Bend, Not Break: A Life in Two Worlds

by Ping Fu, MeiMei Fox

Overview

Born on the eve of China’s Cultural Revolution, Ping Fu was separated from her family at the age of eight. She grew up fighting hunger and humiliation and shielding her younger sister from the teenagers in Mao’s Red Guard. At twenty-five, she found her way to the United States; her only resources were $80 and a few phrases of English.

Yet Ping persevered, and the hard-won lessons of her childhood guided her to success in her new homeland. Aided by her well-honed survival instincts, a few good friends, and the kindness of strangers, she grew into someone she never thought she’d be—a strong, independent, entrepreneurial leader.

“She tells her story with intelligence, verve and a candor that is often heart-rending.”
—The Wall Street Journal

“This well-written tale of courage, compassion, and undaunted curiosity reveals the life of a genuine hero.”
—Booklist (starred review)

“Her success at the American Dream is a real triumph.”
—The New York Post

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781591846819
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	11/26/2013
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	5.45(w) x 8.41(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Ping Fu was the founder of Geomagic, a 3D digital reality solution company, and is now Chief Strategy Officer of 3D Systems. She lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. 

MeiMei Fox is an author and book editor who also blogs regularly for the Huffington Post.

Table of Contents

Author's Note ix

1 Three Friends of Winter 1

2 Behind Every Closed Door Is an Open Space 35

3 I Am Precious 73

4 Blood Is Thicker Than Water 107

5 Everybody Is Somebody 137

6 Who Can Say What Is Good or Bad? 169

7 The Number One Strategy Is Retreat 199

8 Life Is a Mountain Range 235

Epilogue: The World Isn't Flat; It's 3D 263

Acknowledgments 275

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“She tells her story with intelligence, verve and a candor that is often heart-rending....Her life story is moving and inspiring. Like the people who gave her a helping hand, she is generous to share it with us.”
—The Wall Street Journal

“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 (starred review)
 
“An inspiring story . . . the book reflects the tone of its author: clear, honest and unassuming.”
—KIRKUS REVIEWS
 
 “This well-written tale of courage, compassion, and undaunted curiosity reveals the life of a genuine hero who remains committed to making the world a better place.”
—BOOKLIST (starred review)
 
“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
 
“Do not read this book if you reject kindness, humility, and ingenuity. With staggering authenticity and zero cliché, Ping’s story will shock you to your core. Your notion of human capacity will be redefined. It’s Rocky, My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Gone With the Wind—all in one.”
—SALLY ROSENTHAL, executive producer of the documentary Between the Folds
 
“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 find happiness, joy, and astounding success.”
—SIMON SINEK, author of Start with Why
 
“I could not put this book down. From surviving the insanity of China’s Cultural Revolution to the cutthroat antics of hi-tech venture capitalism, from low-life outcast to billionaire dealer—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, Senior Maverick, Wired; author of What Technology Wants
 
“Resilience is the most essential element of life and business today, and there is no more shining role model for resilience (and grace and humility and a bunch of other qualities) than Ping Fu. The story of how she fled China under precarious circumstances, made a new life in the United States, and built a vibrant company should be required reading.”
—CHIP CONLEY, founder of Joie de Vivre Hospitality; author of Peak and Emotional Equations

Editorial Reviews

She tells her story with intelligence, verve and a candor that is often heart-rending....Her life story is moving and inspiring. Like the people who gave her a helping hand, she is generous to share it with us.”
—The Wall Street Journal

“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 (starred review)
 
“An inspiring story . . . the book reflects the tone of its author: clear, honest and unassuming.”
—KIRKUS REVIEWS
 
 “This well-written tale of courage, compassion, and undaunted curiosity reveals the life of a genuine hero who remains committed to making the world a better place.”
—BOOKLIST (starred review)
 
“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
 
“Do not read this book if you reject kindness, humility, and ingenuity. With staggering authenticity and zero cliché, Ping’s story will shock you to your core. Your notion of human capacity will be redefined. It’s Rocky, My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Gone With the Wind—all in one.”
—SALLY ROSENTHAL, executive producer of the documentary Between the Folds
 
“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 find happiness, joy, and astounding success.”
—SIMON SINEK, author of Start with Why
 
“I could not put this book down. From surviving the insanity of China’s Cultural Revolution to the cutthroat antics of hi-tech venture capitalism, from low-life outcast to billionaire dealer—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, Senior Maverick, Wired; author of What Technology Wants
 
“Resilience is the most essential element of life and business today, and there is no more shining role model for resilience (and grace and humility and a bunch of other qualities) than Ping Fu. The story of how she fled China under precarious circumstances, made a new life in the United States, and built a vibrant company should be required reading.”
—CHIP CONLEY, founder of Joie de Vivre Hospitality; author of Peak and Emotional Equations

From the Publisher

In this outstanding testament to the resilience of the human spirit, Ping takes readers on a journey both heartbreaking and inspiring. Eight-year-old Ping is living a privileged life in Shanghai with her intellectual father and loving mother when her world explodes during the Cultural Revolution. With her family seen as an enemy of the state, they are forcibly split up, and Ping is placed in a meager camp with her four-year-old sister. After years of torture as a child, including a brutal gang rape at age 10, Ping is briefly detained after her college thesis on infanticide ends up in the hands of politicians. An exiled Ping immigrates to the U.S. in 1984 with just in her pocket. In 1988, she graduated with a degree in computer science from the University of California at San Diego and worked on the team that created NCSA Mosaic, later known as the Netscape Web browser. Next, Ping and her husband founded Geomagic, a 3D software company, which has counted Mattel and Boeing as its clients. Ping's eloquent prose and remarkable attitude shine through in every word—and her compelling story will remind more than one reader to be thankful for what they have. Agent: Laura Yorke, Carol Mann Agency. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

Robin Miles’s narration is perfect for this absorbing memoir. The author was expelled from communist China as a teenager and navigated her way through the digital world of Silicon Valley to start a top 3D simulation company. Her gripping memoir swings between her often traumatic childhood experiences and the challenges of adapting to a Western, capitalist culture. It’s a compelling tapestry of dualities. Examples include child labor and reeducation camps in China as compared to the wide-open possibilities of the U.S. and the cultural divide between her intellectual birth parents and her nurturing peasant family. Every thread quietly affirms the author’s resilience, compassion, intelligence, and honor. Miles’s gravitas serves the author’s journey as subtle tonal shifts color this sweeping story of culture, character, and self-determination. T.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine

APRIL 2013 - AudioFile

Robin Miles’s narration is perfect for this absorbing memoir. The author was expelled from communist China as a teenager and navigated her way through the digital world of Silicon Valley to start a top 3D simulation company. Her gripping memoir swings between her often traumatic childhood experiences and the challenges of adapting to a Western, capitalist culture. It’s a compelling tapestry of dualities. Examples include child labor and reeducation camps in China as compared to the wide-open possibilities of the U.S. and the cultural divide between her intellectual birth parents and her nurturing peasant family. Every thread quietly affirms the author’s resilience, compassion, intelligence, and honor. Miles’s gravitas serves the author’s journey as subtle tonal shifts color this sweeping story of culture, character, and self-determination. T.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine

APRIL 2013 - AudioFile

A Chinese-American businesswoman's memoir of exile, torture, immigration and, ultimately, astounding success. With the assistance of Huffington Post blogger Fox (Fortytude: Making the Next Decades the Best Years of Your Life, 2011, etc.), Ping Fu, founder of Geomagic, a 3D digital-reality solution company, reveals the inspiring story of her life. Until age 8, Ping and her intellectual, doting parents lived comfortably in Shanghai. That existence was blown apart by the Cultural Revolution, during which her family was regarded as an enemy of the state. During the 1960s and '70s, Ping and her younger sister were confined to a camp where she endured years of vicious torture that included being gang-raped when she was 10. Despite receiving no formal education between the ages of 8 and 18, she went on to attend college, but her thesis, on infanticide, landed her in hot water with politicians. Exiled, she arrived in the United States with less than $100 and English so limited she could only say, "hello," "help" and "thank you." Ping's early years in America were peppered with encounters that ran the gamut from surreal (she was kidnapped at the airport upon her arrival) to quotidian (she studied relentlessly). In 1988, she earned a degree in computer science and joined the team that created NCSA Mosaic, later known as Netscape. She and her husband subsequently founded Geomagic. Ping advises women aspiring to be in a position similar to hers to "[t]hink about moving forward to make personal or social progress, rather than moving higher to gain a superior position." The book reflects the tone of its author: clear, honest and unassuming.

Kirkus Reviews