family and how harmonious they are feels a little tragic。 For all the foresight in the world and about the world's nations， Lee-as-Father somehow did not foresee how divided and bitter his children would be。A very long， but compelling and illuminating read （almost twice the length of Chin Peng's 400+ page memoir！）。 。。。more

Terry Feix ，

Great leadership lessons from Lee Kwan Yew’s journey of the small nation of Singapore to financial powerhouse。

Dominic Cowell ，

An absolute mammoth book （at 691 pages！）， but a fascinating read into the development of Singapore， alongside tales of global events and crisis。 Lee is blunt in his opinions （on communism， global leaders， decision making）， but that made the book an excellent tale。It is a bit 'back and forth' in terms of time period， but easy enough to follow。 An absolute mammoth book （at 691 pages！）， but a fascinating read into the development of Singapore， alongside tales of global events and crisis。 Lee is blunt in his opinions （on communism， global leaders， decision making）， but that made the book an excellent tale。It is a bit 'back and forth' in terms of time period， but easy enough to follow。 。。。more

Hasnain Bin ，

A historical perspective from the founder of Singapore himself， get to learn a lot about the country and the its point of view of the region as a whole。 It will get highly political and is highly detailed so may cause the reader to lose interest

Andrew Clough ，

The bits about Singapore itself I'd mostly gotten from other sources。 The self justification was amusing。 "Other countries have political parties that corruptly accept donations to buy votes。 We use public funds to buy votes which is much more honest。" The international relations perspectives were by far the best part， how things looked to someone going through them and the illumination of second or third order perspectives like how Singapore and China talked about Vietnam's invasion of Cambodia The bits about Singapore itself I'd mostly gotten from other sources。 The self justification was amusing。 "Other countries have political parties that corruptly accept donations to buy votes。 We use public funds to buy votes which is much more honest。" The international relations perspectives were by far the best part， how things looked to someone going through them and the illumination of second or third order perspectives like how Singapore and China talked about Vietnam's invasion of Cambodia。 My sense is that he's still flattering everybody he considers it wise to flatter but whatever。 。。。more

Natalie ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 What can I say。 An incredible leader。 Rational， thoughtful and ran Singapore like a startup and then larger company。 Very very impressive。 So many good takeaways and also helps with keeping up optimism and hope that you CAN actually do something and enact change fairly quickly。 He speaks out quite a lot on the negatives of a socialist 'welfare' state that he lumps most of Europe and the US into。 I tend to agree with him。 His solutions to common issues such as education， health care， development， What can I say。 An incredible leader。 Rational， thoughtful and ran Singapore like a startup and then larger company。 Very very impressive。 So many good takeaways and also helps with keeping up optimism and hope that you CAN actually do something and enact change fairly quickly。 He speaks out quite a lot on the negatives of a socialist 'welfare' state that he lumps most of Europe and the US into。 I tend to agree with him。 His solutions to common issues such as education， health care， development， housing are ingenious in that he sources experts and then enacts the best， most rational and data-backed solution。 If something doesn't work， he changes it。 "The sad fact was the malaise of the British people， and the leadership was not inspiring their people。My colleagues and I had no desire to rewrite the past and perpetuate ourselves by renaming streets or buildings or putting our faces on postage stamps or currency notes。I was shaken by their aid dependency， banking on continuing charity from the British。 The British had given fairly generous redundancy payments， including five weeks' salary for each year of service， and had also covered the cost of three months' retraining in Maltese government institutions。 This nurtured a sense of dependency， not a spirit of self-reliance。Healey in 1967 had promised "significant aid " to offset the loss from the rundown of British forces。 I was convinced our people must never have an aid-dependent mentality。 If we were to succeed we had to depend on ourselves。I took a short sabbatical at Harvard。 I had been in office for nine years and needed to recharge my batteries， get some fresh ideas and reflect on the future。The first was to leapfrog the region， as the Israelis had done。 This idea sprang from a discussion I had with a UNDP expert who visited Singapore in 1962。 In 1964， while on a tour of Africa， I met him again in Malawi。 He described to me how the Israelis， faced with a more hostile environment than ours， had found a way around their difficulties by leaping over their Arab neighbors who boycotted them， to trade with Europe and America。 Since our neighbors were out to reduce their ties with us， we had to link up with the developed world-America， Europe， and Japan-and attract their manufacturers to produce in Singapore and export their products to the developed countries。The second part of my strategy was to create a First World oasis in a Third World region。 This was something Israel could not do because it was at war with its neighbors。 If Singapore could establish First World standards in public and personal security， health， education， telecommunications， transportation， and services， it would become a base camp for entrepreneurs， engineers， managers， and other professionals who had business to do in the region。We had one simple guiding principle for survival， that Singapore had to be more rugged， better organized， and more efficient than others in the region。 If we were only as good as our neighbors， there was no reason for businesses to be based here。 We had to make it possible for investors to operate successfully and profitably in Singapore despite our lack of a domestic market and natural resources。EDB officers would sometimes call on 40 to 50 companies before getting one to visit Singapore。 They worked with inexhaustible energy because they felt the survival of Singapore depended upon them。Our break came with a visit by Texas Instruments in October 1968。 It wanted to set up a plant to assemble semiconductors， at that time a hightechnology product， and was able to start production within 50 days ofThe elevator to lift the heavy machinery needed a big transformer for electricity， but there was none in place in time for the visit of Mr。 Hewlett himself。 Rather than have him walk up six flights of stairs， the EDB got a gigantic cable extended from a neighboring building ， and on the day of the visit the elevator worked。 Hewlett-Packard invested。Without a word being said， they would know that Singaporeans were competent ， disciplined， and reliable ， a people who would learn the skills they required soon enough。When we were unsure how new research and development would turn out ， we spread our bets。The key to success was the quality of the people in charge。Watching the ever-increasing costs of the welfare state in Britain and Sweden， we decided to avoid this debilitating system 。 We noted by the 1970s that when governments undertook primary responsibility for the basic duties of the head of a family， the drive in people weakened。 Welfare undermined self-reliance。 People did not have to work for their families' well-being。rainy day， and later leave it to their children andThe CPF has provided workers with a comprehensive self-financing social security fund equal to any old-age pension system or entitlement program， without shifting the burden to the next generation of workers。We moved from taxing income to taxing consumption。Our aim is to have partial or total cost recovery for goods and services provided by the state。 This checks overconsumption of subsidized public services and reduces distortions in the allocation of resources 。The spoken word on television made a far greater impact than the written script in newspapers。After the 1984 election ， we created a Feedback Unit to give the public a channel to express opinions on policies through forums and feedback sessions。People had for so long been accustomed to having public servants paid modest salaries that the idea that ministers not only exercised power but were also paid in accordance with the importance of the job upset their sense of propriety。I recounted how I had visited almost 50 countries and stayed in nearly as many official guesthouses。 What impressed me was not the size of the buildings but the standard of their maintenance。An Australian plant expert and a New Zealand soil expert came in 1978 at my request to study our soil conditions。 Their report caught my interest and I asked to see them。 They explained that Singapore was part of the equatorial rainforest belt， with strong sunshine and heavy rainfall throughout the year。 When trees were cut down， heavy rainfall would wash off the topsoil and leach the nutrients。 To have grass green and lush， we had to apply fertilizers regularly， preferably compost， which would not be so easily washed away， and lime， because our soil was too acidic。 The lstana curator tested this on our lawns。 Suddenly the grass became greener。I would tell the minister what I wanted him to achieve， and leave him to get on with the task; it was management by objective。 It worked best when the minister was resourceful and could innovate when faced with new， unexpected problems。By 1975， traffic jams at peak hours were unbearable。 I had read a paper proposing that， to reduce congestion， we charge a fee for cars entering the central business district （CBD） at peak hours。 I asked our officials to examine this idea。There were too many hands with too little work。 [on his impressions of India]He also spoke of Russia， that the European Union was not treating the leaders in Moscow with the respect that was due 。 The Russians were a proud people and felt belittled and slighted by this。 If the correct approach was not maintained， he was convinced Russian nationalists and militarists would get back into power and "the whole cycle would start again。 "have always found it difficult to feel the texture of another person's mind when an interpreter stood in between。To watch this massive， tightly control led empire shudder， become ungovernable， and then break up ， was an awesome spectacle。 Something like this must have happened to China in the last decades of the Qing dynasty。 The difference is that Russia still has nuclear capabili ty， an ultimate deterrent agai nst any predator out to dismember it。 And anyone who believes that the Russians are finished as a powerful people should remember the nuclear and space scientists， chess grand masters ， and Olympic champions they nurtured despite a crippling centrally planned economy。 Unlike their communist system， the Russians are not a people to be consigned to the dustbin ofTo watch this massive， tightly control led empire shudder， become ungovernable， and then break up ， was an awesome spectacle。 Something like this must have happened to China in the last decades of the Qing dynasty。 The difference is that Russia still has nuclear capabili ty， an ultimate deterrent agai nst any predator out to dismember it。 And anyone who believes that the Russians are finished as a powerful people should remember the nuclear and space scientists， chess grand masters ， and Olympic champions they nurtured despite a crippling centrally planned economy。 Unlike their communist system， the Russians are notTheir strength is in their talent， nurtured in their universities， think tanks， and in the R&D laboratories of their MNCs。You are either born a Japanese and therefore in that magic circle， or you are not。 This myth of being special makes them a formidable force as a nation， a corporation， or a team in any workplace。True， the most brilliant of them would make it regardless of the disadvantages。 But an industrial society requires a well-educated total population， not just the brilliant few。before the U。S。 elections。 I suggested China would need to buy time for itself if Clinton won。 He should give Clinton room to maneuvre and do a U-turn on some of his Tiananmen 639Whenever I had a lesser minister in charge， I invariably had to push and prod him， and later to review problems and clear roadblocks for him 。 The end result was never what could have been achieved 。 When I had the right man in charge， a burden was off my shoulders 。 I needed only to make clear the objectives to be achieved， the time frame within which he must try to do it， and he would find a way to get it done。 It was Singapore's good fortune thatWhenever I had a lesser minister in charge， I invariably had to push and prod him， and later to review problems and clear roadblocks for him 。 The end result was never what could have been achieved 。 When I had the right man in charge， a burden was off my shoulders 。 I needed only to make clear the objectives to be achieved， the time frame within which he must try to do it， and he would find a way to get it done。I discovered early in office that there were few problems confronting me in government that other governments had not met and solved。 So I made a practice of finding out who else had met the problem we faced， how they had tackled it， and how successful they had been。 。。。more

Jenny Lam ，

One of the most eye-opening book for me。 As a Singaporean born in the 80s， I could relate and see the effects to alot of the systems that were put in place after Singapore's independence。 It also helped me understand the kind of environment that my parents grew up in。 I did not expect this book to arouse my interest in the history of Southeast Asia。 The transition from colonies to independent states in the region is a struggle exacerbated by the fight against communism influence。 While I do not One of the most eye-opening book for me。 As a Singaporean born in the 80s， I could relate and see the effects to alot of the systems that were put in place after Singapore's independence。 It also helped me understand the kind of environment that my parents grew up in。 I did not expect this book to arouse my interest in the history of Southeast Asia。 The transition from colonies to independent states in the region is a struggle exacerbated by the fight against communism influence。 While I do not agree with all of Mr Lee Kuan Yew's views， I have definitely learned alot from reading his books and grateful for what he had done for Singapore。 。。。more

Bryn Smith ，

LKY makes it clear that this is not a guide on how to build a country。 He then demonstrates how to build a country - one with no natural resources， a small landmass， surrounded by large （and sometimes hostile） neighbours， during the Cold War。Breaking up chapters into subjects and later countries as he addresses international relations was the right idea， as a reader wouldn't be able to handle the many issues the Singaporean Government had to juggle。 With so many non-Western names， I ended up wri LKY makes it clear that this is not a guide on how to build a country。 He then demonstrates how to build a country - one with no natural resources， a small landmass， surrounded by large （and sometimes hostile） neighbours， during the Cold War。Breaking up chapters into subjects and later countries as he addresses international relations was the right idea， as a reader wouldn't be able to handle the many issues the Singaporean Government had to juggle。 With so many non-Western names， I ended up writing the name of every person on the inside of the jacket， along with their title and their country， just to keep track。 Since Singapore is being built nearly from scratch， LKY covers many issues that don't occur in modern political memoirs - the abuse of power by the press， creating a defence force， investing in the workforce and developing local industry。This is an insight into the mind of a true statesman。 One who understands politics and was able to stay in power for a long time， but someone who also led a team that laid the foundations for modern Singapore。 。。。more

Amaan Pirani ，

LKYs story is very inspiring - when he took over Singapore they literally didn't have an army， had an economy that was collapsing （with no hope of foriegn investment）， and everyone thought they were going to fail。 Ultimately， through educating his population， directing foriegn investment internally， and meticulous， strategic state planning LKY transformed Singapore。Unfortunately， this book， while telling that story， isn't compellingly narrated。 There's far too many tangents， and far too much ext LKYs story is very inspiring - when he took over Singapore they literally didn't have an army， had an economy that was collapsing （with no hope of foriegn investment）， and everyone thought they were going to fail。 Ultimately， through educating his population， directing foriegn investment internally， and meticulous， strategic state planning LKY transformed Singapore。Unfortunately， this book， while telling that story， isn't compellingly narrated。 There's far too many tangents， and far too much extraneous descriptions of random dinners from trips he went on， for one not to get bored at times 。。。more

Demi Yilmaz ，

The book is pretty dope but it's very long and boring。 I just read 200 pages。I recommend a 100-200 page summary of this book rather than the whole thing。 I may continue reading it in the future， we'll see。 Overall great guy， great story。 The book is pretty dope but it's very long and boring。 I just read 200 pages。I recommend a 100-200 page summary of this book rather than the whole thing。 I may continue reading it in the future， we'll see。 Overall great guy， great story。 。。。more

Tshering Tshering ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 The story of Singapore’s amazing transformation told by it’s charismatic and controversial founding father， Lee Kuan Yew。Lee Kuan Yew is one of the most influential leaders in Asia。 In this illuminating account， Lee writes frankly about his disapproving approach to political opponents and his often unorthodox views on human rights， democracy， and inherited intelligence， aiming always “to be correct， not politically correct。”Since it’s independence in 1965， tiny Singapore – once a poor and decrep The story of Singapore’s amazing transformation told by it’s charismatic and controversial founding father， Lee Kuan Yew。Lee Kuan Yew is one of the most influential leaders in Asia。 In this illuminating account， Lee writes frankly about his disapproving approach to political opponents and his often unorthodox views on human rights， democracy， and inherited intelligence， aiming always “to be correct， not politically correct。”Since it’s independence in 1965， tiny Singapore – once a poor and decrepit colony – has risen to become a rich and thriving Asian metropolis。From Third World to First is a fascinating and insightful account of Singapore’s survival from a history of oppressive colonialism， the Second World War and major poverty and disorder。Lee also uses previously unpublished official government reports and papers to explain how he led a tiny country into becoming a prosperous and secure modern society， amid the constant hostility of world politics。Today Singapore boasts not only to have the busiest port of trade， best airport with the world’s number one airline， but also the world’s fourth-highest per capita real income？ An Island hailed as the city of the future， Singapore’s miraculous history is dramatically recounted by the man who not only lived through it all but fearlessly forged ahead and brought about most of the changes。Lee highlights is relationships with his political peers from Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan to George Bush and poetry-spouting Jiang Zemin。 Also a father of three Lee writes warmly of his family life。From Third World to First offers readers a compelling glimpse not only into the heart but also the mind of an incredibly influential man who is impossible to ignore in Asian and international politics。 。。。more

Luiz Chaem ，

Definitely one of the best books I have read。 Yew shares with us how he sees Asia。 He talks about Singapore and Asia in historical perspective （last 50 years） and also give us his opinion about the future of the continent。 If you are interested in public governance and diplomacy， you must read it。

Sidhant Mahipal ，

I don't normally write reviews。 But， this book has had such an impact on me， that I am forced to write one。Singapore has always intrigued me: I wanted to know how they managed to transform themselves into a first-world country in such a short period。 This book is divided into two parts:Part 1: Focus on Singapore policymaking in all aspectsLKY has touched upon all the facets in the building of a country from education， defense， infrastructure， etc。 For the success of a country， the good intention I don't normally write reviews。 But， this book has had such an impact on me， that I am forced to write one。Singapore has always intrigued me: I wanted to know how they managed to transform themselves into a first-world country in such a short period。 This book is divided into two parts:Part 1: Focus on Singapore policymaking in all aspectsLKY has touched upon all the facets in the building of a country from education， defense， infrastructure， etc。 For the success of a country， the good intentions of a few individuals alone aren't enough。 They placed an emphasis on changing the attitude of the people， by making them self-sufficient and more competitive， and not getting used to free aid or asking for aid from other nations。 The handling of sensitive topics of labour and racial problems gives a great insight into handling complex issues。 There were numerous learnings on how Singapore developed a system to hone and nurture leadership at all levels within the society。 This extended to the development of a meritocratic system that was able to maximise the output of its resources in every way。 Part 2: Singapore's relations with the WorldThe second part of the book is something I wasn't expecting。 This book has given a masterclass on diplomacy。 LKY has taken us through the leadership of all major countries from the 1950s to the 1990s from a neutral perspective。 I like the honest assessment， he makes about Singapore in their initial years when he compares the skill level of an average Singaporean to a Japanese or a Hong Kong resident， and how they just don't stack up against them in competitiveness。LKY has spent considerable time in explaining the outlook of global powers: UK， USA and towards the end of the book of China。 India's importance in the grand scheme of things in global power is aptly reflected in the almost negligible reference he makes about India。 He has spent very little time on the SAARC nations in general， which reflects that he did not rate them very highly。 He summarises his view on India by saying: "India is a nation of unfulfilled greatness"。 He kind of leaves it at that and doesn't seem very optimistic of India being able to overcome their structural weaknesses of corruption and an overhang of socialism。All in all， this book has been a great learning experience。 It has leadership nuggets for everyone。 I like that LKY is quite candid about his views and is happy to be correct and not politically correct！ This book gives me hope though， it makes me feel that no goal is too big， if you are willing to give it time and build a process to achieve those goals！ 。。。more

Azat Sulaev ，

I read this book hoping to learn more about how LKY transformed Singapore into modern city， which is already implied in the title "From Third World to First"。 But the majority of the book is more about Singapore's Foreign Policy than a Singapore Story。 Too many details about LKY's interactions with different political figures， even unnecessary things like what they eat for dinner， how they were dressed， where they stayed are described fully。 Even in the Singapore's chapters， LKY talks more about I read this book hoping to learn more about how LKY transformed Singapore into modern city， which is already implied in the title "From Third World to First"。 But the majority of the book is more about Singapore's Foreign Policy than a Singapore Story。 Too many details about LKY's interactions with different political figures， even unnecessary things like what they eat for dinner， how they were dressed， where they stayed are described fully。 Even in the Singapore's chapters， LKY talks more about his political opponents （communists）， media， advisors and etc， rather than economy and life in Singapore。 。。。more

Megha ，

Having landed on the sunny shores of Singapore in 2006 and having called this little red dot home for more than a decade， it would have been a great personal loss if I hadn't read this book chronicling Singapore's remarkable journey from third world to first。 This was the one of the first books that I bought after arriving in Singapore and starting a new chapter of my life。 It still occupies prime spot on my bookshelf at home。 How is it， that a former tiny fishing village， one racked by the deva Having landed on the sunny shores of Singapore in 2006 and having called this little red dot home for more than a decade， it would have been a great personal loss if I hadn't read this book chronicling Singapore's remarkable journey from third world to first。 This was the one of the first books that I bought after arriving in Singapore and starting a new chapter of my life。 It still occupies prime spot on my bookshelf at home。 How is it， that a former tiny fishing village， one racked by the devastation of World War II and riddled with poverty and crime following the withdrawal of foreign forces is today hailed as a 21st century powerhouse？ 'A city of the future' they call it。 For many years now， Singapore has been known as a thriving Asian metropolis with not only the world's number one airline， best airport， and busiest port of trade， but also the world's fourth–highest per capita real income。 The story of Singapore’s miraculous transformation is told by its charismatic and somewhat controversial founding father， Lee Kuan Yew。 A visionary leader， staunch anti-communist and a man who not only lived through it all but who fearlessly forged ahead and brought about most of these changes。 Singapore would not have been where it is today without him。 So love him or hate him， credit must be given where it is due。 This is a prolific， forthright and insightful read。 Highly recommended！ 。。。more

Luis Fernando Salazar ，

Great book。 Not only about the history of Singapore， but of the 20th century。 Deep respect for PM Lee Kuan Yew。

Tharit Tangkijwanichakul ，

Charlie Munger once said if you study the life and work of Lee Kuan Yew， you will be flabbergasted。I can confirm this。 I very much like it and despite having read 3 books of him already， I will get 2 more！

Kerem Abuc ，

Exceptional book to understand how Singapore became one of the most developed country and describes how each social， health， etc system is developed

Bo Kane ，

So much to learn from LKY。 I've always been a fan of memoirs/autobiographies， but his was especially easy to ready because rather than order the chapters chronologically， LKY decided to write by topic。 So you see the whole arc of Singapore's relationship with America in context， rather than interspersed among everything else。 Same with Singapore's economic， social， and political development stories。 Fascinating read！ So much to learn from LKY。 I've always been a fan of memoirs/autobiographies， but his was especially easy to ready because rather than order the chapters chronologically， LKY decided to write by topic。 So you see the whole arc of Singapore's relationship with America in context， rather than interspersed among everything else。 Same with Singapore's economic， social， and political development stories。 Fascinating read！ 。。。more

Oswald Azumah ，

A perfect blend of narrative writing and philosophical break down。 It should be read by every aspiring third world politician。

Manu Datta ，

My review is tainted by having reading consecutively the first and the second part。 In brief， I hold the first part far superior in a literary sense。 However， I will try to judge the book on its own merits。 Reading this book on its own may make it sound hollow， reading the first part is a prerequisite as is remembering the various details mentioned in it。If one looks for a manual as to how to build a better nation， one may not find it。 Mr LKY offers vignettes of the various （sometimes apparent， My review is tainted by having reading consecutively the first and the second part。 In brief， I hold the first part far superior in a literary sense。 However， I will try to judge the book on its own merits。 Reading this book on its own may make it sound hollow， reading the first part is a prerequisite as is remembering the various details mentioned in it。If one looks for a manual as to how to build a better nation， one may not find it。 Mr LKY offers vignettes of the various （sometimes apparent， and unusual， at times unpopular） options that Singapore chose to build an Atlantis where a backward dependent nation should have been found。 An alternate version as he indicates， in not many words， Singapore should have been an another Sri Lanka - a land rife with civil war instead of the prosperity it finds itself in now。 Cool， but that is my gripe - a few options， however major， are told - not a manual for progress without revolution。 In a way though - that is the honest truth。 Decent capable intelligent men with good ideals made the best choices they could for collective welfare and built it up slowly and steadily。 Success followed good principles and excellent character。 I also， do wish as was the first part， that this too could have been like the first book - chronological。 But perhaps it would have been too boring。 Day to day governmental decisions in chronological fashion - even if three episodes for each year were chosen would have made a too long and bland book。The honest writing on the multitude of International Characters that he has interfaced with are fascinating。 Though， at times it does feel he is rattling off names without enumerating anything of substance that he had to deal with them， just that he formally knew them。 Of course， one can clearly understand that given the honesty of his mind and his non-judgemental character he played a role of intermediary of a seemingly far larger nation geographically than his own。 At times， he indicates he played a personal part in the decisions of international luminaries and that just seems very cheeky。 This book is a fascinating read indeed。 There are two reasons as to why I deduct a star in my review - The section on personal life is far too thin。 If one were to use this book as a personal introduction to him one would make out that he didn't have any non-political friends or didn't spend much time with family or didn't have place for them in his life， that simply cannot be true。 The second is - I was too greedy and expected a manual for fixing a country。 Mine at the very least。 And there is not a lot here that can be replicated。 Perhaps that itself is the greatness of Mr LKY and team - their character， achievements and progress perhaps cannot be replicated even if circumstances are similar and parallel。 。。。more

Oshin ，

One of the best book for knowing political history。

Priyankar Sarkar ，

The first part of the book is a must read。 He is a role model。

Harsha Varma ，

Lee Kuan Yew is one of the first CEOs of a country。 He ran Singapore like a startup， attracting investments and talent， making it one of the world's most prosperous countries。 He is one of the most influential leaders of the 20th century， given the influence he had on Deng Xiaoping。 There are numerous lessons in the book， especially for city mayors who want to attract investments and talent。He also talks about managing ethnic conflicts， promoting racial harmony， making Singapore a green city， bu Lee Kuan Yew is one of the first CEOs of a country。 He ran Singapore like a startup， attracting investments and talent， making it one of the world's most prosperous countries。 He is one of the most influential leaders of the 20th century， given the influence he had on Deng Xiaoping。 There are numerous lessons in the book， especially for city mayors who want to attract investments and talent。He also talks about managing ethnic conflicts， promoting racial harmony， making Singapore a green city， building an army， building Changi airport， addressing traffic congestion， reforming the judicial system， maintaining rule of law among other things。 It is a treasure trove of wisdom。 On attracting investors:1。 We had established the Economic Development Board by statute in August 1961。 It was a one-stop agency so that an investor need not deal with a large number of departments and ministries。 This agency would sort out all an investor’s requirements whether relating to land， power， water or environmental and work safety。2。 Investors should be treated like valued friends who needed guidance through the maze of their bureaucracy with its landmines and other traps。3。 I would tell the minister what I wanted him to achieve， and leave him to get on with the task; it was management by objective。 。。。more

Chandrasen Rajashekar ，

Book recommendation from Balaji Srinivasan The Tim Ferris Show: #506@2:15:00This person is the one who built Singapore

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=From Third World to First: Singapore and the Asian Economic Boom

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=From Third World to First: Singapore and the Asian Economic Boom&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,From Third World to First: Singapore and the Asian Economic Boom&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0