Over the Winter break, I re-visited a pile of books lying around my room which consisted of arbitrary books my parents picked up during their shopping trips at Costco. I had the opportunity to read, which was nice considering I can’t recall the last book I voluntarily read. I chose to read Bend, Not Break because personally, I found the given synopsis on the back cover of the book to be captivating.
Bend, Not Break is a memoir written by Ping Fu, the founder and CEO of Geomagic Inc. and co-author MeiMei Fox. Prior to reading the book, I read many book reviews and although there were mixed reviews and negative reviews regarding the credibility and alleged fabrications of certain aspects of the book, I still read it anyway because I didn’t want to let the reviews dissuade me from reading the book with an open mind and an unbiased perspective.
Please note that this review is not meant to be political. It is evident that there is controversy surrounding this book regarding discrepancies in the events that take place in this book. I am not intentionally taking any political stances as I am not an expert in Chinese political systems. I am writing this review based on the events the author describes in the book.
At the beginning of the book, we are introduced to Ping Fu, or Ping-Ping, a nickname given to her by her adoptive parents, whom she refers to as “Shanghai Papa” and “Shanghai Mama”. Her parents were considered to be “black elements” since her mother was a well-paid accountant and her father had ties to the National Party. Since Fu came from an affluent family, she was taken away by Red Guards and sent to Nanjing to be “re-educated.” This all takes place during the Cultural Revolution in China. When she was ten, she worked in a factory and she cared for her little sister Hong, who was four years old at the time. The years she spent at the factory was filled with misery from abuse, bullying, humiliation, and starvation, as described by Fu. The book states, “During the Cultural Revolution, it was beaten into my brain that I was a nobody who didn’t even deserve to be loved.”
She eventually earned a spot at Suzhou University and chose China’s one-child policy as her thesis topic. Her research contained information about female infanticide, and according to Fu, she was brought to the authorities’ attention. She was later deported from China and arrived in the United States with little money and limited knowledge of the language. She explains that her transition to the United States was not smooth due to the language barrier. She took on a job as a waitress and stated that she dealt with racism and sexism while working as a waitress. Regardless of the difficulties she faced, she continued to work until she earned enough money to fund herself in pursuing her passion. She explained that she took computer science classes taught by a professor at the University of California San Diego. She later credits the professor and the class to be a motivating factor when she starts her company.
Overall, I found Bend, Not Break to be an interesting read. I understand that the book’s message was supposed to convey an inspirational story about a young girl that persevered through years of abuse and unfavorable circumstances. Although some components of the book may have been exaggerated, it was invigorating to read about how Ping Fu turned her passion for computer programming and mathematics into a successful career. In my opinion, this feat was truly the highlight of the book and it made the read worthwhile.
Ping Fu, founder and CEO of Geomagic Inc.
Sources:
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/clarifying-the-facts-in-bend-not-break_b_2603405
https://www.latimes.com/local/la-xpm-2013-dec-02-la-me-ping-fu-20131203-story.html
This seems like an extremely interesting book to read!