From Third World to First: The Singapore Story: 1965-2000

In 1965, Singapore faced seemingly impossible odds as a tiny island nation ejected from Malaysia with no natural resources, no military, and dim economic prospects. Yet within three decades it transformed into a thriving First World metropolis with the world's top airline, best airport, and fourth-highest per capita income. Lee Kuan Yew's work tells the dramatic story of this miraculous transformation from his unique perspective as Singapore's founding father who not only lived through these changes but engineered most of them. Drawing from his meticulous notes and previously unpublished government records, Yew recounts the extraordinary efforts required for a small Southeast Asian city-state to not just survive but thrive against all odds. This short offers readers a compelling look into the mind of a visionary leader whose uncompromising approach to nation-building created a model that continues to influence leaders and policymakers worldwide.