Bend, Not Break

One of the most inspiring memoirs of 2012, Bend, Not Break by Ping Fu depicts one woman's journey from Mao's China to the White House. Ping Fu was born on the eve of China's Cultural Revolution; aged just eight she was taken from the arms of her loving family. She suffered appalling treatment and was denied an education. For ten years she lived in bleak dormitories, while protecting her younger sister from Mao's Red Guards. She survived, but was finally forced into exile. Arriving in the United States, speaking just three words in English, she set about making her fortune...Extraordinary, moving, captivating. (The Times). She tells her story with intelligence, verve and a candour that is often heart-rending. (Wall Street Journal). Ping Fu is the founder and CEO of Geomagic, a 3D digital reality solution company. She earned an MS in computer science at the University of Illinois and worked at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications and AT&T; Bell labs. She is a member of President Obama's National Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship and a board member of Long Now Foundation. She lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. MeiMei Fox is an author and book editor who also blogs regularly for the Huffington Post.