Bend, Not Break

A Life in Two Worlds

De: Ping Fu, MeiMei Fox

Narrado por: Robin Miles

“Bamboo is flexible, bending with the wind but never breaking, capable of adapting to any circumstance. It suggests resilience, meaning that we have the ability to bounce back even from the most difficult times. . . . Your ability to thrive depends, in the end, on your attitude to your life circumstances. Take everything in stride with grace, putting forth energy when it is needed, yet always staying calm inwardly.”

—Ping Fu’s “Shanghai Papa”

Ping Fu knows what it’s like to be a child soldier, a factory worker, and a political prisoner. To be beaten and raped for the crime of being born into a well-educated family. To be deported with barely enough money for a plane ticket to a bewildering new land. To start all over, without family or friends, as a maid, waitress, and student.

Ping Fu also knows what it’s like to be a pioneering software programmer, an innovator, a CEO, and Inc. magazine’s Entrepreneur of the Year. To be a friend and mentor to some of the best-known names in tech­nology. To build some of the coolest new products in the world. To give speeches that inspire huge crowds. To meet and advise the president of the United States.

It sounds too unbelievable for fiction, but this is the true story of a life in two worlds.

Born on the eve of China’s Cultural Revolution, Ping 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 in traveler’s checks and three phrases of English: thank you, hello, and help.

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. A love of problem solving led her to computer science, and Ping became part of the team that created NCSA Mosaic, which became Netscape, the Web browser that forever changed how we access information. She then started a company, Geomagic, that has literally reshaped the world, from personalizing prosthetic limbs to repair­ing NASA spaceships.

Bend, Not Break depicts a journey from imprisonment to freedom, and from the dogmatic anticapitalism of Mao’s China to the high-stakes, take-no-prisoners world of technology start-ups in the United States. It is a tribute to one woman’s courage in the face of cruelty and a valuable lesson on the enduring power of resilience.

Reseñas de la Crítica

“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

Bending, not Breaking

This book is an incredible story of resilliance during Mao's reign in China. It flashes back and forth between Ping's time in America and her growing up years in China. I am normally not a big fan of this biographical style, but it actually works well here, with an American life being transposed with Chinese life... very well done.

While I am normally a big fan of Robin Miles, her as the choice of narrator is an unusual one. This is not her best performance, stilted in spots, and having an African-American reading a Chinese biography is a bit odd. However, I have to say that Robin Miles on her worst day is better than many narrators on their best.

Enjoy this rich biography!

A true account as good as any Horatio Alger story!

This is an incredible story. This is a true account that is as good as any Horatio Alger story with a heroine with a spirit and strength of a Scarlett O’Hara. Who would have thought that the biography of this, “Little Apple “ that takes us from the harsh world of the Chinese Cultural Revolution to the world of the entrepreneur would become a wonderful contemporary story. This is a story full of a menagerie of fascinating characters. From the wisdom of Shanghai Papa to stranger’s spontaneous acts of kindness this book weaves a fascinating tale.
Be prepared to set aside time to listen this audio book. Once you begin to hear the story you will not be able to stop, each chapter as exciting as the last.

Engrossing, illuminating, and beautiful.

Any additional comments?

This is nonfiction that reads like fiction - a storyline in winding, powerful currents, myriad, elegantly constructed settings, and a host of characters displaying the best and worst of their humanities. At the same time it is an informative and inspiring record of Maoist China, dot-com America, immigrant life, technology, business, and perhaps most of all, what a life can be made to be.

Amazing Story of Resilience

What did you love best about Bend, Not Break?

The incredible journey of Ping's life absolutely captured my attention. It also gave me a glimpse into Chinese history that I was not familiar with. I absolutely loved hearing about her incredible resilience, strength and perseverance in all aspects of her life.

It is incredible to hear how much she accomplished given how little she had as a child and through her teenage years.

I love that she made a life for herself in spite of the atrocities and circumstances in her life. She did not break.

She is an inspiration to me.

What did you like best about this story?

The honesty, vulnerability and humility.

What does Robin Miles bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Beautifully narrated, her reading was personal and inviting.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Yes, and yes, as any well lived life does.

I learned much about human growth and resilience

I enjoyed the insights into how people surmount major challenges and build competence and resilience. The narrator did a good job, but she sometimes sounded so staid and serious that there was a little more that I found myself wishing for. I have read reviews that say not everything might be true in the book. I do not know if this is so, but I have learned much from the recounted experiences. I am also inspired by the analogy of the fir tree, plum blossom, and bamboo used in the book.

Life changing story

What made the experience of listening to Bend, Not Break the most enjoyable?

Listening to the life story and all Ping had overcome.

What did you like best about this story?

Her story about how mountain tops are different perspectives and how each of in order to get to the next mountain peak, we must first go down to rise up again.

What does Robin Miles bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Character & Voice

A remarkable story of perseverance and its rewards

Ping Fu's memoir is an incredible story. And important in today's context to see the hardship and grit of an immigrant entrepreneur.

Beautiful

Any additional comments?

This book touches me. From the beautiful reading by Robin to the swaying back and forth through time as Ping narrates her life in a brutal revolution and a successful US business. I feel enriched by listening. I also appreciate the opportunity to evaluate the benefits of a Chinese woman's unique strengths as a CEO.

Such an amazing story of overcoming adversity

Such an amazing story of overcoming adversity the likes of which most of us will never experience. It's a great book about business, it's an even better book about life and it will put a lot of things into perspective for you personally.

Inspiring for some, annoyed me.

Quit this many times. To and from time annoying. Only listened to it because I paid for it. Not sure how much I believe.