[Review] I Dare To Dream: Make Possible the Impossible

Reflections on a short story collection interwoven into the charming rag-to-riches autobiography of Dr Low Lee Yong, CEO of MHC Asia Group. By Norman Tan.

As I scrutinised the cover of Dr Low’s I Dare To Dream, one tagline caught my attention: "Foreword by Dr Tan Cheng Bock”. Surely, a book endorsed by Singapore's former President-elect would be immensely motivational and uplifting! On the contrary, what I found could not be further from the truth, but it was no less valuable and its message, no less powerful.

Penned against the backdrop of Singapore’s fledging years, Dr Low draw parallels between the upheavals of a young nation and the confusion surrounding a young boy as he contemplates several life-altering decisions. As I was guided from his childhood dreams to his religious awakening and the eventual realisation of his calling as a doctor, I became acutely aware of how Dr Low has become the successful CEO that he is today.

As a more character-driven narrative, this highly personal account has been segmented into many chapters, each condensed in the form of a self-contained story. Each story also carries a central message, along with an opening quote that innocuously foreshadows the stories that follows. This concise story makes for an extremely easy read while serving as a perfect template for an inspirational or humorous speech.

Progressively, with each story, the audience becomes more invested in Dr Low’s life journey. One especially poignant part was when he described the final days of his ailing mother, who had such an unshakable presence throughout his mischievous, carefree childhood days. As he described his struggle with the decision to take his mother off life support, I could feel how raw and heartfelt his pain was.

It is with this sincerity that Dr Low writes, that I believe is his greatest strength. He gamely admits several of his errors, his failed business ventures and friendships but through this brutal honesty, we get a true sense of his unyielding determination and unquenchable thirst for knowledge. One minor gripe I had was that the book meanders at the start with several different storylines, making it hard to follow the initial plot. Nevertheless, this problem is short-lived and resolves itself later on.

As such, I would highly recommend this book for those looking for a light read. The author's anecdotes would certainly strike a familiar chord with those who grew up in kampungs. For budding Toastmasters, do check out this book on how you can tell a short, but still effective and inspiring story!

Rating: 3.5/ 5 stars

Want to find out more about Dr Low? Check out his interviews here and here.