--- product_id: 4951332 title: "From Third World to First: A Statesman’s Powerful Story of Transformation from Poverty to National Leadership" price: "240.18 DT" currency: TND in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.tn/products/4951332-from-third-world-to-first-a-statesman-s-powerful-story store_origin: TN region: Tunisia --- # From Third World to First: A Statesman’s Powerful Story of Transformation from Poverty to National Leadership **Price:** 240.18 DT **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** From Third World to First: A Statesman’s Powerful Story of Transformation from Poverty to National Leadership - **How much does it cost?** 240.18 DT with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.tn](https://www.desertcart.tn/products/4951332-from-third-world-to-first-a-statesman-s-powerful-story) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Few gave tiny Singapore much chance of survival when it was granted independence in 1965. How is it, then, that today the former British colonial trading post is a thriving Asian metropolis with not only the world's number one airline, best airport, and busiest port of trade, but also the world's fourth–highest per capita real income? The story of that transformation is told here by Singapore's charismatic, controversial founding father, Lee Kuan Yew. Rising from a legacy of divisive colonialism, the devastation of the Second World War, and general poverty and disorder following the withdrawal of foreign forces, Singapore now is hailed as a city of the future. This miraculous history is dramatically recounted by the man who not only lived through it all but who fearlessly forged ahead and brought about most of these changes. Delving deep into his own meticulous notes, as well as previously unpublished government papers and official records, Lee details the extraordinary efforts it took for an island city–state in Southeast Asia to survive at that time. Lee explains how he and his cabinet colleagues finished off the communist threat to the fledgling state's security and began the arduous process of nation building: forging basic infrastructural roads through a land that still consisted primarily of swamps, creating an army from a hitherto racially and ideologically divided population, stamping out the last vestiges of colonial–era corruption, providing mass public housing, and establishing a national airline and airport. In this illuminating account, Lee writes frankly about his trenchant approach to political opponents and his often unorthodox views on human rights, democracy, and inherited intelligence, aiming always "to be correct, not politically correct." Nothing in Singapore escaped his watchful eye: whether choosing shrubs for the greening of the country, restoring the romance of the historic Raffles Hotel, or openly, unabashedly persuading young men to marry women as well educated as themselves. Today's safe, tidy Singapore bears Lee's unmistakable stamp, for which he is unapologetic: "If this is a nanny state, I am proud to have fostered one." Though Lee's domestic canvas in Singapore was small, his vigor and talent assured him a larger place in world affairs. With inimitable style, he brings history to life with cogent analyses of some of the greatest strategic issues of recent times and reveals how, over the years, he navigated the shifting tides of relations among America, China, and Taiwan, acting as confidant, sounding board, and messenger for them. He also includes candid, sometimes acerbic pen portraits of his political peers, including the indomitable Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan, the poetry–spouting Jiang Zemin, and ideologues George Bush and Deng Xiaoping. Lee also lifts the veil on his family life and writes tenderly of his wife and stalwart partner, Kwa Geok Choo, and of their pride in their three children –– particularly the eldest son, Hsien Loong, who is now Singapore's deputy prime minister. For more than three decades, Lee Kuan Yew has been praised and vilified in equal measure, and he has established himself as a force impossible to ignore in Asian and international politics. From Third World to First offers readers a compelling glimpse into this visionary's heart, soul, and mind. Review: GREAT! - Inspite of loud criticism from Western journalists in particular and Liberal minded Americans in general, Lee Kuan Yew, the former Prime Minister and "father" of Singapore, has done a phenomenal job of bringing several races, language and religious groups into a coherent thriving successful and rich country. My congratulations to Mr. Yew (I guess that would be his last name? Lee Kuan Yew)! He started with a hodge podge of nothing in 1965 and within 35 years had one of the richest and successful countries on earth! Mr. Yew's great strength is his ability to appreciate and know the nuances of cultures of Singapore and how to respond to the positive as well as the negative parts of each. We in America would do well to take advice from him about relations and the aspirations of our various ethnic and racial groups. The most outstanding of Mr. Yew's accomplishments is how he and his cadre of competent ministers have blended Western (in particular British) commercial laws with Confucist tenants to form a multi-cultral rich society that puts the rule of law as an absolute. Mr. Yew, who is of Chinese decent, readily admits the shortcomings and strengths of Chinese culture. In particular, he refers to corruption, nepotism, among others as negative aspects, somehow though he has managed to create a society that comes down very hard on the corrupt, making a level playing field for all in the Singaporan society. He has provided home ownership for the citizens of Singapore, solid medical and retirement benefits as well as educational opportunities for all of its citizens. Having done some business in Japan and having many Asian including Chinese clients, I am struck by Mr. Yew's ability to adhere to the Rule of Law in Singapore rather than the rule by individual which is very prevelent in many Asian (Chinese in particular) societies. Mr. Yew's assessment is right on regarding the Australians and the Japanese. The book is interesting reading, most of the spelling is British way of spelling so for some who are accustomed to the American spelling it is discomforting to read some words "mispelled." If you want to know a success story when multiple races, languages, religions, cultral and ethnic differences are present look to Singapore. It has done it all and in a short time. I don't know how he did it, but the world is a better place for it. We could all learn a lesson or two from Mr. Yew! Joe Seckelman Review: From Third World to First - The importance of the book is greater because it is written none other than the man who elevated the puny island-state of Singapore from the Third World to First. If it was written by someone else, one could have argued that it is only yet another book on Singapore, of course there are so many, so what is so special about it? This not a yet another book on Singapore. This book is as unique as the country - SINGAPORE - the author together with his "team" developed into a First World Country out of a shockingly tiny Third World island-state in the Southeast Asia. The entire world is proud of Singapore and Lee Kuan Yew today and everybody is dreaming of visiting Singapore at least on a two-hour city-tour from the Changi Airport while on transit if the transit time exceeds two hours at least once in her/his lifetime during the life-time of this living hero, if, of course, one is lucky enough, in tribute to this great visionary leader who did all he could in his fullest capacity to the benefit of his people without considering it to be a trouble but as a great responsibility cast upon him by the humanity. Such leaders are the rarest on this earth. I have visited Singapore twice. There is not a single word in this book which is untrue. Everything in it is true and all who love not Singapore but their own countries of birth must read this book and see what they could do for their motherland as did by MM Lee. If great gentlemen such as Edmund Burke who once said that "All political power which is set over men....ought to be some way or other exercised ultimately for their benefit" and Sir Stamford Raffles, following Burke who wrote "I let no opportunity escape of placing the foundation of my public character on the broadest basis - that is to say, on the happiness and improvement of those I am destined to govern",were alive today, I cannot imagine how they could have rejoiced over the success of Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew in continuing their legacy of serving the people relentlessly. R. M. Piyadasa, Sri Lanka ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #13,249 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #3 in Southeast Asia History #11 in Asian Politics #73 in Political Leader Biographies | | Customer Reviews | 4.8 out of 5 stars 940 Reviews | ## Images ![From Third World to First: A Statesman’s Powerful Story of Transformation from Poverty to National Leadership - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81X3BmIBd3L.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ GREAT! *by J***N on January 17, 2001* Inspite of loud criticism from Western journalists in particular and Liberal minded Americans in general, Lee Kuan Yew, the former Prime Minister and "father" of Singapore, has done a phenomenal job of bringing several races, language and religious groups into a coherent thriving successful and rich country. My congratulations to Mr. Yew (I guess that would be his last name? Lee Kuan Yew)! He started with a hodge podge of nothing in 1965 and within 35 years had one of the richest and successful countries on earth! Mr. Yew's great strength is his ability to appreciate and know the nuances of cultures of Singapore and how to respond to the positive as well as the negative parts of each. We in America would do well to take advice from him about relations and the aspirations of our various ethnic and racial groups. The most outstanding of Mr. Yew's accomplishments is how he and his cadre of competent ministers have blended Western (in particular British) commercial laws with Confucist tenants to form a multi-cultral rich society that puts the rule of law as an absolute. Mr. Yew, who is of Chinese decent, readily admits the shortcomings and strengths of Chinese culture. In particular, he refers to corruption, nepotism, among others as negative aspects, somehow though he has managed to create a society that comes down very hard on the corrupt, making a level playing field for all in the Singaporan society. He has provided home ownership for the citizens of Singapore, solid medical and retirement benefits as well as educational opportunities for all of its citizens. Having done some business in Japan and having many Asian including Chinese clients, I am struck by Mr. Yew's ability to adhere to the Rule of Law in Singapore rather than the rule by individual which is very prevelent in many Asian (Chinese in particular) societies. Mr. Yew's assessment is right on regarding the Australians and the Japanese. The book is interesting reading, most of the spelling is British way of spelling so for some who are accustomed to the American spelling it is discomforting to read some words "mispelled." If you want to know a success story when multiple races, languages, religions, cultral and ethnic differences are present look to Singapore. It has done it all and in a short time. I don't know how he did it, but the world is a better place for it. We could all learn a lesson or two from Mr. Yew! Joe Seckelman ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ From Third World to First *by R***A on October 25, 2010* The importance of the book is greater because it is written none other than the man who elevated the puny island-state of Singapore from the Third World to First. If it was written by someone else, one could have argued that it is only yet another book on Singapore, of course there are so many, so what is so special about it? This not a yet another book on Singapore. This book is as unique as the country - SINGAPORE - the author together with his "team" developed into a First World Country out of a shockingly tiny Third World island-state in the Southeast Asia. The entire world is proud of Singapore and Lee Kuan Yew today and everybody is dreaming of visiting Singapore at least on a two-hour city-tour from the Changi Airport while on transit if the transit time exceeds two hours at least once in her/his lifetime during the life-time of this living hero, if, of course, one is lucky enough, in tribute to this great visionary leader who did all he could in his fullest capacity to the benefit of his people without considering it to be a trouble but as a great responsibility cast upon him by the humanity. Such leaders are the rarest on this earth. I have visited Singapore twice. There is not a single word in this book which is untrue. Everything in it is true and all who love not Singapore but their own countries of birth must read this book and see what they could do for their motherland as did by MM Lee. If great gentlemen such as Edmund Burke who once said that "All political power which is set over men....ought to be some way or other exercised ultimately for their benefit" and Sir Stamford Raffles, following Burke who wrote "I let no opportunity escape of placing the foundation of my public character on the broadest basis - that is to say, on the happiness and improvement of those I am destined to govern",were alive today, I cannot imagine how they could have rejoiced over the success of Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew in continuing their legacy of serving the people relentlessly. R. M. Piyadasa, Sri Lanka ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “There is such a thing as evil, and men are not just evil because they are victims of society.” *by C***R on March 28, 2018* “There are books to teach you how to build a house, how to repair engines, how to write a book. But I have not seen a book on how to build a nation out of disparate collection of immigrants from China, British India, and the Dutch East Indies.’’ (3) This unique story, building a nation from scratch, makes Lee’s experience so interesting. Who else? How to crate an economy? Where to find jobs? Well . . . many believed that multinational corporations. . . “. . . were exploiters of cheap land, labor and raw materials. This ‘dependency school’ of economists argued that they continued the colonial pattern of exploitation that left the developing countries selling raw materials and buying consumer goods from the advanced countries. The corporations controlled technology and consumer preferences and formed alliances with their host governments to exploit the people and keep them down.’’ (58) Lee agree? “Third world leaders believed this theory of neocolonialist exploitation, but Keng Swee and I were not impressed.’’ (58) His skepticism proved correct. Singapore now wealthy. Mainly from the boost from multinational corporations. Wow! Chapter 7 - A Fair, Not Welfare, Society “We believed in socialism, in fair shares for all. Later we learned that personal motivation and personal rewards were essential for a productive economy. However, because people are unequal in their ability, if performance and rewards are determined by the marketplace, there will be a few big winners, many medium winners, and a considerable number of losers.’’ (95) What problem? “That would make for social tensions because a society’s sense of fairness is offended.’’ (95) What to do? “My primary preoccupation was to give every citizen a stake in the country and its future. I wanted a home owning society. I had seen the contrast between the blocks of low-cost rental apartments, badly misused and poorly maintained, and those of house proud owners.’’ (95) Another key was adamant, unyielding integrity in government . . . “It is easy to start off with high moral standards, strong convictions, and determination to beat down corruption. But it is difficult to live up to these good intentions unless the leaders are strong enough to deal with all transgressors, and without exceptions.’’ (163) ‘Without exceptions’! Really . . . Lee continued to seek new ideas and expert opinion. However . . . “I found many other fresh ideas and picked the brains of other highly intelligent people who were not always right. They were to politically correct. Harvard was determinedly Liberal. No scholar was prepared to say or admit there was any inherent differences between races or cultures or religion.’’ (460) Well . . . “They held that human beings were equal and a society only needed correct economic policies and institutions of government to succeed. They were so bright I found it difficult to believe that they sincerely held these views they felt compelled to espouse.’’ (461) Yep, he is not ‘politically correct’! Another example . . . “Man needs a moral sense of right and wrong. There is such a thing as evil, and men are not just evil because they are victims of society.” This large work (681 pages) covers wide variety of themes. International politics, economic decisions, financial developments, race riots, communist adversaries, etc., etc.. Considerable space on his visits and views on other countries; including Russia, China, America, Taiwan, etc.. Also, forthright analysis of world leaders, Gorbachev, Gerald Ford, Henry Kissinger, etc.. Fascinating! Easy to read. Reader will need interest on political, economic, social issues. Adds insight to the modern world. ## Frequently Bought Together - From Third World to First: The Singapore Story: 1965-2000 - Lee Kuan Yew: The Grand Master's Insights on China, the United States, and the World (Belfer Center Studies in International Security) - Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.tn/products/4951332-from-third-world-to-first-a-statesman-s-powerful-story](https://www.desertcart.tn/products/4951332-from-third-world-to-first-a-statesman-s-powerful-story) --- *Product available on Desertcart Tunisia* *Store origin: TN* *Last updated: 2026-06-15*