Singapore's Lost Son

Kaiwen Leong

Description

This is the true story of a boy with a simple dream-to become a man. But he fell and became a dropout of school, friends, life, himself. But with the helping hand of a teacher, he turned his life around, found friends and love, and fulfilled his dream. This is the story of how that boy went from dropout to millionaire Princeton PhD. Expelled from four junior colleges (he was labelled 'subnormal' and not academically inclined), Kaiwen Leong sat for the A level examinations as a private candidate while experimenting with Internet websites to try his hand at entrepreneurship. He studied hard and did well enough to be admitted to Boston University in the US where he graduated with two bachelors and two masters degrees in economics and mathematics in four years. And then he went on to obtain postgraduate degrees at Princeton University. He is a member of America's most prestigious academic societies and has published research papers on economics, mathematics and physics. Today he lectures at Nanyang Techonological University and is an economist at Spring Singapore. Find out how Dr Leong picked up his life.

Sujets

• Employabilité, métiers et formations
• Entrepreneurship
• Singapore
• Singapour

Informations

• Publié par: MarshallCavendishM
• Date de parution: 01 octobre 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9789814408882
• Langue: English

Extrait

The story of a man who, after undergoing a series of very tough experiences that have pulled him down, decides to take destiny into his own hands and transform himself into a success through perseverance and hard work. Although these are not values that are very fashionable today, this book clearly shows us that we can change things and change ourselves. We can always transform the bad experiences and bad times that we get in life into something good. Life is not defined by what we get, but what we are able to do with it. A book full of hope that should be a required reading for all young people!
Fernando Alonso
Senior Vice President,
Flight and Integration Tests, Airbus
Centuries ago, the Chinese philosopher Lao Zi reminded us that: A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Dr Leong s story is one such long journey full of hope and challenges. I wish to congratulate the authors for sharing this wonderful journey with the rest of the world.
Satyajit Boolell, SC
Director of Public Prosecutions, Mauritius
It is an amazing story of willpower by an amazing man.
Shelby Davis
Founder of Davis Selected Advisers
A truly inspirational story.
Indira Mononita Edwards
Consultant, World Bank
Singapore s Lost Son is an amazing memoire, filled with unforgettable episodes and told in prose that is at once simple and compelling. This is a remarkable tale of courage and perseverance.
Professor Christopher L. Eisgruber
Provost of Princeton University; Laurance S. Rockefeller
Professor of Public Affairs in the Woodrow Wilson School
and the University Center for Human Values
It is a must-read book for those who have to face continuing uphill tasks by themselves but need an ordinary idol they can identify with to plough through their challenges. The chapters are case studies to help readers tackle their life struggles.
Dato Lee Hwa Beng
Former Selangor State Assemblyman for Subang Jaya;
Former Chairman, Port Klang Authority
It is a superb story with truths that can be applied throughout a lifetime.
Eugene Leong
Project Manager, Rolls-Royce PLC
Kaiwen has an interesting story to tell about how he had overcome struggles in his life to become the success story that he is today. In his own words, he is guided by two principles - staying positive and remaining committed to his dreams. I commend him for taking the effort to write his story and wanting to share his life from being a school dropout to attaining one of the highest educational qualifications from an Ivy League university. Along the way, he had also attained financial success in his life. There are several lessons which we can glean from his book. I wish the reader an enjoyable time.
Lim Biow Chuan
Member of Parliament for Mountbatten
A very inspirational and touching story. A must-read.
Lim Meng Keong Edwin
Former Country Operating Officer,
OCBC Bank (China) Limited
An extraordinary life condensed into an extraordinary book. Kaiwen Leong s journey from junior college dropout to Princeton academic, from picking up spare quarters in phone booths to making a million dollars, is not always a comfortable read. Nor should it be. In sharing the story of his achievements, Dr Leong offers the reader a series of examples that are occasionally painful to read, sometimes hard to follow, and always inspiring. At its heart, Singapore s Lost Son is a book about the importance of single-minded determination, and a celebration of the things we should value above all others: words, friendship, ambition, dreams.
Jacob Silkstone
Book critic The Missing Slate
An example of success created out of a clear goal and sheer grit. Many lessons for our young to learn.
Inderjit Singh
Member of Parliament for Ang Mo Kio GRC
Your story of personal hardship and perseverance should inspire us all to press on, especially during dark moments of our lives; and it should equip you to help others to overcome their struggles.
Dr Tan Jee Peng
Regional Educational Adviser,
Human Development Department (Africa Region), World Bank
It is a book that presents the extraordinary strength of Dr Leong in overcoming challenges and struggles. Its unforgettable and inspiring episodes take us through the journey to see how one can muster strong courage to face life challenges with inner determination, ambition and meaningful relationships.
Dato Tang See Hang
Former Selangor State Executive Member (EXCO),
Malaysia
This story is remarkable.
Professor Evan Thomas
Former Editor-at-Large, Newsweek
Part memoir, part parable, this book speaks of the importance of self-reliance and determination, as well as compassion and friendship. Ultimately, it suggests that nothing is impossible if one sets a long-term goal and faithfully pursues it.
Professor Shirley M. Tilghman
President, Princeton University;
Howard A. Prior Professor of the
Life Sciences at Princeton University
A must-read!
Yohanes Ugut
Former Supervisor of Bank Indonesia;
Central Bank of Indonesia
Singapore s Lost Son is an energetic, fast-paced, rags-to-riches story filled with practical advice about the struggle to succeed.
Professor David H. Webber
Associate Professor of Law, Boston University Law School;
Former Editor of NYU Law Review
The author draws deeply on his own very difficult experiences as a poor and abused child, and on the details of his obstacle-laden but ultimately successful passage to Princeton PhD and millionaire, to develop and propose an effective attitude and thought process for achieving one s goals even in the face of the harshest adversity. In an intimate and very personal style, he offers the reader a combination of inspiring autobiography and self-help book, rich with practical as well as spiritual advice. But unlike many business-oriented guides to material success, the author s goals include giving back to one s country and to one s community. This book should be added to the reading lists of M.B.A. programs throughout the country.
Professor Daniel Weiner, PhD, PhD
Associate Professor of Mathematics and Statistics,
Boston University

2013 Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited
Published by Marshall Cavendish Editions An imprint of Marshall Cavendish International 1 New Industrial Road, Singapore 536196
Cover art by Cover Kitchen Co Ltd
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Marshall Cavendish is a trademark of Times Publishing Limited
National Library Board, Singapore Cataloguing-in-Publication Data Leong, Kaiwen, 1981- Singapore s lost son : how I made it from dropout to millionaire Princeton PhD / Kaiwen Leong ; with Edward Choi and Elaine Leong. - Singapore : Marshall Cavendish Editions, c2013. p. cm. eISBN : 978 981 4408 88 2
1. Success. 2. Self-realization. I. Choi, Edward H. II. Leong, Elaine L. III. Title.
BJ1611.2 158.1 -- dc23 OCN808050563
Printed in Singapore by Markono Print Media Pte Ltd
The birth of Singapore s Lost Son
Visit www.kaiwen.com.sg for the study techniques that Dr Kaiwen Leong adapted through his interactions with the students and professors of top American universities. These are the techniques he used to take him from dropout to millionaire Princeton PhD.
For more stories about Singapore s Lost Son, such as the birth of this book, please visit https://www.facebook.com/SingaporesLostSon
To children: may the possible be as far as they can dream
Contents
F OREWORD
I NTRODUCTION
I L OST IN SINGAPORE
1. Ways that don t work will never work
2. In the beginning
3. My fall from boy to man
4. On the tip of a ship in a sea of tears
5. There s no smoke without fire
6. A helping hand: how a teacher helped me stand again
7. Further away from home but closer to my dream
II F OUND IN BOSTON
8. Kai-Kai, Calvin Leong, Singaporean
9. The moon, or its reflection?
10. Words do wonders
11. Mastering a foreign language on a budget
12. You never know what you can do until you try
13. Slow and steady wins the race
14. Extreme starvation
15. Broken hearts can still love
16. 100 scholarships, 99 rejections, 1 success
17. Friendship: no man is an island
18. There may be no tomorrow
19. Secrets of a master
20. A lion in sheep s clothing
21. Redemption through a mother s tears
22. No pockets for pocket change
23. Going to the ground to invest
III T AKING THE LEAD IN PRINCETON
24. Princeton: in the nation s service and in the service of all nations
25. Passing it forward: saving a life
26. To follow or not to follow?
27. A leader among misleaders: leading the misled
28. Guiding the future of Singapore
IV R EBORN IN SINGAPORE
29. The long road home
30. The value of nothing