There are a few people in our world who embody optimism like Ping Fu. Anyone Who struggles with adversity or believes that their success and happiness are conditional on their circumstances needs to hear Ping’s story.

– SIMON SINEK, author of ‘Start With Why’

Bend, Not Break

She tells her story with intelligence, verve and a candor that is often heart-rending.

—The Wall Street Journal

Though knowing about [Ping’s] later real-life success helps you continue turning the pages of the brutal story of her upbringing, it doesn’t keep you from weeping about her years of deprivation and thanking God that she was determined enough to survive—and soar. Most of all, you may end up seeing your own suffering and advantages in a new way. . . . A devastating and transformative story.

—Oprah.com

This well-written tale of courage, compassion, and undaunted curiosity reveals the life of a genuine hero.

—Booklist (starred review)

Extraordinary, moving, captivating

—The Times

Her odyssey from the old world to the new – from the bleakest totalitarianism to the most ebullient flowering of imagination – forms a story worthy of a 12st-century Homer

—Inc.

An inspiring story . . . the book reflects the tone of its author: clear, honest, and unassuming.

—Kirkus Reviews

The journey is as compelling as the destination. . . . a role model to those wise enough to use life’s lessons and opportunities to meet present day challenges.

—New York Journal of Books

Hers is a story of endurance, of unbreakable spirit, and ultimately of hope that flourishes even in the most difficult of times.”

—The Daily Beast

This Woman Went From Child Soldier To Tech CEO

— Read more.SF Chronicle

Bend Not Break: Enduring Mao’s China Led Geomagic’s Ping Fu To See The World in 3D

— Read more.Forbes.com

An executive memoir – The world is 3D

— Read more.The Economist

The Art of Resilience

— Read more.The Wall Street Journal

New Memoirs So Powerful They’ll Turn your Life Inside Out

— Read more.Oprah.com

…. the journey is as compelling as the destination… a role model to those wise enough to use life’s lessons and opportunities to meet present day challenges.

— Read more.New York Journal of Books

In this outstanding testament to the resilience of the human spirit, Ping takes readers on a journey both heartbreaking and inspiring.

— Read more.Publisher Weekly Review, 11/5/2012 (Starred Review)

An inspiring story… the book reflects the tone of its author: clear, honest and unassuming.

— Read more.Kirkus Review, 12/9/2012

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.

— Read more.Susan Grines, Booklist

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.

— Read more.Mark Frauenfelder, BoingBoing.com

Whether you’re interested in learning more about China, gaining insight into the world of venture capital and high-tech start-ups, or simply reading a provocative, inspirational story of the power of resilience, I feel certain you will enjoy reading this book.

— Read more.MeiMei Fox, Huffington Post

It sounds too unbelievable for fiction, but this is the true story of a life in two worlds. It is a tribute to one woman’s courage in the face of cruelty and a valuable lesson on the enduring power of resilience.

— Read more.Tina Roth Eisenberg, SwissMiss

Her Success at the American Dream is a real triumph.

— Read more.Billy Heller, NY Post

Reader Reviews

She is an entrepreneur by nature and environment, and she was an entrepreneur before entrepreneurship was cool.

— Read more.Jenny Chan, Women 2.0

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. I defy anyone to read this book and not come away with a greater commitment to follow through with their plans, and a desire to invent their own lives.

—Kevin Kelly, Senior Maverick, Wired, and author, ‘What Technology Wants’

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. Suspend all assumptions. Take nothing for granted. Nothing. You will not be able to put this book down. When you’re done, 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 Peabody Award-winning documentary ‘Between the Folds‘

Intensely personal and moving, Bend, Not Break will change the way you think about what it takes to make it in America. Ping’s journey to becoming a top tech guru had many roadblocks but her relentless optimism and belief in the good of others kept her going. Hers is a true success story.

—James Goodnight, founder & CEO of SAS, ranked #1 in 2011 and top ten of 100 best companies to work for nine times by Fortune magazine

There are few people in our world who embody optimism like Ping Fu. Anyone who struggles with adversity or believes that their success and happiness are conditional on their circumstances needs to hear Ping’s story. She shows us how the human spirit can endure amazing hardship to find happiness, joy and astounding success. More importantly, Ping shows us how being devoted to others is what carries us forwards. Ping is such an inspiration to me and everyone she meets.

—Simon Sinek, author of ‘Start With Why‘

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 whole 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‘ and author of ‘Peak and Emotional Equations‘

Ping Fu’s life story is the stuff of heroic novels. Not only has she triumphed over adversity most of us can scarcely imagine, but she has managed to draw out of her experience a wealth of practical business lessons. Those lessons, which she presents in Bend, Not Break, have allowed her to emerge as a leading entrepreneur in a technology that is transforming the world of manufacturing, with far-reaching implications for global competition in the 21st century.

—Bo Burlingham, Editor-at-Large of Inc. magazine and author of ‘Small Giants: Companies That Choose To Be Great Instead of Big‘

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, New York Times bestselling author of ‘Delivering Happiness‘ and CEO of Zappos.com, and Inc.

What an inspiration, both Ping Fu’s life and this one-of-a-kind memoir. While your own journey isn’t likely to be as dramatic, everyone who reads this book will benefit from its deep insight into what it takes to transform adversity into success. Especially recommended for innovators and entrepreneurs.

—John Koten, former editor-in-chief of Mansueto Ventures, publisher of Fast Company and Inc. magazines

This is a true story of survival, courage, guts and sheer determination. All in that order. All the necessary ingredients required to succeed as an entrepreneur. Her road to success is an inspiration to all of us.

—Jack Stack, author of ‘The Great Game of Business‘, founder and CEO of SRC

An extraordinary human story of resilience and optimism in the face of misfortune set against the backdrop of the Cultural Revolution in China and the technological revolution in America. Ping Fu’s honest and moving memoir is full of wise and practical lessons for entrepreneurs and managers alike and is inspiring for anyone who seeks to overcome adversity. I highly recommend it!

—William Ury, co-author ‘Getting to Yes‘ and author of ‘The Power of a Positive No‘

An amazing book about life, leadership, learning … and business. Ping Fu’s life story reads like a compelling and inspiring work of historical fiction and yet every word of it—her childhood incarceration in Communist China, her escape to the U.S., the way she bootstrapped first her own education and then her innovative company, Geomagic, to become Inc. magazine’s entrepreneur of the year—is true. If you want to see the power of what one can create when one brings together the heart, the head, and a lot of hard work, read this book. Once you do you will never forget it.

—Ari Weinzweig, co-founder of ‘Zingerman’s Community of Businesses’, and author