First of all, I don’t agree with Lee Kuan Yews views on quite many things. I didn’t pick up this book for some time because I thought it would be boring. But once I picked it up, I was hooked.

The book details the period from the birth of Lee Kuan Yew (LKY) in 1923 until the expulsion of Singapore from Malaysia in 1965. It winds its way through LKY’s childhood, the Japanese occupation in Singapore in 40s, his higher education at Cambridge, his foray into politics through representing striking workers in the 50s, his uphill struggle against the Malaysian politicians for a multicultural unified Malaysia, and the eventual failure of his project. Packed in here are astute observations and politically incorrect characterizations. Lee Kuan Yew was not a man who would soften his words.

It’s written in a simple and common language. LKY’s life story itself is worth a read. But the book shines because it is brutally honest. Power struggle between The Malays is Malaysia, Chinese majority in Singapore, the communists who have hold over the Chinese populace (especially the young), the English, Indonesians, etc are reported in a matter of fact way. Some of the high level considerations of politics are laid bare and all this without any sort of apology.

The character of LKY is fascinating. He is full of paradoxes, and yet, he never fails to make sense. I was completely enthralled by some of his ideas due to their almost inhuman brutal honesty. It’s almost as if he doesn’t have emotions. And perhaps he deliberately didn’t include them. The only thing missing is the tension inherent in present tense. It feels like LKY is always in control - even when he is not. There is no hint of despair or anxiety in the book because, I think, he’s writing it in the 90s when what he’s writing about is long in the past.

Whether you agree with LKY or not, its the sort of book that may give you time to pause and rethink your ideals. It sure did for me.